

Take a Tip from ... OPI’s Christy Graham
Educator and guest nail artist for OPI, Christy Graham knows what it’s like for an acrylic tech to switch to using gels.

Nail Labo Presto LED Soak-Off Gel System
Nail Labo introduces its new LED soak-off gel system, Presto. Using the latest technology in the dental industry, Presto takes just five seconds to cure, making a full set of gel nails in under 20 minutes a reality. The LED lights have an almost infinite lifetime, says the company, so techs will likely never have to change the bulbs.

Trendy Nails Unlimited Application for Acrylic Nail
Trendy Nails Unlimited (TNU) offers a brand-new way to design stylish and eye-catching nails. The pre-made designs work with any acrylic or gel system for an artistic French look. Just apply the pre-made TNU designs underneath your acrylic or gel of choice to get a complicated-looking design in a fast and simple application. TNU has many designs to fit any client’s preference, and new designs come out monthly on the company’s website, www.trendynailsunlimited.com.

Hopelessly Devoted
Nails by Leticia Kennar, Native Touch, Burien, Wash.

Gel Application With Nailpopits USA
UV gel application of nail extension using Nail popits USA.

Stiletto Nail Application With Nailpopits USA
How to use a NailpopitUSA form to make a sculpted stilletto,french nail with a great arch!

Blue Glitter Gel Nail Art With With Nailpopits USA
Applying gel and glitter using Nailpopits USA forms.

Nailpure Plus
NSI’s Nailpure Plus prepares the natural nail for any enhancement.

UV Gel Seal Wipe-Less Formula
Star Nail International's UV Gel Seal Wipe-Less Formula provides a solid seal to reduce lifting, peeling, and cracking.

Sheer Magic Silk Stress Strips
Backscratchers’ Sheer Magic Silk Stress Strips work great for weak or thin nails.

Kwik Kote Top Coat
Kinetics’ Kwik Kote is a professional, perfect-flow top coat for fast polish drying.

They Wear Gels in Germany, Don’t They?
That was about the only thing I knew before heading to the Beauty International Show in Dusseldorf, Germany, this past March. I had never been to Europe before and spoke no German, but I was eager to learn everything I could about the German nail industry. Unearthing stiletto styles, licensing loop-holes, the economic recession and more, the German nail industry proved to be a fascinating player in the worldwide nail market.

Swirl Girl
Nails by Jennifer Mather, Polished Nail Design Group Inc., Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Take a Tip From ... Color Club’s Mare Horak
Getting a good product application can be tough enough just using acrylics or gels, but when you start adding nail art embellishments like glass beads, crushed flowers, small rhinestones, or tiny seashells, you have to take extra care to prevent lifting. Art Club educator Mare Horak explains how she uses embellishments without compromising enhancement quality.

Light Elegance Fiber Gel
Light Elegance has re-released an old favorite, Fiber Gel. Fiber Gel is a UV-cured gel that contains fiberglass mixed into the gel. The fiber is strong and can be used on fills and full-sets, and it is a self-leveling product. When cured, the fiberglass becomes locked together to form a blanket of strength.

The Lammers Method
This method for backfilling pink-and-white enhancements takes only a few seconds to learn, but it can save minutes on your service times and give you beautiful, laser-crisp smile lines. Lammers says once you’ve mastered this technique, you’ll wonder why you did it any other way.

Swirl Girl
Step-by-step by Jennifer Mather, Polished Nail Design Group Inc., Burlington, Ontario, Canada



