You may remember a time where we categorically stated that we would never bring out an acrylic range... well we are going back on our word, but why?
Its ok to admit when you are wrong, it means you are growing as a person, and we were wrong. The reason we thought we would never do acrylic is that we simply didnt see the need, full cover tips offer a fast and easy solution to nail extensions that put less stress on the nail techs body, however the application of acrylic is an art that has many a nail techs heart and that will never change.
As a brand we now offer more than we every thought we would and for many of our customers an acrylic range is that last missing piece of their collection. We are a community led brand who listens closely to our customers and takes on feedback from them every day and we felt we could no longer ignore the consistent requests for an acrylic range.
How do we feel about it?
Honestly at first the prospect was terrifying, its been well over a decade since i (Bekka), personally offered acrylic services and the whole process has been almost like starting from the beginning, although i will say its a little like riding a bike, it does start to come back to you. When i used to do acrylics every day i preferred a fast setting monomer, so naturally thats what i thought i wanted this time around, luckily we decided to go with a slower and faster monomer to appeal to a range of techs and im so glad we did, im considering myself a beginner again and that slower setting monomer is a god send. My days of being able to do a whole set of acrylics in 19 minutes (yes this was a thing 😱) are long gone and i have a new found respect for those techs who can create those show stopping competition acrylic nails.
So what are we launching?
In true Nail Order style we are coming our the gate strong with a complete offering. We will have 2 monomers available in 2 sizes, our standard slower setting monomer and our faster setting pro monomer. In addition we are launching 8 different acrylic powder shades, some available in 3 sizes, we have tried to hit all basic requirements in terms of base shades. To complement the range we are also launching several more style of half cover tips, including super cute mini tips, as well as 4 sizes in acrylic brushes and 2 colours of glass dappen Dish. We hope that the range will offer enough for nail techs who already use Nail Order and are looking to replace their current acrylic system to make the switch to our new line.
As a vegan brand what are we doing about brushes?
As an acrylic tech your acrylic brush is a very personal and important tool. What a lot of nail technicians do not realise is that the vast majority of acrylic brushes are made with Kolinsky hair, this comes from the tail of the Kolinsky Weasel. The methods used for the harvesting this hair is often cruel and inhumane. There is no denying that a Kolinsky brush will offer users a superior experience, however to us as a brand it was not worth it to lose our vegan status for the sale of one small item. Instead we are offering our synthetic brushes that are made using Kolinex, a high-quality, synthetic filament used in brushes as a vegan and more durable alternative to natural Kolinsky hair. These synthetic fibers are engineered to closely mimic the properties of natural hair. Our brushes are available in 4 sizes - 8,10,12 and 14.
Another great aspect of an acrylic system is its flexible nature from brand to brand, in that no special lamp is needed and often you can inter mix liquids and powders from different brands. This can allow a nail technician to try a brand with a much smaller outlay than can be involved with a gel system.
Is it -4?
Yes and no! Our full system is HEMA free but our standard speed monomer does contain HPMA, Pro Speed is however HPMA free and therefore part of our minus 4 range! Its important to note that allergies to acrylic nails tend to be much less common than allergies to gel nails because of the removal of the UV curing element . Appropriate UV curing to make gel safe relies on the correct lamp being used, that lamp being in good working order and the gel being applied at the correct thickness, the safe application of acrylic does not rely on any of these uncertainties. Nail Order monomers do not contain MMA.
We are super excited about this new line as we feel it really completes the base line up. We now do see a place for acrylic alongside full cover tips as let's face it, there are some clients who just need the extreme strength that an acrylic nail can offer.