MODEL BEACH MOBILE TANNING AND NAILS

What you will need:

Cotton Balls/Cotton Rounds: As I said before, I prefer the rounds.
Absorbent Paper Towels: Make sure that is doesn't litter or shed its fibers. Fold over a high quality thick paper towel then fold it over again to create 4 layers. Or use one of those disposable nail towels. These are so cool! I love them.
Nailbrush: To scrub your nails with after you file and smooth to prepare it for polishing.
Nail Polish Remover: Use a non-acetone polish remover. Acetone removers will destroy the artificial nail tips and acrylic overlay.
Nail Files: I use the larger double-sided blue files used for acrylic nails (Also known as, what else? The Blue File). I think the light blue side (finer grit) is a good file for fine tuning or smoothing down the acrylic overlay on the sides of the tip and near the cuticle. Yet the coarse side (Darker blue) is strong enough for the acrylic overlay on top of the tip, around the cuticle area and even for taking down length of the tip. You'll find a happy medium.
Filing 'Block' (or 3-way filer): This is a rectangular file with grit on all four sides. I use the white blocks (different colors for different grit). Although it doesn't last as long as the purple ones it is softer and doesn't tear up my cuticles as bad if I accidentally hit them. They bend easier, too. The finer grits take more elbow grease but it is easier to take off a little at a time rather than to add more later and wait for it to dry and THEN file it some more.
Acrylic Nipper: Just like the cuticle nipper but stronger for cracking through old acrylic.
Artificial Nail Tips: There are many types out there. I don't care for those rounded types nor do I care for the really long talons. But, these are for your nails so it is your choice.
Nail Glue: Try a good quality glue or even the InstaBond or Nailbond brands will work.
Liquid Acrylic: I use the primerless liquid acrylic by Creative Nail, but have used the cheaper ones when I needed a quick touch up and was in a bind or am on a budget. The cheaper liquids don't matter that much -- unless they are contaminated!!! This means don't clean your brushes with your liquid. Although a nail tech (mine as well) will tell you not to use Supernail brand liquid (they train with this product -- cheap.) but I have used it before and had good results as long as a GOOD powder was used which is the next product you will need...
Powdered Acrylic: This matters. The cheaper powders turn yellow with age and with UV light exposure. This means tanning beds or natural sunlight. I use Creative Nail - Solar Nail Ultra Blush Powder and sometimes the Ultra Natural Powder. These two are non-yellowing. I absolutely can't stand when my nails get yellow -- it is so gross. plus! There is more 'lifting' when a cheaper powder is used.
Acrylic Brush: A good acrylic brush is a necessity. It will last you a long time if you clean it thoroughly after each use.
Dampen Dish: Why do they call it that?? You need a dampen dish to hold your acrylic liquid when you are applying acrylic. They sell these at beauty supply stores. I recommend the glass ones or the VERY strong acrylic dampen dishes. These are much easier to clean and fare well with the chemicals
Nailbrush: Any old nailbrush will do. This will help remove the excess powder after filing and smoothing, creating a clean surface for your polish to adhere to.
Polish: Your favorite Polish, OPI is a good quality line and they always come out with new collections including all the newest colors and hues. Creative Nail polishes are pretty good, too. Although if you want to experiment with other colors, the cheaper ones are fine. Where OPI can run you up to $10, the cheapies are .99 -- and you can't beat that! Especially when polish lasts 2 to 4 weeks on acrylic nails as opposed to just 4 to 5 days on natural nails. You can use the more expensive brands on your natural nail to prolong its use. Your body's natural oils and the bending of the natural nail just prohibits the life time of a polish to just a few days unless you coat with a clear coat every other day.
Fast Drying Topcoat: Freeze Dry or Fast Dry, any good topcoat or quick coat will do. Except! Sally Hansen's No Chip Top Coat - It peels off and yellows, too. Well, it does for me.
Nail Oil: Again, SolarOil Rules! I love this stuff

How To Apply An Acrylic Overlay To Nails

Am I breaking some sort of code here? Am I not supposed to divulge secrets? Nonsense! It will save you a bundle if you learn how to do this yourself. Although it doesn't make up for the 'time off' and therapeutic quiet time you get having your nails professionally done.

Step By Step Instructions On Acrylic Application:

Nail Polish Remover: Uh, you know what to do... Make sure it is a non-acetone remover for nails with prior acrylic overlay.
Preparation: If your nails are natural, roughen them up a bit with a fine grit filing block and trim the nails to just at the skin -- not too much! You will have fine nail dust around your cuticle, don't worry about this, you will scrub your nails later. Just brush it off with a dry brush or towel. If you don't trim your natural nails you can injure yourself if a tip tries to snap off. Tips are more likely to snap off the nail bed rather than the free edge area. It will bend or tear your natural nail off should you smash a finger and have a lot of natural nail length. Plus it looks really trashy to see nasty yellowed natural nails under the tips. If you are just doing an overlay without tips onto natural nail I suggest you go for Fiberglass instead. If you have old acrylic, carefully remove the acrylic near the cuticle. It will pop off sometimes and hit you or the person next to you in the eye, so beware! Then file the sharp acrylic edges a bit, take down length if need be or remove any nail tip that needs to be replaced.
Artificial Tips: Choose a good quality opaque brand, NOT those ridiculously thick, full nail bed covering, yellowish-white tips. Tips come in like 20 sizes. Find a size that fits your nail bed exactly. If you can't, find one close and file it down a little on the sides. You need one that is going to sit flush against your nail bed. Have them all set out, next to your glue, ready to apply.
Nail Glue: Use just a drop to the tip and place it on the tip up to the little indentation where the free edge of your natural nail should go up to.. If you accidentally apply it crooked, be careful it doesn't adhere completely. Either remove it quick or you may have to soak this one off. What a pain. If you can't function with very long tips, to put the other hand on, trim them down a bit. If you down a bit before you resume.
Determine Length: Use an artificial nail tip cutter or a very large pair of toenail clippers. If using the toenail clippers, cut from one side to the middle then from the other side to the middle. Do NOT cut straight across with a pair of toenail clippers. If you are a first timer, I seriously suggest you start off shorter and work up to a longer length. No self respecting nail tech will give you much length if you are just starting out. You could seriously hurt yourself. Compare each nail to get them looking similar, It is always easier to cut off less than you want and just file them down. You'll get the hang of it. If this is your first time laying product then I really doubt your nails are going to look very professional the first time around. It takes a bit -- like riding a bike. But if it does... Wow! You rule! You are a true glamour queen. It took me a bit
File: File them roughly to the length and shape you want them to be. You will be filing again after the acrylic dries.
Liquid Acrylic: Pour the liquid acrylic into your dampen dish that you have set on top of your paper towel. This stuff stinks and can give you a headache -- at least that's what I have been told, I am used to it. My boyfriend gets a headache when I do this, men! Also don't do this in a train or people will start leaving the car, I did this in Canada. And never lay product in an airplane- - even I haven't tried that one. I know I can't fly no matter how hard I flap my arms.
Acrylic Powder: Open you container of powder, you can work right out of the container if you are not in the habit of over saturating your brush.
Laying Product: Dip your brush into the the liquid and wipe both sides on the paper towel. Sometimes there is nasty residue left over from God-knows-where. Then dip your brush in the liquid again (not all of it, about 1/4 of the bristles - depends on size of brush) and "wipe" the bristles on the inner lip of the dampen dish once or twice (like you would do nail polish) so there is not a lot of liquid dripping into your powder -- ruining it. Then dip the very tip of the brush into your powder. A little moist "ball" of product should form at the tip. It shouldn't be too dry nor too wet. You will learn in time. Apply this ball on the seam of the tip and natural nail. Work it quickly to smooth it in, not flat though! Wipe your brush on the paper towel to remove excess product and re-dip your brush tip in the liquid again and wipe if need be or just remove excess with the dish-lip move. This all depends on how much your brush is picking up or how much your are saturating your brush. Just repeat the steps over and over, but do NOT get product on the cuticle area! This will cause lifting as well as increasing your possibility of developing an acrylic allergy later on. Seriously.
Build up: You will have to do a build up (*pinky is in process of build up) which is where you make a tiny mound of product to mimic the natural curve of a natural nail. Apply a coat to the tip as well at the free edge. Although not as thick as you would the natural nail and seam. Remember don't get it on the cuticle area! If you have lifting you could get moisture between the acrylic and natural nail -- developing mold or a fungus. Also, it will be awkward at first to lay product on your dominant hand. As in, if you are right handed, the product on the right hand may look a little funny because you are not as talented with your left.
Acrylic on Toenails: Most nail techs won't do this. The good ones will do it because they understand that a missing toenail can ruin an entire ensemble. *boo! hiss!* Do NOT apply acrylic to tender broken skin. Let it heal first. It is ideal if a portion, even an eighth, of the toenail is grown out. This is so the acrylic will have something to adhere to. Apply the acrylic about as thick as you would on a build up. Wait for it to dry to a moldable tackiness and kinda create a free edge with the end of an orange stick or plastic cuticle pusher. The ending result being a natural nail look. Make sure it doesn't settle into the cracks on the sides of the nail where it meets the cuticle. You could get lifting. After the desired build up and general shape is formed follow the next steps as it were a fingernail.
If you have NO remaining toenail: Use NewSkin®: or mole skin to protect your skin from the acrylic. You can get acrylic sensitivity if you keep exposing your skin to it. Mole skin is the best but doesn't last too long, good for a night out. And no I do not know if it is waterproof.
File: After your acrylic is well dry, it takes less time to dry when you use the right mixture of liquid and powder. It should take no more than 10 minutes past the time it takes you to apply it to all your nails. And that is if your fast. I am ready to file about 5 minutes after I am finished laying product on all 10 nails. File the sides and close to the cuticle with the a medium grit nail file as well as shape the build up area to look more rounded and natural looking. File the free edge as well until you get to your desired length -- which shouldn't be much more since you already did this to the approximate length. Make sure you put the same name from the opposite hand next to each other so they will be the same length.
Smooth: Use a filing block (I use the white one) to finish smoothing the nail so it isn't all bumpy looking. This will also smooth out any build up discrepancies.
Scrub: Scrub your new nails with warm soapy water and a nail brush. This will remove any acrylic dust, excess chemicals or oils and will prepare your new nail for the polish of your choice. Also, scrub underneath the free edge as well. It should only take you a few seconds to do this, do not over do it.
Polish: there is no need for a base coat as polish adheres well to the acrylic and will last you longer than a fill will. You'll need the fill before you'll need new polish. Polish nails like previously instructed. Some people polish the very tips of the free edge (the thickness of the nail). I don't but, you can.
Fast Drying Topcoat: Apply a good topcoat or a freeze-dry type top coat to enhance shine and further protect your polish.
Nail Oil: I use it just on the cuticles. This will re-moisturize and condition your cuticles after exposing it to the chemicals and the buffing/smoothing. And that's it! You're finished!
*You will need a fill about every two weeks depending on your nail growth rate.

In conclusion... laying product well takes practice, don't get frustrated. You can use cheaper product at first to get the feel of it. Take care of your nail care implements. You don't wan to risk infection. You really shouldn't share implements unless you sanitize them between each use. Shop around for different colors. There are so many fun colors, sensual colors and natural colors available. A perfectly manicured hand completes a look. People do notice if you have poorly maintained nails, especially if you talk with your hands. Don't skimp on this important step in personal hygiene. It says a lot about you.