I spend most of my days in the nail studio creating nail art looks for my clients, so today I’m going to share some of the designs and colors that are trending in the studio this Summer.  Of course bright colors are in – the brighter the better!  We’re having a little fun with the new chrome craze, and I’ve been practicing my freehand art skills in addition to stamping.  And who doesn’t love a little glitter (or a lot!)?

The photo below is from a session that I had with three ladies that are dear to my heart – a good friend from my high school days, and her mom and daughter.  Her mom doesn’t normally do her nails and she wanted to do something simple and pretty, so I selected a cheery coral shade for her (Shellac Tropix).  My friend and her daughter came prepared with nail art ideas that they found on Pinterest and we put our own little twists on them.  Shelly chose a soft lilac shade (LeChat Castaway) with a freehand daisy and a purple glitter nail.  And her daughter chose a soft pink (LeChat Pink Lady) and black design with some polka dots and hearts.  It was a fun evening, complete with a pizza delivery!

This look combines bright colors with chrome, and shimmery dots.  The neon peachy-pink shade is LeChat Sunkissed, which has been very popular.  Two of the nails were polish black and have a chrome finish using Social Claws’ Chromageddon powder.  And the two white nails have fun, random dots that were created using pigment powders and gel top coat.  I have a video about this technique here.

This client also came to me with a nail art look that she found on Pinterest – the general concept was a bright floral pattern on a black background.  She really wanted this design for her vacation so I made it happen.  I painted the flowers over gel polish with acrylic paints and double top-coated with gel.

This client requested a soft floral pattern over a dark navy background (Pink Gellac Night Blue).  The roses were done freehand using acrylic paints that I custom blended to achieve the desired colors.

Yellow has been a hot color this season too – this is LeChat Golden Boy-friend.  The accent finger has a marble effect that was done with Sharpie markers, and then it was topped off with a fun glitter gel polish called LeChat Neontopia.  The end result was a bright graffiti look!

Sticking with the neon theme, this is a look that I created using the new Pink Gellac Butterfly Collection.  The coral-leaning orange shade is called Neon Flirt, and it has also been a popular shade for the season.  For the accent nails I swiped on some of the other colors from the collection and created some dots and triangles using a black gel paint.

I just did this stamped mermaid design this week and it’s definitely a favorite of mine.  Bright teals have also been very popular, especially this shade from TruGel called Teal the Beat.  On the accent nails I swiped on a couple of glittery shades from the LeChat line (Showstopper & Seduction), and then stamped on some mermaid/fish scales.  The end result is super cute!

Nudes have also been popular, especially for weddings.  This cute nude & gold design features Pink Gellac Nude Beige (my most popular nude) and Madam Glam Stardust (my most popular gold glitter).  The accent nail is stamped with a soft floral pattern from an Uber Chic Beauty stamping plate.

This is another favorite color from the Pink Gellac Butterfly Collection called Blazin Purple.  I know it looks a little pink in the pic, but it’s a bright purple with little blue glitter flecks.  The accent nail has a few bright colors swiped on over white, and then I stamped a geometric pattern over top using an Uber Chic Beauty stamping plate.  This is a technique that I use a lot.  :)

Those are just a few of the looks I’ve created – check out my IG or FB pages to see more!

Save

I had the pleasure of attending the Cosmoprof North America trade show again this year, and spent a little time scouting out some trends and new products.  One of the first things I noticed is that acrylic dip systems seem to be gaining in popularity.  If you’re not familiar, these systems offer a method of applying a thin acrylic overlay on natural nails with ease.

Most of the systems that I’ve seen use a resin base and an activator, but there are also some that use gel.  The basic concept is that you apply the base and then dip the nail into the acrylic powder, or pour the powder over the base (I personally prefer pouring for sanitation reasons).  Two to three coats of the base & colored powder create a natural appearance of polished nails, but with lots of added strength!

Some of the benefits to using an acrylic dip/pour system are:

• Strength!  (stronger than gel polish, but not quite as strong as sculpted acrylic)
• Odorless
• Durability
• Easy soak-off removal
• No UV/LED lamp needed (for the resin-based systems)
• Easy, flawless French tips

Revel Nail dip powders were the first that I ever tried.  You can read my write-up here.  I stopped by the Revel booth to see what they were up to and was pleasantly surprised to see that they’ve come out with lots of new colors!  They have a full line of regular colors, and then two color-changing lines for a total of 249 colors.  The Mood Changing dip powders change color with temperature.  They are soon releasing 24 new Mood colors…

… and 24 Sun Colors.  These are solar color-changing powders that change color when exposed to UV light (the sun or your UV/LED lamp).  I received samples of these colors and applied one of the Sun Colors on my daughter – so much fun!  The color changes very rapidly once exposed to sunlight, and again when removed from the light.

Revel’s dip powders are sold in 1 oz and 2 oz jars – a little goes a long way!

Kiara Sky debuted their new dip system that will soon hit the market.  Below is a photo of the starter kit which contains all of the liquids required for the different steps in the application process and some basic acrylic powder colors to create natural and French manicures.  They also had a display that showed all of the colors, but I wasn’t able to get close enough for a photo.  The exciting thing about their line is that all 120 colors match their gel polish and lacquer lines!

Glam and Glits (sister company of Kiara Sky) also had a display with 48 Mood Effect color-changing acrylic powders.  G&G has been selling colored acrylic powders for a while, but they recently launched several new colors.  To my knowledge G&G doesn’t offer the liquids for the dip/pour method, just the powders.

In the LeChat booth I learned about Gelee, which is the original gel-based system.  Gelee has been around for a long time as a strengthening system that’s typically worn under color. Essentially it’s what many of us have dubbed “acrygel” and is a technique that involves blending acrylic powder with gel for extra strength.  They are now expanding the line to include colored acrylic powders (72 standard colors & 12 mood colors).

Below is a peek at the 12 new Gelee 3in1 Mood Color Powder.

Cuccio is launching their Powder Polish Nail Colour Dip System with 50 shades upon launch, and another 36 to come soon after.  This is also a resin-based system.

Young Nails SlickPour is a system that promotes pouring rather than dipping for sanitation reasons, though you can choose to do this with any of the brands.  As I mentioned, pouring is also my preferred method.  The only downside is that you do waste a little product, but Young Nails says to use a little cup to capture the powder that falls so that you can re-use it during the same service (discard afterward).  I didn’t have time to stop by the Young Nails booth at Cosmoprof, but I took this photo at a different trade show earlier in the year.  I figured they were definitely worth a mention.

Cacee is extending their Memoir acrylic line to include pots of colored acrylic powder.  The person that I spoke with at the booth said that they don’t yet have liquids for a dipping system but that the powders could be used with monomer, resin or gel.

I will have more to share with you from the show soon including gel polish collections and some other trends.

Save

Save

I’m a bit late in posting this, but I wanted to share the latest collection of nude gel colors from Pink Gellac.  This is the Uncovered2 Collection – the successor to Uncovered1.  These five nude shades with a twist are perfect year-round colors, but are especially lovely for the Fall season.

Ivory Blush is a pale, off-white/ivory nude cream.  It’s a semi-sheer color that builds up to the desired opacity with each coat.  The photo below shows 3 coats of color.

Bronzed Nude is a light brown-leaning tan nude cream.  This has been a popular color in my salon as it looks amazing on all skin tones.  It has great coverage also – this photo shows just two coats.

Spicy Sienna is a shimmery brown with burnt-orange tones.  This color just screams Fall and makes me want to reach for a pumpkin spice latte!

Golden Glam is a glitter topper that’s loaded with gold and pink glitter, which gives the appearance of rose gold.  The photo below shows two coats without a base color underneath.  It looks stunning combined with Ivory Blush and Bronzed Nude.

Heavenly Mauve is a beautiful mauve-toned nude with a soft shimmer finish.  It’s similar in tone to the popular color #110 Mystic, but is slightly lighter and has the added shimmer which adds an elegant feel.

All of the colors in the Uncovered2 Collection are available for sale at Chickettes Boutique.  Buy 3 colors, and get 1 FREE with the promo code B3G1!  Another new Pink Gellac collection will actually be launching within the next week too, so stay tuned for that.

P.S.  I’m sorry that the blog has been quiet lately.  :)  I’m alive and doing well, and just enjoying all aspects of my life right now (business and personal).

My latest obsession is Madam Glam’s new cat eye gel polish… OMG.  It’s a magnetic gel polish that gives off an amazing cat eye effect that shifts with movement.  The effect is amazingly stunning and mesmerizing!  I bought 10 bottles as soon as I learned about them and they’ve been a huge hit in the salon.  I had seen the cat eye effect on Instagram accounts of nail techs in other countries, but this is the first brand that I was able to find in the States… and you know I already love the MG brand.

This is my current mani – I used a cat eye gel called The Affair over a coat of black.  The orange color on the ring finger is a new color from the Pink Gellac Fall collection called Burnt Amber, which will be launching any day now at the Boutique.  ;)  The two stamp patterns are from UberChic Beauty’s new Fall plate, and the stamping polishes are from Mundo de Unas.

The Madam Glam instructions say to apply one coat of the cat eye polish over black and magnetize before curing (they sell the special magnet separately).  I’ve been doing some experimentation with base colors and techniques and have found that you can use different base colors for alternate looks.  For example, I like to use a dark navy under the blue for a more intense blue shade.

I normally will apply the cat eye gel to one or two nails at a time, magnetize, and then flash cure for a few seconds to freeze the effect.  If you leave the magnetized polish on the nail for too long the effect will diminish as the pigments disperse.  Also, some of the colors are a little runny and will pool into the cuticle area if left sitting on the nail for too long.  Flash curing solves these issues for a perfect finish every time!  Also, you can hold the magnet at different angles to add the lighter line wherever you prefer.  You can create a subtle vertical line down the center of the nail or add a diagonal stripe as I prefer to do since it makes the effect a little more obvious.

I picked up 10 colors total as seen above.  Each of the colors shown on the wheel were swatched over black with the magnet held diagonally.  The 10 colors from left to right are:  The Affair (black/silver), Born to Be a Star (dark silvery brown), Sing the Blues (gold), Obsessed (orange), Un Bacio (red), Poetry (teal), Look the in the Eye (blue), No Doubt (pink-toned purple), Round the Clock (grey-toned purple), and Flying Purple (dark purple).

Below is a short video that I posted on Instagram that shows the swatches in motion.

Here are some of the client looks that I have created with cat eye gels:

This is LeChat Heart & Soul, a nude with golden shimmer.  Each hand has one cat-eye effect using The Affair over black, and then dark grey stamps using images from Messy Mansion plate MM32.

This is Madam Glam Look Me in the Eye cat eye polish over a dark navy blue.  Two of the nails have a holographic powder from ColorCraze2000.  (The holo effect is for another post).

This is Madam Glam The Affair over black.

These cute Fall nails were created using Madam Glam Obsessed cat eye over a dark orange base.  The gold accent nail is Madam Glam Stardust, and the stamps are from UberChic Beauty.

I’m having a hard time remembering which purple this is, but I believe it was Madam Glam Round the Clock.  The holo powder is Prism Glacier from Social Claws, and then I did a sharpie marble with a stamp from UberChic Beauty.

This is one of my personal favorites – Madam Glam Poetry cat eye over black.  The yellow polish is LeChat Golden Boy-Friend and the Egyptian stamps are from the Messy Mansion MM32 plate.

Salon life is keeping me busy, but I made some time to create fun nails for my favorite holiday… Halloween!  This look was created using the UberChic Beauty Halloween-01 stamping plate, which has lots of cute and festive patterns.  I also just purchased the new Halloween-02 plate and look forward to creating another design before the month is over.

The gradient seen on the middle finger and thumb was created using LeChat Dreamscape and Plumeria, and the orange color on the ring finger is LeChat Lollipop.  I used my favorite stamping polishes from Mundo de Unas.

The color combo and patterns definitely have me in the spirit!

Last week I was sporting a Walking Dead inspired mani!  It’s one of my favorite shows and I can’t wait for the season premier this Sunday.   Unfortunately I didn’t get a great photo before taking this off – this was a quick shot that I took at the salon.  My thumb is intentionally cropped out because it was broken down super short, but it had a zombie face on it.  My right hand also had a similar theme with some different images.

All of the art was stamped using the UberChic Beauty Zombie Love plate.  The colors seen on my index nail are Pink Gellac Army Green and Lipstick Red (also on the pinky).  The blood splatter look was done using a small straw – I dipped the end of the straw in red polish and blew through the other end to create the splatter.  This technique is a bit messy and requires clean-up around the edges before curing.

Check out my Instagram account for more fun looks throughout the month!

Have you seen the beautiful Fall Collection from Pink Gellac?!  The Reminiscence Collection consists of 5 gel polish shades inspired by the latest Fall fashion trends.  Three (3) lucky winners will win a full set of the colors in this collection by entering the giveaway below!  The giveaway is open internationally, and the winners will be chosen in one week on November 23rd and notified via email.

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

THE REMINISCENCE COLLECTION COLORS

All of the colors in this collection have amazing coverage!  They apply evenly and cover well with just two coats.

Luscious Red is a classic, deep red cream.
Burnt Amber is a warm and stylish terracotta orange color with a cream finish.
Black Velvet is a beautiful that’s reminiscent of soft velvet. The subtle purple shimmer makes it a surprisingly mystical color you should not miss!
Warm Marsala is tasteful and warm, and is a Fall favorite at my salon.  It’s a dark shade of marsala with a shimmer finish.
Chocolate Brown… the name says it all.  It’s a rich, creamy brown that resembles chocolate.
Pink Gellac can be purchased online at Chickettes Boutique.  Buy 3 Colors, Get 1 FREE!!  Use promo code B3G1 at checkout.

Hey everyone! I have some fun nail art designs that were created with stamping plates from Lina Nail Art Supplies to share with you today.  Lina Nail Art Supplies launched just a couple months ago with some beautiful XL nail art stamping plates.  A few were sent to me to try and review, and they did not disappoint!

Let’s take a quick look at the four plates that will be featured in nail art designs.  The images below are from the manufacturer’s website, and you can click on them for more details.  (I’m not good at photographing stamping plates – you see more of my reflection than anything else!)

Feeling Shapely! 01

Get Wild! 01

Make Your Mark! 01

Make Your Mark! 02

The plates are high quality stainless steel that measure 9.5cm x 14.5cm, and they have a black sticker backing to eliminate any rough edges.  The full size etchings are 1.7cm x 2.2cm and are large enough to fit most nails, yet the detail is fine enough to be discernible even on smaller nails.  Some of the plates also have some smaller stand-alone images that go along with the theme.  Each of the plates arrived in a nicely designed cardboard sleeve with a window that is reusable if you wish to protect the plates in between use.

I was eager to use the unique grungy street art images from the Make Your Mark 01 plate right away.  This is the first look that I created using mostly some random paint splatter and drip images from this plate.  The images stamped beautifully and were very opaque.  The stamping polish used is from Mundo de Unas (this is the brand used in all images displayed on this page).

The next look that I created is a classy gold & black design with a criss-cross textile pattern from the Feeling Shapely 02 plate.  I was so impressed with the cleanness of the lines!

The last look that I created on my own nails is this black and silver holo animal print pattern from the Get Wild 01 plate.  I painted my nails black, applied a silver holographic foil, and then stamped the pattern over top with black stamping polish.  I love the modern/grungy snakeskin effect!

I also created a couple of looks with the Make Your Mark plates for my clients, which you can see below.

I can’t say enough great things about the quality of these stamping plates!  There is a nice variety of everyday patterns and images, and several holiday-themed plates as well.

If you’re interested in placing an order from Lina Nail Art Supplies, take advantage of the discount provided below.  The code Chickettes15OFF is valid for 15% OFF for the first 50 orders, limit one order per follower.

Have you seen the 7 new Spring colors from Pink Gellac?  The colors in the Candy Couture collection are inspired by sweet treats!  There are 5 vibrant shades, one neutral, and one softer shade.  All of the colors in this collection are available for purchase online at Chickettes Boutique!  Buy 3, Get 1 FREE with promo code B3G1 at checkout.

Sugar White is a shimmery white gel polish has subtle white glittery bits that look like sugar crystals!  This color goes on sheer so you can control the coverage with the number of coats applied.  The photo below shows three thin coats. It’s a beautiful neutral color that would be perfect to wear to formal events, or for everyday wear at the office.  You can also apply one coat over other colors to give them a frosty finish!

Tangerine Red is a vibrant orange-leaning red cream gel polish.  This color appears more orange in some lighting, and red in others.  It has perfect coverage with just two coats!

Tiffany Blue is my new signature color!  It’s my absolute favorite shade of teal blue and matches the walls in my salon, my t-shirts and business cards.  LOVE IT!!  The formula is amazing and provides full coverage with two thin coats.

Bubblegum Pink is a bright pink cream gel polish with lavender undertones.  It’s been a very popular color with my clients the past few weeks.  It’s an amazing shade for the Spring and Summer seasons.  Like the others, it also has amazing coverage with just two coats.

Juicy Yellow is a bright medium yellow cream that just screams Spring, and is inspired by juicy lemonade!  I found this color to appear just slightly streaky with 2 coats and applied a third for good measure.  This has been the case with all of the yellows I’ve ever tried so it must be the nature of the color.

Cosmopolitan is a warm, shimmery shade of coral inspired by a favorite cocktail.  This color has a great formula with full coverage in 2 coats!

Cloudy Blue is a grey-leaning blue cream gel polish that resembles a cloudy Spring sky!  This is a unique shade of blue that’s also a favorite with my clients.  This is a shade that can be worn year-round.  Coverage is amazing and smooth in 2 coats.

We’re excited to announce that we’re offering a new service at Chickettes Natural Nail Studio… dip powder manicures! Many of you have asked us about this service as it’s gained in popularity in our area recently. If you aren’t sure what it is, dip powder is a resin and powder system that creates a strong, colored overlay on the natural nail. It’s an alternative to gel polish that’s stronger and longer-lasting. Dip powder manicures are a great solution for clients with thin or weak nails that can’t hold gel polish for the full two week duration.

Frequently Asked Questions about Dip Powder Manicures

How much does a dip powder manicure cost? – The cost of services can be found on our online booking site. Dip powder manicures cost slightly more than gel polish because the service takes a little longer, and the results last longer.

How long does a dip powder manicure last? – Dip powder manicures last up to 3-4 weeks without chipping or peeling. The only downside with waiting this long to changing your manicure is that you will have significant growth showing. We find 3 weeks to be the ideal duration.

Is it safe? Will dip powder damage my nails? – Dip powder is perfectly safe to use on natural nails. As with any nail service, proper techniques for prep, application and removal are key to maintaining healthy nails.

Is dip powder difficult to remove? – No! The removal process is very similar to gel polish removal, but is actually faster and less damaging to the nails. We debulk the nails using an e-file and then soak them with acetone using cotton and foil. After about 5-10 minutes, the resin dissolves and slides right off of the nail. Only a small amount of buffing is sometimes needed.

How long does it take for a dip powder manicure to dry? – The dip system doesn’t use a light source for curing/drying. An activator is applied to the nails that causes the resin to dry quickly. After the final top coat application the nails are perfectly dry in less than 3 minutes!

Is dip powder sanitary? – Yes! When performing this service the clients’ nails are dipped into a jar of colored acrylic powder. Many salons dip every client into the same jar of powder. We’re a little sketchy about the sanitation of that process, so we pour the powder into a small individual container for each service. It does waste a small amount of product, but sanitation is one of our top priorities!

Can I still get nail art with a dip powder manicure? – Initially we are not offering nail art services with the dip powders, but accent nails are an option. In time we will introduce new nail art techniques with the powders. It’s a new medium for us, so we have to learn some new techniques.

What does a dip powder manicure look like? – It looks similar to a gel polish manicure. Sometimes it can have a slightly thicker appearance, but we do our best to give the nails a good shape that doesn’t look bulky. Also the top coat isn’t quite as shiny as gel polish, but it still has a nice glossy finish.  All of the photos on this page are examples of dip powder manicures.

Is a dip powder manicure the same as an acrylic overlay? – Not quite. Colored acrylic powder and resin are used for this service so it doesn’t have the odor of traditional acrylic, and isn’t as thick. Dip powder manicures offer a strong protective coating for your natural nails. The strength is somewhere in between gel polish and traditional acrylic.

This sounds awesome! How do I book? – Visit our online booking page to check on available appointment times. Currently, Andrea (that’s me!) is the only technician offering this service… others will be coming soon.

A few photos…

(Note that this post is for my local clients in the Cleveland, OH area)

Hello dear clients!  Many of you have asked how to maintain your nails and remove your gel polish or dip powder during the Coronavirus quarantine.  While I hope to be able to service you all again very soon, we unfortunately don’t know when that will be possible.  In the meantime, please use the following tips to care for your nails.

General Care Tips

• If a nail breaks, rips or becomes rough, clip off any loose edges and file smooth with an emery board to prevent snagging.
• To save a nail that has a low break, apply nail glue (or super glue if you don’t have access to nail glue).
• Apply cuticle oil regularly to keep your cuticles and nail plates moisturized.  This is particularly important during these times as we are all washing our hands and sanitizing more frequently than normal, causing excessive dryness.
• Push your cuticles back regularly.  You can do this after showering when the skin is soft.
• If your nails are without polish, apply clear nail polish or a nail strengthener regularly.  Having product on your nails will help prevent breakage.
• Drink lots of water and take daily vitamins.  Biotin is important for nail strength and growth.
• Trim your toenails if they become too long.
• Please don’t bite your nails or pick off your polish!  If your gel polish or dip powder starts to lift or chip, use the removal instructions below to take the product off.

Gel Polish & Dip Powder Removal

What you need:

• 100% pure acetone
• cotton balls or cotton squares
• aluminum foil strips
• 180/80 grit nail file
• orangewood stick
• nail buffer / buffing block
• cuticle oil

**** I have all of these products on hand and can put together removal kits for you if you are interested.  Please text me at 216-548-9375 if you would like to purchase a removal kit ($15).  I will prepare them and have them available for pickup from my house.  I also have our hand-made lotions, scrubs & oils available for sale if you need them. ****

Instructions:

1. Use an 80 grit nail file to file the top of your nails to break through the top coat layer. The more you hand file, the easier the product will soak off, but be sure not to file all the way down to your natural nail.
2. Soak a cotton ball in pure acetone, place it on your fingertip and wrap with foil. Repeat for each finger.
3. Soak for approximately 10 minutes.
4. Remove the foil from one finger and lightly push the loose gel or dip powder off with an orangewood stick. Repeat for each finger. (Gel polish should flake off.  If the polish isn’t loose, place the foil back on your finger and soak longer.  Dip powder will be gummy and should eventually dissolve if you soak long enough).
5. Use a nail buffer to remove any remaining bits of base coat and color, and smooth the nail.
6. Wash your hands.
7. Apply cuticle oil to your nails.

Troubleshooting Tips:

• Always work on a surface that’s acetone resistant such as glass. Acetone spills or drips can cause damage to wood and other surfaces.
• If you’re experiencing a difficult removal you can use a nail file to assist with the process. Just be sure to use the fine side of the file near your natural nail, and don’t file the nail too much as this can cause them to become thin.
• Don’t pick or force the product off as this can cause damage to the surface of the nails.
• The removal process can be assisted with heat. Use a heating pad or hot towels.