Stop the presses — NO theory this week! Big sigh because that means no exams to take till next week. We have a new nail technician student. Bringing the total enrollment for the nail technician program to two students. This week was great — lots of pampering in the salon and plenty of much-needed nails to paint. As I worked, the new nail tech student has to watch the demos for mani, pedi, hot oil, etc. before being sent out to the fun floor I was once scared of. Psshh, not anymore ! I have been the model for most of her demos and was able to get the hot oil mani I have so been dreaming of since May. And it’s quite a wonderful service!

This week I brainstormed with my friend Erin about texture and we wanted to think of something that would be cool to put on the nail plate. Many ideas were tossed around —even a rose petal. I opted to try the Newspaper Manicure. It transfers onto Silly Putty so why not try to transfer it onto a painted nail? Good news: it can be and there are tons of tutorials out there. Way too many to choose from.

My pictures illustrate the colors, products, and implements I used to get a desired effect. I did find that the print transferred most clearly when using eau de toilette spray to moisten the print. I used CND Silicone Smile for my two lacquer coats, and allowed them to dry completely. I then cut and used different prints and articles from the newspaper, allowed the transferred ink to dry (very important to do this or your print will smudge together with top coat), went over the nail plate with CND Mother of Pearl Shellac, and topped it all off with CND Shellac Top Coat. This was my first attempt and I feel OK about my results. Motto: If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again! I do believe this service would have been a lot easier to perform on a client rather than myself. Ohhhh, free edge how I miss you — soon I’ll have my free edges back.

— Marti