I think that I'm in love, I have a crush on you Michelle :-D Katherine St. Louis, MO Sent from my iPad
On May 26, 2010, at 1:51 AM, Michelle Cordes <[email protected]> wrote: Here is my (unsolicited) opinion... I use entire lines. I use Tammy Taylor Acrylic... the whole thing. On my acrylic clients, I use TT Scrub and Lotion even. I use OPI Axxium Gel... the whole thing. (They get TT scrub too, now that I think about it. I may change that.) I use CND Spa Manicure Pedicure.... the whole thing. I do use my CND Brisa UV lamp for my OPI only because I do not like the style of the OPI light.... and with the new CND light coming out, I am buying TWO new lamps... one for each side of my table so they match. I do all this for several reasons... 1) It just flat out LOOKS better... everything matches. 2) Better mfr support and technical advice. 3) Eliminates client suspicion... we are supposed to be the pros, what does it say if we are effing with the "professional" products? 4) Easier to answer client questions... "What product do you use?" answer- "Tammy Taylor Acrylic, including the color powders! Did you have something specific in mind?" 5) Can make advertising and marketing more targeted. I feel that is just looks more professional..... No offense to anyone, but one of the reasons that we don't get treated like professionals is, in my opinion, because we don't act like one sometimes. Many people have disagreed with me over the years... but after 14 years, I am still here. I am still busy. I charge $70 for a full set of acrylics, and $85 for a full set of gels. I am $40 for a backfill, and $45-55 for a gel fill. Manicures, $30. Pedicures $50. And not in a huge corporate spa... just with little 'ol me. And I had clients who lost their jobs in the economy... they stretched their appts out, but I did not lose ONE client... NOT ONE to anything other than them moving away. The product thing isn't all of that, but it does help promote an image. My clients are doctors and doctor's wives. Do you think their offices look like a hodgepodge of crap? Would you trust them if it did?! My clients are pharmacists, lawyers, real estate agents and mortgage lenders... how about them? Would you go to them if they just used a bunch of random crap that looked like it had been thrown together? Would you pay top dollar for it? I also have stay at home moms, welders, mechanics, casino workers... if they wanted to look at mismatched stuff they would hang out in their own bathrooms. Sorry, as you can see this is a hot button for me! A lot of stuff is client perception too... one time I ran out of TT liquid and had to buy EZ Flow to get me through one day. I poured it in my old TT crystal liquid bottle because I did not want to hear one frickin WORD about "hey, that's different." or "Oh, my nails just didn't hold up because you used that other stuff" or "Oh, my nails did way better because you used that other thing, I want you to get that for JUST ME.".... I don't have the time or energy for all that. :) And guess what? Nobody noticed a difference... LOL.... Whew. Anyhoo, I'm just sayin.... Michelle Cordes, Owner/Licensed Nail Technician The Nail Spa in Silverdale, Washington "The spa for your hands and feet since 1997" www.myspace.com/thenailspa From: Holly L. Schippers <[email protected]> To: BeautyTech E-List <[email protected]> Sent: Tue, May 25, 2010 8:10:36 PM Subject: RE: NailTech:: mixing products/Lamps n stuff lol Diana, I did it backwards!! I started out trying this that and the other mixing whatever struck my fancy at the moment or happened to be on sale. As I continued to have constant problems I finally listened and started to transition into all one line. Here is where it comes in that I am a bit old school principled, as an EA I only use CND. If we make it I don't use anyone else's anything, not even polish, you have no idea how hard that was for me before Colour and Effects. I fully realize that salons are happy using walmart hand sanitizer to save a buck and that consumers prefer polishes that were marketed to them instead of their nail professional and I am ok with that! But at the end of the day I really believe that using a system says something about loyalty and belief in the product as well as my personal professionalism. Do I break rules, sure I'm wearing Rockstar Toes as we "speak", but I used everything CND to get them on ;o) I hope that no one ever comes away from my class feeling "duped" because I give them information I have been given and that I fully believe in and use for myself. So when I ask about the lamp as a troubleshooting question, it is what I am trained to do, it is also what I believe in whole heartedly. I rarely have advice on other brands because I do not use them. Maybe in another 10 years I will view things differently, but with my measely 11 years as a nail tech, that's where I stand! Holly L. Schippers CND Education Ambassador [email protected] 641-660-4058 c Visit cnd.com for the latest in products, education and nail fashion! > Date: Tue, 25 May 2010 22:50:25 -0400 > To: [email protected] > From: [email protected] > Subject: Re: NailTech:: mixing products/Lamps n stuff > > We old techs, oops, I mean more experienced techs learned long ago a > couple of things. > When you are starting out you follow the product line, to a T!!!!!! > Then as you realize, Oh Wow, I have this down, then you start > thinking, well, what about this, what about that, and you start > playing around. Start experimenting. > > We start slow, because we know that the only way a company will back > us up is that we cannot mix products!!!!! We knew that, but as a > group of individuals who are creative, we just couldn't resist. > > And also, we realized that educators that work for companies CANNOT > help you unless you follow their product guidelines. They work for a > certain company and this company has spent thousands of dollars to > invent, test and market a product. They cannot give us advice on why > their product is having problems unless you have used all of their > products by their standards. > > We have also learned that educators in the past have not been totally > honest and we saw right thru them. "you have lifting problems, it is > because you are using Brand X hand sanitizer, not our hand > sanitizer".Yea right. > > Also, you have to realize that educators may not be allowed to tell > you that yes, as a nail tech, I know you can use this companies blah > blah, but that may put their job at risk. > > I have 5 different gels that I have used, and I use a 4-9watt bulb > light. Does it work? Yes. I think where the issues are is the > timing. I have learned that I use brand X, it takes a minute longer, > Brand Y will dull if I keep it in too long, Brand Z timing is perfect. > > I appreciate the companies educators on this list that help us > out. Also I appreciate the educators that can give us extra info on > other brands that is not their own. I understand both > positions. Been there Done That. > > The issue is the lamps. We do not know. This is all new to us, and > sooner or later we will figure it out like we did when ac started, > and gels started. It will come. We need to weed it out. Just like > us old timers, we have seen it all, and have learned. JMHO...diana > from indiana > > > > > > > > > > At 08:24 PM 5/25/2010, you wrote: > >I know that we've been told to use the manufacturer's lights with > >their product, and I understand their reasoning. I just don't buy it. > > > >We were told for years not to mix product or something horrible like > >service break down or worse would happen. > > > >Well, some of us rebels (Me, Lynette, Maggie, Dianna et al) did it > >anyway and guess what happened? Nothing! Imagine that! > > > >What we discovered is service break down has a lot more to do with a > >tech's SKILL than the products used. > > > >I use Something Wonderful with all my enhancement products, I use > >Naillite universal liquid with all my powders, I use acetone to soak > >off and alcohol to cleanse. I use acetone to prep too. > > > >I have 2 brisa lamps that are collecting dust because the 4 bulb > >tunnel lights that I got from star nail for $40 years ago work > >better! I use those lamps with axxium, IBD, NSI, Akzents and brisa. > >No problems! > > > >I'm not willing to spend $200 on another lamp when the one I have > >works just fine. And after looking for LED lights and seeing what > >they sell for from the chinese distributors (anywhere from $20 to > >$65) plus shipping there is no way I'm willing to pay 4, 5 or 6 > >times markup. No way. > > > >Now, if I sell gel, traditional or soak off, I'm going to want to > >sell my lights, but I'd rather sell my GEL! Make the lights more > >reasonable and I'll buy one, but I'm not going to be taken advantage > >of or duped into buying something because "they" say I have to! > > > >JMTC > > > >Sherri > >Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile > > > >-- > >You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > >Groups "NailTech" group. > >To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > >To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > >[email protected]. > >For more options, visit this group at > >http://groups.google.com/group/nailtech?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "NailTech" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/nailtech?hl=en. > The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with Hotmail. Get busy. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "NailTech" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nailtech?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "NailTech" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nailtech?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "NailTech" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nailtech?hl=en.
