Red Manicure TSV Order - You may not get what you expected!!

[amn]

You could just put a base coat and then a top coat on. OR you could do as I said before and put a normal varnish colour over the top which you can remove with non acetone varnish remover. OR you could put the base coat on, remove the stickiness, then put on a normal nail varnish and once it is dry put the gel top coat on which makes a sort of sandwich.

I only wanted it for the French really, the plan being to do base coat, tip, top coat, and then go over the lot with a more sheer pinky or beigey colour. I do really like a French manicure but for me the tips always chip after about five minutes so saw this as a great way to keep it for longer. If I have a strong colour in my hands it's only ever for a day or so, so the fact I could do another colour over the tip if i wanted without having to do it all again was even better. If I'm honest I don't really see the point if the base coat / top coat and then colour on the top, might as well just use ordinary polish? Unless this makes the ordinary one on the top last longer too? I know I could use my normal polishes between the RC top and base to make it last, but as the French idea was the reason I went for it, if I don't end up with that it's going back.

 

[iloveshopping]

On me the ordinary coat doesn't last any longer but it does mean you can take it off and put it or another one on without having to put on base coats. I sometimes just wear the gel base coat and top coat on their own as it strengthens my nails. I tried putting just white tips over the top coat but it chipped within a day.

 

[amn]

It's always the white tips that chip for me too - I was hoping that using the gel top coat over the tip would help, they did it onthe demos and called it the 'speed French'. I'm also not keen on the tips being ultra white so I thought that doing it that way and putting a more sheer colour over the whole lot would tone it down a bit. In theory - ill never know if the bloody thing doesn't turn up!!

 

[iloveshopping]

It's always the white tips that chip for me too - I was hoping that using the gel top coat over the tip would help, they did it onthe demos and called it the 'speed French'. I'm also not keen on the tips being ultra white so I thought that doing it that way and putting a more sheer colour over the whole lot would tone it down a bit. In theory - ill never know if the bloody thing doesn't turn up!!

Pls post when you do try it. I don't like very white tips either

 

[SallyMc]

Loving the system so far but struggling to remove it......

1st time I used it, did base coat, 3 x colour and top coat........removed like a dream, so impressed!!

2nd time I just have base and top coat......really struggling to remove, despite the foil technique AND soaking in a bowl.

I remembered to use the file thing to buff 1st but with just the 2 coats, found that harder too!!

Just wondering if thicker is better???

When (if) I finally get it off, I thought I would try 2 x base and 1 x top (want it clear) to see if that helps.....

Btw - could I use my LD crystal file to buff do you think? Or is that too harsh?

I am clueless about nails :thinking:

 

[Dips]

I don't like ultra white tips either, and the French I did using an OPI non-gel pink looks very natural (I only did 1 layer of the white). Also, I'm now on day 7 and no chips at all - unheard of for me.

Sally Mc, I think you would be better with 1 layer of base and 2 layers of top rather than vice versa. I wouldn't use a crystal nail file on my nail bed, I think it would thin the nail too much.

 

[SallyMc]

Thank you Dips!

I was thinking if I did 2 x top coat and then buffed the top layer of the top top coat off (if you see what I mean) maybe I would need to rebuff to get the other layer off....????

Maybe I am trying to "overthink" nail varnish :grin:

I don't like ultra white tips either, and the French I did using an OPI non-gel pink looks very natural (I only did 1 layer of the white). Also, I'm now on day 7 and no chips at all - unheard of for me.

Sally Mc, I think you would be better with 1 layer of base and 2 layers of top rather than vice versa. I wouldn't use a crystal nail file on my nail bed, I think it would thin the nail too much.

 

[amn]

I don't like ultra white tips either, and the French I did using an OPI non-gel pink looks very natural (I only did 1 layer of the white). Also, I'm now on day 7 and no chips at all - unheard of for me.

Sally Mc, I think you would be better with 1 layer of base and 2 layers of top rather than vice versa. I wouldn't use a crystal nail file on my nail bed, I think it would thin the nail too much.

Dips, did you do it with the tip sandwiched between gel base & top coats and the non-gel opi over the top?

 

[Dips]

Ali, I did base coat, OPI x2, leave to dry 2 hours, then 1 layer of RCM white very,very thinly, then top coat. I think if you wanted to do 2 coats of the white, you would be better off doing that first then going over the whole nail with the pink, to knock back the white, IYSWIM. My left hand looks great, but a couple of nails on my right hand (painted witH my left hand) are not as professional as I would have liked. However, I cannot complain about how well they've lasted. I'm going to an important meeting on Monday. Ordinarily, if I'd done a French Manicure a week previously, then I would have had to be redoing my nails today. Instead, I can spend the day crafting -yippee!

 

[iloveshopping]

Loving the system so far but struggling to remove it......

1st time I used it, did base coat, 3 x colour and top coat........removed like a dream, so impressed!!

2nd time I just have base and top coat......really struggling to remove, despite the foil technique AND soaking in a bowl.

Yes I have had the same difficulty removing just a base and top coat - sounds like the 2 layers bond together very well. I have a base coat and top coat from another brand. I will get round to trying them to see if I have the same problem.

 

[vampyre]

Loving the system so far but struggling to remove it......

1st time I used it, did base coat, 3 x colour and top coat........removed like a dream, so impressed!!

2nd time I just have base and top coat......really struggling to remove, despite the foil technique AND soaking in a bowl.

I remembered to use the file thing to buff 1st but with just the 2 coats, found that harder too!!

Just wondering if thicker is better???

When (if) I finally get it off, I thought I would try 2 x base and 1 x top (want it clear) to see if that helps.....

Btw - could I use my LD crystal file to buff do you think? Or is that too harsh?

I am clueless about nails :thinking:

Please don't do that, files and buffers are different for a reason. Use a buffer, even a very coarse one but a proper buffer with padding and don't press hard. On natural nails be very light handed. Just make an effort with the polish to rough up the whole surface not just the bits on top. I bought some cheap buffers on fleabay that are 100 grit on one side and 180 grit on the other as I was taught this as the best for removing gel nails. The higher the number the finer the buffer.
Thick coats will look ugly and lift, they may not cure properly even in the colourless layers.

 

[miss molly]

I did my nails on wednesday and followed all the instructions but they are starting to peel today. I will do them again later and see how i get on this week but if it keeps happening i won't keep it.

 

[vampyre]

I did my nails on wednesday and followed all the instructions but they are starting to peel today. I will do them again later and see how i get on this week but if it keeps happening i won't keep it.

Are they peeling or lifting?

 

[SallyMc]

Glad it's not just me!!

lol

Just redone it, with 1 x base, 2 x white tips (how blooking hard is that to do)?????

And 2 x top coat.

Will see if the thicker layers are any easier to get off :cheeky:

Loving the system so far but struggling to remove it......

1st time I used it, did base coat, 3 x colour and top coat........removed like a dream, so impressed!!

2nd time I just have base and top coat......really struggling to remove, despite the foil technique AND soaking in a bowl.

Yes I have had the same difficulty removing just a base and top coat - sounds like the 2 layers bond together very well. I have a base coat and top coat from another brand. I will get round to trying them to see if I have the same problem.

 

[SallyMc]

Thank you! I will try different buffers and see if that helps!!

You are def right about the thick layers.....that was my 1st (deliberate???) mistake :thinking:

What I meant was (for me) 5 thin layers came off So much easier than just 2 thin layers......

Maybe more layers hold together better?

Please don't do that, files and buffers are different for a reason. Use a buffer, even a very coarse one but a proper buffer with padding and don't press hard. On natural nails be very light handed. Just make an effort with the polish to rough up the whole surface not just the bits on top. I bought some cheap buffers on fleabay that are 100 grit on one side and 180 grit on the other as I was taught this as the best for removing gel nails. The higher the number the finer the buffer.
Thick coats will look ugly and lift, they may not cure properly even in the colourless layers.

 

[miss molly]

They are doing both Vamps but it is my middle fingers. People have mentioned you need to apply thin coats but i found the base and top coats very thick in the bottles, any tips?

 

[vampyre]

The removal process is like leaving a sponge to absorb liquid. With the colour layers there is more sponge to get more liquid and the polish softens up and falls off. The two layers, base and top are the least absorbent so they will be a bit of work but just be gentle, don't try to chisel the stuff off. Just go back and soak again.
I assume you are only removing one foil at a time before moving on to the next nail.

 

[vampyre]

They are doing both Vamps but it is my middle fingers. People have mentioned you need to apply thin coats but i found the base and top coats very thick in the bottles, any tips?

I haven't used RCM polish yet but it is the consumer offering of a very well known pro range. Best tip I was given for the polishes is that they do need to be really well shaken, imagine you are trying the turn the liquid into gel, it takes longer than just a quick rattle with a bottle of regular polish. I hold the bottle upside down and roll between my palms and I really try to take the excess of the whole brush from the stem down so there is no excess but if you have long nails you'll need a little more. Remember unlike solvent based polish you can go back over the coat and it won't leave brush marks and you don't need to hurry.
Above all keep the layers away from the cuticles and don't let any pool down the sides or at the base. Clean up before you cure the layer if necessary. I use an angle brush dipped in the alcohol solution. I also use that to fix up FM tips into a nice smile line.

 

[Dips]

I also found that I needed to remove almost all the polish from one side of the brush and gave the other side quite a swipe on the side of the bottle, before painting. As it is a gel that won't dry until cured, you are best using as little as possible on the brush as you can always go back for more if needed.

 

[Nutsville]

They are doing both Vamps but it is my middle fingers. People have mentioned you need to apply thin coats but i found the base and top coats very thick in the bottles, any tips?

As others have said wipe the brush off a lot. I clean the brush off quite a lot, then put a small blob on my nail, finally take the brush back to the bottle and really swipe the brush clean. Then I go back to my small blob and gently spread over the nail. If I don't have enough I'll pick up a tiny bit from the neck of the bottle, where you have swiped the brush clean, rather than sticking the brush back in the bottle.

Because it doesn't dry until you cure it you have plenty of time to play with it. That was the biggest thing I had to get my head round was it not drying, which seemed totally alien to putting polish on my nails. The next biggest thing to get my head round was how thin the layers needed to be. Mine used to lift and or peel until I took a bit more time and made the layers really thin.

Hope that makes sense and helps.
x