What is the different between Acrylic powder & Crystal Powder?

I had my nail done lately with crsytal looking base (with extention) and 3D flower on top. All being done with the mix of power + liquid. Can anyone tell me what is the product being used? Is it called acrylic nails or crystal nails?

What is the different between Acrylic powder %26amp; Crystal Powder?
Crystal nails are simply a clear tip with clear acrylic overlaid on the entire enhancement . So, yes, they are acrylic and nothing out of the ordinary. Don't pay anything extra for these because you would be getting scammed if you did. There is no such acrylic product called 'crystal' powder. It doesn't exist...





Edit: Most, if not all of the 3D flowers I have ever seen have been made from acrylic. Your choices are limited with this because the flowers need to be 'built' up in stages starting with the basic flower shape and then adding layers of additional acrylic to form the leaves and whatever else the tech wants to add to them.


Buying acrylic products is easy. But, if you are not licensed, yiu will have somewhat of a problem buying professional grade nail products - acrylic or gel. But, it's not impossible. I don't recommend doing your own nails unless you've had formal training in it, but I certainly cannot stop you from doing it. Just be careful if you try it on your own. Keep the monomer (the liquid) and the nail prep products away from your skin. Use primer very sparingly. Keep the acrylic away from your cuticles and other surrounding skin as well. Repeated and prolonged exposure to these can result in allergic reactions called contact dermatitis. Usually, once you get this, it lasts a lifetime. That would mean no more acrylic nails - at least in most cases that's what it comes down to. Also, don't remove too much off the top of your nail as many discount salons do. Only a gentle hand filing with a 240 grit file is needed. The purpose is to remove the natural shine of the natural nail - not to make the surface 'roughed' up as many people would tell you is needed for the acrylic to adhere to. That is not true. The shine must be removed, and the nail has to be totally free of any dust, oils, and other things which may prevent the acrylic from forming a bond with your natural nails. This can be done with straight acetone, or you can buy prep products made for this purpose.


If you want to do it on your own, there are several good books available which are used for training nail techs in the basics of nail anatomy and nail care. They cover the application of acrylic nails and gels as well, but not to a great extent. It may be jumping ahead a bit, but here are a few videos which show proper methods of acrylic application. The first one is from a professional nail company called Young Nails. They have excellent products - I use them often. But, they are very strict about selling to only licensed individuals only. Anyway, here are a few videos that you can watch to get the basic idea:


http://www.youngnails.com/g?t=video


http://www.youngnails.com/g?t=stepByStep


(step by step descriptions for various techniques)


http://hooked-on-nails.com/


(Read though the wealth of nail articles here. Very good instructional site).


http://www.nailsplash.com/


(another educational site)


http://www.tammytaylornails.com/Video/Ta...


(A ton of videos here covering a lot of different topics in nail care and other nail related issues)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omon9ccUK...


http://www.youtube.com/user/doiamailbox


(look through this page. He has lots of great videos available to view. He's very well known, and highly respected within the nail industry. He is a true nail pro. Also, check out his myspace page).


http://www.amazon.com/Miladys-Standard-N...


(A good resource book. Used in many nail teaching programs. A bit expensive though, but good.)








Those links should get you an idea of how to do nails properly. I hope they help. As for nail supplies, here are a few links that I THINK are not too picky about selling professioanl products to non-professionals. Like I said, I think they aren't picky, but I am not sure. Give it a try. But, get professional products if at all possible. Avoid going to places like walmart and in drug stores and buying those $8-$15 kits. They aren't good quality at all. If you are going to do it, do it right. Sally Beauty sells a pretty good brand called Aspire:


http://www.sallybeauty.com/on/demandware...


I have tried this brand a couple times and they aren't bad at all. And you don't need a license to buy these products from them. Just a thought. But no matter what, be prepared to invest a modest sum of money just to get all the products you need to get started. You will probably spend about $75-$100 just for the very basics, if not more. Nail products add up in terms of money invested very, very quickly. Just 8 ounces of monomer costs about $25-$30 by itself. A GOOD brush will cost $35-$45. Also, I suggest buying nail tips and practicing your application techniques on them for a while before trying it on your own nails. Get your liquid/powder ratios down pat. It is a critical component of acrylic nails. Too wet, or too dry of a mixture WILL cause problems. Anyway, here are a few sites that maybe you can buy professional products from?


http://www.nailiteinc.com/


http://www.tammytaylornails.com/Articles...


(You need to register on the site to buy products. Just make up a salon name and put it in the blank box when it asks. You MAY have luck buying her products without a license. They are very good, though not one of my favorites. Be aware that once you sign up that they will constantly send you emails trying to sell you more stuff, so you may wan tto use a disposable email address like a hotmail or yahoo account that you setup just for this purpose?).


http://www.premiernailsource.com/catalog...


http://www.buynail.com/index.asp?ID=6%26amp;Pa...


http://www.idonails.com/





There. That should keep you busy for a while, LOL!


I hope this helps!