Solar v. Acrylic

Stackeye210

Which do you prefer if you get your nails done?  And why.

Mrs.B6302007

YOu can get nails of sun?  Coolness!

Night_Sprite

I've heard of gel vs. acrylic, but never solar.

pumpkinpumpkin

I've never heard of solar either.
I prefer acrylics over gels. They're a little less expensive, and don't burn like a bitch, also - my nail tech puts one layer of gel overlay over the acrylic to make it shinier, so I get the benefits of gel with acrylics. I also think acrylics are a little more durable.

goheels05

I got solars for the first time for the wedding and they popped off 4 days later.  I wasn't too impressed.  I'd get acrylics if you don't lay in the tanning bed, which I assume you don't. 

Do you live near a Dashing Divas?  They have these things called virtual nails and I love them.  They are lighter weight and less damaging than acrylics, and they last for 2 weeks.  After that, you soak them off and get a new pair.  They are cheaper than a single fill-in of acrylic.

FutureMrsDudley55

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_solar-v-acrylic?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:aba06750-b933-449d-9882-6929b022ce28Post:6945ee4d-08a8-4a78-bfc2-a1ab5f48c2ac">Re: Solar v. Acrylic</a>:
[QUOTE]YOu can get nails of sun?  Coolness!
Posted by Mrs.B6302007[/QUOTE]

HA!

Stackeye210

Ok Heels - so Solars are out because with a 2 year old they'd pop off in 45 minutes. 

What are the nails that have like clear acrylic and white acrylic and they build them on your nail - but not the white tips?  Then you dont have to get the FM air brush.  I just see people with the most cute nails and mine never look like that. 

wadingmoose

I think those are gels, Stack.

Stackeye210

I swear I'm just getting used to this girl thing.  I never cared before meeting Mr Stack.  Never even owned a purse, now I enjoy being cute but I missed all of the high school girl talks where I would have learned these things. 

wadingmoose

As for the building instead of using tips, that depends on your nail tech.  The one where I went for the wedding built the nails out with the gel.

Night_Sprite

My one tip with fake nails is to remove them in acetone instead of peeling them off.  The damage is 50 times worse if you pick at them.

goheels05

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_solar-v-acrylic?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:aba06750-b933-449d-9882-6929b022ce28Post:a55cab3c-b515-46ea-ba9b-3ab17af5a7f5">Re: Solar v. Acrylic</a>:
[QUOTE]Ok Heels - so Solars are out because with a 2 year old they'd pop off in 45 minutes.  What are the nails that have like clear acrylic and white acrylic and they build them on your nail - but not the white tips?  Then you dont have to get the FM air brush.  I just see people with the most cute nails and mine never look like that. 
Posted by Stackeye210[/QUOTE]

When I got acrylics, that's how they were applied.  Gels are also applied like that.  I've never had airbrush.

Oh!  There's something new called "pink and whites."  maybe that's what you are seeing.  They are more "perfect" looking than acrylics or gels.  I don't know how they are applied, I've just heard Mr. Heels' teenage cousin talk about getting them, and her nails look really good when she gets them.

Mrs.B6302007

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_solar-v-acrylic?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:aba06750-b933-449d-9882-6929b022ce28Post:a55cab3c-b515-46ea-ba9b-3ab17af5a7f5">Re: Solar v. Acrylic</a>:
[QUOTE]Ok Heels - so Solars are out because with a 2 year old they'd pop off in 45 minutes.  What are the nails that have like clear acrylic and white acrylic and they build them on your nail - but not the white tips?  Then you dont have to get the FM air brush.  I just see people with the most cute nails and mine never look like that. 
Posted by Stackeye210[/QUOTE]
Pink and white acrylics.  I used to wear these and yeah, the white ends last longer than airbrushing because they use white powder on the tip end and the pink/natural powder in the bed area.  There's a down side to these as well though.  The fills are more detailed and take longer because they have to fill at the tip and the base.

sucrets4

I just wanted to say that I'm surprised at some people on here who have had fake nails (pumpkin, I'm looking at you!).

I was blessed with super strong nails, but I can't ever grow them out because I'm a musician. 

Mrs.B6302007

I haven't worn them in years....like 5 maybe?  I miss them at times b/c they're low maintenance for the most part but I also really like my natural nails.  I definitely don't miss the nasty damage while they were growing out after removal.

squirrly

I have pink & white acrylics, with a gel top coat.  They're durable - I coach and play volleyball with them.  And, I'm a setter/hitter, so it's full contact.  Of course, I keep mine short for that reason, plus typing with long ones is a biitch.

There are two application methods I've experienced.  The more "traditional" one is that they put on the white acrylic first, shaped properly.  Then, they "fill" with the pink acrylic.  It's fast, as pink & white applications go.  To fill, they use the dremmel thing and etch out the top half of where the white should be and put that on first, and then fill with the pink behind it the way a normal fill works.

The newer one is backwards.  If it's a fill, they file everything down to about 1/3 normal thickness first.  After that, it's the same as an initial application - they do the pink first, and use a shaped metal thingy to remove the excess pink acrylic.  Then, after that's dry, they put on the white.

The newer method results in a much sharper contrast between the pink & white, but requires a steady hand with the metal thingy, else the curve is all wonky. 

In either case, there's no chipped paint, etc. to worry about, and the gel top coat isn't affected by tanning OR by sunscreen (which can ruin most polish top coats).  I've had pink & white nails for about 6 years, and I love it.  You may need to shop around to find the best tech, though.  Pink & white is also usually a bit more expensive than regular, but given the durability it's SO worth it, to me.