Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Beach Nail Art Tutorial



WELCOME FOLKS!  I'm getting more serious about offering nail tutorials for all of you guys.  I've done a few simple ones here and there, took a break for a bit, and now I'm ready to jump all in with it!  So if you want to see more, be sure to tell me how you like it!

This video here is my take on beach nails.  I'll walk you through how to create the ocean nail, the dimensional jellyfish, and the 3D seashell with swarovski crystals.

In this video I use A LOT of different brands! I’m a product junkie so I’m not line specific, but the main brands I’m using here are Akzentz and Ugly Duckling.  I also use a bit of Luminary and the Magpie Beauty nail art brushes. See what I'm saying, product junkie :)

Links to products I used in this video:
Akzentz & Luminary products: https://polishedpinkiespro.com/
Ugly Duckling (in the US): https://artisticcharmbeautysupply.com/
Magpie Beauty USA: https://magpiebeautyusa.com/  

This design is really quick and easy, so give a view, try it out and tag me in your recreations ❤️ #polishedlooksbymelissa

Visit me on my other platforms!

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Nail Salon Organization - Part 3 - Glitter and Nail Art



Ok folks, here's the final installment of the Nail Salon Organization series!  In case you missed it, here's the links to part 1 and part 2.  We have a combined 2,250+ jars/bottles on the wall, so organization is KEY if we have any hope of finding anything haha!  I'm not an expert, but I wanted to show you how we do it, because it's been working great!

So part 3 is all about glitter and nail art organization.  The glitter is very similar to the way I do my acrylic colors, but the nail art is entirely different.  Depending on the type of nail art, some of it is stored on my magnet board wall, and some of it is stored in drawer units. 

Types of nail art on the wall are Swarovski crystals, rhinestones, gems, shapes, mylar, decals, fimo clay, charms, 3D charms, flakes, dried flowers, some foil, etc.  These items are small, fit easily into a jar, and add decor to the salon.  I have special board I've created to display all the examples of these items and I show it to you in my youtube video.

Type of nail art in drawers are larger items such as stamping plates & polishes, transfer foil, chrome, marbling ink, watercolor pens, etc.  These wouldn't be as pleasing to the eye to display on the wall, and they are a lot handier to grab when they are in our drawers between our desk.  I have a great system for stamping plates and how to show your client what you have, so if you're into stamping be sure to check out that part!

So as I've done before, here's the links to the products I talk about in the video.  These links are also in the video description, but I wanted them to be handy for you here too :)

** Art Paint Tin: https://amzn.to/2k386vR ** Stamping Plate Book (holds 72): https://amzn.to/2lBx0TR ** Stamping Plate Book (holds 216): https://amzn.to/2lzRFHU ** Stamping Plate Book (holds 48) https://maniology.com/products/faux-l... ** Create your own stamping plate organizer with a binder and these sheets: https://amzn.to/2lAKsY4 ** Similar Art Jars (diamond shape): https://amzn.to/2k6j2sH ** Similar Art Jars (round shape): https://amzn.to/2k4UobU




Thursday, July 4, 2019

Nail Salon Organization - Part 2 - Gel Polish and Acrylic Colors


Welcome back!  I hope you enjoyed Part 1 of the Nail Salon Organization series.  If you haven't seen it, check it out here.

So now let's talk about organizing Gel Polish and Acrylic Colors.  I like my nail stuff to be part of the decor and add to the environment.  I don't like clutter (we've already established that) and my ways can be a little OCD (we've established that too) haha!  So in this video I show you how I please all my OCD tendencies, and make things easy for you, the nail tech, as well as for the client.  We have around 500 gel polishes and over 500 acrylic colors, so keeping them organized, easy to see, and easy to choose from is a MUST!  Our main brands are Akzentz, Magpie, Young Nails and Ugly Duckling, but we also feature a bit of Glam & Glitz, Essie, Files by Less, Joya Mia, Madam Glam, and a few others.

I also feature a HUGE magnet board on our salon wall.  This is a custom board, so I don't have a link for something to buy, but I can tell you how we did it.  You could also find magnet boards ready to go at hobby lobby, amazon, ikea, etc.  I don't talk about it on the video, but I wanted to make sure to note it here in case anyone needed one for themselves.  So here's what we did to make it (because its a heck of a lot cheaper to DIY on this one!)

- Measure the space you want the board to be in
- Head to a home improvement store and purchase sheet metal in that size, or have it cut to size
- Pick out base board trim (yup, regular base board trim!) and trim that to size also, cutting the edges at an angle so they fit well together, like a picture frame.
- Hold the sheet metal to the wall space you picked out and drill it onto the wall.  Do all four corners, but in our case, because it is so huge, we drilled in the middle of all sides as well.
- Apply a SUPER STRONG glue (we actually used mechanical glue) along all edges of the sheet metal so you can stick the base board on.
- Stick all four sides of the baseboard on.  If you want this to come off your wall one day, make sure the glue stays on the metal and does not get on the wall at all!!! Otherwise, you may not be able to get it off again.
- Allow the glue to dry for 24 hours.  Then begin setting up your cute colors.

So for more tips & tricks on organizing your gel polish and acrylic colors take a peek at the video and let me know what you think! I hope you find some information useful and are able to apply some of these things to your nail supplies.  Keep in mind, this organization can be EASILY adapted to regular nail polish, dip powders, hard gel colors, art supplies, etc.


In my video description I've linked all the organizing products I used, but I'll link them here too for easy access!

Links from the video:
** White Polish Shelves: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90292103/
** Swatch Sticks: https://amzn.to/2LHasMx
** Rectangle Labels: https://amzn.to/30fPWGJ
** Circle Labels: https://amzn.to/2Xs9R8o
** Magnetic Hooks: https://amzn.to/2S3qz8l
** Magnets: https://amzn.to/2JcUO9R
** GLUE: https://amzn.to/2Jb7TAl
** Jars: https://www.berlinpackaging.com/hwj12b-5-oz-clear-pet-heavy-wall-jar-black-lid/?promo=shopping&gclid=CjwKCAjwx_boBRA9EiwA4kIELvqupUcrEsTUOoef_7AYGl35wQbD9pwqrTbkyO1LwsxNmq8KgM9zuBoCRRoQAvD_BwE


Thanks for tuning in 💗 If you use any of these methods I'd love to see your take on it and how your space turned out!  I'm most active on Instagram, so tag me in photos of your salon!!! @polishedlooksbymelissa





Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Nail Desk Organization - Part 1


Click here to check out Part 2 and Part 3


Why hello!  Welcome to Part 1 of my Nail Salon Organization series!  I'm doing a 3 part series on how I organize my nail supplies because organizing is one of my passions 💜  Weird, I know, but there's just something so satisfying about everything looking crisp, clean and knowing where to find it all!  So here's what I'm covering:

Part 1: Nail Desk Organization
Part 2: Gel Polish and Acrylic Colors (can easily be adapted for nail polish, dip powder colors, hard gel colors etc.)
Part 3: Glitters & Nail Art Supplies

This series is my take on things and how I personally like things to look.  I like my stuff to be on full display, but still look nice.  My nail supplies double as decor, and are a true statement piece of the salon.  I chose to do this in video format because I think it's easier to see and follow, rather then just words and pictures.  I hope you find it helpful and easy to understand!  So if you're interested in cleaning up your nail salon, nail studio, or simply your desk, follow along in my videos.

⚠ I have to add this DISCLAIMER though!  Things may appear perfect, but I assure you, things get to be all askew up in here on work days!  When I'm with clients, I don't always have the time to keep things looking so nice.  BUT with the systems I have in place, it makes it super easy for me at the ends of the day to clean-up the days colors, art supplies and mess.  Everything has a place, and that place is easy to find.  So clean up is a breeze.  I don't want anyone to get discouraged though if things look too neat and precise.  I'm still human, and things get hectic for me too,

Also, please keep in mind, these systems took me TIME! If you watch all 3 parts (which I hope you do), know that this is not a one day project.  Supplies were accumulated over time, and systems were added throughout.  So if you decide to tackle your stash, allow yourself some time and breathe 😄