Sam Biddle

A Little bit of fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:00:00 +0000

My business partner Rebecca and I took a little trip down to Cornwall at the end of the summer, and spent some time with Blue Light Media. We wanted to created something fun and 'different' to celebrate the launch of our new Brand Original Sugar. With the Help of my most talented son Jorden who inspired me with this concept of finger tapping to some music, we created this short film. I hope you like it, and I hope you pass it on to your friends and family.

SUGAR LOVE

The story; Jamima is a young professional who likes to look good and have a good time. She gets up as usual with her beautifully manicured nails goes about her day. As she completes the different tasks her nails start to take shape as if by magic. The design growing and changing before our eyes. This is because Jamima owns a Sugar Styler and whilst she is waiting she is 'sugar coating her nails' it is as easy as that, by the end of the day she has a brilliantly easy nail art design on her perfect pinkies.

To find out how you can create the look Jamima has check out this short film too.

To find our more about the Sugar Styler and some of the other great nail art tools, visit www.originalsugar.com

http://www.originalsugar.com/

Falling in Love with Gel

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:41:00 +0000

Let me tell you why I fell in love with gel and shares with you some of my secrets to working with it.

Nail technicians often ask me which I prefer gel or acrylic, for me in the past gel has had its limitations when it comes to design and wasn't my first choice. However over the last few years I have had a chance to look at gel in a new way. Producing my new gel DVD's- Pure gel & Something Different with Gel has helped me see its qualities, and I have developed some great designs to show you how to fall in love with gel too.

The main thing to remember with gel is don’t try to make it into something it is not… if I want to create complicated flowers I can use acrylic, but if I want movement and flow to show through my design…gel would be the best man for the job. Instead of comparing the two against each other I prefer to use them together … and get the best of both worlds. So in answer to this much asked question, I don’t prefer one from the other; they are both equally useful in their own way.

Let me share with you some of my top tips of ‘working smart’ with gel.

Preparation is the key, make sure that the natural nails are completely dehydrated. All the non living tissue is removed and you have a rough surface to apply your gel to.
If you are using a tip, you need to take off the shiny surface, otherwise the gel will not be able to cling to the tip, and this will leave you with little shiny mirror pockets. This applies to white tips and clear or natural ones.
To prevent lifting; When you apply gel for the first time, apply a very thin layer over the whole surface of your nail, ‘rub’ or ‘brush’ this into the surface of your nail.. when I say thin I am talking thinner than polish…..then you will need to freeze cure this for a few seconds, this first layer will shrink onto the nail and leave you with a tight hold, now continue to apply your gel as normal.
Have you got the correct strength lamp bulbs, remember the bulbs have a shelf life, and if they are old they won’t be as effective. You won’t get your gel to cure at the right speed, and this may cause lifting.
Be gentle with gel, you have to guide it…not shove it with your brush, you should be able to apply gel using just a tooth pick……use your brush to ‘show your gel the way’. Your gel (assuming it is a god quality, self levelling building gel) is intelligent enough to do most of your job for you….let it!
The more you play with your gel, the thinner the viscosity….in other words it will get runnier and less controllable.

After applying your final gel layer, place the finger into the lamp up side down for the first few seconds, gel will ‘relax’ when it goes under the light, and by drawing it down, it won’t settle on either side of the nails…making the nails look heavy and fat.
When doing pink and whites, or creating detail with colour, it is easier if you have a second clean gel brush. Wipe along the applied gel to give you a clean sharp line. It sometimes helps to dip this brush in some cleaner.
Apply the brakes! If you don’t want your gel to go in a certain place on the nail, for example; the free edge if creating a reverse smile line, then don’t apply that first thin layer in this area. The rough surface, will act like a natural stop sign for the gel.
You can add anything to gel to colour it, bling it up or even tint it, from polish, pigments, acrylics, glass paints, glitter and foils. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
it is now even easier to apply gel design with the introduction of Gel paints, this is a thick viscosity gel which seems to hold its shape without self levelling, but forgive me for sounding un-professional, has a more slippy feel, so to use it is a pleasure. I have to admit I surprised my self with the flowers I created, which I could only have previously created with paint. Check out the step by step of the Poppies I created using the new Gel paints now available from Be Creative.

If you, like me want to fall in love with gel, and make the most of it visit my website www.sambiddle.co.uk for more inspiration, check out my blog for more step by steps and purchase my DVD's. But better still why not join me, and let me show you why I love gel so much. Visit this page to find out which workshop might suit you.

Covering a wide range of different techniques, such as extended nail bed, flowers, marbling, and encapsulation and using a range of different products I show you how far you can push gel. My classes promise to takes Gel design application to the next level. It brings you idea's and concepts which are outside the box, showing how you can work smart with your materials and produce amazing results, which are quick to apply in salon viable nails.

In January we have 2 workshops;

10th January Birmingham - working with Gel polish design. this is ideal for those who just want to work with natural nail applications and incorporate some exciting techniques with gel polish.

16th January - London - this is an exciting class jammed with NEW techniques perfect for your salon and clients.

BECAUSE london

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 09:00:00 +0000

I found my self at TANK magazine HQ this year working with the fabulous make up artist Kay Montano and stylist Grace Timothey. Along with some other fabulous stylist Like Herman Ho....who worked the hair and I just love love love. What where we doing?
Kay was producing a range a brilliant make up tutorials and of course she wanted some pretty and funky nails to set them off. From emulating icons like Diana Ross and France Gall, I was also very honoured to work with the amazing Erin O Conner the ultimate supermodel we re created some of her favourite Spring/summer 2012 looks. This wasn't all done in one day, over a few months we working on a range of different looks and models and even the beautiful Caroline Issa, creative director of TANK Magazine.

I thought I would also post how I created some of the Nail looks for the Erin OConner shoot.

want to see the tutorials? check out Because London here

for the latest look....perfect for the party season

there are many more on the website.

Gel Paint has arrived in the UK

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:59:00 +0000

A flexible creative solution for the professional Nail technician

GEL PAINT IS SET TO ROCK THE BRITISH NAIL INDUSTRY

The new Gel Paint is set to take the nail industry by storm and is considered one of a kind.

This is not gel polish, gel colour or even regular paint, but a new generation of coloured gel that works like paint!

Gel Paints are opaque in consistency and are the perfect solution for creating show stopping nail art. Brand new to the UK, Be Creative is the first to launch this fantastic product. The revolutionary Gel Paints create nail art with a bold look and fine touch. The Gel Paints can be striped and blended together to create unique designs and applied over any enhancement product. Gel Paints ensure ease of application and guarantee you have more control over your artwork which means you can’t help but produce the most perfect nail designs.

Gel Paint can also be both LED and UV cured. The first Primary Kit is now available This pioneering kit includes 6x4 gram pots in Black, White, Yellow, Blue and Green, Red; costing £60.

Now available in the UK from Sam Biddle at Be inspired www.sambiddle.co.uk

The Gel paints helped me to create these beautiful poppies, and I have to say with relative ease. The steps are pretty self explanatory, but some points to remember are.

1. I find the trick with any gel design is to Layer...layer...layer. You can see I have formulated the flowers initially with white gel paint. Cure this for a few seconds.

2. The next step is to blend the red and black together before blending. This is pretty effortless to be honest and will also give you shadows.

3. You can see I have used the same method for the leaves, placing the white gel paint down first.

4. A quick way to add the greens (by the way I have mixed these green colours, using the colours in the primary kit) is to double dip your brush, and roll is while you apply over your white.

5. Finally, don’t forget the pigment collections can be used to enhance your colours, or by simply mixing the gold with the yellow gel paint you can lift the centre of the poppies.

Give your nail art a bold look and fine touch.

They can be striped and blended together.

Apply over any enhancement product.

Super thin but colour dense

Allows intricate design which stays put

Cures only when your ready

Maximum control in creativity.

Ideal for the beginner and advanced technician.

Nail Art Basics

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 09:00:00 +0000

Polished fingers and toes are no longer an afterthought but a carefully considered accessory, it is becoming this year’s hot new trend which can be done at home with a little know how and some of this seasons newest colours.

Grooming is our way to make a good impression; when you look good you feel great! Sometimes busy schedules don’t allow for a visit to a nail salon, so relax at home with some nail essentials and get creative on your pinkies. You don’t have to be artistic and the design doesn’t have to be complicated to get a great effect.

Create Texture on your nails and give them the illusion of being longer and slimmer. This effect mirrors one of the catwalk looks seen in London fashion week; Mark Fast works with rich colours and creates texture which enhances the body. This is a perfect trick to take your Nails from Day to Night with a simple and quick effect which can be done in minutes using just a sponge.

To get this look; Paint a darker shade of polish onto a sponge and then lightly dab it to the edge of your nails. It will dry in seconds and you just need to apply another coat of top coat.

Go green; Green in all its glory is the colour of the moment - not acid or grass greens, but the deep, mossy forest greens. It is not a colour which immediately says 'wear me', but teamed with silver it can look stunning.

To get this look: apply green polish, allow to dry. Then sponge a darker green over the tip. The silver patterns are stickers used in card making available from Hobby crafts. Trim this to size with scissors and apply. Do not forget to top coat.

Matt-ural appeal

Matt is back! The chalk board effect on a gunmetal grey or black adds a whole new dimension to nails. The matt effect works nicely with nudes and reds; just make sure the colours you use are opaque tones. Another great effect is to accent the matt with some gloss top coat giving a 3D embossed effect or add some Swarovski crystals to enhance that wow factor.To get this look: paint your nails black. Allow to dry and then apply Matt top coat from Orly over just half of the nail. Attach small gems

All that glitters...

The nights might be drawing it, but it is not all doom and gloom, and for kicking your heels on the dance floor a rich amber shade with its golden glow adds a little extra shine for the evening. Teamed with a strip of glitter on the free edge, you can’t fail to make an impression.

To get this look: paint your nails a gold or silver. Pop some top coat onto a small piece of grease proof paper about the size of a 2 pence piece. Then add gold or silver glitter. Mix and apply to the edge of the nail with a short brush available from a craft store.

This is taken from an extract written by Sam Biddle for THE LADY Magazine October 2011.

http://www.lady.co.uk/nail_look

The Original Sugar Styler

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 09:00:00 +0000

A brand new concept in nail art

Original Sugar launched just one month ago -with the amazing new sugar styler from Original Sugar. The best kept secret of the nail world! Any time, anywhere and for any mood, expressing yourself alone or with friends, the sugar styler allows you to create your own highly personalised nail art ... AT HOME, with just some paint and the sugar styler over your regular nail polish.

Use the sugar styler just like a pen, keep complete control over your application and create the most stunning and intricate designs!

Made from glass, the Sugar Styler, RRP £12.50, is the perfect tool to achieve amazing nail art. The Sugar Styler is created with clever grooves which twist around the nib and allow water based paint to flow seamlessly over nail polish. This unique pen allows the user to create the most intricate and eye catching nail designs in the blink of an eye, adding a hint of bespoke glamour to any occasion.

Get this seasons hottest trends in Polish

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:44:00 +0000

This Autumn/Winter polish colours are far removed from the Neon’s and pastels we saw this summer, there is now a more sophisticated pallet with a more opulent and ladylike feel, from naturals to nudes, dark Vampy blues to metallic jewels this season we can stay on trend as polished nails are the must have accessory. Textures and shapes in grown up colours can be worn with a sense of style and flair.

Polished fingers and toes are no longer an afterthought but a carefully considered accessory, it is becoming this year’s hot new trend which can be done at home with a little know how and some of this seasons newest colours.

This month I lifted the lid on the latest colours for this season for More magazine.

In the Star Magazine talked about who wearing what this winter.

Green in all its glory is the colour of the moment, not the acid or grass greens, but the deep mossy forest greens, something to get lost in. It is not a colour which immediately says wear me, but teamed with silver it can look stunning.

You don’t have to be a closet rock chic this season, sapphires, midnight tones and navy blues are striking, glossy and looks great on short nails.

Matt is back! The chalk board effect on a gunmetal grey or black it adds a new dimension to nails. You can even work the Matt effect with nudes and reds; just make sure they are a solid opaque colour. Another great effect is to accent the Matt with some gloss top coat giving a 3D embossed effect or add some Swarovski crystals to enhance that wow factor.

All that glitters… means its not all doom and gloom, and for kicking your heels on the dance floor a rich Amber shade with its golden glow adds a little extra for the evening. Teamed with a strip of glitter on the free edge you can’t fail to make an impression.

NAIL ART....its that easy!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 21:05:00 +0000

I did some filming last month with Sky Living, creating two very simple nail art effects.

NAIL* PHILIA

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:59:00 +0000

Ryan Lanji

As an honorary member of the nail industry, curator extraordinaire Ryan Lanji hosted the nail event of the year in my opinion. NAIL* PHILIA a celebration of all things nails which demonstrates just what this industry is capable of. I was thrilled to invited to take part in the amazing collaboration of some of the leading names within the industry, Like mobile manicurist The Illustrated Nail, who works with a range of musicians including M.I.A. and Nicole Scherzinger and Sophy Robson, who has worked with Louis Vuitton, Tom Ford, and Dior there was also Jenny Longworth who created "clock nails" for singer Jessie J's music video.

Primarily this event was made up of those familiar names in the world of session techs like Marion Newman who was instrumental in bringing together the two faces of this industry; nails and fashion. It was a shame that just a hand full of examples could be displayed from the very talented nail technicians and nail artists available thought out the industry and I hope if there is a next time those nail technicians that continue to educate and celebrate the industry will be able to show case their skills. “For the public” Ryan says this exhibition “will redefine everything they thought nails could be” and for that I am hopeful, it would be nice to have the industry popped in the spotlight for a change and perhaps have some different more extreme and artistic examples put on show for the world to admire. In the east end of London Degree Art.com is an intimate gallery in Bethnal Green and has opened its doors and welcomed the nail industry with open arms, I think this this exhibition shows the world another art form and tells them that we can join the ranks of the hair and fashion industry, as an art form nails can be celebrated and worn by all, I feel sure this is a moment in history to be celebrated.

MONOCHROME ROSES

So enough of my musing let me tell you how I met Ryan. It was just four months ago I received an email from Ryan’s asking if I would be interested in Nail philia and if I would be able to come up with an installation for the gallery. We discussed this a little further and settled on these Monochrome roses. I wanted to show the different elements of nail design within one set, from nail art to acrylic design growing into jaw dropping fantasy application. These individual elements are represented using the rose, a familiar and beautiful object. Created in black and white so as not to confuse the techniques with colour, this piece takes you from salon viable nail art through to the more extreme 3D design. The nails are punched with a red rose to cast the eye on a journey from nail 1 to nail 10. Sophie Hanson made a cast of her own hands out of Wax.

TEMPTED

Tempted?

The second installation was created to represent the trends of today within a popular nail shape. This is animal print taken to the extreme. I use real snake skin within the nails, combined with traditional nail applications to make this a more wearable option. Using pigments to enhance the texture of the skin, I wanted to make this seasons trend an ultimate accessory. The hands where created by Sophie Hanson again and if you’re tempted by the bag this was on loan from Angel Jackson; Samaya mini box bag in Candy floss.

Megumi Mizuno in front of her installation

Antony Buckley had a beautiful pop art installation with some delicate painted faces, a change from his usual pink and whites. Megumi Mizuno showed us 2 fantastic images which she did in collaboration with another artist who hand painted the arms and hands of the model.

Retrospective of work by Sue Marsh

Sue Marsh

The highlight for me though was to see Sue Marshes work all in one place, Sue, who in my opinion is one of the founders of fantasy nail art, displayed her life’s work including the nails for Alexander McQueen and the Spice Girls. Now retired from the nail industry, I spoke with Sue and she told me this is a great thing being done for the nail industry.

Alex Fox editor of Scratch magazines and one of the sponsors of the evening told me that ‘tonight we are making history, this is a good thing for the nail industry and we are all a part of it’.

Alex Fox

I could go on, but there are various images available of the other installations if you click HERE , which included an quirky gun inspired installation from Sophy Robson, and Nick Knight, best known for directing Lady GaGa's Born This Way video and shooting album covers for Bjork, Boy George, David Bowie and Massive Attack. He has created a series of films one of which is called Nailed and he created with Marian Newman. Jenny Longworth decorated a spectacular jacket by placing blood red polished nail tips on the shoulders and hanging nail tips handed painted with nail art from chains from the cuffs. There was some nice work from Mike Pocock and Sweetsquared created their Handeleir, a take on a chandelier made up of waxed hands suspended from invisible thread. Each of the finger nails had minx applied. Cleverly artistic!

Add caption

NAIL* PHILIA

Nailphilia is on from Thursday 1st - Sunday 25th September 2011 at DegreeArt.com’s Execution Room, 12A Vyner St, London E2 9DG.

What I got up to in America Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 14:27:00 +0000

It's been just over a month since my return from the states, well actually if I am honest it's probably closer to 2 months, I know it's naughty of me but I think today the first day I have had to catch up with my blog. Last June I was delighted to join my good friend Carla in the USA again, where we put on a great class for the girls in Orlando. It is always amazing to work with nail technicians from different countries, not only do styles and taste
vary, but the the knowledge exchanged can be invaluable. I wanted to show you some of the exciting things the girls did on the 2 day be inspired design workshop. We cover a range of different design techniques.

Day one was all about acrylic, creating these spectacular fantasy flowers. This part of the day gave the nail technicians an opportunity to hone their product control, we worked with acrylic creating these petals and leaves to help with inspiration and creativity. The morning was an exercise to develop product control and develop design placement.

There was a wide range of skill levels some producing stunningly intricate pieces, some surprising them selfs with their creations, but there were a few who didn't use acrylic at all at work, so for them this was a perfect opportunity to work with a material and really see what it can do. I am always saying that even though the fantasy work looks amazingly complicated, once it has been broken down it is really very easy, and a satisfying thing to do.

We continued in the afternoon and did some design nails, working with the acrylic we we're able to put all the newly learnt skills with design placement to the test. Also working with texture and depth, I was happy to show the girls a couple of great nails ideas for the salons. Ones that can't fail to impress the clients, which ultimately is the point isn't it.

Day 2 was all about Gel, we really got all sticky and played with hard coloured gels, gel paints and used the ARABELLA forms to create some very handy embellishments.

All the girls on Day 2. We all enjoyed the gel so much, I am planning to return for an Ultimate Gel event this October with Carla, it is two days of gel extravaganza, we plan to help techs get the very best out of gel, create some inspirational and creative nail designs and Jim McConnell from Light Elegance will unlock the mysteries of Gel and answer all those unanswered questions! More information will be available on my website.

I will be posting part 2 of my trip very soon, about how I got to work with IBD at the premier show, who I got to meet, and what I thought about the competition.

Top tips for the nail art pen

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:33:00 +0000

The nail art pen is specially designed to be used with water based acrylic paint. They are perfect to create thin lines and fine swirls. If your not comfortable using a brush, then this is a fantastic tool to get fine details into your nail design.

I thought it was time to bring you some Top Tips for your nail art pen.

1. Water down your acrylic paint so it is the consistency of milk.
2. Make sure your paint has a high pigment content, so as you water it down it doesn't loose the depth of colour.
3. Dip the pen into the paint, so the well fills up completely.
4. The nail art pen will only work on a rough surface. Make sure the surface of the nail has been buffed.
5. Make sure you keep the nib of the pen clean, if you allow it to dry out to much it will clog and prevent the flow of paint. Dip nib into a glass of water and wash.
6. Clean the paint out of the pen by washing it through with water.
7. These pen work the same way a caligraphy pen does, but these nibs will work with a thicker pigmented fluid.
8. When you receive you pen you will need to insert the nib into the end of the holder.

Available from www.sambiddle.co.uk. For more information email info@sambiddle.co..

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Location:UK

NAILPRO USA - July 2011 cover

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:05:00 +0000

Beauty UK - a success!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Fri, 13 May 2011 20:18:00 +0000

Beauty UK in Birmingham is now over and what an amazing show it was. This was my first show as Be Inspired, working with Rebecca Orme from Creative Ten, we managed to pull off something quite special.

We set out to create a stand with a unique concept, both Rebecca and I wanted to bring nail technicians something different. Unlike any other stand at the show, we created a living space, complete with a pot of tea, rugs and throws, a tray filled with nail products as if someone had just gotten up and left the room, about to to return and carry on using her acrylic and making something stunning on the ARABELLA forms.

Why you ask? Why go to so much trouble...well we know that most nail technicians are like us, and want to carry on creating amazing nail designs day and night, I have sat in a similar living room, (literally as most of the items where from my own home), and worked on my ARABELLA forms, watching DVD's and checking out the steps in Scratch Magazine. The whole ethos of the stand at Beauty UK was to show the nail tech how good they can be, we didn't want to show them the same old demonstrations, but instead bring them some cool things to work with and make their nails amazing. To Inspire them, yes dare I say it, we wanted to give them some ideas and tools to go away and develop their designs.

Not only that we launched the amazing nail art pens, the pigments including the new gold and silver colours, and the 'creating inspiration together' roadshow.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad2

Nail Art Pens

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Fri, 13 May 2011 20:06:00 +0000

So how many of you have a problem getting those thin lines with a skinny striper? Do you wish you could create the swirls and spirals within minutes.......well now you can create fine detail with ease, using just paint!

These unique nail art pens have been especially designed to be used with acrylic water based PAINT making them easy to use and reuse. You don’t need to buy any additional inks or special nail art paints just use what you have at home. There are pens like this on the market for nail art, and I got my self some from China, but when they arrived I had to go spend a small fortune on inks and then found I needed to spend time cleaning out the nibs between each colour, it all got very frustrating and time consuming.....so I set out to find a pen which could be used wit the paints I already had. It took a while but.....to cut a long story short, these are perfect for the job.

It couldn’t be simpler; all you need to do is water down your paints ratio 10:4, (make sure you have paint with high pigment content, or use air brush paint) and simply dip your nib in and ‘be creative’.
You can use your pen to draw outlines of petals and flowers, highlight faces, enhance your designs with fine details, draw swirls and loops…and so much more. These pens create a fine edged line, and if you find it hard to use a stripping brush, well this just might be the answer for you.

Now available at www.sambiddle.co.uk on the be creative page.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad2

Beauty UK 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Wed, 11 May 2011 21:26:00 +0000

Beauty UK in Birmingham is now over and what an amazing show it was. This was my first show as Be Inspired, working with Rebecca Orme from Creative Ten, we Managed to pull off something quite special.

We set out to create a stand with a unique concept, both Rebecca and I wanted to bring nail technicians something different. Unlike any other stand at the show, we created a living space, complete with a pot of tea, rugs and throws, a tray filled with nail products as if someone had just gotten up and left the room, about to to return and carry on using her acrylic and making something stunning on the ARABELLA forms.

Why you ask? Why go to so much trouble...well we know that most nail technicians are like us, and want to carry on creating amazing nail designs day and night, I have sat in a similar living room, (literally as most of the items where from my own home), and worked on my ARABELLA forms, watching DVD's and checking out the steps in Scratch Magazine. The whole ethos of the stand at Beauty UK was to show the nail tech how good they can be, we didn't want to show them the same old demonstrations, but instead bring them some cool things to work with and make their nails amazing. To Inspire them, yes dare I say it, we wanted to give them some ideas and tools to go away and develop their designs.

Not only that we launched the amazing nail art pens, the pigments including the new gold and silver colours, and the 'creating inspiration together' roadshow.

Thank you to all who visited, and I would love to hear your comments on the stand.

Pure Pigments - Step by Steps

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 17:15:00 +0000

For your collection of pigment click here.

BEAUTY UK - STAND K21

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:22:00 +0000

“Be Inspired at Beauty UK” with Sam Biddle & Rebecca Orme who have joined forces to bring you a completely new and exciting experience at their stand K21 at the Beauty UK show this May at the NEC.

“We both love design, and we both started in this industry playing on our own nails and practising day and night, like I know many nail technicians do”

Rebecca Orme runs a massive on line Nail art store; Creative ten providing her visitors with a wealth of different and unique items for nail design. Sam Biddle created Be Inspired to help nail technicians develop their inner creativity. Together they are bringing their skills and know how round the UK with their CREATING INSPIRATION TOGETHER ROADSHOW, and the Beauty UK will be launching the next leg of their tour.

We want to show nail technicians how to work with design and colour, it's important that when you visit the stand, you will leave with ideas on how to develop skills and use some of the amazing products, tips and ideas and yes….trade secrets, to benefit their your business, We won’t be showing you how good we are, we will be showing you how good you can be, I am so excited with the concept of our stand, it is very different from anything anyone else has done and I am sure it will be an enormous success.

So please come and say hello...

BRAND NEW

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:57:00 +0000

These are pure colour pigments and can be mixed in with your acrylics, gels, top coats and water to create a beautiful finish to your design. This set includes three primary colours , one secondary colour and a black and white to lighten or darken your colours. It will enable you to mix up some new colours or enhance your existing collections, create a water wash colour, or a thicker paste to use directly within your design, as these are pure pigments a little will go a very long way.

How to use

To create a water colour; add pigment to water. To create a paste or a thicker paint add; water to pigment sparingly until the correct consistency has been achieved. To colour gel; using either clear or white, add a small amount of pigment to beads of gel and fold. This will change the viscosity of the gel, and make it thicker to work with. To tint acrylic add a small amount to the powder. You can add to colour, white or clear. Make sure you mix very well. To apply the pigment direct onto your design, dip your brush into monomer and then pick up the pigment and apply. Alternatively use a paste made with a small amount of water.

NOTE If you are adding pigment to your gel or acrylic make sure it is just for design. The pigment should be added over the top of an enhancement, so first create a base layer and do not add directly onto nail plate as this will stain it. By including pigment within your products you may alter the way your acrylic or gel applies, so it is important to cap your design to give structure and strength.

Visit http://www.sambiddle.co.uk/main/be-colourful to get your kit.

Come Together

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:56:00 +0000

Educating the UK in 13 days of nail know how, I take my BE INSPIRED workshops on the road, and cover the breadth of the nail nation.

Bringing the power of education combined with inspiration to a location near you, Rebecca Orme and I have taken to the road on a mission to motivate and excite nail professionals across the nation.

Promising to be a seriously inspirational, creative experience on 13 dates from Truro to Aberdeen. Working closely with Rebecca Orme who owns Creative Ten; an on line nail art store and who is a sub distributor and International educator for Ez Flow nail systems, this duo have come up with a great way to bring nail technicians around the UK something that little bit different. Devising an educational event that bring fresh ideas to nail techs around the UK who are keen to glean something new that they can take straight from the class into the salon.

“I love working with Sam” says Rebecca “she really is inspiring and being able to give other technicians the opportunity to attend her workshops, and help them develop their salon designs is the reason why we have both decided to work together”. These two nail design gurus work within their own strengths “Rebecca is perfect to run this road show, I am always on the road, and it makes organizing bookings and venues hard, Rebecca is amazing in the office, running three business”

The workshops run for a full day and cover both gel and acrylic. “These classes are for everyone” insists Sam, serious about bringing design into the salon “ I think the more it is seen by the clients the more the customers talk about it, and the industry comes to the fore front”

I get that not every client will walk out the door with elaborate nail art, but she does feel that through the workshops, each design she teaches has at least 2 techniques which could be used on a salon viable design. “we need to make nail technicians on the high street successful, we have to help them grow their business and set them apart from their competition.” Covering a range of application techniques I will show you different ways of working with your gel and acrylic, and promises that you will learn some great design nails your clients will love as well as walking away with some amazing tips, tricks and trade secrets! I have developed 4 different nails which include 2-3 applications, breaking the nails down so you can pick and choose what you want to use within your own ideas. As well as creating texture with acrylic, you will Embellish, make some quick flowers which are very simple, Seduce your clients with gold and you will be using the Arabella forms to save money and increase turnover, Sam also says she will be putting the fun into a French too. “Be prepared to leave with a wealth of ideas which you can combine with your own style and produce some fabulous nails in the salon, nails you thought you could never create” says Rebecca.

Certainly an opportunity worth embracing, this 'be inspired' mobile nail school offer a wealth of valuable design and business building ideas......So do you want to be part of the ‘be inspired generation’? Sam and Rebecca are giving you an opportunity to win a place on one of these workshops, 13 lucky nail technicians have an opportunity to win a free place at their nearest venue. “its really simply, all you have to do to enter is submit 1 nail which has been done on the Arabella forms, it must be a design nail, but the rest is up to you” says Sam. Take a photo of the tip and upload it to the ‘creating inspiration together’ page on face book. You must tag yourself in the photo and in the comments state what inspired you to come up with this design and the nearest workshop to you. For example; I was inspired by a Greek Salad. BRISTOL

Before each workshop a winner will be chosen from the entries from that area and they will be given £95 on the day. The 12 semi-finalists will be entered into another competition for a prize worth £300.

For more information visit www.sambiddle.co.uk or email creatinginspirationtogether@gmail.com

Call Rebecca at 01299841009 cost £95

10TH APRIL—LONDON

11TH APRIL—CARDIFF

22ND MAY— GLASGOW

19TH JUNE— TRURO

21TH JUNE— BOURNEMOUTH

27TH JUNE— BRIGHTON

3RD JULY___ NEWCASTLE

4TH JULY— PETERBOROUGH

5TH JULY— MANCHESTER

26TH JULY ___ DUBLIN

11ST SEPTEMBER—COLCHESTER

12TH SEPTEMBER—BIRMINGHAM

25TH SEPTEMBER—ABERDEEN

The Magic Manicure part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 10:52:00 +0000

In February I discussed the features of various gel polish brands, so moving on I would like to now look at the effects this hybrid polish has on the natural nail.

Overwhelmingly I have had feedback from my clients and nail technicians worldwide that their own natural nails have gone from strength to strength. Samantha Sweet and Gigi Rouse also tell me Shellac has done wonders for their natural nails. Although I have to say it is possible that because the natural nails are wrapped and protected by the durability of the product they seem to grow long and strong rather than any additional additives and straighteners being present. There are plenty of ways to make these gel polishes work for you. Gigi Rouse says “Shellac freed me from the commitment of nail enhancements and the maintenance of them. I have not worn enhancements since last February, I always needed some extra strength for my natural nails, and Shellac gives me that ‘in-between’ level of strength and flexibility. Claire Hughes a mobile nail technician and beauty therapist told me “The best feedback I have had was from one of my clients Mrs Pollock; she was having manicures for years because her nails have never been in a great condition, since she has had the Gelish she has told me she noticed that her nails look and feel better and seem to actually grow faster. For the first time ever I had to shorten her nails on the last appointment”

To conclude, I have to say they are all a similar product, some are thicker than others, some cure faster than others, some have a more polish like application and some last slightly longer. But ultimately they do their job, they all last longer than a polish on natural nails and what is unanimous throughout all my clients is their nails have never felt or looked better. Marion Newman agrees “each brand has its own character, for example Shellac is pure quality and Gelish has a vast range of colours and the added advantage of an LED lamp. Geleration has the Jessica name and the devoted followers”. It is hard to come up with a definitive winner, so I invite you to look at the information and try out the ones you like the look of for yourself.

So you have decided on your brand and now you have to ‘sell’ it. Here 10 top tips on how to launch your new ‘magic manicure’

Visit your local offices and ask them for a small area where you can set up a desk. You could perform 2 or 3 treatments over a lunch period. Bringing this service to the client can increase the footfall in your salon, as the word spreads.
Today I took my kit to my hairdressers, while my colour was taking we sat out the back and I did her nails. By the time I had left I could have done 3 of the other girls. These are the places who can advertise this cool new application which lasts! Take out a day and visit your local Hair salons, apply for free and leave plenty of cards. It is an investment, but word of mouth is the best form of advertising.
Most brands offer great marketing material, CND has a video geared towards the clients which can be played on a loop in the salon. Ask your supplier to give you a support pack which could include a range of window stickers and posters.
Another great way to create a buzz around this new line is to contact your local magazine; Jeni Smith contacted the beauty editor to come and have a treatment in return for a write up. Since this was published she tells me the phone hasn’t stopped ringing.
Wearing the colours and inviting friends and family to try it out and shout about it. I was stopped in my town and asked about this “new permanent polish”, it had been written about in our Waitrose magazine. Of course I was quick to tell them I had a large range of colours and how fantastic the effects on the natural nails were.
6. Holly L. Schippers, CND Education Ambassador in the USA, did a photo comparison of a client who had polish on one hand and Shellac on the other, she says ‘this photo does all the work for me’
Linda Butler thinks polishes like Geleration are the future of the industry, ‘once tried everyone loves it, I think these systems open up the market and offers a newer option for enhancement wearers looking for a more natural look. Perfectly pitched for busy women, look at targeting markets which haven’t visited your salon before.
With the general feedback from clients that they love the fact that it is dry straight away, and that there is “no chipping, no smudging, no kidding” according to IBD’s Gelac. This Unique selling points (USP’s) need to be shared with your new customers, using tag lines like this will help customers remember your services.
Special offers! To start with offer the new service to your clients for the same price as a standard polish, let them try it and see the effects for themselves and of course don’t forget word of mouth advertisements. Then offer the second or even third polish at a special rate.
Keiko Venner noticed a drastic improvement turning her £10 file and polish appointments into £35 express semi-permanent manicures. She managed to increase her turnover in the same amount of time by £25 per appointment.

Nail art and Design

What I love about these polishes is that you can still incorporate nail art, hand painting, decals and glitters to the colour and then applying the finishing top coat to protect the work, and of course it will last just as long. Linda Butler goes one but further “I have one client who has to have a natural look for work, so I apply the softer pinks and whites and give her pretty French, once I have cured the top coat and removed the inhibition layer, I paint normal varnish in bold bright colours over this, adding nail art too. On Sunday evening before work she removes the whacky colours and has a perfect French polish underneath, a two for one treatment” Holly Schippers has a blog called Finger Nail Fixer which has a host of information and different designs using Shellac.

Dear Diary - Recertification

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:58:00 +0000

We all have to re certify, and although I am an independent educator, I like to make sure my skills are up to the job. I feel it is a case of having your peers ‘judge’ you, and in a way it keeps you on your toes, making sure you have updated your education and are in touch with all the current trends.

I recently re certified for IBD, and achieved my Elite educator status, which I was thrilled with. I wanted to achieve the same with Ez Flow, this was the brand that will always be my first love for acrylic, and although I now no longer work for them full time, I do occasionally represent them around the world and in the UK.

The educators re certification was held at the beginning of February, just three days after my return from my road trip in the states. I tell you it is no mean feat, with a massive amount of preparation before the 4 day event, which includes producing 10 nails in acrylic and gel both pink and white and ten design nails which runs along a theme; this year it was 'theatre'. I did my nails based on swan lake. These must include a step by step and details of how they where achieved.

The class is demanding each day covering a massive amount of information, and then are set homework in the evenings. For 4 days your sapped of every single amount of energy, to get you ready for the final assessment and theory. The assessment utilizes all the Ez flow application techniques, the theory is on the full range of products, and then a presentation is required.

My Homework

Our tutor was Brenda Skermont, who had travelled all the way from the USA. I am really lucky to have worked with Brenda before, and I loved spending some time with her. Especially as her passion is design and art. Brenda has the ability to explain the nail, break down the application process and she weedles out where you need improvement and where your strengths lie. Not only that she is so approachable. Because I was away in the USA, and I had only just been in Brenda’s shoes in Korea, holding the re certs there, I was able to forgoe most of the training, and attending the final assessment day, and I am happy to say I have passed with flying colours and am now an International Educator for Ez Flow Nail Systems.

are you a Winner?

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 11:50:00 +0000

Needle Pens

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:14:00 +0000

These are not ordinary pens, but instead these are something even better. A perfect tool to add that little bit extra to your design nails. Use with gel or acrylic these are amazing for marbling and swirling your gel colours, creating detail to your art work, and pressing ultra thin veins to your leafs. I can’t tell you how many times you will use this pen, your only problem to deciding which colour to choose.

It works like a pen with a clicky end, which when pressed releases the needle to what ever length takes your fancy. They are just 14cm long without the needle, the needle extends another 3cm approx. Available in Pink, Black, silver and Blue for just £7.50 shipped worldwide.

Dear Diary - Cornish skills

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0000

On the 16^th February I was invited to help Judge at the Cornish skills challenge in Truro college. This would be the third time I have been part of the judging panel, and I am always keen to be involved. It is so refreshing to watch the new generation of nail technicians, these girls are part of the future of the industry, and I feel it is important to help and support them.

I watch on and see budding nail guru’s and artisans emerge, and I remember what I was like. I didn’t do my learning in a college but I was still very wet behind the ears when I entered my first competition. Full of expectations and aspirations to be the best. Lucky for me I was, and won my first photographic and came second in the fantasy!

I have been involved with the College skills championships for some years now, and I can say hand on heart the level of competitors has grown. With the help of the world wide web, short films on you tube like my fantasy ballerina; nail technicians are able to learn in the comfort of their own home. Some people tell me it is the downfall of education, creating a new culture of e learning, but I think it promotes independent learning, it helps to create a new breed of nail technicians who can only rely on their own creativity to find a solutions.

Don’t get me wrong you can’t beat going to a workshop, and I think you should make it part of your continueing learning to include at least two further education classes per year into your portfolio. But to combine this with the indepependant learning and self styled creative moments can only go to make this industry bigger, better and stronger.

NEW USA road trip - 2 dates

noreply@blogger.com (Sam Biddle) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:31:00 +0000

USA New Date

I am returning to the USA this June for another, bigger & better

2 Day Design workshop

2nd & 3rd June 2011

ORLANDO, FLORIDA

Hilton Grand Vacation Suites at Sea World International Center, 6924 Grand Vacations Way, Orlando, Florida 32821 (407) 239-0100

Time: 9 -5 daily

I know some of you will want to register no matter what the topic. To register for these classes pay class fees at paypal under carla_collier@yahoo.com put Sam Biddle in message line.

This is the second American Be Inspired workshop. Bringing nail technicians something that little bit different, something which you can use in your salon, and delight your clients. I will bring you some amazing new ideas and share with you some great tips, trick and trade secrets to make your nails beautiful and award winning.

Working along side you each step of the way, this really is a hands on workshop.With some competition insights from Carla Collier Head Judge for Nail pro championships, this workshop is a must if your thinking about entering the competition arena.

June 1st - Advanced Acrylic Design & Fantasy

June 2nd - Salon Viable Gel Designs

You have a choice of booking both days for just £375 or if you prefer one day for £200. Class size is limited, as Sam wants to give everyone the same level of attention, so don’t delay book your seat today.

TO BOOK email Carla Collier at carla_collier@yahoo.com Or call 661-203-0143

CAN'T MAKE IT IT FLORIDA?.....

well we have put only another 3 dates in the Midwest.

3 DAY DESIGN & FANTASY WORKSHOP - ILLINOIS

8TH, 9TH & 10TH JUNE

COST - $350 per day

BOOK 2 days for just $325 per day or save more money and Book all 3 for $300 per day

Advanced Acrylic Design

Advanced Gel Design

Salon viable designs

a full day of Fantasy...

..... and much more. I have so much to share with my American Nail friends....come and join me by emailing info@sambiddle.co.uk.