Q&A; brushes, paint, is acrylic bad for your nails, dry time, others

THESE QUESTIONS WERE ASKED TO ME BY AN AWESOME QUESTION ASKER NAMED VICKI ------THANK YOU VICKI!

***sizes of your brushes, plus any other brush info you'd share ..... make, brand, type. What's your favs?
no favorites no sizes, i cut my brushes to size (i will have tutorial on that in less than two weeks, but to make a tutorial during christmas my busiest season on something that isnt art i am doing on my clients is very very hard......especially without a camera man zooming to really show the details. if you are just starting go to a craft store and get the smallest,longest, non-synthetic brush you can find....it will cost between 4-6 bucks......it will last you awhile and i do this in a pinch if my brushes are all acting up.

***paint, any brands you like? And especially, what is the consistency of your paint and what do you thin with?

i dont have a favorite. sometimes i need thin paint for what i am doing and sometimes thick, so i always go for a good solid color..one that isnt thick or thin..apple barrel is a great product, or folkart i think its called, but i have found paints at the dollar store and one of them was my favorite yellow i ever bought! hahah. what i do is mix water to thin them down, but they NEED to cover....(if you see a lot of separation on the top of the color when you first buy it, it sucks, dont buy it) you will forever be shaking that paint and it wont be a good coverage....;)

***more info on the powder pigments. these are so cool, but I know NOTHING about these

powder pigment means loose eyeshadow. you can buy them at any drugstore...they are the shiney glittery eyeshadows that come in the pot...this is for people who realllllllllly love pigments....i know people who can spot the name of a pigment across the room and if you can, its very very cool to have that infused into your nail art. i am serious about pigments because they are so blendable, but i wouldnt necessarily start out with pigments, it is not a MUST...it is an enhancement....i added them to my first tutorials because "I"  love them...and i want to show make up artists that i am going to show them how to add things like 'spiders' and 'snowflakes' to their make up looks and use pigments in my work and create overall effects .....its very exciting for me to do this.

***top coat recommendations

total long answer to this on my blog!!!! (where i am putting these questions!!!!) haha! scroll down

***brush cleaning suggestions

i will do this at length in my brush tutorial, but.....if you are using polish, clean with acetone...if you are using acrylics, clean with alcohol....these can be drying...oil your brush with an organic oil like olive oil.....(it goes into the hair...) as for synthetic, the same thing except....they start looking frazzled..you can clip and keep them in line by running them (wet) over a dry piece of soap and letting them sit overnight.

***do you paint with other paints besides acrylics

polish and glitter and pigments

***where do you get supplies

everywhere--- and i am not loyal to any brand.....i think if i get too comfortable using one thing, my nails will look like crap, i will get bored as hell and i will end up cleaning floors as a way out of my profession.....i buy weird stuff constantly and try new thing every. single. day. i buy from suppliers online and i also pick up things at beauty supply stores and craft stores if i am in a big city...... one buyer im loyal to is online on ebay, the screen name is "papi"...i have bought from them for years and never have they got my order wrong or made me wait a long time and i love that...its not a plug at all...just good service..however, they said if you mention me, i get a 10% discount....which is awesome for me....and you, since you will be learning from the new stuff i buy...lol

***you mentioned using alcohol ... to wipe off boo-boos? clean brushes?

if you make a mistake on a nail...say you start and your nails are freshly painted and you paint a giant acrylic star on the nail and it looks like crap.....you can spray that nail with alcohol..rub gently and the star  will come off without hurting the polish. this means......you cannot mess up.................its impossible to mess up.....everything you do can be erased and you can practice until perfect.....however, the second you add glitter polish or whatever..you are screwed, because alcohol doesnt erase that and you have a big glop of glitter on a nail with no star...hahahahahahaahh!!!

***answers to to any questions you think I should've asked!

i think you are a great question asker! i am going to put these up on my blog (link on my youtube) and you will help tons of girls and give me a reference point to send them to. everything you asked is definitely things i had planned on making.....but, seriously........i thought this too: if no one watched .....then, why waste time cutting brushes up? it takes a gigantic amount of effort.......and i still dont know exactly what people want to see most?learn most?know most? so i am winging it, so your questions kind of GUIDE ME through knowing people are watching and seeing what i am to do next to have made the baddest ass nail channel i can make......so thank you....:)

i hope my answers are clear, i think and type super fast and do not check over things....when i am rich and famous, the first thing im doing is investing in someone who is good at that and edits well!!! hahahahahahahahah

lovelovleove and thanks!!!

robin


***and Katie asks:


****1. is acrylic bad for your nails?
****2. how long does it take your designs to dry? same as regular polish??

ill answer 2 first. acrylic paint dries super fast....if you watch my tutorials, it dries before i can paint it fully sometimes and i have to add water.....so, to answer.....your polish is drying WHILE i am painting and then, essentially, you just wait for the top coat to dry...it is almost as if it dries FASTER (but you are putting time in designing the nails while polish dries) so, all and all, it takes the same amount of time as a regular polish/top coat.

question 1. is harder to answer. ive seen people DESTROY nails with acrylic............using a drill improperly and not nipping back properly, having a cuticle area left lumpy, or on the skin, or over the cuticle can really damage a nail. water mold is not too common and not damaging unless it is not taken care of immediately and sometimes, water DOES get trapped....but it is NOT very common. i say....if you get your nails done regularly and really attempt at keeping them nice.....have a manicurist who cares and does not hurt you...(acrylic application is not supposed to hurt)....if you have little lifting and go get them filled regularly then your natural nails grow underneath and do not break constantly......then, i would say NO they are not bad for your nails at all.........and they get a bad reputation because there are a lot of people who do not do a good and thorough job in application....acrylic nails have been around since the 70's and women still go every day and have them done...which means they WORK and women love them and they serve a purpose or else it would have died out years ago.....some women have horror stories about allergic reactions and bad manicurists, and horrible nail breaks---- and some have wonderful stories about how acrylic helped them to stop nail biting, made them have better self esteem, makes them feel renewed, transformed and has given them a higher quality of life!!!

so...i guess it is an individual experience based on the client and the person doing the work :) i hope this answers your question!! i am posting this comment to my blog because it rocks!!!  thank you for asking them and i hope this helps!


xoxo
robin

what top coat do i use

i am a creature of habit. when something works, i stay near it. for years i went through 25 different top coats that promised not to chip or yellow or that dry fast and stay durable. none lived up to their claims. after looking and looking, i found PRO-FINISH UV topcoat.

it is thick and lasts over my nail art.  for different people, it might be too much ~or not enough depending on what you are doing!!!...but for what "I" do, this seems to be the superior product. it doesnt yellow or crack, it is thick and gives a very beautiful shine that lasts and protects all that i  paint for up to a month! no one EVER comes in and has their top coat popped off or cracked....EVER.

i have heard about gel top coats that i am interested in for portrait work, but i havent tried yet. i will give more details when i test gel top coat out :) until then, it is PRO-FINISH UV top coat. it works with the UV light that cures the top coat in 6 minutes (BUT IT  DRIES UNDER A REGULAR LIGHT BULB OVER A LONGER AMOUNT OF TIME) with very few dings. :) hope this helps you guys :)

acrylic medium; to use or not to use

i was asked tonight if i used acrylic medium in my paints. acrylic medium is a clear gel that allows the acrylic paint that i paint with to not dry so fast...it is really a great product for people who paint slowly.....


i live in oregon and paint doesnt dry up very fast, in fact, it will stay workable all day long. in nevada, however, i sometimes DO have to use a bit off medium in my paint when i am doing very small portrait type of designs....you need your paint pliable and workable and nevada is just just very unforgiving with acrylic paint. you put it on the palette and it is DRY!!!

so, it depends on your climate. if you are finding every single thing you are doing is drying up, either water down your paints a little or try a medium...its very inexpensive and might help a lot for slower painters....if you do use them, realize that when it does dry it might get a little 'rubbery' and some of your paintings might 'peel' ....if you find this happening, it might be the medium......thank you so much for the great question and i hope this helps anyone trying to decide whether or not to try a medium :) have a great night

robin

a question about pigments

question: I have been looking on ebay at the pigments and just wondered what you thought of the pigments from china/hong kong..are they any good??

 

answer: what i like......are textures..you will see what i mean..the thicker, shinier pigments will 'crack up' more...some do not go back to 'flat' the "silkier" the texture.....and the finer the grain will give you a more flawless grad...ient and also crack up less with the top coat......remember to wait a bit and it should all settle back down..it is some kind of small chemical reaction where sometimes...it just happens and sometimes it doesnt...but, dont give up because once you get the feel of it, it really is worth the effect to keep going. good luck!!!! i would test each new pigment on yourself first and topcoat it and see what happens to each pigment individually on with your topcoat...some topcoats make the pigments crack more than others.......but!!! never fear..i am also going to do SO MANY tutorials on gradients etc without pigments..i just wanted to really show pigments in action for halloween!~~~~

and martine, i am going to post this comment on my blog so others can view the answer :):) thank you for asking such a good one!!! if i havent answered enough..please feel free to keep asking :) i will do my best to answer!!

a couple of sites to get the supplies you should have.

hello everyone!

so, i contacted my favoritest seller on ebay and asked i could use their name and they said i could. i buy lots of things from a seller called "papi" on ebay. they always ship fast and have never gotten my order wrong and are in US...i buy lots of things in hong kong too, but that takes a couple of weeks and i havent contacted them yet....however, papi also gave me their websites.
 

http://crafts2do.com

http://rhinstonesandcrafts.com

they told me that their supplier for foil glue is still out, but asap they will have more available and to keep checking!

(if you mention me, i get 10% off...my first discount due to my nail fabulousity..hahahahahahah!!!!!!) i hope this helps a little!

holographic glitter question :)

 Question:  In your Banksy Butterfly video, you talked about using holographic glitter in that design. Is there any way that you can tell me the name of the glitter you used and where you purchased it? I've been looking both on and offline for that and have been unable to find it anywhere!


 


Answer:  mine has no brand..it just says halloween glitter (this time) i checked really quick, but i buy it in different ways all the time.

i know mac makes a silver 3d glitter. you can check any halloween costume store, any craft store. i have seen it in the glitter sections of some make up sections of the beauty supply store and department stores. the actual "nail polish" of holographic glitter is called "northern lights" and it is mixed with clear polish for you, but it is very expensive and you have to keep shaking it. i would search on ebay for "3D glitter/hologram glitter/rainbow glitter..........check with all the workers at the craft stores and have them order it for you (along with foiling glue).........3d glitter comes in tubes, little flat packages, bottles....every which kind of way...i know on ebay i come across it a lot when i am looking for nail art supplies like rhinestones...:) good luck and i hope this helps

they also have 3D gold glitter in MAC too.....its about 30 bucks

i paid 3.99 for mine at halloween time in the make up section at rite aide (start stacking up on glitters now when you see them come available, because i use them a lot in tutorials! haaahahaahhahahahaha!!!!) i hope this helps! it sucks not being able to find things.

foil glue and pigments. how to use foil glue for eyeshadow nail art, what glue for eyeshadow nailart, eyeshadow nail art, painting nails with eyeshadow, using eyeshadow on nails,

i got 2 great questions today....(first, let me say: pigments are eyeshadows)

in this blog, i have done many different tutorials using eyeshadows for nail art. for more eyeshadow nail art tutorials, please subscribe to my channel on YOUTUBE @ robinmosesnailart and see what you can do with shadows! i have been using eyeshadows in my nail art for over 15 years and the eyeshadows i use range from wet and wild eyeshadow nail art to MAC reflects gold, MAC reflects silver, etc in nail art......using eyeshadow in nail art is so much fun. please join me in learning and making art and if you copy, please say 'inspired by robin moses' as its all i ask in return for all i teach!!!

1. Where do you get foil glue? is that the name of it? I've been to my beauty supply store and they don't have it, I even tried looking on ebay and nothing.
2. The pigments you talk about on your video, is that eyeshadow pigments? will the foil glue work with glitter?

(to question number 1)--i get my foil glue on ebay, but i live in a very small town. i know that wherever they sell nail art foil (that comes in long strips) they will have the adhesive. also, you can go to a craftstore and ask an attendant if they have a glue that dries and stays tacky....... i have found one once from a craft store but i dont remember the name. when i do, i will certainly put it out there.....

(to question number 2) yes!!!!!!!!!!!! what i want to do is show girls how to use their eyeshadow for their nail polish and have them match perfectly.....when you topcoat pigments, they shrink. the more metal in the pigment, the more cracking..........HOWEVER....if you apply it sparingly and then wait and allow the design to "relax" it goes back to normal...if you have glitter caked on, it turns into a big old mess, thats why your glue has to be really thin and very dry...just a very thin layers that wont "bunch up"....and YES.. you can use glitter!!!! what i would do though..is test each one out...put the glue and topcoat on yourself and see how they act before using it on a client...some pigments just dont work well, however...the ones that DO ...are stunning and worth the effort.


if you cannot find the foil glue.......while the nail is a tiny bit tacky you can sweep some pigment on...just so your nails match...you can also use water......but you cant get too concentrated of a pigment or it really bunches up.......

and lastly........but not least........is if you cannot find anything.........your pigments just arent working...........and you want to learn another way.....i am going to show you how to do all of this stuff with almost the same results with paint......BUT

RIGHT NOW........(JUST RIGHT NOW  HAHAHAAHAHAH) i am in love with pigments......99% of my art is with paint....i just happened to start doing tutorials as i experimented with pigments.....so, i only have 20 videos up right now.....but i will have 100's.. maybe 1000's and i will have SO many techniques to show you guys how to get certain effects....

so, good luck on finding glue! good luck with working with pigments (it sounds way scarier than what it really is......the cracking is minor, i just dont want you to scream when it happens!!!) hahahahahahah and i hope this answers everything! have a wonderful day!!!!


robin

what is a blog for? questions and answers part 1. polish choices. eyeshadow nail art choices, how do i paint nails with eyeshadow? using MAC pigments for nail art, nail art with shadow, nailart with eye shadow, using eyeshadow for nail art, how do i use eyeshadow on my nails?

 HI, I HAVE LOTS OF NEW VIDEOS UP FOR HALLOWEEN!!!!!!


http://www.youtube.com/user/robinmosesnailart
http://www.facebook.com/RobinMosesArt

i have youtubes on youtube
i have networks and friends on facebook
so, why repost whats been said already?

here is where i will take questions and share little tips of information i suppose. i get tons of questions and i answer them and they scroll away and then the answer is lost...here, i can document some semblance of order, albeit rough..........it will be more orderly than a live scroll.

hopefully when i go viral i will have a secretary to keep me orderly..that would be fantastic...everyone help me achieve that.

question one: "Hey do you have any suggestions for brands of nail polish? Oh and what size is that brush? Your work is incredible!"

here is my personal opinion...every single person has a different one.
on natural nails)...if you use white distilled vinegar and dry it in a light before you polish...your polish lasts longer because it takes the oil out of your nail bed....acetone also takes out some oil....so does creative nail/scrubfresh....all good primers. prime them and make them all chalky white before you paint them and they wont chip as much. if they are all shiney and pink...they will chip up and look a mess.

basecoats are useless unless your nail polish stains and hardly any do...i can think of ONE....CLAIRES makes this ugly purple that stains. (but, i use acrylic...i dont like doing natural nails...i bet people with natural nails will go on and on in disagreement about staining but i dont know natural nails, i PAINT on false nails.......i put the false nails on so that my paintings last longer....so, i am not a good 'natural nail' manicurist to talk to, however, i do paint them and this is what has worked for me without a 50 dollar answer.

TWO thin coats of polish SHOULD cover..if you need more...throw the polish away because its sucky.

to me, cheaper is better. i love wet and wild. you can mix them easily into more exotic colors..the brushes are usually managable...they dry quick and if you leave one open...no biggie....you buy another one because its not 20 bucks. i go through about 10 bottles a week. i mix them all of the time. if you want to be creative...go to walmart in the art section and get a color wheel... then youtube how to use one and mix all of the colors you want using wet and wild colors..its cheaper, its more fun and you get the color you love most.

"but robin, dont you like OPI"

i have found that OPI takes forever to dry....they make stunning colors....but i am mixing and matching and painting OVER the color anyway, so i dont really benefit much from subtle different shades......i benefit from good brushes.......OPI is for the natural nail manicurist and the manicurist who follows the trends that the company tells them to follow.......i love trends..i follow some...but i dont NEED OPI to get an OPI look...........

for me.......my secret?..............the secret to great polish is: a great top coat.

i use pro-finish GOLD uv topcoat. i have for a billion years..it doesnt fail me. i am addicted to its smell like a crackhead. i need it to feel 'finished' with a design.----it is what i PAY FOR ....it is expensive but it seals my art and lasts without chipping.

(ALERT:!!! ALTHOUGH!!!)------i have heard that gel topcoats are great and i ordered some recently from hong kong....i will keep you posted!

i try out new things all of the time.....and nothing comes close to my top coat...i dont like the idea of having to file off a topcoat...however, if a gel topcoat doesnt chemically react to pigments, i will definitely make a minor switch. if i do, i will surely say so in my tutorials!

there are my questions for today. i know what i say is probably exactly the opposite of what everyone else says, but i dont read what everyone else says ever...i just practice and find what works for me so that my nails are FIERCE....and i dont settle for "eh"..........ever.



PART 2: the size of my brush

i have many brushes...i choose length and how pliable the hairs are..i prefer sable but sometimes i get a great synthetic so i dont have a 'favorite' i like dental brushes..i try and buy dental brushes in bulk ranging from size 1-4.....i use the 4's for my acrylic and my 1-3's for paint.....however, i alter my brushes by cutting them down to fit my needs. i  will make a tutorial for that, but for now, i cannot get a camera angle good enough to do an effective job..i will though..i am new, but i dont want people messing up brushes because i have a bad video....id go 0 or 00 for now and dont get a short one..they are stumpy and more for dot making.....get longer hairs....but not exceptionally long....id say..somewhere in the mid-range length, smallest width possible....that is a good start! :) thank you for asking and i hope i answered everything as thoroughly as possible! xoxoxox

robin

p.s. i have done countless different tutorials using eyeshadows for nail art since 1997. for more eyeshadow nail art tutorials, please subscribe to my channel on YOUTUBE @ robinmosesnailart and see what you can do with shadows! i have been using eyeshadows in my nail art for over 15 years and the eyeshadows i use range from wet and wild eyeshadow nail art to MAC reflects gold, MAC reflects silver, etc in nail art......using eyeshadow in nail art is so much fun. please join me in learning and making art and if you copy, please say 'inspired by robin moses' as its all i ask in return for all i teach!!!