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Meet April

Growing up I was always known as the smart one and my almost-twin (11 months to the day) sister was known as the beauty. These were the roles we embraced since this is all we heard. I excelled in school while my sister placed in pageants.
When it came time to graduate, I went to the local college, Marshall University, for pre-med while my sister looked into beauty schools. But I was jealous. I had been harboring a passion for art and fashion for as long as I could remember. I wanted to chase my dreams just as my sister was doing. I was contemplating beauty school when I got the best/worst news of my life: I was pregnant. So I did what I thought was right: drop out of school and get a job.
That was more than two years ago. This past April, my fiancé lost his job. It hit us hard. I told him this may be the opportunity to find a job he loves not just one that pays the bills. "What about you?" he asked. "I would love to go to beauty school," I answered casually. The next day he came home with a brochure and I enrolled that same day at Charleston School of Beauty Culture in Charleston, W.Va.
I'm so thankful to have a great support system (friends in the beauty industry, fiancé, and family) to get me through this process. I plan to start school June 3 and I will go five days a week. West Virginia requires nail technicians to complete 400 hours so I should be done in 11 weeks. I can't wait to start this process. It really is never too late to chase your dreams!
— April Greenlees

posted @ Monday, May 20, 2013 5:00 AM | Comment (1)

Old School Nail Art Video...and Lots of Flowers

I have to honestly say that it was very hard to get up and get to class on time today. When I woke up I wasn't really feeling that well — headache, queasy stomach, and tired. I'm guessing that this week I pushed myself a little more with a full-time job, coming home and taking care of the family, and trying to squeeze in some practicing with sculpting a nail using the forms. I've been going to bed extra late and still getting up at the same time, and the one day that I have to sleep in and rest up is used to actually play catch up from everything that I didn't get to during the week. But I bared back my teeth (no really visualize me biting down to fight the urge to stay in between the covers) and got up and went to class.
Fortunately for me my instructor must have ESP and she took it easy on us by bringing out a movie demonstrating some common nail art. This movie was so old; I mean VHS old! We laughed at how technology had changed, we laughed at the corny elevator music that kept going in and out, but most of all we laughed that almost every design was some kind of flower. True we did learn how to do some common lines and how to jazz up a design with swipes of glitter, but really...9 out of 10 designs centered around a flower. I'm not talking about a tulip or even a rose, I'm talking about where you make a dot in the center and five dots around it and...voila you have a common flower! Times have surely changed. Now we use micro beads, foil, even small washers (for my DIY no explanation is needed but for everyone else a washer is most commonly used with a bolt to help secure something in place...like when you're putting together a bed frame; there are washers to be used...lol) if that's what the design calls for. And let's not even bring up 3-D art...that's in a class of its own.
Mrs. Patsy (my instructor) brought out some art supplies and Stripe Rite paints so we could practice designing on our practice nails. She kept saying, “Bring the design from your mind onto the nail.” To me that's easier said than done. I design better when I have an image in front of me that I can refer back to if I need to, but I managed to pull three designs from my mind and they seemed to come out OK. My classmates really seemed to think so and asked me to put a few of the designs on their own nails (which was sweet and made me feel pretty good).
 
Just when I thought the entire day was going to be care free my instructor then announced that we'll be learning how to do an acrylic overlay. This wasn't as hard for me as sculpting a nail. The hardest part of sculpting a nail in my opinion is trying to get the form just right or trying to get the form to stay in place. I was told that it's harder to put a form on properly using a practice finger but I practiced on a few of my classmates and I was still having a hard time. I know that I need help in this area, so if anyone has any advice that they are willing to share for free (smile) then please leave a comment. Any and all help is much appreciated. I've included an picture of my third attempt in practicing an acrylic overlay (please keep in mind that it might look a little discolored b/c of the glue dots that I use under the tip to keep it in place).
— Stacelyn

posted @ Wednesday, May 08, 2013 9:24 AM | Comment (2)

Is There A Doctor In the House?

Eponychium, Hyponychium, Onychodermal Band...only 3 out of 15 essential parts of the nail structure! Paronychia, Onychia, Onychoptosis...just to name a few of some of the more common nail diseases! Corrugations, Kolionychia, Pterygium...fall into the nail disorder class! Okay wait! What happened to nail files, pedicures, and polish? What happened to glitter, enhancements, and sparkles? I was completely blindsided in class last Saturday. We read the entire chapter together, labeled the fingernail, and looked at all types of photos of nail diseases and disorders (I actually quite enjoyed this part...I'm weird). Who knew that so many components made up a finger and how injuring just one of these can let in bacteria or germs? Who knew that a Blue Nail wasn't a sure sign of fungus?
One of the reasons why I decided to pursue my license as a nail technician was to learn the proper techniques to master acrylics, gels, and even apply fingernail polish without getting it all over the cuticle. I want to be able to provide the best service in great time. Now I understand; yes everything I just mentioned are key aspects of becoming a good nail technician, but to be a GREAT nail technician I need to know how to protect my clients first. I need to be knowledgeable enough to recognize the difference in a nail disease and a nail disorder, so that I can know if I'm able to provide a service that is safe for my client as well as myself.
So to answer the question is there a doctor in the house? Not at all. As nail technicians we're not allowed to diagnose any nail conditions. We have to refer our clients to their physicians and once they get a letter clearing them from their doctor then we can perform the service. You would think that out of  all the terminology we were learning that day they would be the ones to put a spin on my brain (they did...lol) but it was this part that had me really thrown off. How do I refer a client to her physician without diagnosing her problem (and running the risk of getting sued)? My instructor said to use phrases like “How long have you had this spot/color/swelling here?” or “Has this spot/coloring/swelling been giving you any problems?” Don't say “How long have you had Kolionychia?” or “This looks like/This is Kolionychia.” After listening to her answer, it’s up to me to make an intelligent determination if I can perform the service or not, then refer her to her physician. Whew! Please feel free to leave a comment on how you would refer one of your clients to her physician if you were unable to perform a service. This would help me out greatly.
I was lucky enough that the other half of the day was learning the proper basic techniques of performing a pedicure and how to sanitize the foot basin and our implements correctly. I've included a picture of my first pedicure ever performed at the school :)
—  Stacelyn

posted @ Wednesday, May 01, 2013 12:33 PM | Comment (2)

First Day Jitters

Let me describe my first day of class in one word...awesome! Most of the girls there have already been there for a few days; I was the only one who was brand spanking new. Some would ask, “How long have you been going here?” In which I would reply, “For a whole two hours!” A few of them only had one or two more manicures/pedicures to complete before they graduated. Everyone was super nice and extremely helpful in helping me get settled in, showing me where to sign in and out, where to leave my test booklet, and (let me put on my serious face...this one seemed the most important because I was told by every new face on multiple occasions) to mark all my implements and lock my kit because your things have a way of suddenly disappearing.
My instructor is Mrs. Patsy. Let me see, two words to describe her...nice and blunt. She's a sweetheart but if something is not right she will tell you right then and there and send you away to fix it. She made me laugh on many instances when I would overhear her tell someone, “I don't care how much you say she likes her nails thick, no one wants them that thick...no one.” She introduced us to an odorless acrylic system. She explained that odorless systems aren’t the best to work with because they can turn yellow. Once we placed our acrylic balls down, we’d have to count to 10 to wait for the oil to surface before we could start sculpting. She was right about it yellowing. We used a white and soft pink acrylic powder to work with and as you can see from the pictures it didn't really make much of a difference. No one liked this system...no one! She explained to us that she has to teach us this method as well because the North Carolina state board requires that we use an odorless monomer in the testing facilities.
I think now is a good time to mention that I have never practiced any type of enhancements. First, we practiced on a worksheet that was inside of a plastic cover. This way we could peel off our work once the acrylic was dry. I could see why an odorless acrylic system is not really the system of choice (definitely won't be my first choice once I start working on clients). For starters once you get your acrylic ball on the tip of the brush and place it on the form you still have to count to 10 before you start shaping it. Once all was complete we waited another four minutes for it to dry before we were able to file off the tacky layer. Could you imagine how long this would take if you did a full set?!
My first attempt (as you can see from the picture) was...how can I put this?...a mess. What?! I'm being honest here. My second attempt was a little better. I'm guessing I calmed down a little, put my nerves away, and reminded myself that this is a practice finger; not a client. We worked on structured odorless acrylic nails all day long (8 hours) and by the end I was starting to feel more comfortable and confident. All in all the day went by pretty fast. I made some new friends (shout out to Crystal and Taylor...thanks for your help), and learned (not mastered) how to do a structured acrylic nail using a form...yeah! I can't wait to see what we're going to be learning next! I also included pictures of what my nails looked like for my first day. Please leave any comments that will help me master this technique and improve my time (we all know time is money).
Helpful Hint: The Elmer's Glue Dots were helpful in keeping the tips in place on the practice finger while we worked and they were easy to remove. I was told that you could buy these at a Super Walmart or your local craft store. I'm definitely picking some up before my next class; they were a big help.
— Stacelyn

posted @ Wednesday, April 24, 2013 11:32 AM | Comment (3)

White Scrubs...Who Knew?

Picture this...I decided that I'm not going to buy my scrubs from Walmart. Why you ask? Two reasons. First, the fabric (to me) literally feels like it's going to take layers of my skin off; yes it's that tough. Second, I've seen too many interns come into the office and their scrubs split down the seam of their pants, exposing more than I'm betting they want anyone to see. So I get out my cell phone and use my Yelp app and locate this cute little store called Cherokee Dickies Scrubs. This is my first time shopping for scrubs so I really didn't know what to expect, but I never guessed that I'd be so excited to see all the different patterns, styles, and colors. However, my joy was short-lived when I remembered that the state board requires my scrubs to be all white (insert frown and deep heavy sigh here). I reluctantly return a multi-colored cheetah print top back to the rack and turned to get help finding the perfect pair of all-white scrubs. I was trying to be humorous when I asked for help but low and behold there really is an art to finding the perfect pair of white scrubs.
Now for those of you like me who don't know; the bottoms of all white scrubs are extremely see-through, and I'm sure I gave the sales associate more than an eyeful with my multi-colored patterned under bottoms that I foolishly chose that day. I don't know about her but I was uncomfortable. The secret (and this is all coming from the sales associate because I was completely clueless) is to buy them in a bigger size than you normally would so they can sit away from the skin. Sounds easy right...yeah but we're talking about me here. After trying on about 10 different white bottoms I finally found a pair I liked (insert trumpet sound and auditorium cheering here).
So I'm standing in the mirror admiring myself, grinning from ear to ear, when it dawned on me...two weeks left and I'll be in school! For the first time in a long time (too long) I felt excited about my future and proud that after all my many setbacks I'm blessed to be able to actually set things in motion toward accomplishing one of my goals!
Once I returned home, ran from our grown puppy (swearing that if he put as much as one drop of drool on my new scrubs I would sell him on the black market), I was writing my initials on labels to put on my belongings inside my kit and textbooks for class, when I decided I wanted to show you that the Academy of Nails & Esthetics has started using the OPI student kits (filled with all type of OPI goodies). When I first opened this kit it felt like Christmas and I'm sure my usual squeals of delight were much higher pitched (from the look of my boyfriend's face they were). It's comforting to know that we'll be training with quality products.
If anyone knows of any other products, tools, or rituals for what it's worth; that would help me or make grasping concepts/techniques easier to learn while in school (share things that they don't teach in school that I would need in the real world...oh yeah I've read the horror stories of having to fake it until you make it once you pass the state board and land your first job) drop me a comment below. I would greatly appreciate whatever helpful information anyone has to offer.
As for the all white scrubs...I'm going to pair them with some colorful nails and nail art!
— Staceyln

posted @ Tuesday, April 09, 2013 10:33 AM | Comment (6)

Meet Stacelyn

Editor's note: We're excited to introduce you to several new nail tech students over the course of the next few months. Up first is Stacelyn Jones of Charlotte, N.C. Please help us welcome her to the NAILS Magazine blog world.
Hello, my name is Stacelyn and I'm addicted to anything and everything that pertains to the wonderful world of nails (now you say “Hello Stacelyn” like we're actually sitting in a support meeting). The road to discovering my little problem wasn't an easy one; in fact it was quite a long hard trip. Before finding my passion I struggled to try and discover what I was good at and what I could actually make into a career. In college I took aptitude tests to see which area I possessed the greatest skills, only to find out that I was sort of like a chameleon and I could adapt to any work field. So adapt is what I did...for years. I've worked in retail, volunteered at the hospital, bookkeeping, and medical billing/coding; and I was really good in all of them but none held my attention for an extended period of time. It never failed, I'd be excited about starting something new and then get bored so off I would go again in hunt for what would make me happy (and keep me happy).
My mother would always remind me that I was very creative and that I should be doing something that would let me use my creativity. Who knew that I should have been listening to her all along (Mom if you're reading this then FINE, you were right.) but I was young and only knew I didn't want to be what I would consider a “starving artist”. So I would sit and brainstorm, coming up with a lot of good plans that took me nowhere. I say these plans were “good” because they were — for someone else, just not me.
One day I'm looking for a design on the Internet that I could take into the nail salon with me and pray that whoever I end up with can at least get it to look somewhat like the picture, and a thought occurred to me. “Why don't I try to do it myself?” It sounded like a good idea to me (because this way I can save myself the frustration of having to go to the nail salon and end up with the person who I had last time because she was the only one available and leave not satisfied) and I wasn't doing anything at the time and I happened to have some Stripe Rite that someone gave me as a gift so I went for it. One of the BEST decisions of my life! Immediately I feel in love with the entire concept, and like anyone who falls in love hard and fast I wanted to know more about my new passion. It had never occurred to me that I could take my love of drawing and painting and place my masterpieces on a smaller canvas — my nails (duh). Back to the Internet I went until I came across this website (www.nailsmag.com) and the rest...well you know the rest.
I live in Charlotte, N.C., and most beauty schools here want you to go through the entire cosmetology program, which I considered doing until I found out that you only spend a small amount of time actually learning about the art of nails at the end of the course (and that I have no desires to do hair whatsoever). I lucked out and found the Academy of Nail Technology and Esthetics that offers an all nail program, but they too had a catch. In a perfect world I would be married to an insanely rich man whose sole purpose in life is to make sure I'm happy so all I would have to do is go to school carefree. Since this world is far from perfect I happen to have a full-time job and the Academy of Nail Technology and Esthetic's hours are primarily set up for someone who doesn't hold a full time job. So with this not-so-perfect world making the decision for me, I'm forced to attend part-time. The required hours in North Carolina to complete before taking the state board is 300 hours and I can't wait until I hold that certificate in my hands! I start class on April 20th and from here on out there's no looking back. My only regret is that I hadn't listened to my mother sooner. Ssshhh...just don't let her know that I admitted to that :)
— Stacelyn

posted @ Monday, April 01, 2013 3:55 PM | Comment (17)

Nikki Graduates

I did it finally! I am so excited! It felt like it was going to take forever to finish. Then the last day arrived and it seemed like I just started! WOO HOO!
I am so pleased I chose to do this. I feel like I am doing what I was meant to do. I love it. I get to be creative and make people happy while doing it. 
Nail school lasted 4½ months, which seems like a short time. Of course during my time at school I missed a couple of days, with sick kids and holidays including Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. I had about 40 hours to make up in about two weeks. So I stayed a couple of days for 12 hours to complete my regular six hours plus the extra hours and I did a few Saturdays. It wasn’t as painful as I thought it would be. (It was actually fun, but don’t tell anyone!) I passed my class with an A and received a 98% on my final exam. I still have to study to pass my boards, but I am happy to get a break from my studies. Of course, with the extra time I sat and worked on my nails in my overtime at school. This was a backfill I did on myself.
I have met some great people. From teachers to classmates to clients, I feel I have been blessed by the people put in my path. I have made some really good relationships that I will continue to have even after I leave school. I hope I was able to leave a footprint in some of the lives of people I met along the way. I always tried to encourage and motivate people along the way.
In my last blog I had a couple of bad remarks from people. At first I was upset, then hurt, then mad — Then I realized it doesn’t matter. I don’t care if everyone likes my work. I care if the clients I serve are happy. That is what matters. I had tons of love and support and my blog too —from people I know and from strangers as well. In my newfound profession I will always strive to keep my clients happy. I will always be willing to try new things and step out of my box in order to keep them happy and coming to me! I will always be willing to learn new and exciting techniques as well as follow different trends. So I will take the advice of my classmates and let my haters be my motivators!
I got to do some fun nails with color and design as well as my first set of stilettos. I have included pictures of some of my most recent work and pictures of my graduation. My graduation was wonderful and my class gave me a yummy going away lunch.
I want to say a special thank you to my teacher Ms. Ortega, who taught me so much and allowed me so much freedom to express myself creatively and artistically. She was awesome.
I will miss my friends in school, but I will stay in touch. We had a lot of laughs and built great friendships!
To everyone who read or followed my blog — thank you!
Thank you to NAILS Magazine for giving me the opportunity to write this blog and show my work, which I know was viewed by many. It has been a great experience. 
I hope to do great things in this industry and I hope to meet more awesome people along the way.
— Nikki

posted @ Thursday, January 24, 2013 1:27 PM | Comment (5)

Meet Christy

Hi. I'm Christy, and I've finally done it. I've made a commitment to start a career in the beauty industry! I'm 35 and a stay-at-home mom, my son will be 13 in a couple of months. So I’ve decided it’s definitely time to get out there and get back into life. My school is the Casal Aveda Institute in Youngstown, Ohio. I decided on Casal because it has a great reputation and every time I talked to someone at the school they were always upbeat and professional...no bad attitudes here. Casal has a good atmosphere, and it's important to me that I'm at a school that sets high standards for professionalism and customer service. After all, the beauty industry's about people! Maybe that’s why I decided to get involved, the whole point of a salon is to make people feel good about themselves. What could be more rewarding? I love the sights, sounds, and even the smells of the salon. Some of my best memories take place there. That’s where prom, homecoming, first dates, and many other big events really began for me. The pre-event trip to get dolled up was as exciting as the event itself — sometimes it even turned out to be more fun.
My program is a 300-hour Managing Manicurist course that takes 10 weeks to finish. I'll be learning a full range of nail services using products like OPI, Backscratchers, LCN, and Zoya. Part of my course includes creating a portfolio of my work, and learning Aveda specifics like Plant Aromaology. My hours are Monday through Saturday 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. The week is a little shorter than a regular work week but it'll be a good place to start after so many years of being out of the loop. The tuition for the nail program doesn't qualify for most types of student aid because it's only 300 hours. But I can use my G.I. Bill to pay about half of the tuition, in the end I'll have to pay $1,500 in addition to the application and registration fees. I've set up a payment schedule with the school that has to be paid before my hours will be released to state board to get my license. Paying that in two months will be a challenge, but it’s do-able.
For anyone thinking about going to nail school don't be afraid to shop around, ask questions, and even visit the school a couple of times. I called about 4-5 different schools and visited 3 before I enrolled at Casal. Just in N.E Ohio alone there's a wide variety of schools that each do things differently. So I looked around until I found one that's a good fit for me. The NAILS article "What to Look for in a Beauty School Nail Program" was a lot of help.
As far as where I'm headed after I get my license, I'm still working out a plan. I need to get a better grasp on the types of pay scales, and check out my health insurance options (important stuff for parents). I do know that I want to start out somewhere that has a good training available and I'd like to be around some business veterans who can show me the ropes. For now I'll focus on good customer service, and technique while keeping my eyes open for continuing education opportunities.
— Christy

posted @ Monday, January 14, 2013 2:30 PM | Comment (6)

Graduation Day Is Tomorrow!

Editor’s note: Nikki sent this blog in on January 4 and I was out of town and didn’t get to post it until today. She’s graduating tomorrow from school! We wish her luck.)
Here it is…almost the end...I have a TERRIBLE cold, I feel horrible, and I am completely run down! (I’m writing this at 10:30 p.m.) But I am determined to finish on time! The 600 hours just sneaks up on you!
I just finished a 12-hour day at school. I suppose it’s not too bad right? Preparing me for the “real world”. Ha ha. I am not planning on 12 hour days when I finish school. I went into this industry so I could have flexibility and I know I will make my own hours, so 12 hour days will not be my normal. I want to see my family. Today I left the house before my little one was awake and I got home after she was in bed. At this time I have to get through the hours to graduate, but I will not be away from my family like this every day. (Only some days when I am slammed with clients... J)
I am super excited to finish. I have 45 ½ more hours to go. My graduation is January 10, 2013! 
My teacher Ms. Ortega has really helped me and supported me. She is a great encouragement and has allowed me to be creative and free with my work. I know she has helped me grow as a professional.
I have kept myself busy along the way. I have gotten frustrated, but I have found ways to get through it. I have done holiday nails until I don’t want to see any more glitter, red, or green for a while. I have been keeping a steady stream of regular clients and I am feeling very confident in my work. I still want to pick up speed, but my work is looking good and my nails are staying on for 3 to 4 weeks in between fills. 
I have included some pictures of recent work I have done. Some are full sets and some are backfills. 
I will keep you posted as I get closer and closer.....
Thanks again for the continued support!
— Nikki

posted @ Wednesday, January 09, 2013 4:08 PM | Comment (14)

Holiday Nails and Practice!

It is so hard to believe I have less that 200 hours before I complete my nail tech course. I am so excited about it! My graduation date is Jan. 10, 2013. It seems like the course is flying by.
I have been learning so much and applying what I have learned. I am trying to get my full sets done more quickly. I have to say I feel like a backfill takes as long or even longer sometimes than a full set. 
I have to plug a company real quick — on Black Friday I found Kupa was having a great sale. I ordered tons of bits. And they are awesome. I feel like they are really helping me cut down on time. I bought the cuticle safety bit and I love it. You can get so close to the cuticle without cutting! I am always afraid of getting cut so I try my hardest to prevent cutting. I bought the two-week backfill bit, the four-week backfill bit, a fine, a medium and a few others in between. My new bits are the best and I love them. I can tell the difference they make for me personally.
I have started working on Christmas nails and it is so fun. You can be so creative. I just went a picked up about 30 new acrylic paints and I am having a blast. I am playing with the blending, which has caused me some stress in the past, but I think it is getting a little easier.
I am also working on the rock star gel nails. It’s a little messy but they are so darn cute. And I love that people without acrylics can get the fun sparkles and glitters. I have included a couple pictures of different sets.
I had a client ask me about what she could do with her pink-and-white nails for a wedding where she was wearing black. As you can see in the picture we made her nails fun and cute and she still was able to wear them with her black dress to an evening wedding. he loved her nails. That was all that mattered to me. And I loved the black 3-D bow.
My teacher loves 3-D acrylic and I was never a fan, because she gave us an assignment to follow and copy her work. I couldn’t replicate her roses or flowers. Now I have been playing with it and I have been finding I don’t hate 3-D. I just want to do my own designs. I love the 3-D Christmas lights on the nails. And I have fun doing it.
As always I love to read your comments and input. Thanks for taking the time to read on my blog and my progress.
— Nikki

posted @ Friday, December 14, 2012 1:50 PM | Comment (5)
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