New Nail Innovation Ideas - Velveteen Nails and Mica Nail Pigments

Just a quick post to tell you all about some new nail products I am current testing:

Velveteen Nails and Mica Nail Pigments.

Velveteen is what it says on the tin - makes you nails have a velvet finish.  Very weird I know and I just couldn't imagine how it would feel so I just had to get hold of some.  And yes - it does feel like velvet on your nails!     lol.   I am yet to put it on an actual nail design and not just a colour stick but I will post a picture when I do.

Available from  Sam Biddle at Be Creative   "is proud to announce the arrival of Velveteen to the UK, an innovative material which sits on the surface of your nails, it is completely water and solvent proof and extremely hard wearing. What’s so special is that it feels soft, like velvet. Wearing Velveteen is an inexpensive way to create a rich, luxurious effect, and applying to the whole nail or incorporating it within nail art means it takes nail art design to the next level. "


This revolutionary new product can be used on natural nails or enhancements, and needs nothing more than a UV lamp to cure the gel sealer required to bond the fibres. To apply, simply sprinkle this fine material onto the wet gel and then cure for 2 minutes. Brush away the excess and return to the jar. You can use Velveteen with any gel sealer, but it must not leave an inhibition layer. You can also apply Velveteen with regular top coat over polish. 


I am looking to combine this Velveteen in my next nails design so keep checking back to see the results. 


Mica Pigments - Mica mineral is commonly found in make-up and has been widely used in many cosmetics for years.  Mica can be found and applied in loose powder form, pressed powder form, and even mixed with other agents to become a gel, oil, cream, or liquid. Because of the versatility of mica's consistency, you can easily and professionally apply  in a variety of ways.

Some of my colleagues have experimented in using it with gel nail polishes and as you know, me being a massive fan of anything different with gel polish I too am currently experimenting to see how they can be used in nail designs.  I believe that CND are actually due to launch 'addditives' later this year which seem to work in the same/similar way.    So I can see the use of mica pigments in nails becoming really popular.




I will soon update you all on my findings with these exciting new ideas!  

The Future for Beauty by Theresa

For a while now I have been working on a plan to further develop my career in the Beauty Industry - really its like merging 2 of my past careers together.

Some of you know in a previous life I worked in Human Resources - in fact gaining a post graduate qualification through CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development for you none HR people out there).  My biggest passion in HR was the training and development side and am not boasting when I say that the awards and accolades I received during that career showed that training and development was a natural passion and flair that I excelled at.

So now my next career step is to combine my 2 career passions and become a trainer within my current work in the Beauty Industry!

In recent years the government has specified that:-

"to train in the Adult Sector From September 2007, all new tutors, trainers and teachers in England have needed to meet qualification requirements described by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES)"

 - basically, despite my post graduate qualification previously gained I now need to hold a 'PTLLS' (Preparing to Teach in the Life Long Learning Sector) qualification so I am currently beavering away getting this award.

As well as continuing to carry out Beauty Treatments to my ever expanding client base I will be teaching as a Freelance Trainer in Beauty, to train those who also wish to follow my career path in the Beauty Industry.  Freelance Training will hopefully enable me to train in the products and treatments that are amongst the best in the industry and using my skills to ensure that the newbies in the industry follow with the same professional passion for the treatments and clients as I do!

I will keep you all posted when my training courses start but I feel lots of exciting times ahead!

Artistic Gel Polish Colour Fade - Step by Step

Many of you Professional Nail people out there have been asking how I achieve the colour fade look that so many of my clients are having this season.  So, with the kind permission of Louella Belle, UK Artistic Colour Gloss Distributor I have done some simple step by step photos and video to show you how I achieve the look:

 The colours used in this example are Lovely, Trendy, Diva Chic and Princess.  I dont always use this number of colours as it all depends on what finish the client is looking for. 

The recommended preparation/application guidelines given by the manufacturer for all products must be followed on all occasions to achieve that professional look. 

Step 1.  Apply the  Bonding layer as normal and cure for the recommended time.
Step 2.  Apply the first coat of colour as you would for a normal overlay and cure - in this example 'lovely' was used.  As the  colour stick was clear I applied 2 coats of this colour and cured in between each layer.  

 Step 3.  This is the first stage that is different than a normal colour overlay.  Instead of applying the next colour with a brush I actually apply it with a sponge.  In this example I used a make-up sponge but have tried different sponges which each give a slightly different effect.  Try different ones yourself and see which you prefer.   The colour I used here was 'Trendy'.

Cure after sponging this colour on.

Below is a brief video showing the technique to apply this first colour:

This image shows how it looks after this colour has been applied.

Step 4.  Apply the next deeper colour using the same sponging method, but only apply over the tip of the nail where the darker colour is needed.

This shows how the fade looks after the last colour has been applied with the sponge and cured.

Step 5.  Apply the sparkle colour 'Princess' over the whole nail as normal with the brush and cure.

Step 6.  Apply the Glossing Gel layer as normal over the whole nail and cure to seal the design and add that fabulous shine!

This is the finished look used with the above steps and give you a brief guide.  However, this step by step is just a great introduction to the 'Artistic Design Class' which will give you even better hands on experience for learning this technique and lots of other designs too.  

This method may vary from that in the Artistic Design Class and I also vary the method I use depending on which colours the clients would like and the finished look they want.  So, go ahead and experiment and find a way that works for you.

Thank you to Louella Belle for your permission in allowing me to publish this 'step by step guide' .

If this proves popular let me know if there is a particular nail design you would like to know how to do and I will see what I can do.  Please feel free to add comments on here.

For that added bit of giggle - lets see if you can guess what I was watching whilst recording the video and what other multi-task duty I was also doing at the same time!?!?! (hit - you may need to turn your speaker volume up)  . . . . .   Answers on a Post Card to Beauty by Theresa x x x    lol

Artistic Smart Gel - Training Day

Just a quick note to tell you all about a training day I went to on Sunday.  It was for the Artistic Smart Gel product that has just been launched in the UK.




So - you may ask - what is Artistic Smart Gel?

 Well its a 'Buff Off Gel System' that is designed for adding strength to the natural nail or you can use to tip/sculpt an extended nail too! Louella Belle (UK distributor) states 'The LED Smart Gel is beautifully formulated to create the perfect nail extension while utilizing LED light-curing technology with immense durability'.  This also provides the perfect base for any Gel Polish Shade too.

So far I have only played with this product on the training day so I am yet to 'truly' test the gel and its capabilities but of all the 'buff off hard gels' I have used (and believe me I have tried many) this was by far the nicest, self levelling, but stays put hard gel system to date.

This product is only available to trained/qualified technicians so you need to know you stuff to be able to get it - I will keep you professionals updated on how it goes or contact Louella Belle for further details.

As normal you clients will soon be able to get this Artistic Smart Gel Treatment from Beauty by Theresa in Staffordshire/Stoke on Trent.

Inch Loss Body Wrap - Shrinking Violet

Just got to tell you all about a brand new treatment that is going to be launched soon - The Shrinking Violet Body Wrap!

Create by Tibby Olivier (fab creator of the Faith Lift System) - Shrinking Violet is reported to be a highly effective body wrap that breaks down FAT and gives longer lasting results in inch loss.  It is around 3 x more active that other body wraps as it contains Phosphatidylcholine (lyposis) that really targets fat cells, not water like other wrap treatments on the market.


It is said to be perfect for those who wish to squeeze into that 'Little Black Dress' for a party or a great confidence booster for those undertaking a weight reduction programme.  A course of treatments is recommended to optimise the results.


Body Sculpture and Arm Sculpture home care products will also be available from Authorised Salons which should help to maintain and prolong your treatment in between salon appointments.

Although it has been tried and tested by the creator it is yet to be launched in Salons (will be a Professional Wrap Treatment) but you can be assured that as soon as the results of this treatment have been tried and tested (by me of course when it is released) this will be the first place for me to tell you all about it!


It is being distributed by Tibby Olivier - Therapists will need to be qualified to offer this treatment and they will be looking to add this products to their website as soon as it is available.

So pay a visit back soon to see the feedback as soon as it becomes available.

Nail of the Day - A Bit of Glam

Was time to change my nails again so here is my latest:

All done using Harmony Gelish Gel Polish - Starburst and Sheek White colours.  I just love the thought of 3 weeks of none chip design.

Easter Theme Nails

This year I have gone for quite a simple design for my Easter nails and they are very wearable for anybody!

I have used Artistic Nail Design Colour Gloss gel Polish for the base colour and also the spots - and the number of clients that have requested this design since I started to wear them has been incredible!

For details of this manicure see www.beautybytheresa.co.uk