Dipping powders have become increasingly popular, especially with the power of social media. find out how you can turn this trend into a real moneymaker for your salon.
What are Dipping Powders?
An alternative to traditional nail enhancements, dipping powders are acrylic powders used with a resin and activator instead of monomer. No monomer = no harsh odour!
While its removal is similar to gel polish, dipping powders don’t require curing with a lamp. “It’s in between your gel polish manicure and your hard gel enhancements,” says Bethany Flight, an educator for Artistic Nail Design based in Conception Bay South, Nfld. “It’s stronger than gel polish with the ability to create extensions, but can still be soaked off, unlike hard gels.”
What They Can Do for Clients
The good news with dipping powders is that they can also be applied on natural nails. “It’s made to work on natural nails that are quite strong,” says Marie-Eve Roy, an OPI educator based in Sherbrooke, Que. “Sometimes, gel or acrylic may not work well with some clients. Thankfully, dipping powders can offer similar results as other nail enhancements.” OPI’s Powder Perfection offers 50 shades of dipping powders, including the brand’s most iconic shades.
Dipping powders can also be combined with gel polish to easily allow you to offer nail art. “We can apply the gel colour and apply clear dipping powder with two to three coats. Then, we can apply whatever gel shade the clients wants to have,” says Roy.
“For me, it’s for the client that doesn’t want extra length or the commitment of hard gels, but still needs that little bit of extra strength. It also works well for a one-time client who wants nail extensions for an occasion,” adds Flight.
What They Can Do for You
While it seems that some salons have moved away from offering traditional enhancements, dipping powders eliminate the pesky odour that has bothered nail techs and clients for ages!
They’re also great for building nail structure. “It can be built with a clear powder before you even start applying all over colour,” says Flight. “Once the nail is prepped and ready, instead of applying your base resin to the whole nail, apply a thin strip from the centre to the free edge with the narrow side of your brush, and dip in clear powder. Then, on top of that initial strip, use the wide flat side of your brush to make a wider section of base and dip in clear. What that’s going to do is leave the bulk
of your powder at the centre of the nail where you want it, and once you begin applying your colour over the whole nail, it will leave it thin on the sides and around the cuticle, creating a perfect arch where you want it.”
Roy says she enjoys creating ombré nails with dipping powder. “You take some powder with your brush and apply it lightly with the brush, so the powder’s dust goes on the nails. Then you can do whatever you want with the colours.”
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