TIP OF THE WEEK #30 MOONS
By Vicki Peters 

Gracie Wyatt-Welker, aka NailIll-@aol.com asked about applying moons to
acrylic nails in a recent e mail to the list, which as always, fueled this
tip of the week. I have seen many competitors do moons in nail competitions
and I would like to address that as well.

First, moons are for the experienced that have good product control. Precise
application is a must to make moons look good. Start by mixing white and
clear powders together to create a softer white but one that is dense enough
in color. You want enough color in the mixture for a very thin application
that will appear dense enough. You also want to use a brush with a perfect
point on it because that is what you're going to use to shape the moon, the
tip of the brush. Make sure the brush does not bend too much as you wipe and
you may want to use a smaller brush just for moon application.

Here are my steps to applying moons.

1. Prep all ten nails as you normally would. Apply the tips, blend, remove
the dust and prime all ten nails. If you prefer to do sculptures do the same.
Your going to apply the moons before you put the forms on, so they are not in
your way.

2. One nail at a time, push the cuticle back and before the cuticle recedes
apply the moon powder. Apply a very small medium to dry consistency ball
right at the cuticle area and let it settle and spread a bit before you start
forming it. Make sure the application is flat to the nail because your going
to apply product over it later and you don't want it too thick. You may want
to wipe the brush while the product is spreading to bring it to a perfect
point. You also want the product to spread so the very edge by the cuticle is
perfectly smooth and flows perfectly into the natural nail.

3. Some techs wet the nail plate with liquid first - which is a very bad
habit because of over exposure - however this allows you to wipe the acrylic
easier - this works for smile lines as well.

4. With the tip of your brush start wiping the shape just like you would a
smile line just in the reverse shape. Keep wiping the edge until it starts to
set up and you cannot move it any more.

5. The shape should be wider than longer. A "U" shaped moon will look funny
it should be wider than longer as I mentioned and should be even from side to
side. So another words it should be twice as wide as it is long. Or at
least in proportion. They should not be too small to too big and the thumb's
moons should be bigger and the pinky nail's moons smaller.

6. Consistency is the key as in anything. Using the same dryness or wetness
will give you consistent color.

7. Apply all ten moons and let dry. Pushing up one cuticle, apply the moon,
push up the next cuticle, apply the moon, and so on.

8. Then apply your forms if you're sculpting.

9. Apply your white tip powder to all ten nails and let dry. (I like to do
this because the white is dry by the time I do the pink and I stay focused on
one step at a time - just a thing I do)

10. Apply your pink to all ten nails up to the moon area.

11. With a very wet consistency apply the cuticle product. You may even want
to use clear so you do not mute the white moons. Again push the cuticles
back before you do this and incase the entire moon with clear or pink
product. This will allow you enough product to finish the cuticle area and
not file into the moon itself. This is the cause of filing out the moons.

If you apply the moon powder too think it will look funny at the cuticle
area. Consistency and density play big parts in making the moons look
natural. Too much white will look funny and too light of a product will not
show at all. Mixing powders until you find the right combination. is
critical. Shoot for a 50/50 mixture of clear and white that is half as white
and the white tip product is.

COMPETITION MOONS
Here is how I feel about competition moons, if you cannot do them perfect
don't do them at all. I see more competitors who think that moons will earn
them extra points and it is just the opposite.
A bad set of moons is going to get you marked down in product control
category. A good set of moons with a good product control score on everything
else will not earn you extra points. That is just the way it is. There is no
category to award you extra points for moons on a regular score sheet so why
spend the extra 20 minutes applying them when it takes 20 minutes away from
something else that will suffer in a competition? The only competition it is
mandatory to apply moons is my Mirror Image competition but you have an extra
30 minutes in that competition. So I don't see the point. Plus the only one
who can make perfect moons is Tom Holcomb, so what is the point? LOL!

THE FILL   
Forget filling moons, file them completely out every fill because they look
stupid if you don't!

Now I am not saying don't do moons in the salon unless they are perfect, the
salon is a different story because we all know were not doing perfect smile
lines every time and were not going to take away points at the salon like
competition! Do them and charge for them as well. The clients have no clue
what perfection like we may know it is so offer them as an extra service and
charge and extra $5-$7 for them. They look killer on a great set of pink and
whites. Go for it and be the first in your area to offer this new trend!

DISCLAIMER
Any products mentioned in the "Tip Of The Week by Vicki Peters" is not an 
endorsement of any kind.