Phenomenail

We’re so excited to officially welcome Stela from StNails Navan on board ❤️✨

There’s lots happening behind the scenes right now, and we can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on… big things are coming very soon 👀

For now, we’ll let her introduce herself…

I live in Ireland and I am a proud mom of two girls.

I have been working in the nail industry for the past 2 years and I truly love what I do.

I am passionate about learning new techniques, trying new products, and working with professional, high-quality brands.

My goal is to continue growing in the nail industry, build strong professional partnerships, and eventually become a trainer.
I am always looking for opportunities to learn, improve, and connect with like-minded professionals.

I am excited to represent the Phenomenail brand that shares my values of quality, creativity, and professionalism.

Navan

Packing parcels sounded like such a simple business task.

It was not.

The multiple “best” tape dispensers never cut properly. Apparently you’re supposed to do some weird twisty yank manoeuvre. Mate, I have a frozen shoulder. My body declined the side quest.

Then there’s that one microscopic strand of tape that doesn’t quite cut through. Does it snap off neatly? Does it fc*k. It rips diagonally halfway back to 1997 and takes the entire roll with it.

And don’t even get me started on when the tape does that jerky unroll thing and leaves white stress lines all over it. I know it changes absolutely nothing, but it fills me with a level of rage that feels medically significant.

Worst of all? Tape touching my skin.
Or my sock.
Or somehow wrapping itself around my finger like a clingy ex.

The noise. The texture. The rising panic.

So yeah. Turns out running a business isn’t the hard part.

It’s being in a daily sensory battle with 48mm of sticky plastic 😩

Chiaroscuro, used by da Vinci, Caravaggio & Rembrandt, is a painting style built on dramatic contrast between light and dark 🎨

A beautiful art form in its own right, but also a powerful way to start macro face painting - teaching you to see the face not as lines and features, but as 3D volumes shaped by light 💡

Save for later to try it out 📌

A little colour, a little sparkle, and a whole lot of pride 🌈✨

This rainbow half-French set is my way of celebrating love, authenticity, and the beauty of being unapologetically yourself. Pride Month is a reminder that everyone deserves to be seen, valued, and celebrated—not just this month, but every day.

Wear the colours. Share the love. Be proud. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have ❤️

One of my favourite character designs I’ve painted over the years. From his crazy expression to the bright colours and glittery background, this little guy was all about bringing some cartoon fun & chaos to the day

Character nails will always have a special place in my heart - there’s something so joyful about turning a nail into a miniature art piece 🥰

Who remembers watching Roger Rabbit? ❤️💙

Don’t forget to save and recreate!

A subtle nod to those iconic red-soled shoes ❤️💙

This short set keeps things clean and minimal on top, with a hidden flash of red underneath that peeks through just enough to catch the eye. A detail you might not notice straight away… but once you do, you can’t unsee it.

The best part? As the nails grow, that red gradually reveals itself more, subtly shifting the look over time and making the design feel different with every stage of wear.

It’s all about the details that reveal themselves slowly. ✨

This is why your product is lifting 👇

Have you ever created the most gorgeous set… only for your client to message the next day with:

💀 “It’s lifting already.”

💀 “It just popped off.”

💀 “One nail came off while I was making a cup of tea.”

Before we start troubleshooting, let’s address the elephant in the room 🐘

If you can see trauma, peeling, or layers of the natural nail attached to the underside of the enhancement, that wasn’t product lifting. That enhancement has been “helped” off 😅

This guide is specifically for genuine lifting
and adhesion issues.

✨ Prep

Start by gently pushing back the proximal nail fold and thoroughly removing cuticle from the nail plate and sidewalls.

Remember, product needs something to grip to.

If the nail plate is smooth, shiny, or still covered in natural oils, you’re creating the perfect conditions for a “pop off.

✔ Remove surface shine with a buffer or 240 grit file

✔ Remove all dust particles

✔ Apply dehydrator

✔ Apply primer/bonder if required by your system

✔ Scrub in your base coat if your system requires one

✨ Application

Neat application matters.

Product touching the skin or cuticle creates a weak seal, increasing the risk of lifting. It also increases the risk of overexposure, which can contribute to allergies over time.

✔ Work in thin, controlled layers

✔ Leave a small margin around the cuticle area

✔ Use a liner brush for precision around sidewalls and cuticles

✔ Clean up any flooding before curing

✨ Curing�
Every layer should be fully cured according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Under-cured product may look fine initially, but can contribute to adhesion problems and service breakdown.

Strong adhesion isn’t usually one big thing.

It’s usually 10 tiny things done consistently, every single appointment 💅

📌 Save this for the next time you’re playing detective with a lifting issue

My very first attempt at a Macro Mini Portrait ✨

This is honestly my favourite piece of art I’ve ever created. He might be a little wonky, and the shadows could always go deeper, but that’s part of the charm.

Of all my macro pieces, this one will always hold a special place for me💕

Aren’t these the cutest? Summer nail inspo loading… 😍 🌊 ☀️ 🌺

Stop doing this with neons!

If your neon sets look dull, weirdly “chalky”, or like they’ve been attacked by a highlighter pen in Photoshop… it’s usually not the colour. It’s your lighting + camera handling it wrong.

Here’s what’s actually going on - and how to fix it:

🟡 Dull / chalky neons

This usually isn’t true “overexposure”
- it’s light washing out saturation + clipping fine colour detail.

Neons are super reflective and high pigment, so when you blast them with direct light, the camera struggles to separate tone and colour properly. Result: flat, dusty looking colour.

Fix it:

* Use diffused light (softbox, ring light diffuser, even baking paper hack if we’re being scrappy)
* Avoid direct light hitting the nail surface
* Don’t over-light the set - neons hate being bullied 🤣

🟢 Weird glow on skin

That green/yellow cast on the client’s skin? That’s light spill + colour bounce. Bright neon reflects onto everything nearby, especially skin.

Fix it:

* Diffuse your light (again - it does most of the heavy lifting here)
* Change hand angle slightly so nails aren’t bouncing light straight back into skin
* If possible, use a neutral/grey background to reduce colour bounce

🔥 Over-saturated “laser beam nails”

This is the classic: nails look unreal in person, but in photos they’re basically screaming at you.

This is usually post processing + exposure stacking issues, not just the polish.

Fix it in editing:

* Lower saturation + vibrance slightly
* Reduce luminance on that specific colour (HSL is your best mate here)
* Tiny boost to contrast only if needed (don’t nuke your shadows)
* Avoid globally crushing shadows - it makes neons look even more aggressive�
📸 Bonus reality check

* Your camera should be metering for the hand, not the brightest nail
* White balance matters more than people think with neons (auto can get weird fast)

Neons aren’t the problem.

They’re just brutal under lighting

Save this for your next neon set✌🏻