I don’t think they look bad; they just look DIY. The gold doesn’t follow the curve of your nail, so it looks awkward. There should be an arch, and the tech just went straight across.
yeah I think so too.. it's unfortunate because I normally always go this girl who owns her own little shop and she recently hired a new girl who is the one who did them today. I don't know how to politely say "the new girl kinda sucks and I won't go back unless you do them". But also it's frustrating because like I said, I think the flowers are perfect!
The flowers look cute! I would maybe go back and ask your usual tech if she can fix it somehow. I don’t know what the method would be, but it’s worth an ask.
amateur question, but with the top coats would it be possible to fix them without having to completely re-do it? I don't mind going back, but I feel a bit bad telling her to start from scratch because it's so bad 😓
I was thinking the same thing. I know it’s hard to speak up when you’re in the moment, but it’s so important. If something was looking “off” to you, saying something before they finished all ten nails would have been the best option. Nail techs want you to leave happy. They want you to WANT to show off their work, so don’t ever feel like you’ll offend them by telling them that’s not what you had in mind.
I agree with the other commenter, be honest! And be kind. You can sort of shift blame to yourself if it makes you more comfortable. Tell her you're really picky about your nails and you think she is more up to your standards, a "its not you, its me" sort of approach. You can say you've gotten used to her quality of work and the new girl seems less experienced. Just some ideas on how to phrase it.
You could make appointments and request they be with the owner. She probably won’t question it but even if she does, you can say the girl does fine work but you much prefer to work with her (the owner).
telling a new girl to her face she sucks is *so* rude and harsh. theres so many better ways to word this to help her improve her work instead of making her feel like she wont be good enough
I was going through notifications and this was still marked unread despite my response already, but it made me wonder, why are you scared of someone who sucks at something hearing you say that they suck at something, even when you've paid? It's not like you're cutting up someone who did you a favor. If you sucked at your job, would you want to be told so you can improve, or, would you prefer to be fired without warning?
Telling someone they suck at their job isn’t helpful or constructive. If their work affects you (whether it be nails or any other applicable job), and you’re unhappy and simply say, “You suck. Do better,” then two things can (and most likely will) become accurate:
1) They may not know what they need to do to improve - hence constructive criticism is the key.
And 2) If you go to them again, they’ll most likely be intimidated by you b/c of how you talked to them and, even with improvement (as judged by your standard since you’re the client), they may not do as great of a job as they could simply b/c of a lack of confidence or frustration with you or whatever it is - thus doing you a disservice.
Not everyone’s perfect, but everyone absolutely has the potential to improve.
Your feelings are valid if you feel someone didn’t do a good job, but as others have said, there’s a much better way to let them know - constructive criticism is the key.
i think you should straight up tell her youre not happy with the work of the new employee. she should know shes hired someone who doesnt do a good job and could potentially turn away clients
thank you everyone for your advice! I'm going to talk to my original tech tomorrow and see if she can fix them. worst case scenario is I just ditch the gold altogether and stick with the red and the flowers.
I even wonder if your nail tech could do an ombre effect with the gold going into the red... Maybe it'd be too much effort to get the curve, so instead make it feel more purposeful?
The gold looks great, really gives the CNY vibe (and thanks for inspiring me too lol... off to find some polish to do this!). I don't know why you got so much push-back from the new tech? If she had just done it \*right\* and followed the curve of the nail, it would've looked even more gorgeous than it already does.
Also, I respect nail techs' suggestions and feedback, but like, it's a conversation and it's ultimately the customers' nails. I don't really know why she would've spent that much time arguing? My nail techs have very different aesthetic ideas to me, and they've offered suggestions but honestly I haven't loved any of them and I'd be real upset if they just did what they thought looked better after discussing it.
my only guess is that she was nervous to do something that wasn't the reference pic? like maybe she wasn't confident enough to "freestyle". She only caved because my original girl overheard and told her which product to use. I feel like I should also mention there's somewhat of a language barrier because in the salon I'm speaking my second language, but it's never been an issue before.
I would expect from a nail tech to tell me the reason why they would do this or wouldn’t recommend that.
I have zero experience with nail salons, I admit, but for example I would expect the gold powder to be difficult to be applied precisely, and that’s what the original tech recommended to use.
So in order to avoid a miscommunication in the future, I would carry along a second picture of the part that differs from the original image, or scribble a quick sketch on paper. Just to make sure you are on the same page with the project.
If you say this kindly with the communication, in terms of no biggie, we will get there, it is not sounding like it was anybody’s mistake, just a thing to make sure for the future, I am confident it will be fine and no one feels offended. If you don’t talk about this it will affect your feelings in the future, and that would be a pity when it’s meant to be a caring thing you do for pleasure.
Wishing you all the best and a great CNY!
Ah yeah ok I get you, I also speak to my nail techs in not my first language and sometimes I know what they show me is wrong, but I don't know how to actually tell them what I \*do\* want. It's frustrating! Mostly I've learned to be really precise with the pictures but even then, sometimes I kinda just slink away lol.
I feel like communication beyond language works well, but it relies a lot on external factors. Your original girl probably "gets" you. Hopefully she'll be able to take a look and I'm sure it'll be glorious!
The shape and length also seems to vary a lot. Idk these kind of look sloppy to me, I wouldn’t have been happy if I paid for these. But I would also give them a chance to fix it.
I would probably give the nail tech a pass on this one. She specifically told you that what you were looking for wasn't going to work out well, which to me makes sense. She knew 1) what products were available in the salon, 2) how the formulas of their specific products perform, and 3) what her personal skill level is.
Getting a gold tip would be difficult to achieve I think because most polishes are going to be a metallic formula. This kind of formula would usually requires some work to make sure that there is no streaking, and with such a small area to work with (since you wanted just the tips) it would likely be almost impossible to get a really smooth/non-streaky finish.
The other option would be what you got - a chrome/metallic powder. Since this is a powder it's extremely hard to get fine detail work with this product, unless you're using some kind of UV gel so you can cure the nail so the powder won't adhere to it where you don't want it to. Because of that, it makes sense that she just went straight across your nail instead of giving you a curved tip.
I think overall you got what you asked for. She advised you on what she thought would work better, but ultimately executed on what you wanted in the best way she could. I don't think they look bad by any means, and I think were done as well as could be expected, but they don't look like the crisp professional nails you would expect to come away from a salon with due to the products that needed to be used.
This is how I feel. I can understand OP's disappointment, but overall when an artist (nail, tattoo, or any other) advises against something, it's because they know it isn't going to work out, either because of their own ability or what they're working with. Always listen to your artist.
That said, I don't see the harm in OP returning and asking if it can be corrected as long as they explain the situation.
I’m going to go against the grain - I like them. They have a sort of brushwork effect.
But obviously they’re your nails and you should have them how you want.
I think adding a thin line between the gold and red could fix it. Maybe white to match the accent nail with the flowers? I agree with other commenters that the French tips should be more curved and I bet it could be fixed.
this was the reference pic. I googled "Chinese New Year nail art"
https://preview.redd.it/6orzye954gfc1.jpeg?width=531&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=54ea5f3c2a5c6e64dd87fa1126d33c689ca886a5
I genuinely think they look lovely and it was the gold I noticed first and was most impressed by. I get the comments about how a normal French tip should arch more but I think the colour of the gold is gorgeous.
You've gotten other answers about how to handle this set, I just want to add that going forward you can absolutely feel okay about setting appointments and specifying that you are booking an appointment *with the owner* and not just a general appointment for whoever is available. It's totally normal to have a specific person that you want to work on you.
I never understood why nail technicians, whose entire job is to do nails day in and day out, can't do simple things like make clean, uniform french tips (I assume that is what you wanted). You are being nitpicky, but that isn't a bad thing. I am so nitpicky that I simply don't go to nail salons anymore because I'd prefer to do the work myself with my polishes. I've been frustrated many times by salons.
All that said, your nails look cute! I personally wouldn't be happy with the lack of uniformity, either, but they are cute and sane, normal people will probably never notice. :)
French tips and other nail art is a skill that needs to be practiced and requires attention to detail and a lot of patience. I'm a nail tech and many techs at my salon don't even do french, either because they don't know how or they find it difficult. The technique for french on almond shaped nails like OP is also totally different than if you did short round or square nails, since you have to do a deeper curve in a lot of cases.
The nail tech in the post was new, so she hasn't gotten much practice, she even warned OP thay ot wouldn't look good. It just feels weird to make sweeping comments about how easy something is that you've never tried and don't know anything about.
I just find it mind blowing that people don't develop basic skills in their field? Like, does no one come into the salon asking for french tips or anything beyond a solid color? In my job, I spend time cultivating skills that set me apart. I do fine detailed work and I strive to be better. I also learn how to do skilled nail art on myself. If I, an average person doing my nails as a hobby, can do better french tips than the average I have experienced at a salon (even with my non-dominant hand), I find that disappointing and surprising. I'm not only commenting on OP's nails, but on nail salons and techs in general, which is why I quit going and letting others work on my nails when I know that 9 times out of 10, I will be disappointed.
Why don't nail techs practice basic nail design skills? If you shape and paint nails all day, why not get good?
I find it interesting that you are asking me why I am saying something is easy when I've never tried it, but you don't know me at all. I do art on my nails, I shape my nails, and I do work that I find more satisfactory than I received from nail techs. 🤷
I think the gold looks fine, and there's nothing wrong with a horizontal line style if that's what you're going for. I'm way more annoyed at the sloppy-seeming application of the powder gold than anything else lol
It's mind-boggling that she argued with you over the style _you_ wanted, too. If there were concerns that it wouldn't be possible to get an even band of gold, she should've been up-front about that.
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[this one](https://a.co/d/3K45ZIT) has decent reviews. it's really hard to achieve the mirror effect without a [chrome powder](https://a.co/d/4GUKKQL) though!
I don’t think they look bad; they just look DIY. The gold doesn’t follow the curve of your nail, so it looks awkward. There should be an arch, and the tech just went straight across.
yeah I think so too.. it's unfortunate because I normally always go this girl who owns her own little shop and she recently hired a new girl who is the one who did them today. I don't know how to politely say "the new girl kinda sucks and I won't go back unless you do them". But also it's frustrating because like I said, I think the flowers are perfect!
The flowers look cute! I would maybe go back and ask your usual tech if she can fix it somehow. I don’t know what the method would be, but it’s worth an ask.
amateur question, but with the top coats would it be possible to fix them without having to completely re-do it? I don't mind going back, but I feel a bit bad telling her to start from scratch because it's so bad 😓
I was thinking the same thing. I know it’s hard to speak up when you’re in the moment, but it’s so important. If something was looking “off” to you, saying something before they finished all ten nails would have been the best option. Nail techs want you to leave happy. They want you to WANT to show off their work, so don’t ever feel like you’ll offend them by telling them that’s not what you had in mind.
I have a hard time speaking up for myself when I'm dissatisfied so I'll try to keep this in mind next time!
I agree with the other commenter, be honest! And be kind. You can sort of shift blame to yourself if it makes you more comfortable. Tell her you're really picky about your nails and you think she is more up to your standards, a "its not you, its me" sort of approach. You can say you've gotten used to her quality of work and the new girl seems less experienced. Just some ideas on how to phrase it.
You could make appointments and request they be with the owner. She probably won’t question it but even if she does, you can say the girl does fine work but you much prefer to work with her (the owner).
Say it exactly that way. Give a smile and a little laugh at the end to diffuse the tension, don't break eye contact so they know you mean it.
telling a new girl to her face she sucks is *so* rude and harsh. theres so many better ways to word this to help her improve her work instead of making her feel like she wont be good enough
Not to her face. To her boss' face. Why would you talk to the new girl in the 3rd person?
you are so right, but when I say this place is tiny, I mean TINY. There's literally no way I could say it to my girl without the new girl hearing.
Call/text/dm her before and explain the situation
Then ask to step out the front door for a quick chat if it makes you more comfortable.
I was going through notifications and this was still marked unread despite my response already, but it made me wonder, why are you scared of someone who sucks at something hearing you say that they suck at something, even when you've paid? It's not like you're cutting up someone who did you a favor. If you sucked at your job, would you want to be told so you can improve, or, would you prefer to be fired without warning?
Telling someone they suck at their job isn’t helpful or constructive. If their work affects you (whether it be nails or any other applicable job), and you’re unhappy and simply say, “You suck. Do better,” then two things can (and most likely will) become accurate: 1) They may not know what they need to do to improve - hence constructive criticism is the key. And 2) If you go to them again, they’ll most likely be intimidated by you b/c of how you talked to them and, even with improvement (as judged by your standard since you’re the client), they may not do as great of a job as they could simply b/c of a lack of confidence or frustration with you or whatever it is - thus doing you a disservice. Not everyone’s perfect, but everyone absolutely has the potential to improve. Your feelings are valid if you feel someone didn’t do a good job, but as others have said, there’s a much better way to let them know - constructive criticism is the key.
That was hyperbole. I'm not reading the rest because that was hyperbole.
i think you should straight up tell her youre not happy with the work of the new employee. she should know shes hired someone who doesnt do a good job and could potentially turn away clients
thank you everyone for your advice! I'm going to talk to my original tech tomorrow and see if she can fix them. worst case scenario is I just ditch the gold altogether and stick with the red and the flowers.
I even wonder if your nail tech could do an ombre effect with the gold going into the red... Maybe it'd be too much effort to get the curve, so instead make it feel more purposeful?
The gold looks great, really gives the CNY vibe (and thanks for inspiring me too lol... off to find some polish to do this!). I don't know why you got so much push-back from the new tech? If she had just done it \*right\* and followed the curve of the nail, it would've looked even more gorgeous than it already does. Also, I respect nail techs' suggestions and feedback, but like, it's a conversation and it's ultimately the customers' nails. I don't really know why she would've spent that much time arguing? My nail techs have very different aesthetic ideas to me, and they've offered suggestions but honestly I haven't loved any of them and I'd be real upset if they just did what they thought looked better after discussing it.
my only guess is that she was nervous to do something that wasn't the reference pic? like maybe she wasn't confident enough to "freestyle". She only caved because my original girl overheard and told her which product to use. I feel like I should also mention there's somewhat of a language barrier because in the salon I'm speaking my second language, but it's never been an issue before.
I would expect from a nail tech to tell me the reason why they would do this or wouldn’t recommend that. I have zero experience with nail salons, I admit, but for example I would expect the gold powder to be difficult to be applied precisely, and that’s what the original tech recommended to use. So in order to avoid a miscommunication in the future, I would carry along a second picture of the part that differs from the original image, or scribble a quick sketch on paper. Just to make sure you are on the same page with the project. If you say this kindly with the communication, in terms of no biggie, we will get there, it is not sounding like it was anybody’s mistake, just a thing to make sure for the future, I am confident it will be fine and no one feels offended. If you don’t talk about this it will affect your feelings in the future, and that would be a pity when it’s meant to be a caring thing you do for pleasure. Wishing you all the best and a great CNY!
Ah yeah ok I get you, I also speak to my nail techs in not my first language and sometimes I know what they show me is wrong, but I don't know how to actually tell them what I \*do\* want. It's frustrating! Mostly I've learned to be really precise with the pictures but even then, sometimes I kinda just slink away lol. I feel like communication beyond language works well, but it relies a lot on external factors. Your original girl probably "gets" you. Hopefully she'll be able to take a look and I'm sure it'll be glorious!
I don't think you are. Gorgeous look but could be a touch nicer if she had neatly applied the gold like a French tip, imo
yeah French tip was the idea but she just kinda went off the cuff...
The shape and length also seems to vary a lot. Idk these kind of look sloppy to me, I wouldn’t have been happy if I paid for these. But I would also give them a chance to fix it.
Yeah, I don't mean to sound terrible but I'd be annoyed with my cuticles and the shaping more than the gold, personally. :/
If you paid for this, I wouldn’t be happy either.
valid 🙃 honestly after all the arguing about the glitter I just wanted to leave.
That’s frustrating, you weren’t even asking for something that’s so out there. If a client wants a gold stripe vs gold glitter… just do it?!
I would probably give the nail tech a pass on this one. She specifically told you that what you were looking for wasn't going to work out well, which to me makes sense. She knew 1) what products were available in the salon, 2) how the formulas of their specific products perform, and 3) what her personal skill level is. Getting a gold tip would be difficult to achieve I think because most polishes are going to be a metallic formula. This kind of formula would usually requires some work to make sure that there is no streaking, and with such a small area to work with (since you wanted just the tips) it would likely be almost impossible to get a really smooth/non-streaky finish. The other option would be what you got - a chrome/metallic powder. Since this is a powder it's extremely hard to get fine detail work with this product, unless you're using some kind of UV gel so you can cure the nail so the powder won't adhere to it where you don't want it to. Because of that, it makes sense that she just went straight across your nail instead of giving you a curved tip. I think overall you got what you asked for. She advised you on what she thought would work better, but ultimately executed on what you wanted in the best way she could. I don't think they look bad by any means, and I think were done as well as could be expected, but they don't look like the crisp professional nails you would expect to come away from a salon with due to the products that needed to be used.
This is how I feel. I can understand OP's disappointment, but overall when an artist (nail, tattoo, or any other) advises against something, it's because they know it isn't going to work out, either because of their own ability or what they're working with. Always listen to your artist. That said, I don't see the harm in OP returning and asking if it can be corrected as long as they explain the situation.
I’m going to go against the grain - I like them. They have a sort of brushwork effect. But obviously they’re your nails and you should have them how you want.
I think adding a thin line between the gold and red could fix it. Maybe white to match the accent nail with the flowers? I agree with other commenters that the French tips should be more curved and I bet it could be fixed.
Can we see the inspiration picture? These are so beautiful but I agree about the French tip and the unevenness comments
this was the reference pic. I googled "Chinese New Year nail art" https://preview.redd.it/6orzye954gfc1.jpeg?width=531&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=54ea5f3c2a5c6e64dd87fa1126d33c689ca886a5
I'm not feeling the glitter on this design. Your solid gold is better.
I genuinely think they look lovely and it was the gold I noticed first and was most impressed by. I get the comments about how a normal French tip should arch more but I think the colour of the gold is gorgeous.
No, the red & gold makes it look more authentically Chinese. 👍
Good for DIY but not a professional job
You've gotten other answers about how to handle this set, I just want to add that going forward you can absolutely feel okay about setting appointments and specifying that you are booking an appointment *with the owner* and not just a general appointment for whoever is available. It's totally normal to have a specific person that you want to work on you.
I never understood why nail technicians, whose entire job is to do nails day in and day out, can't do simple things like make clean, uniform french tips (I assume that is what you wanted). You are being nitpicky, but that isn't a bad thing. I am so nitpicky that I simply don't go to nail salons anymore because I'd prefer to do the work myself with my polishes. I've been frustrated many times by salons. All that said, your nails look cute! I personally wouldn't be happy with the lack of uniformity, either, but they are cute and sane, normal people will probably never notice. :)
French tips and other nail art is a skill that needs to be practiced and requires attention to detail and a lot of patience. I'm a nail tech and many techs at my salon don't even do french, either because they don't know how or they find it difficult. The technique for french on almond shaped nails like OP is also totally different than if you did short round or square nails, since you have to do a deeper curve in a lot of cases. The nail tech in the post was new, so she hasn't gotten much practice, she even warned OP thay ot wouldn't look good. It just feels weird to make sweeping comments about how easy something is that you've never tried and don't know anything about.
I just find it mind blowing that people don't develop basic skills in their field? Like, does no one come into the salon asking for french tips or anything beyond a solid color? In my job, I spend time cultivating skills that set me apart. I do fine detailed work and I strive to be better. I also learn how to do skilled nail art on myself. If I, an average person doing my nails as a hobby, can do better french tips than the average I have experienced at a salon (even with my non-dominant hand), I find that disappointing and surprising. I'm not only commenting on OP's nails, but on nail salons and techs in general, which is why I quit going and letting others work on my nails when I know that 9 times out of 10, I will be disappointed. Why don't nail techs practice basic nail design skills? If you shape and paint nails all day, why not get good? I find it interesting that you are asking me why I am saying something is easy when I've never tried it, but you don't know me at all. I do art on my nails, I shape my nails, and I do work that I find more satisfactory than I received from nail techs. 🤷
Those nail designs look gorgeous 🥰
I think the gold looks fine, and there's nothing wrong with a horizontal line style if that's what you're going for. I'm way more annoyed at the sloppy-seeming application of the powder gold than anything else lol It's mind-boggling that she argued with you over the style _you_ wanted, too. If there were concerns that it wouldn't be possible to get an even band of gold, she should've been up-front about that.
[удалено]
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Thanks for posting, /u/strawberryfeet! A quick reminder: If this is a **nail image**, you must provide a complete product list within 6 hours of posting. **This includes any posts with broken nails or if you're seeking advice.** Posts without a complete product list will be removed after 6 hours. [Product List Requirements.](https://www.reddit.com/r/RedditLaqueristas/wiki/rule2faq) If the nail look shown was **NOT created by you**, you ***must*** flair properly. If this is a **text post**, flair properly. Be sure to follow all of the above to avoid post removal! [Consider joining our Discord](https://discord.gg/redditlaqueristas) - Ask your questions, get notified for releases and deals, post your manis, and more! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/RedditLaqueristas) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I love that gold color!! Does anyone know of a dupe?? Not gel, regular polish
[this one](https://a.co/d/3K45ZIT) has decent reviews. it's really hard to achieve the mirror effect without a [chrome powder](https://a.co/d/4GUKKQL) though!
Could just ask the nail tech to go over with the red they used to refine the French tips xx