It's no secret that taking care of and attending to natural nails has reached epidemic proportions. Blame it on bad nail salons with shady practices and product, blame it on the economy. Those of us who wear, or are thinking of getting acrylic nails are in the minority these days.
It's sad that because of the attitudes and actions of some people (try asking a question about acrylics on the Makeupalley Nail Board and you will be met with total silence or bashed), that I feel the need to start a review of a great product this way- Defending the use of acrylics.
Last night, a woman with 3 young children and a baby came into the restaurant. When she came to the desk to pay for their dinner, she commented on my nail art, and asked if my nails were "real". When I said "no", she made a face and said, "ugh, fake nails". I don't begrudge anyone their opinion. I certainly had my own about her when she requested boiled water for
I am in total agreement with natural nails being best. But you know what? There are people who, due to genetics or lifestyle, cannot maintain natural nails. For me, genetics, lifestyle and a crush injury to my right hand are why I wear them. No one should be ostracized, made to feel uncomfortable or bashed for wearing acrylics- even if their mani looks like crap.
Although I am not a licensed nail technician, there are things I have learned in the 30 years I've been wearing acrylics- the bulk of it, most recently. I do my own acrylics now. I am going to work 2 tip pages for those looking for constructive information on what to look for in a nail salon and how to do your own.
*Anyway*- Right off the bat, I want to say that OPI Absolute Acrylic System is fabulous! I've been going to nail salons for 30 years, and never had an acrylic system as good as this one on my nails. The formula is smooth and dries very hard. OPI Absolute produces cured nails with little- if any- porosity. With every other system, I could not wear sheers, jellies or light polishes after wearing a dark one because of staining and dis-colorization. Now, every time I remove a color, notorious for staining blues and greens included, I am totally surprised at how clean my nails are. They look as good as the day I put them on!
OPI L2000 was used at the last salon I went to. It was brittle and stained something fierce...even the undersides of my nails. Because of that, I almost didn't get OPI Absolute. To tell you the truth, the deciding factor to purchase was the OPI crackdown. Trans Design wasn't going to be re-ordering OPI products, and because I don't have a license, it would be more difficult for me to purchase in the future.
I am so happy with OPI Absolute, and the results I am getting, I have no desire to try anything else. With this weeks paycheck, I'll be stocking up!
My Sweet Peas!
45 comments:
For some reason this comment box did NOT want to load! lol
Anyways, I never understood the fake nail hate. Yes, my nails are real but I have had acrylics in the past and I don't because I could never keep up with the cost of them at the salon. Not to mention the unsanitary typical salons around here.
I would love if you could do a tutorial about exactly what you use and how to do it! My friend has wanted me to start doing acrylics for her but I have no clue what we need! I have minimal nail training so seeing how you do yours would be great!
I agree that acrylics have an unwarrented bad rep. They're not my thing, but since blogging I have seen some AWESOME acrylic designs that would be nigh impossible on natural nails & have severely tempted me - and I have nothing but props & high praise for anyone like you who does their own - mad skillz =)
YAY! Preach it sista!
I get SO MAD about people being all "EWWW" about acrylics! I just dont understand why people have to be so hateful! I feel liek saying "well good for you that yours grow and are strong, but SOME of us are not so lucky! So keep your mouth SHUT"
I have decided to *try* to go natural, but i am already doubting if i can do it...I MISS THE LENGTH! and i just dont know if i can keep my nails natural when they are thin and brittle to begin with AND I lift weights and turn wrenches in the garage! I LOVE acrylics and will ALWAYS be a fan whether i am wearing them or not!
Thank you for replying. I've been hanging on this post to see what/who replies.
You are right- there is a definate hate for acrylics. I "hear" it in the tone of posters on mua nb, and sometimes irl.
Most salons do not have sanitary practices! It's one of the things I want to get into on my tip page.
Applying acrylics is easier than it seems. It's better to apply a smooth coat of too much acrylic that can be filed down later than to use too little.
Thanks Colette! I *know*...some of the acrylic art is so intricate it's amazing! People get all grossed out and bent out of shape over something they can't understand. It's ART- and not something one would wear as a fashion.
I have no issue with Acrylics done well. I have to admit, I wasn't a huge fan of your old nail shape, but the art you did on them was what kept me coming back.
I absolutely LOVE your new nail shape, it's just so much more natural and I think that's the key for many "acrylic haters." I get the "artistic" nail shapes and all, but if you're just wearing "nails" to have them, then try to get as natural a shape as you can. That is just my opinion and you certainly should do what you want to do, they are YOUR nails. i'll still keep coming back for the art!
I am glad there are options for women who want long nails and cannot grow them for whatever reason. My cousin recently tried the OPI Gel nails and she's ecstatic to have nails and polish for the first time in forever!
I think the bad rep for acrylic nails comes from the bad practices and all the press about nail fungus...people generally fear what they don't understand.
This new stuff is apparently quite awesome as your acrylics are gorgeous. Thanks for the naked shot, you do a fantastic job! Don't ever pay someone else to do your nails again, you don't need them! :)
What bothers me most is seeing so many people *hateful on purpose*. Uncalled for, and not nice at all!
Acrylic manicures are an enhancement. So are fake eyelashes, make-up and hair dye.
I remember working with a woman who did her own acrylics and when someone would ask her if they were natural or her nails, she would simply reply "I assure you, these are my own nails." Because they were! She created them and made them, therefore they were hers!
Takes care of the haters...gives them an answer they can't argue with and gives them something to ponder about for hours. LOL
perfect examples!
Thank you Elizabeth!
I recently had to go back through some of my old posts, and you know what? My nails *were* awful. Funny, at the time, while I knew they weren't the nicest, I didn't think they were too bad. Fortunately, for everyone who's looking, these days I'm working on the art of shaping my nails in addition to what I'm putting on them. ;)
Thank you for coming back! My Blog has always been about nail art- not maintaining nails.
EXACTLY!!! next time i am asked that's what i am saying! "nope, but neither is my nail color!"
I JUST LUV U WOMAN!!!
My nails are acrylic.I have always had a hard time growing my length out,because of self-destructive thing I like to call "tearing my own nails." I have done this since I was a child,and haven't been able to stop this silly habit. I don't like going to the salon every two weeks to get them "filled." Once the technician didn't know how to do a solar fill and gave me a regular fill instead. I didn't say anything. I went to another tech a few weeks later and the nail tech was rude,kept ordering me to "relax" and told me I needed an eyebrow wax at least three times. She did a decent job of the solar tips,but I won't go back because of her attitude.
All of that being said, I wish that I was able to do my own acrylics at home,and will appreciate as many tips as you can give.
I did do at home acrylics once, with some system I bought at the drugstore,but I think it was more technique than anything else that was my drawback. Naturally, I am not skilled in this, so I wound up with ugly little bumps all over my nails.
...I forgot to hit the Follow thingy so I can see the rest of the replies to this post.
PS for everyone learning to do their own - YouTube is a great resource. You can only explain so much, but seeing it done "live" by a real person - often on their own nails, just as you would be doing it - I think makes a huge difference. Before I started blogging, if I gave YT a thought at all I considered it a place for viral videos, cute kittens, surprised hamsters (you know the one I'm talking about) or maybe a movie trailer. I don't know why it never occurred to me that there's also a ton of really great how-to educational videos on everything from hair, make-up & nails to exercising & crafts.
Awesome post. Ive been thinking of doing a post on acrylics for awhile. As a matter of fact someone sent an email about how I prep my nails so Im working on that one right now.
You can't please all, no matter how you try. Don't feel bad because of that woman. If anyone, she should feel embarrassed for saying it and not knowing why you wear acrylics in the first place.
You did a great job on those nails. I'm gonna say it again - I wish I was so crafty as you. You're my idol! :*
Shoot, I'm always impressed by the ability to do acrylics and the dedication of the upkeep. I'm way to lazy and fickle to do them .lo
No one should judge anyone, it is not a worthy waste of energy.
Hugs, I love your nails and you always wow me!
Fake breast milk! xD I love you woman, you're awesome. And honestly, I'm considering acrylics (or gel?) for the first time... I have rather shitty nail quality and can maintain natural nails only if I work "office style", but now my job will be wiping old ladies' asses for a while... :/
No judgements from me for anyone who wears acrylics. Everyone needs to do what works for them. I am happy to have pretty nice natural nails, now but that wasn't always the case. And I had a job that was murder on my own nails and wore acrylics and had gorgeous nails, all the time with no worries. :D
I enjoy your blog and your stunning nail art.
whenever someone see my nails they're always asking me if my nails are fake coz they thought i have a fake nails for i have a long nails...i much love ur way on putting ur acrylics than the acrylics that done with the nail tech u've try on before!! ur nails are gorgeous and u always made a fabulous nails..well u cant pls. everybody so just dont mind them!!
I love that you do your own nails , you do such a good job , i try to do mine and end up with a big mess. I also have problem nails due to poor nail salons . Sadly the only nail that work on me are acrylics , and it's so hard to go to the salon to get them done . I tried , quick dip , gels and my nails need something that will do a nice shape and sadly the other systems don't do that.
I don't understand the nail enhancement stigma. I love them. I've had acrylics off and on through out the years. If I see a acrylic question on the mua board, I like to answer them. Well done acrylics look better than most natural nails in my opinion.
I'm sorry someone decided to give you an unsolicited opinion. I'm cracking up about the fake breastmilk line!! You rock. Some people have the same attitude about other 'enhancements.' ie. tattoos, plastic surgery, piercings. I would hate to live in a cookie cutter world where everyone had to be the same!!
I like that this system is less porous. I always ended up doing a gel overlay on acrylic. Then, it was almost not porous enough (polish didn't like to stick!) I love the look of your nails and they look even better since you started doing them. How is the new drill? I'm sooo jealous. :)
Wow you did this yourself? == it's fabulous, better than any pro has every done for me. I just wrote about my fake nail wear'in. Sad to read about that lady in your restraunt ~ If she had nothing postitive to conetirbute why say anything at all !
YOUR NAILS ARE FABULOUS - the nail art that you dio and the items you use are really cool - the rub on stickers from yesterday were really neat! I always wondered how that would work and you have inspired me to try it. I'm sure that your 381 followers think you do cool stuff, too.
The fake milk thing was really funny.
I have no idea how acrylics work. Since my nails are so thin it's hard to keep them long without breaking them all the time. I have to layer hardeners to get them strong enough not to bend. I was thinking of applying a thin layer of acrylic to my natural nails to keep them strong.
Does it brush on?
You do so well on your nails! It gets annoying having people ask me if mine are real or not because they're so long. It really sucks that people can't keep their opinions to themselves. Especially to a stranger who didn't ask for it.
Question: When doing your own nails at home, how do you keep them from lifting? Should I buy a primer? Or is there a trick?
Sorry this is so late.
Lifting can happen for several reasons.
#1-Improper/inadequate nail plate prep. I use a dehydrater and a nail bonding primer. I NEVER let water touch my nail plate the day I do my fill.
#2-The quality of the liquid monomer used
#3-Improper monomer to powder ratio
#4-Too close to the cuticle acrylic application
I've been doing my own nails for about 6 months and am by no means an expert. All the lifting I've experienced was due to #2, 3 & 4. When doing my research for acrylic systems, I knew that I needed one that stayed hard and strong even if the liquid to powder ratio was off. I tend to work a little on the wet side, and have had no lifting since switching to Absolute. The only "trick" I have...
Because I work wet, I find that my acrylic cures harder and faster if I hold my nails under a 100 watt light bulb for a couple of minutes. If you do this BE CAREFUL! Acrylic heats up fast, and will feel like someone dropped hot oil on you if not careful!
Hope this helps.
Well, acrylic nails is a 2 part mix of liquid monomer and acrylic powder. And yes, it brushes on.
How rude! I understand why you need the acrylics and others. Some just look so fake with the big squared white tips. Natural nails are the best but if you can't have them use what you can. I just wouldn't be that ignorant to actually say something to you. Your nails are really amazing. You do a terrific job.
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