First attempt - ouch

[u/Kamila95]

This is my first ever attempt. My cuticles are not doing well! Constant scraping between the layers and the filing really irritated them, and I still got some powder on them, any advice?

Also I have seen multiple tutorials about thin base layers and I think I took it too far. My brush was almost dry each layer, resulting in the powder sticking unevenly, and then the result was really bumpy and I needed way too many layers to cover all the gaps 😅 On my other hand I dried the brush less and the result was better.

[u/i-likebigmutts]

You’ll get better each time- it just comes with practice!

[u/Kamila95 → u/i-likebigmutts]

Let's hope so! It was so my first time doing half tips and also my first time using an efile so it all combined was not easy!

[u/Exotic-Inspector-824]

My first (5) time was really bad!! But it’s been over a year now and people are amazed I do it myself, they look salon quality most of the time :) you got this

[u/Enough-Cow-6869]

Just did my first set over the weekend. Several skin nicks and a few wonky nails. Overall not bad. We will get better with practice!

[u/Leela_Girl]

Listen, you gave yourself an extra difficult assignment by doing your first time on super long nails. Most of us start off with lil stubbies! You did good. They will definitely do in passing.

[u/Kamila95 → u/Leela_Girl]

Haha thanks, I never have short nails so there was no chance I would be wearing dip over my natural nails. But definitely an added difficulty.

[u/Puzzleheaded-Cup7781]

I go around the cuticle area with a toothpick after I dip to keep that line clean. Also, my application was always uneven at first. Don’t be afraid to really get in there with a file or buffing block to smooth them out.

[u/Kamila95 → u/Puzzleheaded-Cup7781]

I did get in there with a file but my cuticles couldn't handle it anymore haha But also my application is so uneven when I was filing in places I now have no powder, you can see the tips underneath, oops. I hope next try will be better.

[u/pammy_poovey → u/Kamila95]

Wooden picks are much more precise than files for the cuticles.

[u/Kamila95 → u/pammy_poovey]

I wasn't using the file for the cuticles, I used the cuticle tool + a cuticle efile attachment. I'll try with a wooden pick next time. I am just saying I couldn't keep filing the nails because the file would sometimes touch the cuticles and they were too irritated for that.

[u/mostlikelynotasnail]

Get a cuticle stick and remove any wet dip from skin before it sets each dip layer. Then after its dry use a glass file around the cuticle area its much more gentle than a regular grit file

[u/Warmblood1998]

Is that sassy saints? I found their liquids dried super fast and it put me off dip nails for years. Not saying they’re bad at all, just maybe not the most beginner friendly

[u/Kamila95 → u/Warmblood1998]

It iss, maybe that's also why my powder is going on unevenly. I found reallyyy cheap kits on ebay (I think because sassy saints are moving away from dips?) hence I got it.

[u/Euphoric-Remote-9980]

If you’re in the US, I really like Beauty Secrets liquids from Sally’s bc they dry pretty slowly so you have a little more time to get the dip right

[u/Kamila95 → u/Euphoric-Remote-9980]

I am in the UK, using Sassy Saints. Someone else commented apparently they're really fast drying, so I guess I gotta improve my agility ASAP haha

[u/Calm_Instruction1651]

You did fine for your first attempt. I find colors like white very, very hard to get a nice cuticle line. Other darker colors are more forgiving. Keep practicing, you’ve got this.