Dashing Diva Professional
Tips and Trends
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This Month’s Must-Haves
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Metallic and Animal Prints
Fashionistas are going wild for animal prints and metallics at the moment. We've got a treasure trove of styles from jungle cat to subtle shimmery metallics.
Try Metallic Nails to achieve this style with long-lasting results in a fraction of the time!Discover our range of metallics and animal prints here »...........................................................................
This Month’s Must-Haves
French Wrap
Voted one of the top 20 new products of 2010 by Nails Magazine this revolutionary invention applies a perfect, ultra thin, seamless French colour to natural nails with speed, ease, and precision.
Available in white or a choice of fabulous colours.Find out more or purchase here »
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Getting Technical
A good way to combat the damage the weather can cause to your nails is to give them some extra reinforcement.
A method that works fantastically with clients is to layer a base of Gelife Soak-Off Gel under their polish.
Doing this gives natural nails a little extra strength, adds longevity to the manicure by keeping the polish on longer, and improves the appearance of the natural nail.
This method may be used with any nail polish or lacquers you are currently using.
The process is simple and only involves approximately another 10 minutes of your time than a natural manicure.
The best part is that you can up-sell this service and generate increased revenue into your salon!
Here's how it's done: - Prepare the cuticles by doing a dry manicure first.
- Shape the free edge of the natural nail and gently remove the surface shine with the 150 grit side of DD's Pink Sponge File.
- Thoroughly cleanse the nail plate with Cleanser/Prep.
- Apply a generous layer of Gelife Clear Gel or Gelife Builder Gel to the natural nail surface. Cure the thumbs separately and then the other four fingers.
NOTE: Based on your client's environment and how hard they are on their hands, chose whether or not you will use the regular Clear Gel or Builder Gel. Clients that are rougher on their nails and hands will require Builder. - Cure gel for 2 minutes under a 36-Watt UV Lamp.
- Wipe surface with Cleanser/Prep to remove tacky layer.
- Lightly buff shiny surface with the 240 grit side of the Pink Sponge File. This allows the polish to adhere better to the gel surface.
- Apply base coat if desired. Base coat isn't necessary with the gel base, but can be used if desired.
- Apply 2 coats of polish.
- Apply DD's Top Seal
- Allow nails to dry.
When clients return for their visit, simply remove polish and fill in the re-growth area with one coat of gel. This way, the gel will not build up too thickly.
Quick, easy and simple!
Also recommended is removing all the gel after the second fill and re-applying a fresh set.
A plus to this removal process is that by using only one coat of gel and no Top Gel, the removal is super fast!
Your clients will love this service!
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Trendspotting
Always Half Full
Half and Half manis are picking up momentum because there are so many variations on the theme.
The color combinations are endless.
The simplest ways to achieve the look include the straightforward vertical and diagonal styles: the nail is segmented into two halves with color or designs.
The more sophisticated half and half look involves taking the curve out of smile lines and using straight horizontal lines across the nail to separate colors and designs for a two-tone look that can be accented in numerous ways.
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This Month’s Must-Haves
Pretty in PinkEvery nail tech knows that quality tools are worth their weight in gold. The 150/220 Grit Pink Sponge File is lightweight, easy to handle and not only functional, but fashionable in an eye-catching shade of pink. It has myriad uses including buffing the surface of nails and tips for better adhesion as well as to finish and smooth the free edge of natural nails. It's also an excellent retail item to make available to clients for use between manicure appointments.Buy yours here »
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Getting Technical
Your Questions Answered
This month Patricia Yankee, Product Development Advisor and Lead Educator for Dashing Diva Professional tackles a few tech questions submitted by professionals using French Wrap products. We felt these answers may be helpful to our readers.
Q: I'm having problems applying French Wrap Plus Colors. They do not stick as well as the white and the tips look too shiny to get any grip. Any suggestions?
A: The color pigments in the colored French Wrap Plus make them appear "shinier" but this generally does not impact adhesion.
If you are having trouble with the colored French Wrap Plus sticking, check to make sure that the free edge of the natural nail is buffed enough. For cases like this, you must really make sure the shine is off the free edge of the natural nail to give you extra grip.
Another thing to watch out for is that you don't use too much glue, as this may cause the French Wrap Plus to "slip" around on the free edge and not adhere.
If you still have problems after checking both of these areas, you may take the Pink Sponge File and lightly buff the inside portion of the French Wrap Plus slightly to give it a little more substance. This will solve the problem if the other two solutions don't work as well for you.
Q: I just LOVE French Wrap Plus! I have one small question... do you have plans to manufacture a size 00? Many clients have wide thumbnails (mine included) and the size 0 just doesn't provide full coverage. In the meantime, do you have any suggestions for clients with nails wider than size 0?
A: Thank you so much for your positive feedback on French Wrap Plus! Though we'd like to accommodate every client size, we don't currently have plans for making a larger 00 size. We are, however, always evaluating the needs of the professional market, so some time in the future more sizes may be in the works.
In the meantime, I would suggest you try our French Wrap. These are the same quality product as the French Wrap Plus, just without the housing unit attached. Because their expansion isn't limited by the housing unit, the plastic will actually "spread" wider across the nail plate. The housing unit tends to limit the flexibility to a certain degree and using the plain French Wrap gives you more expansion to cover the free edge.
The plain French Wraps are applied in a similar manner as the French Wrap Plus. The only difference is that you must stretch a piece of plastic over the French Wrap in replacement of the housing unit to help seal the French color on to the nail. I like to use a heavy duty Ziploc-style bag and cut off the zipper closure. Once the French Wrap is glued on to the nail, tightly stretch the plastic bag firmly over the French Wrap and pull down around the side walls to make sure it fully adheres to the natural nail. Hold for a few seconds as you use your thumbs to press out from center to sides of the nail over the plastic.
Proceed to finish the nail as you would with the French Wrap Plus.
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Trendspotting
Cracking Up
For a brief moment back in the early 1990s "crackle" nail polish came and went as a beauty trend without much to make it memorable.
However, the idea has been vastly improved upon and has recently re-emerged as a fashionable and chic manicure trend.
The process involves using two contrasting coats of specially formulated nail polish that "cracks" letting one color show through underneath the other.
For about a year the trend has been gaining momentum in Europe, but it was very hard to obtain the polish in Australia and New Zealand.
Fortunately, celebrities like Katy Perry (who is set to release her own version of crackle polish) have taken notice of the fun and edgy look and influenced several American brands to produce their own lines of crackle polish.
Salons Group will be stocking crackle polish in 2011.
If you would like to be advised when it is available register your interest here »
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This Month’s Must-Haves
A World of Possibilities
Work smarter, not harder!
Busy lives full of demands require that we must all do more in order to be successful.
By the same token, nail products that not only perform well, but can be combined with other elements can craft a multitude of creative and appealing possibilities.
Here are some simple ways that products can pull double-duty and contribute to your bottom line:
- Gelife Clear Gel – Try using this soak-off as a gel foundation application under nail polish to smooth the nail bed and lengthen the lifespan of a polished manicure. Why not convert your polish clients by having them try a single nail with the clear gel base? When they see the longer wear results, compared to the polish-only nail, they'll be asking you for the service.
- Gelife Top Gel – This super-popular multi-tasker not only seals all Gelife services with its high-gloss shine, it camouflages imperfections in the gel application and can also be used to complete acrylic and other overlay services.
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Getting Technical
Mixing It Up
Looking for a spectacular manicure that packs some punch?
How about colorful and stylish nails for every season?
Catrien Beelen, an artistic nail tech from Holland, loved her new Dashing Diva products so much that she literally dreamt a knockout product combination in her sleep!
She mixed French Tipped Colors, French Wrap Plus Colors and glitter with Gelife to create beautiful symmetrical designs.
These easy-to-accomplish nails are stunning and chic.
The only creative limitation is your imagination!
- Perform a natural nail manicure and prepare the cuticle area. Lightly buff entire nail surface with the Pink Sponge File to remove shine. Shorten nails and shape free edge. Remove dust with a dry lint-free wipe.
- After sizing the French Tipped for every finger, apply Brush-On Glue to entire free edge of natural nail where the French Tipped will make contact, and to the entire adhesion area of the French Tipped. Apply the French Tipped onto the natural nails.
- Cut the French Tipped to the desired length and shape free edge. Lightly buff the free edge with the Pink Sponge File to remove shine.
- After sizing French Wrap Plus for each finger (one size bigger than the French Tipped), apply Brush-On Glue onto the inside of the colored band of the French Wrap Plus and apply them onto the free edge of the French Tipped.
- Clip application tab of French Wrap Plus to remove the plastic housing. Lightly buff the nail with the Pink Sponge File to remove shine. Shape the free edge.
- Apply one thin coat of French Bonder onto the French Tipped and French Wrap Plus (do not apply directly on the natural nail).
- Apply one coat of Clear Gel to the entire nail. Allow it to cure under the UV Lamp for 1 minute.
- Apply one coat of Builder Gel to the entire nail. Sprinkle glitter on top while gel is still wet. Allow gel to cure under the UV Lamp for 2 minutes. Apply second coat of Builder Gel to the entire nail. Allow it to cure under the UV Lamp for 2 minutes.
- Remove the inhibition layer with Cleanser / Prep. Smooth the nails with the Pink Sponge File and remove the dust from the nails with a lint-free wipe.
- Apply one coat of Top Gel and cure under the UV Lamp for 2 minutes. Remove the inhibition layer with Cleanser / Prep.
- Finish by massaging the Cuticle Nectar into the cuticles and the nail plate.
Do you have a creative way of combining Dashing Diva Professional products? Email us at dashingdiva@salonsgroup.com and your idea could be featured in an upcoming Salons Scoop!
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Trendspotting
Getting Mooned
In the 1920s and 30s, nail polish was in its infancy and women everywhere were experimenting with daring and creative looks for their manicures.
A popular trend during this time was the "Moon Manicure" whereby the lunula (white moon-shaped area) was left bare or polished with one color, while the rest of the nail was polished with a second, contrasting color.
Hollywood actresses Kay Francis and Joan Crawford often wore this manicure on screen, which spurred many female movie-goers to copy the style at home.
Almost a hundred years later, the Moon Manicure or "Reverse French" as it is now called is once again stylish and classy. So much so that designer Christian Dior used the look on the runway models at his Fall '09 show in Paris.
As the looks that graced the runway stage last year move into mainstream this year, it has been seen on celebrities such as Mya, Rihanna, Solange Knowles, Megan Fox and Ciara in a multitude of color combinations.
Sultry burlesque star Dita Von Teese considers the Moon Manicure to be part of her trademark classic Hollywood look and most often sports it in a striking silver and red combination............................................................................
Bling It On...
In this technological age, it seems like everyone is incessantly typing away on their cell phones and Blackberries, as texting is fast becoming the preferred means of communication.
Along with progress, must come style, and "Blackberry Bling" is the fearless fashionista's way of making more than one statement while texting.
The idea is to polish the four fingers of the hand one color and then the thumbs in a different, yet complimentary color or use glitter and gems to embellish them.
This makes the thumbs stand out from the rest of the hand, as they are the fingers used to type when texting.
An alternate variation is to paint the ring fingers to match the thumbs.
This is a fun and flashy look for clients looking for something bold and unique in their manicure.
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Celebrating Fashion
Fashion Week Spring 2011 was held in September and the Dashing Diva Professional team, led by Patricia Yankee is created gorgeous nails for some of New York's hottest runway shows.
Every year Pattie concocts new and exciting polish color combinations on site that quickly become some of the season's most sought after shades.
Be sure to check back here in October for a recap and highlights of the events and a pictorial feature of our favorite looks.
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