Festival Nails - a step by step

Bright, quick and perfect for the summer. Glastonbury is this weekend why not try this look, they should fit right in.  I just love these steps, using gel polish, black paint and the nail art pen, you can get this look with ease. 

1. Apply your base colour, this can be a pale pink, white or nude. 
2. Now pick three bright festival colours and cover nails randomly. Don’t worry if these colours merge and blend into each other, this will give a nice effect and just allow the design to flow in different directions. 
3. Cure then add white lines between some of the colours this will make the colour pop out, using a long striper is fine…as we are not looking for neatness here. 
4. Finally top coat the design, wipe and the lightly buff the surface. This is where the fun begins. 
5. Using the nail art pen dip this into Be Creative black acrylic paint, now draw swirls across the nail, we are looking for a reversed effect, you will then colour in the out side sections leaving the bright carnival colours underneath, this will look like a layer effect. 
6. When your done simply top coat once again. 

Send us your images we would love to see what colour combinations you come up,and the patterns. visit the be creative Facebook page at 

www.facebook.com/becreativeworldwide

What is your dream?

Over the years I hear a lot of people say I want to be like you, or have a career like yours…but they aren’t telling me what they actually want, what is it that I do that they think they want to do? The reality is that I spend a lot of my time in front of my computer, I travel around the world yes, wonderful but this equates to plenty of alone time in countries that don't speak my language. I teach workshops, best part of my job but that one days training in actuality takes about 5 days planning. There is a lot of parts to my job which is hidden, so what part of my dream do you want to create for your self, this is my question to them.....and then my advice....

My advice to anyone, regardless of what you want to achieve  is to have a clear idea of where you want to focus your attention within the industry, have a plan.  Don’t pick things out of the hat and think that will earn me money.

You need to be flexible in your thinking, along the way you will have battles, hic ups and moments which will down right throw you, but you need to have a clear mind at these moments and remember what it is you're trying to achieve.  My plan was always to be creative, to paint nails and work with colour, I wanted to some how share this learning and educate. 

That is all that motivates me, and when I get an offer or opportunity or  perhaps I am having a rough week when nothing seems to go right…it is remembering  that plan that will re focus my attention to why I am doing this. 

I am not interested in product distribution and sales, so I created a new company with the most amazing business partner who does want to do that.  I like to travel, so I create opportunities to visit other countries and educate there, do you see where it is heading, eventually you will end up with everything you want, but don't forget your dream, re check it and remind your self of it from time to time....make sure your on the right path. And when the  shit hits the fan just dig out your 'dream' nurture it and you will find a small ray of sunshine and hope. 

If your dream is not education, and instead it might be running a salon or a chain of salons, becoming a brand manager, distribution, session tech, head judge, beauty blogger the list is endless.  Write down your hopes and wishes and outline your dream. With every twist and turn in your journey, every fork in the road you have to ask yourself will it take me to my dream. 

There is never any dream or aspiration which can’t be achieved, but you have to believe in your dream and hold on to what inspired that dream in the first place. 

Who is poisoning your well

We are all treading a fine line between happy, clappy and full of beans and the dark depressive cloud that looms just beyond the horizon.....everything is fine until that one phone call, the negative comment which is thrown  in your direction, that idiot driver who cuts you up....you tread the tight rope between and light and dark daily and when you are shoved off you could be plunged into one hell of a deep dark pool of black sludge.......

OK OK I know slightly deep and meaningful, and not quite as dramatic maybe for some, but I am talking about most of us, who each day start it with good intentions, we hypothetically draw crystal clear water from our well, and drink from it freely, the sun makes the water sparkle and you know it tastes sooooo good. It nurses you, replenishes your body and makes you strong......then.....someone comes along and poisons that well. They add a little something to your day without really intending to, dripping poison into your water by off loading onto you, Suddenly you find that when you drink your water it it doesn't taste so sweet, there is a bad taste in your mouth and nothing sparkles for the rest of the day.

 If you continue to drink the water you will die, your positive mental attitude will disappear and you will start poisoning other peoples water well.

When this happens to me, this is what I do.

I will receive a phone call  or a client comes through the door and I know the person talking is in pain, they are not in a good place, they are worried and need to off load, the problem is I am walking that tight rope, and I might not be doing so well today either......I have to keep my self protected, so I mentally cap my well it. I stop trying to walk the tight rope, for that moment i stop existing...my issues, concerns, the balance of my life has nothing to do with the situation so I do not bring it to the table. I just sit down  listen to what they have to say, help them if I can, but really they are voicing their own fears and I am not part of this process. I  tell my self over and over again. ...when the conversation starts to affect me, when I can relate or need to action some of the discussion, I then write down the points, but do not dwell,  I do not let any negativity attach itself. Their goal is to feel better, so I use my positive mental attitude to help them, I do not carry their burden for them.

Once the conversation is finished I will take a moment before opening my hypathectical well. I recommend you leave the room, maybe take a little walk out into the sunshine, grab a coffee and even take a moment to hug the dog. But I do not think about the conversation again or do not talk about it for at least 20 minutes. I will then open up my water well, and check it is filled with fresh water, no poison has got in.  I take this moment to watch the water sparkle in my sunshine and then I drink, I make sure  I am in the right place before I look at my little list, I am then in the right place to deal with the negative situation and make the right choices.

Check your self and whom ever your in contact with at all times, if they are set to poison your well, shut it up tight and be there for them, they do not intend you harm they are off loading and you will be able to help them more if you don't join them.

Doesn't it feel wonderful?

Doesn't it just feel wonderful when the sun is out, the weather is warm and we walk around beaming. OK maybe not at 2.00pm in the afternoon when it is really hot and we are melting, but you have to admit regardless of how many people complain about how hot the weather is, it is still always a treat...here in the UK that is. I know some of you are across the pond and thinking, what is this chick talking about. 

It seems to me that we are a nation who waits, for the sun to shine, for the rain to stop, for wealth to arrive, or for that one big break. But we should take a moment and look at what we have now, yes it might be hot (or cold) we might be struggling to pay the bills, or even look against a particular client...but take a moment right now as you read this and count out 5 things that make you smile. That your thankful of, that makes you happy. then carry them with you until bedtime time tonight. Before you close your eyes, revisit those things, it should put all the negativity that may or may not touch you into perspective. 

So let me share with you my list; 
1. the sun is shining, 
2. my kids are amazing and I am very proud of both of them.
3 I have the most amazing husband, who made me laugh today. 
4 I have two great businesses and I am doing what I love to do the most.
5 I enjoyed a late morning coffee in the sun with my husband just chatting about work and our plans for the week, I am my own boss and can do this without guilt. 


This is for starters, I would love to hear whats on yours. Remember, we all have negative thoughts, emotions and situations in our lives which seem so much bigger than our selves...but play the 'glad game' with me...and find 5 little things to be glad about. 

The next thing to do is pass this onto your clients, friends and family...tell them to play the glad game as well...you will start to change lives and affect people in ways you just can't imagine.

So much fun!

Recently we launched a new collection of Bright Pigments, and I have literally been addicted! Using them on everyone. It did occur to me, I have yet to post any useful step by steps, so I thought I will give you some Bright Inspiration right now.

I have created these stripes by adding a small amount of sticky tape over the gel polish, and then patted the pigment as a blend, peeling the tape away is sheer bliss when the pattern is revealed. I was nervous, reapplying the tape over these fresh pigment lines but they did not move…yay! 

As you can see in these steps I have gone over them a few times. Then top coat when your happy. If you want to create the effect I have..use the nail art pen and acrylic paint over the lightly buffed top coat and then simply top coat again. Try this look with the Cut grass, Ocean and sunshine pigment....I have used various combination of this collection aver all the nails. 

I have used a tape which has more give and stretch, it seems to sit better in the creases of the side wall, but if you don't have that, I have had success with cello tape. My suggestion is to triple cure the gel polish to reduce the amount inhibition layer (sticky) 

Difficult Clients - how do you deal with them?

I don't normally have time to read other peoples blog posts, mostly scanning them and if it doesn't grab me in the first 5 mins I move on, or put it into my "never gonna read later, but I might' list.

This article from THIS UGLY BEAUTY BUSINESS written by Tina Alberino is defiantly worth a read.

The 5+ Types of Difficult Clients and How to Deal With Them

 It is not just the information which is very useful but it is written in a way which is relatable.  She tells it like it is!  As nail professionals 'yep PROFESSIONALS' is the key word here, we are taught to shut up and take it....well NO!!!!!   This is your business, and the fear of loosing any revenue to a worry in this current economic climate, I under stand this argument all to well....But by pandering to these difficult clients how effective are you actually! Is it impacting on your day, your other customers and your overall business. You are not just a nail professional you are a business women, and any CEO or MD of a company(no matter how small)  is not going to accept behaviour like this. I the word 'your business' in the widest sense, even if you work for someone else, please understand your career is your business, you are in this job to make money and provide a great service, even if your paid directly from your clients or via a boss.

Tina made me chuckle when she wrote about the 5 types os clients, as I can easily shoe horn a few of mine in there....'the constant complainer and Mega bitches, and oh my all time fav The Dependably delayed.......must not forget 'the IOU's' who is the same person as the dependably delayed.

This is a great read, and helpful too...I have seen numerous posts on FB and other forums asking for help with particular difficult clients....and there are some tools in this blog which will do the trick....like this simple and effective suggestion, with the problem I hear about over and over again - kids in the salon....Tina suggestion is to take your client to one side after her appointment and say  '"This is our place of business. Your children are hurting our productivity here and disrupting the other clients. In addition, they are a liability. If you bring them with you in the future, we will not be able to service you."

Enjoy this and I hope you find it useful x
Sam