Professional gel nail kits help?

jakko86

Hi all,
My gf is after doing a course for gel nails and is now looking to buy a decent starter kit and is wondering where is best value and which are best quality brands?
Any help would be great thanks!!

Bambii_

I suggest going to Terrisales on Liffey Street and speak to someone who works there They'll recommend one that will suit her and the prices are very fair.

jakko86

Thanks we're in limerick though so anywhere closer or even on the net?

Turbomilf

Hey there - I've been doing nails for 4 years - as a mobile nail technician - she has picked a great industry to start in firstly secondly - I would avoid any cheap products such as those from places such as salon services etc - they are cheap nasty and runny and are surprisingly hard to use as the quality is dire. I use an American product called young nails - they have a suppliers based in blanchardstown and products available online on their Irish website - they aren't the cheapest but the quality is next to none and they're fantastic to use with an excellent finish and last on the client unlike cheap gels. Hope this helps

Turbomilf

Ps just seeing that you are based in limerick - young nails deliver all over Ireland so look on their website or even ring dublin office and ask one of the girls what she recommends to get in the kit and they can deliver them to you in a matter of days.

jakko86

Thanks a mill TM great info!! any other tips for her starting out?!

Turbomilf

No problem yes - infact I have a few tips which are hopefully useful. When you start out doing nails they can be very challenging - perfecting the whites on the smile line and filing the sides perfectly - but tell her to stay with it and practise makes perfect. I did my original course in a class of 20 other girls for 9 months - and by the time we sat our exams - there were 5 of us left because so many people got so frustrated with doing nails and couldn't get the hang of it - the waste of money for their kits and course was astounding and also the fact that they gave up on themselves was also a big shame.

Secondly - she needs to beware of not getting used by people - even close friends. Obviously she will need her first 10 sets or so for her own practise - but once she feels she is gaining more confidence and that her sets are getting better - she must charge something - even €10 per set to EVERYONE.. Then of course once she is up and running she should charge a minimum of €25 per set. (I charge €30 for French, and €35 for colour/glitter) I made the mistake of being overly generous to my friends and before I knew it I was doing all of the girls nails for their 21sts and then every occasion thereafter for nothing as I was too soft and got completely walked over - so apart from taking time in my day to do them - I was also paying for the products in my own money to do them - and it was hard then to go back after that and say "listen girls - I actually have to start charging people now.." I should have said it from the start but I was too excited to be doing them for them to care.

If its a case she plans to nails as a mobile nail technician - tell her that making a Facebook nail page is a great and useful way to get clients - even when starting. To advertise sets and upload her work then once she gets clients - she can tag them and then that gets even more clients. Also - the good thing is - she can actually see who her clients will be once they mail her for bookings via Facebook - and get a sense of what they might be like from Facebook - it has been a godsend to me as all queries are from an I.D rather than anonymously.. On the other hand I don't accept any business's or pages like mine on my nail page because you can't see the person or name behind the nail page

Apologies for long reply - I just felt it was necessary to say all of these things best of luck to her - it's really a great industry and skill that she will have for life. The beauty industry itself can be competitive and hard sometimes but it's a skill nobody can take away from her and if it wasn't for having my little nail business on the side - I'd find things financially much harder. Any other questions feel free to mail me. I wish her all the best

jakko86

Thanks so much for your detailed reply i will pass on all infor and will get back to you with any more queeries, you have been very informative and its much appreciated!Thanks a mill!

Magenta

jakko86 wrote: »

Hi all,
My gf is after doing a course for gel nails and is now looking to buy a decent starter kit and is wondering where is best value and which are best quality brands?
Any help would be great thanks!!

Did her tutor not recommend any brands?

Turbomilf wrote: »

Hey there - I've been doing nails for 4 years - as a mobile nail technician - she has picked a great industry to start in firstly secondly - I would avoid any cheap products such as those from places such as salon services etc - they are cheap nasty and runny and are surprisingly hard to use as the quality is dire. I use an American product called young nails - they have a suppliers based in blanchardstown and products available online on their Irish website - they aren't the cheapest but the quality is next to none and they're fantastic to use with an excellent finish and last on the client unlike cheap gels. Hope this helps

+1 on Young Nails, my nail tech uses this brand and it's great.

OP I'd also recommend she joins Salongeek.com, lots of good advice there.

jakko86

Ya her tutor recommended all the products from her own salon at a 10% discount, but when my gf checked out the prices she could get the same products for less in other shops! Which raised her suspicions that she could get better products elsewhere for less money, thanks for your help though.