MATRIX
MATRIX [mey–triks]
What it is: Made up of keratinized cells located under the proximal nail fold. This is where the nail plate is born.
11
Jul
Glossary Terms
10
Jul
MASQUE
MASQUE [mahsk]
What it is: AKA masque; concentrated treatment product used in manicures and pedicures. Composed of mineral clays, moisturizing agents, skin softeners, aromatherapy oils, and other beneficial ingredients, which combine to cleanse, tighten, tone, hydrate, and nourish the skin.
How to use: Used as a luxury upgrade element to any manicure or pedicure service.
How to apply: Decant a single serving and apply to the skin with a spatula or masque brush. Often covered with thin plastic and warm towels to harness heat from the body and allow the skin’s pores to open and receive the efficacy of the ingredients.
How to remove: Rinse off with warm water or wipe away with hot, wet towels.
How to store: Store with lids closed tightly in a cool dark place.
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10
Jul
MASK
MASK [mask]
What it is: AKA masque; concentrated treatment product used in manicures and pedicures. Composed of mineral clays, moisturizing agents, skin softeners, aromatherapy oils, and other beneficial ingredients, which combine to cleanse, tighten, tone, hydrate, and nourish the skin.
How to use: Used as a luxury upgrade element to any manicure or pedicure service.
How to apply: Decant a single serving and apply to the skin with a spatula or masque brush. Often covered with thin plastic and warm towels to harness heat from the body and allow the skin’s pores to open and receive the efficacy of the ingredients.
How to remove: Rinse off with warm water or wipe away with hot, wet towels.
How to store: Store with lids closed tightly in a cool dark place.
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10
Jul
LIGHT-CURED GELS
LIGHT-CURED GELS [lahyt-kyoor-jel]
What it is: A partially polymerized acrylate, with a gel-like consistency, that includes a photoinitiator that fully cures or polymerizes when exposed to a specialized range of UV or LED light. Available in various forms and shades of hard and soft gel for a multitude of uses in the nail industry.
How to use: Used as an artificial nail enhancement or a nail art medium for the creation and decoration of nails.
How to apply: Float onto a nail form or over a nail tip to strengthen, extend or color the nail, or used with fine brushes to create nail designs and cured in a UV or LED lamp.
How to remove: File off or dissolve with remover according to the type of gel and the manufacturer’s instructions.
How to store: Store with lids tightly closed in a cool, dry place and keep away from heat and light.
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10
Jul
LED LAMP
LED LAMP [L-EE-DEE, Lamp]
What it is: A specialized electronic device that powers and controls LED bulbs to emit a specific range of UV light to cure gel nail enhancements.
How to use: Used for a specified amount of time, according to the manufacturer, to cure or harden gel nail enhancements.
How to clean: Follow manufacturer’s instructions in order to clean with acetone or disinfectant.
How to store: Power off and store in a safe place.
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10
Jul
LED GEL
LED GEL [L-EE-DEE jel]
What it is: A partially polymerized acrylate, with a gel-like consistency, that includes a photoinitiator that fully cures or polymerizes when exposed to a specialized range of LED light. Available in various forms and shades of hard and soft gel for a multitude of uses in the nail industry.
How to use: Used as an artificial nail enhancement or a nail art medium for the creation and decoration of nails.
How to apply: Float onto a nail form or over a nail tip to strengthen, extend or color the nail or used with fine brushes to create nail designs and cured in a LED lamp.
How to remove: File off or dissolve with remover according to the type of gel and the manufacturer’s instructions.
How to store: Store with lids tightly closed in a cool, dry place and keep away from heat and light.
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21
Jun
HYBRID GEL
HYBRID GEL [hahy-brid jel]
What it is: Designed as an odor-free nail enhancement product that combines polymer and oligomer chemistry to create a thick viscocity formula that cures when exposed to UV or LED light.
How to use: Used to sculpt or overlay a natural nail or nail tip to create a nail enhancement. Can also be used for 3D art.
How to apply: Apply directly to the nail, tip or form with a spatula. The nail brush is then dipped into a slip solution and used to sculpt a strong yet flexible nail enhancement. The enhancement is firm and malleable until cured in an LED or UV lamp.
How to remove: File off the natural nail according to manufacturer’s instructions.
How to store: Store tubes with lids closed tightly in a cool dry place away from heat and light.
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21
Jun
HARD GELS
GEL SYSTEM [hahrd-jels]
What it is: A partially polymerized acrylate, with a gel-like consistency, that includes a photoinitiator that fully cures or polymerizes when exposed to a specialized range of UV or LED light. Available in different viscosities and shades for creating nail enhancements.
How to use: Used as an artificial nail enhancement or a nail art medium for the creation and decoration of nails.
How to apply: Float onto a nail form or over a nail tip to strengthen, extend or color the nail. Also used with gel brushes to create nail designs before curing in a UV or LED lamp.
How to remove: File off according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
How to store: Store with lids tightly closed in a cool, dry place and keep away from heat and light.
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21
Jun
GRIT
GRIT [GRIT]
What it is: How many grains of sand are on the file per square inch. Grit refers to the size of the particles of abrading materials embedded in the paper. These measurements are determined by the amount of the abrasive material that can fit through a square inch filter.
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21
Jun
GEL SYSTEM
GEL SYSTEM [jel sis-tuhm]
What it is: Any artificial system that includes oligomer gels, a UV/LED lamp, primer and pH balancer, used in a professional nail service to create nail enhancements.
How to use: Used in a professional nail service to create a strong yet flexible overlay or nail extension.
How to apply: Applied with a synthetic brush to cover the natural nail for strength, to apply color or sculpt an extension, then cured under a UV or LED lamp.
How to remove: Soft gels can be soaked off with acetone or product remover while hard gels must be filed off with a hand file or electric file.
How to store: Store with lids tightly closed in a cool, dry place and keep away from heat and light.
