Nailtiques treatment range

I want to share with you my secret to amazing healthy, long and strong nails; Nailtiques! 

I have used the products in this range for over 8 years since they were introduced to me by my mother-in-law (Natural Radiance Beauty).  I used to bite my nails and tear at the skin around them, which did not look or feel very nice.  Eventually I stopped my nasty habit, but I was left with weak, peeling and sore nails in desperate need of attention.  I tried everything from high street brands to salon brands, some worked a bit, but I was often left disappointed.  Until I found Nailtiques Formula 2 (and the rest of the range now too!) and I saw a change to the condition of my nails within weeks.

When I trained as a nail technician this was the range I was adamant I needed.  I got the Specialist training that was offered and I haven't looked at another brand since.  My clients now love it too and I haven't had one person come back to me and say it doesn't work.  Home care is essential with this range and sticking to the application guidelines is vital to get the desired long term effect.

Let me take you through the treatment range so you can understand what it is and how to use it.

The main part of the range are the different Protein Formula which have been created for individual nail conditions requiring specific treatment.  Each protein formula offers special ingredients to bond the nail layers together.  The formula build a strong, yet flexible foundation which is resistant to peeling, chipping and splitting.

Formula 1 - a perfect balance of proteins and conditioners to protect and maintain healthy nails, preventing them from becoming hard.  Formula 1 maintains strength and flexibility.
When to use? Best applied just before you go to bed on clean, dry, bare nails.  Formula 1 should be used 3 times a week on its own as a treatment or it can be used as a base and top coat with colour polish. 

Formula 2 - designed for soft, peeling and weak nails.  Formula 2 stimulates rapid growth and strengthens nails.
When to use? Apply daily without colour to clean, dry, bare nails.  Remember to remove weekly with Nailtiques Non-Acetone Remover.  Decrease applications and only apply colour when nails become stronger, finally graduating to Formula 1 for maintenance.

Formula 2 Plus - this formula is for excessively soft and peeling nails that haven't responded to Formula 2 within 4 weeks.
When to use? Apply Formula 2 Plus every day to clean, dry, bare nails.  Remember to remove weekly.  To allow the protein to work to its full potential, do not use colour polish. Once nails begin to improve you can graduate either to Formula 2 to continue to strengthen the nails or you may find you can move straight to Formula 1.  Formula 2 Plus should not be used after artificial removal.

Formula 3 - developed for hard, dry or ridged nails, especially toe nails.  Formula 3 is ideal for post-menopausal nails which can often be dry and brittle.
When to use? Formula 3 can be used on its own, reapplying twice a week, or as a base and top coat with colour polish.

After-artificial Treatment - this is a specially developed 2-part treatment that nourishes and replenishes nails with vital ingredients following artificial nail removal.  It acts quickly to strengthen and rebuild nails back to healthy condition. 

When to use? Apply Formula A every day for 5 days.  Remove layers and continue this cycle until the bottle is empty.  Continue the same process with Formula B.  Use Cuticle & Skin Gel to soften and heal cracked and dry cuticles.


The range also has a number of essential products, which have been specifically designed to work in synergy with the protein formula to encourage healthy natural nail growth.

Oil Therapy - a delicate blend of vitamin-enriched oils.  Oil Therapy is specially formulated to prevent and treat dry cuticles naturally.  This has a pleasant smell and is quickly absorbed into the skin.
When to use? Massage into cuticles as often as required to encourage nail growth.  Also excellent applied over colour polish to aid drying and help prevent smudges.

Cuticle & Skin Gel - Extremely beneficial for dry skin, Cuticle & Skin Gel can be used on all areas of the body.  Especially good for use on dry, cracked cuticles, elbows, calluses or any area that needs hydration.
When to use? Use sparingly anytime on skin which needs moisture.

Nail Moisturiser - a non-greasy, conditioning nail cream, enriched with soluble plant collagen to restore moisture and promote nail flexibility.  Jojoba and aloe nourish and condition the nail.
When to use? Use regularly to promote greater nail strength and flexibility in nails that lack moisture.  Apply a small amount to the nail before filing to prevent dehydration.

Hand Conditioner - combining pure aloe, jojoba oil, glycerin and natural soluble collagen, this deeply nourishing cream is lightweight, non-greasy and fast absorbing.  Formulated to re-hydrate and condition the hands and cuticles it softens the skin, but not the nails.
When to use? Use every day for soft, smooth hands and cuticles.  Great used at night as a treatment with cotton gloves.

Non-Acetone Remover - this remover strips nothing away but the polish.  Gentle and 100% acetone free, it contains aloe vera and conditioners which help to prevent dry, brittle nails and cuticles. This is fast and effective at removing any polish.
When to use? Use to prepare the nail for treatment application or a coat of fresh colour.







Applying the Protein Formula as a treatment (no colour)


Tip for easily removing polish - hold the saturated pad on the nail for about 10 seconds then pull away from the cuticle to remove all traces of the product.

Applying the Protein Formula as a base & top coat (with colour) 
As above perform a mini manicure and ensure that nails are clean, dry and bare before applying the Protein Formula.  Choose the right Formula for your nail condition and apply a thin coat to each nail, avoiding the surrounding skin.   Once you have applied this to all 10 nails you are ready for two thin coats of your favourite nail lacquer, allowing each coat to dry a little before applying the next.  I do recommend using the Nailtiques Colour Lacquers with proteins as this will enhance the effectiveness of the Formula rather than inhibiting it like other polishes can.  To finish, apply another thin layer of your Protein Formula of choice and allow to dry for a few minutes before gently sweeping over Oil Therapy to speed up dry time and nourish cuticles.

Tip for polishing nails - To prevent chipping swipe the brush round the tip of the nail to cap the free edge with each coat of lacquer. 

Caring for your Protein Formula
You should always keep the cap screwed tightly on the bottles to prevent air getting in and thickening the product.  I advise keeping the bottle in its box and in a dry, cool place in your house out of direct sunlight.  A bedside cabinet is always a good place to keep your products so you can use them before bed. 

Before applying the formula DO NOT shake the bottle as this will create air bubbles which can negatively affect application and trap unwanted air in the formula.  Instead turn the bottle over gently once and then roll the bottle between your palms to mix the ingredients. 

If you do find that the formula is starting to get thick, normally towards the end of the bottle, you can use Formula Fix.  A few drops replaces the lost ingredients which can vapourise over time if the cap is left off too long during application, or due to the cap not being on tight.  DO NOT use any other product to thin the Formula as this will negatively affect the performance of the product.

If you find that the cap is getting a little difficult to unscrew you may have a build of product on the neck of the bottle.  Simply saturate a lint free pad with Non-Acetone Remover and clean the neck of the bottle.  This should prevent it from sticking permanently.


Recommendations
To get the best results from this range it is recommended that you seek advice from a Nailtiques Specialist who can analyse your nails and prescribe the best products for your specific needs.  For salons that use and stock Nailtiques in your area you should contact Nailtiques directly if outside the UK, or Graftons International for those within the UK.  For those in the Cheshire and North Wales area you can contact me.

Do read the instructions carefully before using the products and follow the recommended routine for the condition of your nails to get the results you desire.


All Nailtiques products can be purchased from Hands & Feet Retreat - The Salon and will soon be available online at Hands & Feet Retreat - The Shop. Prices start from £4.50 in the UK.

Nailtiques colour lacquers with protein

Finally, one of my wishes has come true; Nailtiques has launched their colour lacquers with proteins *joyous celebration dance*!!!

The collection consists of 16 classic colours from a creamy, sheer white for french tips to the deepest garnet black. All the colours contain the fantastic protein formula that Nailtiques are famous for.  The treatment range is my choice for the salon as I get results every time on me and my clients.  Often I recommend using the clear treatment lacquers as a base and top coat to feed the nail whilst wearing colour sandwiched between it.  However, other colour lacquers tend to inhibit the work of the proteins, which is not ideal.  Now I can recommend the treatment with the use of these new colours and boom you have a quadruple dose of proteins to keep your nails in tip-top condition (don't worry you can't overdo it!).

Formula - this was the most exciting element for me as I was concerned that it would not stand up to some of my favourite lacquers.  But, I was very pleasantly surprised to see they have obviously spent their time getting it right.  It is smooth, well pigmented and glossy. 

Brush - to my relief this has also been updated to be flat and wider than the original.  It's not quite as wide as the OPI brush though, which is good in my book to cater for all nail shapes and sizes. Don't get me wrong the original brush from Nailtiques is fine to use with clear lacquers, but colour not so much. The new one is lovely to work with and ensures an even coverage in about 3 strokes.  2 thin coats of colour are all you need to get a great finish with all these colours.  Remember to use a base and top coat for the best, long-lasting results.

Bottle - square-shaped and it fits nicely in the palm of my hand whilst I'm using it on clients.  The bottle is 10ml in size, so it's smaller than some, but a little goes a long way.  In order to keep the price in the same region as other premium brands with the addition of the proteins, I completely understand their reasoning around the size.  Each bottle is priced at £10.95 in the UK.

So, let me introduce you to the colours...all 16 of them!
[Applied with a base of 1 coat Nailtiques Formula 1, 2 thin colour coats, no top coat]

301 Geneva - a light silver, white more for use on tips, but of course, as I have shown below, it can be used as a block colour, or this would be great for nail art.

302 Vienna - a sheer, creamy off-white for use on the tips for the french manicure look.  I have put one coat of 303 San Tropez over this so you can see the french effect better. I love this as I am not a fan of Tippex white tips, I prefer the more natural look of this one.

303 San Tropez - a cream peachy, pink sheer nude great for french manicure or that healthy look.  This one is great for warm skin tones.

304 St. Croix - a cream sheer pink, again great for french or that healthy nail look.  This is great for cool skin tones.

305 Cairo - a cream terracotta beige which is a good neutral going into this Fall as it has a caramel tone to it, which is going to be hot for the second half of the year.

306 London - this is a dusky, brown pink with a subtle silver shimmer running through it.  This is my mum's favourite go-to kind of colour as it's quite a good neutral without being too brown or too pink. Sophisticated is what I think she would call it.



307 Monte Carlo - a cream rose pink, very lady like!

308 Rio - a cream hot pink.  I love this juicy, bright colour and not just for my toes!  It's summer in a bottle to me.

309 Tahiti - a cream pink/coral.  The following two are fairly similar, but this one is more of a pink tone.  310 is more orange/coral and 311 is more of a red/coral.  This is in fact my favourite of the collection at the moment.

310 Maui - as mentioned above this is a cream orange/coral which is quite bright, you will definitely get noticed in this.  308 to 311 are all what I would class as hot summer colours.

311 Shanghai - a cream red/coral.

312 Moscow - this is a cream, good old fashioned/traditional red.  It does have that blue undertone to it so great for cool skin tones.

313 Vegas - a rich red with gold shimmer running through it.  Very aptly named in my opinion and reminds me of Christmas time.

314 Tokyo - this is a cream deep blue-based red which reminds me of cranberry sauce because it has this almost jam-like look to it.  It is a bit more on the sheer side as you can probably see from the picture, but it does still have good coverage with 2 coats.  It is just a different look and I like it!

315 Milan - a plum/burgundy red with gold shimmer running through it.  This is my kind of Fall colour as it has a bit more drama to it.

And finally the last colour in the collection...

316 Havana - this is a cream red/brown black with a huge amount of gloss to it.  It is not surprising that Nailtiques opted for this kind of colour in the collection as it is a staple in every ones collection for Fall/Winter.

So, there we have it, all 16 brand new Nailtiques Protein Colour lacquers.  They were well worth the wait and the only difficulty I have now is choosing which colour to go for! 

Nailtiques will soon be bringing out a base coat (Base wear with Protein) and top coat (Quick Dry Top Shine) for this range, which will compliment the colour formula.  I'll keep you posted as to when these are available.


The collection is available at Hands & Feet Retreat - The Salon and will soon be available online at my web shop Hands & Feet Retreat - The Shop.  Watch this space!