Sculptured Acrylic Nails using Creative Nail Design products, in the garden :)

Hey Guys :) ... Firstly I just wanted to say thanks to all of you that have started to follow me in the last few days even though i haven't really posted anything (i promise i will do now!), and secondly I hope you enjoy this little review/tutorial that I did yesterday sitting in my lovely garden!

Since qualifying as a Nail Technician I have been working with Salon System Acrylics which are ok to train with i guess, and more recently invested in some NSI which were better than Salon Systems. I have heard so much about Creative Nail Design (CND), and yesterday decided to have a go at my own sculptured set.

I LOVE sculptured nails because they ensure that there is less damage to the nails as there is no need for tip blending, therefore meaning there can be no way of having dents in the nails!
I have posted photos in this blog to show the journey of my nails from start to finish, but beware I have sculpted using clear powder because I was intending to paint them anyway, so they don't look very pretty in some photos! Overall, I have to say that I now officially absolutely LOVE CND! Their products are amazing, so easy to work with and set in just the right amount of time so that you have enough time to sculpt in... Ok I know I blab on a bit, so here's some photos for you to have a look at, enjoy & please comment!

PRODUCTS

Salon Systems Antiseptic Spray
Creative Pro Styler Kolinski Red Sable Brush
Creative Retention+ Monomer Liquid
Creative Perfect Colour Acrylic Powder in Clear
Creative Acid Free Primer

OPI Nail Forms

Here's a pic of my not so lovely nails obviously before: I have prepped my nails beforehand by pushing back the cuticle using a stainless steel cuticle pusher and Creative Cuticle Eraser (Sorry, I forgot to photograph it!) Then lightly buffing the nail plate to remove any shine, and finally spraying with Salon System Antiseptic Spray to dehydrate the nail plate. Have a look at this video tutorial to see how CND advise to PREP nails to ensure proper adhesion of Acrylic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKB022LrpEs

I then put on the OPI Forms, which are great! They go on easily and because they are quite strong they provide a really good shape for the nail & unlike the sticker forms, there is no need to worry about them changing shape or falling off.
I then brush on Creatives Nail Primer using light strokes on the nail plate, being careful not to touch any skin

Once the forms are in place I can begin to sculpt the nail... The Pro Styler brush is so fabulous and just picks up the right amount of Monomer & Acrylic powder... It actually does what you tell it to do! Unlike other brushes I have used... If you take a look at the side view photo, you can see how the nail begins to take shape...

Once the Acrylic is dry, I remove the forms, which just easily pop off (did I mention the OPI forms are also re-usable :p)
I know they don't look very nice! So its time to start shaping the nail... Mind you, because of how easy Creative have made it to create a perfect shape whist sculpting, there is not much filing to do after apart from the free edge :)

Shape, shape & shape!

Spray & Clean off dust with Salon System Antibacterial Spray and buff nails using any shine buffer (I used The Edge two-sided shine buffer) Paint on one coat of whatever clear base you normally use... I have used Nina Salon Pro Calcium Hardner just because it was all I could find, but it's great to use on natural nails to strengthen them.

Lets make them look pretty :)

I have chosen to use Nails Inc's 'Dublin' which I love because it gives a glossy sheer baby pink finish and looks stunning... The first photo shows one coat and the second, is after 2 more coats... This polish is great because you can use one coat for a more natural almost clear look.

Add a little nail art :)

And my favourite Top Coat EVER, Seche Vite to prevent chipping & add that high glossy shine!

What do you think?

Please add your comments and let me know what you thought of my first ever review. I know my photos are of poor quality, its my camera phone :p Let me know if you would like to see a video tutorial of this... Have you used any of the products I used? What did you think of them?

Keep blogging! ♥