My mani is cooler than yours <gloat>

[JodieHarshHasALumpyPennie]

Ho dear me yes indeed. Oh yes.

I am currently sporting MATTE BLACK NAILS, with SILVER GLITTER ON BLACK as accent nails on my ring fingers.

In my opinion this makes me currently the coolest girl in the school by roughly 39.33%.

Oh nice shirls. The football is on I might need to go and do nail stuff.

Nagoo I had a pale blue Nails Inc colour on last week. My mum said it looked like I had heart problems.

Nagoo - do you think it might look better all gloss with matt tips then?

Or should I go for dark grey instead?

Have any of you considered a career as a Nail Technician? You get to do stuff like this every day and get paid for it......!!

Best job in the world without a doubt......

Horses - I'm seriously thinking of looking into it after my degree (film production) but worried I won't be able to find work, as I don't drive so can't do mobile...

Horses - it's TOTALLY my plan for when I move to South Africa. DH is a Saffa and the plan is to move there eventually.

I'm a lawyer in the UK but thankfully the SA law society doesn't recognise my qualification so I'll have to find something else to do.

I want to open a nail parlour/ cafe/ cake shop. Maybe shoes as well. And handbags. and a hairdresser.

Lolli do you have a space to work from home? Set up a home-based salon? Or rent a room/space in a hairdressers?

Lula that sounds fab!

Seriously, if you have good training and offer a good service there is work. Build a good relationship with clients and they will reward you with loyalty. Don't underestimate the skill involved, particularly in acrylics, but persevere and it is so worth it...... Nails is one of the growth areas through the recession as well......

I've been a Nail Tech for 7 years and I genuinely love it! Back to work tomorrow after a week off and I am honestly looking forward to it. A week without doing nails and my fingers are itching (not literally!!).....

I swear that an hour having my nails done is as good as 10 hours of therapy!

How long did it take you to train, Horses?

Horses, I don't have a space unfortunately, still living at home - when I move out I'll probably be renting and there's rules about having businesses in rented places, isn't there?

I agree about loyalty, I've finally found a nail place I'm happy with. All the girls are lovely, and although they're a little more expensive than the other places in town, the atmosphere and general nice-ness is worth it.

I'd need one of those head mounted magnifiers with my eyes, but I reckon I could learn, I'd just have to keep the nail art fairly simple, I think.

Go go go for it, Lollipop! x

I went down the route of private company training and started with acrylics with CND (Creative Nail Design). Their Foundation Course has changed since I did mine but it is a more intensive way of learning than college, however the Educators are nail experts first and foremost and they have all been working tech's before being invited to train as an Educator...... It is done with days of learning and then breaks to consolidate and practice. Check www.sweetsquared.com - they are the UK educators and distributors for CND.

I still use CND for my acrylics and mani/pedi products and I use OPI Axxium for my GelPolish. Ongoing education is key IMO and I'm also thinking of competing this year (eek!) - I do love a new challenge!! Another good site to check out is www.salongeek.com - put 'training' into the search function and make yourself a cuppa!

Fwiw, I don't do much nail art because I'm rubbish at it!!

Ok I've uploaded some pictures. I decided to try the ombre with gold and purple. As you can see it's very shiny and I've had a few complements today. Still need to clean up the edges a bit more. My top tip would be to make sure your base coat is completely dry as when I did it first time the sponge which I stole from a benefit counter just pulled my base coat off.

Those of you that have done the ombre nails - if you follow the instructions below, is it actually quite easy to do? I want to do it but am afraid I will make a right cock up and I don't always have much time to redo them.

It is easy but takes time as mine needed a few coats to really show up and you need each coat to be dry. The cleaning up after is quite fiddly.

I don't mind spending the time to get it right - it is just if it is a complete mess when I have finished and I have to take it all off and put something else on - I can't possible have bare nails

Yours look fab btw

Hello lovely nail people - can you give me some advice??

I had my acryllics taken off in March after 6 years of having them on continuously. Since then I've kept the really short and been painting them with OPI nail envy.

I've been trying to let them go and they just break. They look hideous. How can I get good nails???

WSOP - They look FANTASTIC!

ceebee - . It is quite easy, but I think it's definitely practice makes perfect. The worst bit for me was getting rid of all the bits of polish round the edges. I ended up spending a lot of last evening picking away with a toothpick.

Hey Shirley

To be honest my method of doing a manicure is generally quite sloppy (i.e quite a bit of nail polish around the edges on my finger) and then I pick it off the next morning so that will be normal for me

I see you your black and silver and raise you a black matte polish with shiny black tips.

Hi cat!

I think you're going to have to be a bit patient actually, 6 years is a LOOOONG time to have acrylics on and you've only been without them for a couple of months! Do you cut them short? I LOVE short nails anyway and keep mine short because I prefer the look.

I think perservere with the nail envy (that's how I got mine to grow) also use a good cuticle oil a couple of times a day. I like avoplex. And a crystal nail file. I've got the nails inc one but I've heard lots of good things about Leighton Denny.

Unfortunately I think time will be what you really need.

cat have you got a glass file? I would keep them short and file the edges with the glass file rather than cutting them, it helps stop mine from peeling. I prefer mine shorter too :)

For the time being you'll have to console yourself with the new ability to pick up loose change

whiter your nails look amazing! :)

Hi Shirl

Thank's for your replies! I'll get a glass file and some cuticle oil. I've just been using a cheap old emery board

I like shortish nails but I have sausage fingers so they look better a little bit longer - just to the ends of my fingers would be nice

WOSP I LOVE THEM!

Oooo WhatLaura please can we have pics? That's the one I most want to do but I think my nails are too short

I am currently mourning a peeling little fingernail. I am just going to have to dedicate a couple of hours this evening to re-doing them. . . am thinking peacock green fading to gold

We need a facebook group.