Salon Manicure Choices – What’s the Difference? Traditional Nail Polish

Contains affiliate links

On this blog I post a lot about gel polish and occasionally about traditional polish, but did you know there are other systems available that may meet your natural nails manicure needs and fit your lifestyle? There’s also the latest craze – dipped nails, which isn’t nail polish like we usually think about it.  There are so many amazing treatments out there! In this series we’ll review the professional manicure systems for use on natural nails in the market today.

Traditional Nail Polish

Traditional nail polish is also sometimes called lacquer. This is the system that most people are familiar with, as it has been around for decades, can be found at most department or drug stores, and is easy to apply (but surprisingly difficult to apply well).

Image from Amazon.com

 

The technology that traditional nail polish uses typically includes nitrocellulose, film-forming agents, resins, solvents, and, of course, colorants. Professional systems usually include at least a base and top coat formulated to work with their lacquer colors, as well as other nail treatments such as strengtheners, finishers and drying agents.
One of the most-trusted (and my personal favorite) traditional polish brands is OPI. I also recommend Morgan Taylor.

Is traditional nail polish for you?

If you enjoy self-care time for getting weekly nail services and love trying new, on-trend colors, then traditional polish might be perfect for you. Traditional polish is a quick treatment that is perfect for combining with other pampering salon services.

Is this your polish of choice? What do you love about it? Leave us a comment!

Review: Probelle Hydrating Top Coat

Probelle sent me this Hydrating Base Coat to try about a month ago, and I’ve used it on myself and one client so far. I always test products on myself before using it on a client, as I can’t wholeheartedly sell a service or product to a client without having a good experience with it myself. As always, the opinions shared in this post are my own. (My reviews are based my honest assessment of the products, and this blog’s content is not pre-approved by any PR representatives or brands.)

I applied it to my nails twice after removing acrylic enhancements. My nails were a bit rough, and I didn’t have time to do much with them. It was quick and easy to put on a layer of this clear polish, and I actually applied it two days in a row. It’s a very thin, clear coat. You can’t feel it on the nail, and there is no unpleasant smell to this product. It leaves a nice, natural sheen on the nail. The only negative comment I have about the application is that the brush was small and the bristles spread out unevenly.  Some of the bristles were wonky and stuck out to the sides, which made it difficult to control the product.

The client on whom I used this product on was recovering from poor product application then removal done by another nail tech. She had deep rings of fire, and her nails were peeling and breaking.  At the time of booking, she requested gel removal and a manicure with a “moisturizing treatment”.  After removing old product and prepping her nails, I applied one coat of this Probelle Hydrating Base Coat before proceeding with a regular manicure. I advised the client to use plenty of cuticle oil and lotion over the coming days.

Bottom line: This product is OK, but I haven’t been impressed enough through my experiences with it to purchase more Probelle products.  If I had more clients who requested natural nail manicures or products, I might be more likely to test the entire Probelle line of products and compare them to other major brands in order to decide which line to use at the salon.

Remember that nails don’t breathe or absorb nutrients, so we need to encourage healthy nail growth from the inside out by eating right, exercising, drinking plenty of water, and taking a supplement (as advised by a doctor). But if a client requests a treatment like this after enhancement removal, there are various protective products that techs can apply while giving the nails time to grow out.

Most nail product companies market some type of recovery treatment and, although we know that these products do not put nutrients into the nail, the added vitamins typically won’t do any harm and may give the client peace of mind. Frankly, I think these products are mostly a marketing scheme, but most companies likely make the decision to create and sell them in order to remain competitive in our industry. In the end it is up to the individual nail tech and client on if and how they are used.