You explained this so beautifully without even remotely offending anyone that prefers either one technique or the other. I personally realize that this is a preference. I chuckled at Janixa’s video. I loved that one too. I personally hate flooding my cuticles because it would take me forever to do a cleanup like that and I paint my nails when I am stressed or depressed for a very quick pick me up. Painting nails should be fun and everyone should do it the way they want. Thank you for also highlighting that in Cuba they don’t have all the fancy necessary brushes and stuff you can get on Amazon. I am obviously not Cuban but you were informative that some people in certain countries use what they have available on hand and not everyone has access to accessories that would allow for certain techniques. Appreciated.
Oh yeah for sure, I think the concept of "not everyone can get everything on Amazon" is a bit foreign to us sometimes, but it's very real for a lot of people... even if they live here, not everyone can afford it. If I told you the stories of all the things we used in Cuba as a replacement of something we didn't have, you would laugh haha. Maybe I need to do a video on that :P
I am from Brazil and have been living in the US for roughly ten years. I do my own nails using the Cuban technique, which is used in Brazil as well as mentioned in the video. I get compliments 10 out of 10 times from Americans for how my nails look and how it even look like fake nails because they can’t see any gap. Not to mention that it lasts a lot longer. I can go at least seven days with them looking pretty fresh. I never paid to go to get my nails done in the US and never will, just because I refuse to pay to get out of the salon with my nails looking like they have been polished days ago in a hurry. I can notice the difference, and it bothers me, so I prefer to spend some extra time. This is MY experience and opinion. Everyone is different. Thank you for showing a different technique!
Yeah so that's the thing, if you are paying for a manicure, I don't want a huge gap that looks grown out. Honestly, I don't like a big gap if I'm paying, I would be ok with a "smallllll" gap if i'm paying - same reason, then you look grown out super fast. Specially on gel, which needs to last 2 weeks. For regular polish, which I do myself and change every 2-3 days, it's not a good return on my investment (time) to have to clean up that much. If I'm doing manicure for a vacation, or when I do gel, I do spend more time to reduce the gap. Love hearing people's experiences, thank you so much for sharing yours! :)
My personal style for years, before Instagram and RUclips, was to slap on some polish in the evening, not quite as much on my skin as the Cuban method you showed, and then after my morning shower whatever got on my skin would just peel right off. Now I do the American way you demonstrated. Makes it easier to do my nails any time of day and not have a mess on my skin if I have to go out. I will admit though that the gap is annoying to me.
This way to paint, you don’t have to apply THAT much on the skin, in order to cover it all. Only online I think people show it on the videos to make it obvious what they are doing. I practice is less messy. Thanks for watching!
This is how I used to do it. I had no control with my non dominant hand so it would get all over. I'd do it on like Sunday afternoon and when I would shower on Monday morning I'd get my hands soft in the shower and use a scrubber or washcloth and just rub it off. :D Now I'm so so so much better, thank goodness. I can do them anytime and not have to worry about cleanup.
I never knew this was a thing either (shower peel). I apply at night (not this extreme but I don’t clean up) and in the shower the excess peels off leaving perfect nails.
I am from Cuba as well, and I have to tell you, you made me laugh hard because You are TOTALLY RIGHT! The gap was not acceptable, lol. It took me a while to learn why manicure looked so clean in the US, and once I learned how to paint my nails that way, I NEVER WENT BACK! Great demonstration!
Cuabnita here too 😂 and I’m the same way it took me a long time to learn the American 🇺🇸 way but yes once you learned you never go back and mind you I did them the Cuban way all the time so I had like 5 different wooden sticks ready with the cotton to cleaned them up
So glad you did this video because I see way too many people criticizing others for how they do their nails. I am old school Canadian and I hate a gap (mostly due to OCD) but I have never seen a gap left in my life until RUclips. I do my nails similar to the last nail you did and I always like the outcome. Very little clean up and my nails look complete.
I'm venezuelan and I'm a nail tech in Mexico, and my mom was a manicurist for 25+ years back home. I grew up watching her paint nails like "cuban" style, obviously not as messy because she did have a lot of experience. She would use the wooden stick and I always try to get as close to the cuticle as I can because I am so influenced by her work and how she would worry so much about doing quality work, although she didn't have to deal with gel application and I do, so I kinda go for the "American style". What I do sometimes is take a liner brush to really paint closer without making such a mess, but it's not always necessary, and you're absolutely right! Most clients don't even mind the gap cause you can't really see it!
Hey Valentina! Yeah that’s what the Russian style manicure does! The liner brush is the bomb when doing gel and being able to paint all the way! - I also agree that with experience they paint the skin but not THIS much as I did here and the clean up is very fast since they are used to it. It’s impressive to see them clean up so perfectly 😍 . I haven’t done this in years so I went a little too thick all over the skin, but good enough to explain the point 🤣 . Thx for watching!!
I am so glad I watched this video, it explained a lot. I recently had a pedicure done in a high end salon, and the lady who painted my toes did the Brazilian technique. I of course didn't know about this technique and I thought she had the shakes, she had polish everywhere! She did clean it up well. Learn something new everyday.
I wish I could like this twice! It was hilarious, fascinating, AND a good reminder for us all to keep an open mind. I teach ESL, and I never stop being amazed all the different ways cultures approach just about anything in life. So many things we might take for granted are done differently in another culture.
American lady here, and I almost screamed when I saw the Cuban method!! I can certainly appreciate the method, but (especially with dark colors or glitters) I know I personally would never be able to achieve a completely clean result. Both methods require practice and care. Thanks for this very interesting video topic!!
I agree both methods require practice in their own style! Both painting inside the nail and cleaning out properly are def skills that you can acquire with practice and time ☺️💕 - thanks for watching!
The purpose of the video obviously is to demonstrate how nails are done in some other countries. Although it may seem like we spend a long time cleaning up the edges, as a Brazilian, I guarantee we don’t waste that much of nail polish 😬 What we do is just slightly overpassing the nail limit onto our skin 🙂. What Brazilian manicures also do is covering all finger nails of one hand with nail polish at once, then they come with the stick with no cotton on the tip just “contouring” the cuticles and they do all fingers quickly before it dries. Finally, they add cotton to the tip of the wooden stick with nail polish remover and then proceed to remove the excess off the skin. It’s a little more work but the clean natural look pays it off, not to mention that it lasts longer as she mentions in the video 😊
Right, did you watch the whole video? I showed exactly what you described, and I also mentioned that a person with experience will actually do this extremely fast and it's not that big a deal to them because they have experience. So yeah I agree with you. (I don't want to do that anymore tho, since I don't mind the gap, but I understand why it's done this way and I know it doesn't take THAT long once you are used to it) :D
I am from Jamaica, i went to cosmetology school and the way you do it in cuba we do for people with deep side walls, but we apply petrolum jelly on the skin, and clean up just the same way with the orange wood stick. !! One love.
I am portuguese and most of our manicures are brazilian. They are amazing! It doesn't take long to clean up at all. It's almost automatic, they are so quick! And the nails last so much longer! Now if I am doing this myself, I would go not touching the skin.
I just loved this video. Idk why, I’ve been painting my nails for probably thirty years. I’ve used the wooden stick, the asshole cotton balls and the clean up brush. They all have their place. You just cracked me up. Thank you 😘
I used to do it the "Brazilian" way and my god it was a pain in the butt to remove, my cuticles ended up stained and sometimes I ruined the polish while cleaning up. Now after watching Cristine's videos I started to leave the gap and my manicure lasts so much longer and it looks so much better... I still mess it up from time to time tho 😅
I'm Italian and I've just discovered the Brazilian manicure style! It's mesmerizing to see people painting the nail and the finger, because I'm so used to be careful not to touch my skin with the nail brush and they just paint all the finger 😂 it's somehow relieving, I don't know. Something like "f*ck the system"
I loathe American style 'free edge' everywhere as it catches on everything, chips lifts all the way around, a mess to live with. Never mind I have incredible eyesight so it looks rough and uneven like child's work. Others probably just change colours every other day and don't care about these things? But myself, I need a thin application just to the edge, and immediate swoop the crease to catch any runoff or transfer with a cuticle pusher, swipe it clean with towel like you do... have never been able to use the stupid brush no matter how little acetone is on it, because the brush always floods and removes mani from nail too! Such fine slow delicate fussy work brush, dry napkin, brush, dry napkin, wreck the sides of my mani anyway... I HATE IT with the power of 1,000 suns. Tried your rolling cuban cleanup technique, 1 swoop all done easy peasey. Solved EVERYTHING. Amazingly practical and simple.
I only recently started doing "American" instead of "Cuban", simply because I didn't know better. You are so right about how no one sees the gap but you! Anyway I LOL'ed when you called the orange stick "this asshole".
HAHA the clean up brush thing is so true. When I was younger I would clean up my manicure in the shower or hot water. I also remember a friend from High School using her thumbs as “clean up tools” and paint them last and hope for the best when painting them.
Super interesting video, thank you for posting! I love having painted nails but don’t have a very steady hand and hate paying salon prices, so I usually apply “Brazilian style” a bit before a shower. The polish flakes off easily and looks great afterwards, so it feels like the best of both worlds. The only major negative is that you have to time when you do your manicures a bit more carefully.
Timing the mani seems like a small price to pay to get the best of both worlds :D - I think as long as it works for you, then no reason to change haha. Thanks for watching!
@@juliefizpatrick513 Sorry I’m not sure if it would work for gel polish because I’ve never worn gel nails. I have noticed that some non-gel polishes are more likely to peel off whereas others tend to flake off, and sometimes you need to be a little make careful with the ones that peel so that they don’t take the polish that’s on your nails off as they’re coming off.
I was SO CURIOUS about this after seeing Janixa’s video and I thought it wasn’t a technique, just a mess! I truly didn’t understand! I would never choose to slop nail polish on my skin, but I get it now! Thank you for the enlightening video! XOXO Heidi
Back when my mom went to beauty school in the US (late 1980s) they taught to leave a gap on the sides to provide a long lean appearance. I never liked that when my mom painted my nails so I always went right up to the skin, I don’t like gaps either because my nails grow too fast and then it lifts and catches my hair. I typically clean up with an orange stick as well and only recently got my first brush but it drives me crazy when the polish is super pigmented and the wet cleanup brush smears the pigments around in every little imperfection on my skin.
Yeah I know what u mean, that’s why I lightly tap the clean up brush against a paper towel before I take it to my skin, because otherwise the excess will get all over the polish and cause trouble. I don’t prefer a super big gap either for a mani, honestly, just a small one that allows me to skip clean up but still looks covered (unless u get too close which nobody will get that close haha)
😂I found myself so clever wen I worked out that side gaps make my nails looking better. And nobody else could do it 🤣🤣We are just so different , with individual shapes of nails and fingers, so need to be flexible & inventive. Thank you for sharing ,so helpful 💙💙💙
I think I was Cuban or Brazilian in a past life. I strive to paint my own nails with the gap, but I always end up looking like the one from Cuba & Brazil. It never fails. Painting my own nails is a time consuming mess. But I freaking love it. 🥰
It's important to mention that you are using a very good coverage nail polish. When you have to make several layers with the American method (in case you have a low coverage polish), nail will have a much more rough finish, with a thick coat of polish, which is less long-lasting. Also, brazilian ppl love to super duper remove cuticles, so it will have a different overall appearance whit polish covering the whole nail.
I agree with everything you said, except that American will have rough finish with low coverage polish. It doesn’t, if done properly. 💕 - in Cuba the cuticles are super removed as well yep!
I’m just admiring how that first swatch was so quick and perfect 💕 I don’t like a big gap but yours is so tiny I don’t even notice! With certain formulas I can paint my nails super easy like that but more often I get some on the side of my nails. Some of my nails are super curved so I’m blaming that lol. I just make sure to wipe it with my thumb so it doesn’t create a bond between the nail and skin, then let the remaining polish get washed away later. Anyways, I admire your skill! 💅🏼
Thank you so much!! Yeah you definitely can let the "hand washing and a shower" clean up the polish, as long as you do what you said "break the bond between the nail and the skin", that way when the polish on the skin lift, it doesn't pull the one on the nail with it. Then you can let the water do the clean up :) Thanks for watching!
I guess I’m a Cuban at heart because I’ve always hated a gap on my nails, but then when I do make a mess, I was wondering what was wrong with me! Good to know that there are countries out there beyond the US that prefer my way. Thanks!
Yep, absolutely! :) I mean we discuss this just to learn and see and explain, but honestly, any way to do it is ok. As long as you are happy painting your nails and like your outcome, whatever works! :D
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“And then it’s like no” 😂 I used to do my nails the Cuban way because I haaaate the gap but if I accidentally ruined my nails before they dried I would almost have a nervous breakdown at the thought of having to fix it. I get why you said it was a pain at every opportunity!
The gap has become a thing because it is important with gel polishes not to cure any of it on your skin as this can cause allergic reactions. As someone with small nails and a deeply recessed nail bed, it has always been incredibly easy for me to flood my cuticles without meaning to, and with the base and top coats it can be hard for me to see that and be able to know it happened until it is cured. I have learned how to 1) apply the polish better to begin with, and 2) try to leave a little bit of a gap at the top. Since the gel self-levels, by the time I get all four fingers painted, it has had time to settle and flow back towards the cuticles enough that the gap is not noticeable. With regular polish, again the size of my nails means that more often than not, it gets on the cuticles/skin unless I apply a liquid latex peel, but I don't often use very strong colors, so I don't sweat it staining my skin. It peels off the next day when I wash my hands. All in all, I think I prefer the cleaner method of leaving a SMALL gap, though, so I'm not drying out my skin with more acetone than is necessary.
I also just find it easier, I agree. It’s like, skip the clean up, I love the crisp line, and as it grows it looks great… so all in all, I’m happy with the small gap 😊
This was really informative! With very pigmented polishes I notice that clean up brushes actually spread it around more than clean it up. So I might try the stick + cotton method!
Ah haha yeah, also try to dab the clean up brush against paper towel and remove some excess so it doesn’t spread so much liquid and make a bigger mess haha
I do my own gel polish, and I guess I do a combination of techniques. I hate leaving a gap because it's shows up quickly when your nails grow. But I don't flood the nail, I get close enough to the sides and cuticle that some of the polish spills over, it's a little annoying to clean up but worth being able to keep my nails a few days longer.
For gel tho, try not to get on your skin. It's been known to cause allergic reactions on some people after some time. (Not all of course, but it could happen and it's not so uncommon).
My hands are too shaky to give myself an American-style manicure. I have been doing the thing with getting it all over my cuticles, using a stick, then cleaning up (or sometimes I put latex around the edge of the cuticle for easier clean up. I even take cotton and put it around a toothpick for better clean up. I had no idea it was a thing, I thought I made it up and it was 'wrong' but it was just easier for me. Now if anyone questions my messy in-progress nails I can just tell them I do a 'Brazillian style' or 'Cuban style' manicure. I love it! Thanks!
hahaha exactly! and honestly as long as you get to do your manicures and are happy about it, it's all good regardless of the method! :D. thanks for watching!
When I was a kid in the US, we tried to paint as close to the cuticle as possible; it was hard! We used orange sticks with cotton and acetone, too. I stopped painting my nails for a while and came back into it to see these gaps and I was surprised. I assumed it was an accommodation to gels.
I think the gel influence probably has some to do with it too. My guess is that people saw the tiny gap in gel manicures and realized it’s barely visible (if done properly) and were like, meh, we can do the same with regular polish probably haha 💕
Im an American but I was looking up Brazilian because it looks so clean with regular polish. But now I’m thinking how time consuming it would be. I give them credit they do it fast. Everyone complains in America on the Brazilian videos because they think it’s causing allergies but it’s regular polish so it’s not going to cause allergies. Gel polish causes allergies on skin. Thank you for this video so we see the differences. By the way, I’m glad you’re here from Cuba. I’m sorry your country is going through so much. My thoughts and prayers are with the Cuban people. ❤
I grew up in Miami and have seen manicurist use the cotton around the orange stick to clean up but I don’t recall the polish all over my nail application. You know what, to each their own. I use an orange stick when I flood my cuticles (without the cotton because I would get lint everywhere!) It’s all about what works for you. Xoxo
Actually in Cuba they used to remove the cap, creating what they called “el filito” or “the little edge”. Like the total opposite of capping. They thought that if the polish is not reaching the absolute end of the nail, it wouldn’t chip. (American way does cap the edge tho, but capping us more personal preference than application technique if u ask me)
@@PolishLabRat and I’d love to get a Russian/e-file manicure. I have done gel colour on myself but I think the Russian style is probably the most aesthetically pleasing. And grows out beautiful. If done safely. That’s sort of the catch. For every tech who uses a drill properly, there are those that can end up cutting you, etc.
Brasileiro gosta de parecer que a unha nasceu pintada, sem lacuna nenhuma ! Sou brasileira acho bonito o jeito da sua esmaltação americana , mas não nas minhas mãos 😅 também tenho toc … detesto qualquer defeito nas unhas , e simplesmente faço minha manicure brasileira 😂 mas tem um detalhe muito relevante, nós tiramos muito as cutículas, exatamente pra ter um encaixe perfeito do esmalte a pele . E a limpeza tem que ser impecável. Com bastante prática chega a perfeição . Não são todas as manicures tem tem essa excelência. Adoraria praticar a esmaltação americana 😅 mas acho bem difícil . Hahahahahahahahaha
Yeah I understand. Also once you get used to a specific style it’s very hard to get used to another, specially if you like that style why change? Right? Haha ❤️
I'm from Brazil and after finding the nails on RUclips I started to try the "American" way, but I didn't mastered it yet, so I do something in between. I'm not a big fan of the little gap because I paint my nails for myself, I know no one is zooming on my nails, but I do look them up close, but as I started using gel polishes sometimes I started to get used to the idea even though I don't like the aesthetics.
Haha yeah, I don’t personally mind the gap but I totally understand people minding the gap. It makes sense, u know? Specially if I pay for the mani, then I don’t really want a gap. I think I’m only fine with it when I do them myself 😂😂😂 . - rolling the wooden stick is so much more efficient yes!!! ☺️☺️
Thank you! Yes! I love that you actually showed both processes. 👏🏻 I had no idea the Brazilian/Cuban manicure was a thing until this year😅 when I first saw it on insta I thought it was a joke, making fun of ppl who didn’t know who to paint their nails. (Of course I would never comment that tho 😒😅)
Yeah haha when u r used to the American way, the other way truly does seem like an April’s fools joke. I just happened to know about it from experience otherwise, I woulda thought the same hahaha
Curiosity: In brasil we always used to do nails with regular polish nails... gel nails is kind of "new" I mean.. 8 years or less I believe that it is one of reasons why we always go so far on the edges and even skin.. as we know gel polish with led or uv can be on skin right ? Also we're very perfectionist ... we can stand see a very little piece of nails without coloring... But I have to agree with your "future advice" we apply and clean very quickly and we don't go so far on the skin... makes the process easier
Yeah, the thing with gel is that you shouldn’t touch the skin. You can cause gel allergies rather easily this way. I’m not sure how gel is done in Brasil. Also yes, you don’t paint so messy as I did here (I was going for the sake of example), but practically, you don’t need to. 💕
You referring to that cotton ball as an a**h*le just warned you a subscriber. I saw a shirt on Instagram on this video and came over. Awesome explanation!!
Great video Larissa! So informative. It is great to see all the different ways different cultures approach things. We can all learn from each other. Loved your comment about the cotton wool. It looks so fluffy and innocent but if it gets on the wet nail!! Nightmare! 🤣
hahaha those cotton balls (which are low quality, I've had better but these I currently have suck), are the reason I moved to using lint-free pads hahaha - Thanks for watching!
I’ve had manicures done in both styles. As a consumer, 1. the Latin/Brazilian style ensures a flawless paint job EVERYTIME. It’s so disappointing paying for “professional” service and sometimes the nail tech’s polish application does not come out flawless (ie; air bubble, uneven/patchy application etc) 2. Latin style application, my mani with REGULAR polish would last 7 days!! I was blown away! I just settle for the American style because that’s all that’s available. 🤷🏾♀️
Yeah it makes sense. I mean, i wouldn't be happy to pay and get some patchy/incomplete/bad job either. I wouldn't mind paying and getting a small enough gap, but as long as everything else is even/shiny/nice looking. Otherwise, I just do them myself hahaha
This is fascinating, I had no idea that's how some people paint their nails. I'm Canadian, and as a teen I was never trying to get it on my skin but I always ending up with a bit and flooding my cuticle. Eventually that excess would come off, especially in a good hot shower the next day. This was well before I was exposed to the nail community. When I first started discovering a bit more and seeing tips for painting your nails about leaving that gap it felt like a large gap to me and that you couldn't get all of the nail. With years and practice I've gotten better at painting my nails without such a mess and gotten used to that little gap. I'm still not as good as a lot of people and end up either with a little on my skin somewhere or a slightly larger gap especially when painting on my dominant hand. But I am used to it now and would rather minimize cleanup, and I change my polish at least once a week so if it doesn't last quite as long that's fine. But I loved seeing how you use an orange wood stick and cotton to clean up cause sometimes especially with nail art I end up with more to clean up off my skin and that would be great for removing the bulk of the mess and then using a clean up brush to clean in the cuticle area. Thanks for sharing this!
I'm glad you liked it Nicole! Please keep in mind, that they normally wouldn't go as much outside the skin as I did here, specially with such a highly pigmented polish. With some lighter colors I have definitely seen this though, but it's not necessary to paint SO MUCH outside haha. In any case, the wooden stick does wonders! haha
I find I don't always have a steady enough hand not to get nail varnish on my skin but I have been trying not to have any gap. Now I have seen how little difference there is looking at nails with a tiny gap all round I will try to do that in future. Thanks for the demo!
Thank you for watching! Yeah the gap is barely noticeable, so if it doesn't bother you then it's ok. I understand how it can bother some people specially if they are paying for it... so it's a personal choice and trade off.
That gap is annoying to me but not because of looks, but because of leaving the corner of the tip of the nail unprotected and ready for easy breakage. The nail polish extending all the way from corner to corner does not leave the nail expose, and it brings additional layer(s) of protection to the nail. So I don’t use any of these two ways, but a sort of combination of both. I go slightly off the sides into my skin, but I removed it immediately with the nail of my thumb on my other hand (no toothpick, just paper towel). I always do my thumbs at the very end after the rest of my nails are completely done. Not excessive clean up, no gap, and no time wasted 🤷🏻♀️
Yeah when I used to paint with no gap, I wouldn’t paint THAT much, I would barely paint my skin, and I would also clean up with my thumbs!! Haha - then finalize with wooden stick and cotton at the end
Yeah if you have deep side walls then you kinda have to touch the skin, otherwise the gap might be too big (even if you are ok with it), it might show. That makes sense!
Hah, I guess I've been doing my nails the Cuban/Brazilian way my whole life even though I've only ever lived in the US! The gap just bothers me way too much so I have to put polish on my *entire* nail. I use a toothpick to swipe along the edges and wipe the toothpick on a napkin. Once I've gotten most of the extra off, I let a shower take care of the rest. Sometimes I'll use a clean-up brush with acetone but that's riskier (and I have eczema so it hurts, lol) so I only really do it if I'm going somewhere the same night I'm doing my nails for some reason. This was super interesting! :)
I had seen Brazilian girls comment on nail design accounts (instagram) mocking or saying that the nail was not completely painted. On the other hand, let's say that I combine the 2 techniques, I do not like that the nail polish stays on the entire finger and less on the cuticle (American technique) but if I use the stick with the cotton to clean if I splash a little nail polish on the skin around my nail. Anyway, Brazilians, Cubans, Argentines 🙋🏻♀️, we are all from America I loved the video! Happy new year 😊 🎆
Yeah they are not very nice to us to be honest, but can’t be fighting strangers on the internet so I don’t even reply 🤣 . I thought this was an interesting topic to cover from an informational point of view, since there was so much disparity on how people view nail painting and what’s to do or not to do. Happy new year to u too!! 💕💕
Muy bien explicado. Yo prefiero el método de no tocar el borde de la cutícula y si cometo un error limpiarlo con la brocheta. Trate el método brasileño y se me hizo tedioso 😉👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾😂Aunque el acabado del brazilero es impecable!
Si la verdad que el acabado es espectacular, no se puede negar! El lio es ver si uno quiere pagar el precio haha - a mi si me lo hace una manicuri pues si, pero si tengo que hacerlo yo, pues no haha :)
I paint it all over without cleaning it straight away, but once the hand is done, I use a knife (yes, a knife lol) to move the excess from the sides of the nail onto the skin and use my finger to pull the skin back around the cuticles; this breaks the nail polish between the nail and the cuticle, leaving no gap and good shape following the cuticle. I do this about an hour before going to bed and sleep with my hands out to keep it from messing up. The next day, after washing my hand a few times, I use a towel and cuticle trimmer to peel the polish off the skin. Whew! P.S.: Never got manicure at the salon, but I guess the American way would be more practical if you need it to be immediately neat.
Yeah I recently posted a video (like maybe a week ago) about this. I specifically discussed how creating a gap between nail and skin is all u really need and then the polish on the skin will fall off… but if u don’t create this gap, then the polish might lift (more details on the video), you yeah 👍🏼
This was really helpful. I had seen a collab post on Instagram with the American can vs. Brazilian but they didn't do the clean up part so I was confused it was just left like that. I hadn't heard of the difference in technique. I personally have high skin around the edges of the nail. So, I press it down n try to get as close as I can then clean up if need be. No gaps.
Thank you for explaining this! I’ve been seeing insta videos of nail artists doing this Cuban method and me, an American, was like “what the heck is she doing?!” Makes sense now!
Great video! I personally like a tiny gap, but its definitely personal taste. My biggest issues: the time required (so much time) & the inflamed skin left by the clean up - the remover & the friction left the skin around your nails all red and slightly swollen. BTW - that color is absolutely gorgeous!
Love this polish! But yeah, I mean you don't have to paint SO MUCH outside of the skin as i did here to illustrate it. Also this polish is sooo pigmented, a less pigmented polish is easier to clean. (Then a red or a black would be horrible to clean, etc). It depends haha. Thanks for watching!
I love all styles, I like to clean my cuticle like the Russian manicures, swatch like Americans, and do longer lasting manis like the Brazilians. No judgement ❣
I actually kind of like the look of the gap because it reminds me of gel manicures, which look really polished to me. The Brazilian method would work better if you put a thick, waxy cuticle butter on the skin around your nail. It works as a buffer to get the polish off faster.
I literally just told this to someone on my IG last night. I wondered if applying Vaseline on my skin before Brazilian method would assist in clean up! I think it would 💕
I do the “Cuban” method because I physically cannot do the American method. I don’t have the fine motor control to not get the polish on my skin. I wait till the polish is a bit tacky then go in carefully with a “cleanup brush” which is actually a cheap dollar store angled eyeliner brush. It does take a long time, but it’s what works for me.
I use the elf make up brush to clean up all the time! It’s one of the brushes I use, and like $1 when u can find it at the dollar store or even target or Walmart! 🥳
I can see how much faster and easier the technique is when you leave a tiny gap. I do like the filled in completely look better because it makes your nails look longer, but it's too much work, and honestly in a few days, you'll still have the same growth gap. You're right, you can't tell any difference from regular distance. My technique for years (before RUclips and blogs) was paint it all, and then after it dried, the bits on the skin came off in the shower. It wasn't as finished and perfect a look as the little gap leaves, but it was what I knew and it worked.
Thank you Larissa Great ,informative video 😍. In some comments , says that no gaps make varnish stay longer ?? My varnish tends to peel off ,nearly like a sticker , especially when OPI infinite shine ridge filler used as a primer??? Brazilian/Cuban method is very much against my greedy nature😂- too much waste of varnish & time🤣 But ,to be honest ,I'm using combination of both. Thanks to your influence, I've started practising with a brush. For years I was using a tip of metal nail file-but only THE ONE, so completely lost when gone missing for ages😂and pure joy after finding it in Dyson tube 😂😂😂and cotton buds- they ave less fluff. Thank you again xx
What an interesting demonstration! How little we know how other cultures do things we never think of or seem so different to us. For one it seems like a waste of polish. (Not judging) Also I would have cotton fuzz all over. But as you said practice is what makes an expert. Also time consuming. In the States we can buy similar pointed Qtips at Amazon that maybe aren't available in other countries. But for me applying the polish remover around my nail area would be so drying. But what a great video to help us learn other techniques. Thanks so much for sharing! Have a blessed and Happy New Year! 🤗😇😊
Yeah I feel like the wooden stick and cotton technique is only a necessity since u have a big mess to clean up. U wouldn’t be able to clean it up with a qtip since u couldn’t apply the pressure! So much polish on the skin is something I personally find unnecessary but ofc I wouldn’t tell anyone that. Be happy. But I still have that opinion about it 🤣
In Brazil we also roll the wood stick with the cotton. But although I'm Brazilian I do my nails as Americans. But my sister, manicures and Brazilian swatchers all do it the Brazilian way.
Ah perfect! Yes the rolling of the cotton makes all the difference. I’ve seen a couple Brazilian videos that don’t roll but maybe it was just those specific people. The rolling Mamés clean up super fast! 💕
@@PolishLabRat for me the cleaning of the flooded area with the wooden stick is scary, so I've never did on myself, but I've been to manicures that used the wooden stick with cotton. Other different thing is that in Brazil people remove the cuticles by cutting them. I've had mine remove a long time ago when I went to a nail salon in Brazil, but since now I only do my nails at home I don't do that anymore.
Yay! Im cuban, too! I've never seen the very messy method other than in a recent video (and I was like WTF , oh...wow!) from another country, but then I was very little when I came to the US. The way i used to paint my nails was to aim the brush slightly downward and sneak it it against the edges. It was pretty neat, no gap, and required little cleanup, if any. I started using a brush last year and love it! No way im going back to the wooden stick (or a well sharpened pencil, when i had nothing else lol).
Im on a binge watching your videos. Ive always loved your videos. This one was interesting. I learned that i do my nails the cuban way, but done even clean it up. Wait for water to take care of it. Haha. I do try for the American (or Canadian as i am) way, but not always successful lol
The water will work but sometimes, depending on how the paint was laid, the paint that’s on the skin, will lift the one that’s on the nail…. So, even if u r not gonna clean it up and will let the water do it, go around the skin with a wooden stick as to separate the paint between the skin and the nail 👍🏼 then the water cleans the skin, and the nail remains intact
This is OPI Eco-Maniac :) I used this one because it's so pigmented and would depict the styles easily. It kinda made more of a mess than I anticipated, but close enough haha
I am on team easy application. Thank you for your video. It was interesting to watch but I couldn’t do the Brazilian style even if I tried hard. Trying to roll that stick around my nail would be disastrous. 😩
Right, the wooden stick with the cotton takes some practicing. I did it for years, and still when I try it I can tell I have lost my experience and practice haha. Even though the painting part requires more skill on the American, the cleaning part definitely requires more skill on the Brazilian. It's like a trade off :)
Thanks for doing this! I started getting into doing my own nails in 2020 but I'm so bad at it, LOL. I can't resist painting right up to the edge of the nail but then I can't manage to do good enough clean up with a brush (or stick or toothpick--ugh!). Maybe I'll get better at this in 2022.
When I first saw this method of doing nails I laughed because it looked like that way I did my nails when I just starting to do my own and my right hand but after time and trial and error I started to get much better at doing my own nails. But this way is crazy and funny.
I always mean to do an “American” manicure but I unintentionally do a “Brazilian” manicure 😂
hahahaha as long as the polish goes on the nail, we are happy! whatever works haha :D
Same here 😂😂
Same 😂
🤣🤣
😂
You explained this so beautifully without even remotely offending anyone that prefers either one technique or the other. I personally realize that this is a preference. I chuckled at Janixa’s video. I loved that one too. I personally hate flooding my cuticles because it would take me forever to do a cleanup like that and I paint my nails when I am stressed or depressed for a very quick pick me up. Painting nails should be fun and everyone should do it the way they want. Thank you for also highlighting that in Cuba they don’t have all the fancy necessary brushes and stuff you can get on Amazon. I am obviously not Cuban but you were informative that some people in certain countries use what they have available on hand and not everyone has access to accessories that would allow for certain techniques. Appreciated.
Oh yeah for sure, I think the concept of "not everyone can get everything on Amazon" is a bit foreign to us sometimes, but it's very real for a lot of people... even if they live here, not everyone can afford it. If I told you the stories of all the things we used in Cuba as a replacement of something we didn't have, you would laugh haha. Maybe I need to do a video on that :P
I am from Brazil and have been living in the US for roughly ten years. I do my own nails using the Cuban technique, which is used in Brazil as well as mentioned in the video. I get compliments 10 out of 10 times from Americans for how my nails look and how it even look like fake nails because they can’t see any gap. Not to mention that it lasts a lot longer. I can go at least seven days with them looking pretty fresh.
I never paid to go to get my nails done in the US and never will, just because I refuse to pay to get out of the salon with my nails looking like they have been polished days ago in a hurry. I can notice the difference, and it bothers me, so I prefer to spend some extra time. This is MY experience and opinion. Everyone is different. Thank you for showing a different technique!
Yeah so that's the thing, if you are paying for a manicure, I don't want a huge gap that looks grown out. Honestly, I don't like a big gap if I'm paying, I would be ok with a "smallllll" gap if i'm paying - same reason, then you look grown out super fast. Specially on gel, which needs to last 2 weeks.
For regular polish, which I do myself and change every 2-3 days, it's not a good return on my investment (time) to have to clean up that much. If I'm doing manicure for a vacation, or when I do gel, I do spend more time to reduce the gap.
Love hearing people's experiences, thank you so much for sharing yours! :)
OMG, same here. I don't want to offend anyone, but the American style seems lazy to me.
Same! 💅
I feel the exact opposite. Painting sloppy is lazy.
Nenhum outro país faz tão bem unhas e depilação como brasileiras. Eu prefiro me virar sozinha também.
My personal style for years, before Instagram and RUclips, was to slap on some polish in the evening, not quite as much on my skin as the Cuban method you showed, and then after my morning shower whatever got on my skin would just peel right off. Now I do the American way you demonstrated. Makes it easier to do my nails any time of day and not have a mess on my skin if I have to go out. I will admit though that the gap is annoying to me.
This way to paint, you don’t have to apply THAT much on the skin, in order to cover it all. Only online I think people show it on the videos to make it obvious what they are doing. I practice is less messy. Thanks for watching!
@@PolishLabRat yeah, why get that messy 😂
Seems like a lot of work to clean
I still do the shower peel and I never knew this was a thing. I just thought I was being lazy. Now I can say it’s my style 😊
This is how I used to do it. I had no control with my non dominant hand so it would get all over. I'd do it on like Sunday afternoon and when I would shower on Monday morning I'd get my hands soft in the shower and use a scrubber or washcloth and just rub it off. :D Now I'm so so so much better, thank goodness. I can do them anytime and not have to worry about cleanup.
I never knew this was a thing either (shower peel). I apply at night (not this extreme but I don’t clean up) and in the shower the excess peels off leaving perfect nails.
“This a$$hole”……that’s my favorite line!! 😂😂😂
hahaha the lint gets everywhere!
I am from Cuba as well, and I have to tell you, you made me laugh hard because You are TOTALLY RIGHT! The gap was not acceptable, lol. It took me a while to learn why manicure looked so clean in the US, and once I learned how to paint my nails that way, I NEVER WENT BACK! Great demonstration!
Hahaha if you know you know hahaha 😂😂🙌🏼🇨🇺 - yeah I’m not going back either haha lmao
Cuabnita here too 😂 and I’m the same way it took me a long time to learn the American 🇺🇸 way but yes once you learned you never go back and mind you I did them the Cuban way all the time so I had like 5 different wooden sticks ready with the cotton to cleaned them up
So glad you did this video because I see way too many people criticizing others for how they do their nails. I am old school Canadian and I hate a gap (mostly due to OCD) but I have never seen a gap left in my life until RUclips. I do my nails similar to the last nail you did and I always like the outcome. Very little clean up and my nails look complete.
Yeah, diff people do it diff ways, and it's fine either way :)
I'm venezuelan and I'm a nail tech in Mexico, and my mom was a manicurist for 25+ years back home. I grew up watching her paint nails like "cuban" style, obviously not as messy because she did have a lot of experience. She would use the wooden stick and I always try to get as close to the cuticle as I can because I am so influenced by her work and how she would worry so much about doing quality work, although she didn't have to deal with gel application and I do, so I kinda go for the "American style". What I do sometimes is take a liner brush to really paint closer without making such a mess, but it's not always necessary, and you're absolutely right! Most clients don't even mind the gap cause you can't really see it!
Hey Valentina! Yeah that’s what the Russian style manicure does! The liner brush is the bomb when doing gel and being able to paint all the way! - I also agree that with experience they paint the skin but not THIS much as I did here and the clean up is very fast since they are used to it. It’s impressive to see them clean up so perfectly 😍 . I haven’t done this in years so I went a little too thick all over the skin, but good enough to explain the point 🤣 . Thx for watching!!
It's so satisfying to paint a perfect nail without having to clean it up.
True Hahaha
I am so glad I watched this video, it explained a lot. I recently had a pedicure done in a high end salon, and the lady who painted my toes did the Brazilian technique. I of course didn't know about this technique and I thought she had the shakes, she had polish everywhere! She did clean it up well. Learn something new everyday.
Hahaha yeah, good to know just in case we come across someone doing it differently, we don’t freak out 🤣
I wish I could like this twice! It was hilarious, fascinating, AND a good reminder for us all to keep an open mind. I teach ESL, and I never stop being amazed all the different ways cultures approach just about anything in life. So many things we might take for granted are done differently in another culture.
Absolutely agree! :)
Well said 😁
American lady here, and I almost screamed when I saw the Cuban method!! I can certainly appreciate the method, but (especially with dark colors or glitters) I know I personally would never be able to achieve a completely clean result. Both methods require practice and care. Thanks for this very interesting video topic!!
I agree both methods require practice in their own style! Both painting inside the nail and cleaning out properly are def skills that you can acquire with practice and time ☺️💕 - thanks for watching!
I'm American but have always done the Cuban way. I hate the gap! Lol 💅 love the video! Very interesting ❤️
haha yeah that gap bothers a lot of people! 😆 thanks for watching 🌸❤
I was a cosmetologist in the early 70’s in Colorado. We used a combination of both methods to polish the nails.
Thanks for sharing! ☺️💕
The purpose of the video obviously is to demonstrate how nails are done in some other countries. Although it may seem like we spend a long time cleaning up the edges, as a Brazilian, I guarantee we don’t waste that much of nail polish 😬 What we do is just slightly overpassing the nail limit onto our skin 🙂. What Brazilian manicures also do is covering all finger nails of one hand with nail polish at once, then they come with the stick with no cotton on the tip just “contouring” the cuticles and they do all fingers quickly before it dries. Finally, they add cotton to the tip of the wooden stick with nail polish remover and then proceed to remove the excess off the skin. It’s a little more work but the clean natural look pays it off, not to mention that it lasts longer as she mentions in the video 😊
Right, did you watch the whole video? I showed exactly what you described, and I also mentioned that a person with experience will actually do this extremely fast and it's not that big a deal to them because they have experience. So yeah I agree with you. (I don't want to do that anymore tho, since I don't mind the gap, but I understand why it's done this way and I know it doesn't take THAT long once you are used to it) :D
I am from Jamaica, i went to cosmetology school and the way you do it in cuba we do for people with deep side walls, but we apply petrolum jelly on the skin, and clean up just the same way with the orange wood stick. !! One love.
✨💕 Seems like many countries use this! ☺️
I am portuguese and most of our manicures are brazilian. They are amazing! It doesn't take long to clean up at all. It's almost automatic, they are so quick! And the nails last so much longer! Now if I am doing this myself, I would go not touching the skin.
Yep makes sense :) haha
Wow, you are such a pro’
I’m just an nail polish enthusiast 🙏🏼❤️🤣
I just loved this video. Idk why, I’ve been painting my nails for probably thirty years. I’ve used the wooden stick, the asshole cotton balls and the clean up brush. They all have their place. You just cracked me up. Thank you 😘
Hahaha thanks for watching!!
I’m American and I prefer the Brazilian or “Cuban” way. It’s much more satisfying to me on the nail and more fun to watch videos of
Fair enough haha
I used to do it the "Brazilian" way and my god it was a pain in the butt to remove, my cuticles ended up stained and sometimes I ruined the polish while cleaning up. Now after watching Cristine's videos I started to leave the gap and my manicure lasts so much longer and it looks so much better... I still mess it up from time to time tho 😅
Yeah haha it's much faster honestly, but yeah if you mess it up just clean it up however you can. Nobody will be looking up close :P :D
I'm Italian and I've just discovered the Brazilian manicure style! It's mesmerizing to see people painting the nail and the finger, because I'm so used to be careful not to touch my skin with the nail brush and they just paint all the finger 😂 it's somehow relieving, I don't know. Something like "f*ck the system"
Hahaha like: “ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE CHAOOOOSSSS” 😝🤘🏼 and then “up next, I’m cleaning up the chaos flawlessly” hahaha
@@PolishLabRat hahahah exactly! It's pure anarchy 😂😂 I'm annoyed, shocked AND in love
I loathe American style 'free edge' everywhere as it catches on everything, chips lifts all the way around, a mess to live with. Never mind I have incredible eyesight so it looks rough and uneven like child's work. Others probably just change colours every other day and don't care about these things? But myself, I need a thin application just to the edge, and immediate swoop the crease to catch any runoff or transfer with a cuticle pusher, swipe it clean with towel like you do... have never been able to use the stupid brush no matter how little acetone is on it, because the brush always floods and removes mani from nail too! Such fine slow delicate fussy work brush, dry napkin, brush, dry napkin, wreck the sides of my mani anyway... I HATE IT with the power of 1,000 suns. Tried your rolling cuban cleanup technique, 1 swoop all done easy peasey. Solved EVERYTHING. Amazingly practical and simple.
I’m very glad you found a system that works great for u and that u enjoy doing and wearing! 🤩💅🏼 I can see pros and cons of both 🤣
That's why I don't freak out if I have a tiny bit of flooding. Handwashing throughout the rest of the day corrects it.
Yeah it will 👍🏼
I only recently started doing "American" instead of "Cuban", simply because I didn't know better. You are so right about how no one sees the gap but you! Anyway I LOL'ed when you called the orange stick "this asshole".
It was the cotton that was the asshole lmaooo because of all the lint 🤣🤣🤣 Thanks so much for watching!! 💞💞
Same here🤣 I would wreck that "Cuban" mani in 1 second.
HAHA the clean up brush thing is so true. When I was younger I would clean up my manicure in the shower or hot water. I also remember a friend from High School using her thumbs as “clean up tools” and paint them last and hope for the best when painting them.
hahaha yeah I also used to do the thumb trick, because it was so effective!
Super interesting video, thank you for posting! I love having painted nails but don’t have a very steady hand and hate paying salon prices, so I usually apply “Brazilian style” a bit before a shower. The polish flakes off easily and looks great afterwards, so it feels like the best of both worlds. The only major negative is that you have to time when you do your manicures a bit more carefully.
Timing the mani seems like a small price to pay to get the best of both worlds :D - I think as long as it works for you, then no reason to change haha. Thanks for watching!
I never saw a cleanup technique b4. Is this what you would do b4 u cure a gel polish?
@@juliefizpatrick513 Sorry I’m not sure if it would work for gel polish because I’ve never worn gel nails. I have noticed that some non-gel polishes are more likely to peel off whereas others tend to flake off, and sometimes you need to be a little make careful with the ones that peel so that they don’t take the polish that’s on your nails off as they’re coming off.
I was SO CURIOUS about this after seeing Janixa’s video and I thought it wasn’t a technique, just a mess! I truly didn’t understand! I would never choose to slop nail polish on my skin, but I get it now! Thank you for the enlightening video! XOXO Heidi
You are very welcome!! 💕💕💕
Back when my mom went to beauty school in the US (late 1980s) they taught to leave a gap on the sides to provide a long lean appearance. I never liked that when my mom painted my nails so I always went right up to the skin, I don’t like gaps either because my nails grow too fast and then it lifts and catches my hair. I typically clean up with an orange stick as well and only recently got my first brush but it drives me crazy when the polish is super pigmented and the wet cleanup brush smears the pigments around in every little imperfection on my skin.
Yeah I know what u mean, that’s why I lightly tap the clean up brush against a paper towel before I take it to my skin, because otherwise the excess will get all over the polish and cause trouble. I don’t prefer a super big gap either for a mani, honestly, just a small one that allows me to skip clean up but still looks covered (unless u get too close which nobody will get that close haha)
😂I found myself so clever wen I worked out that side gaps make my nails looking better. And nobody else could do it 🤣🤣We are just so different , with individual shapes of nails and fingers, so need to be flexible & inventive. Thank you for sharing ,so helpful 💙💙💙
I always paint my nails the Brazilian way, simply because I hate the gap. Cleaning up is not really an issue for me.
😊💕👍🏼
I think I was Cuban or Brazilian in a past life. I strive to paint my own nails with the gap, but I always end up looking like the one from Cuba & Brazil. It never fails. Painting my own nails is a time consuming mess. But I freaking love it. 🥰
It’s ok! Cleaning up can be relaxing too 🙌🏼
It's important to mention that you are using a very good coverage nail polish. When you have to make several layers with the American method (in case you have a low coverage polish), nail will have a much more rough finish, with a thick coat of polish, which is less long-lasting. Also, brazilian ppl love to super duper remove cuticles, so it will have a different overall appearance whit polish covering the whole nail.
I agree with everything you said, except that American will have rough finish with low coverage polish. It doesn’t, if done properly. 💕 - in Cuba the cuticles are super removed as well yep!
I do the “American” way but I did enjoy learning about the “Cuban” way and your commentary as always!!
Thank you!!! 💕💕😘😘
I’m just admiring how that first swatch was so quick and perfect 💕 I don’t like a big gap but yours is so tiny I don’t even notice! With certain formulas I can paint my nails super easy like that but more often I get some on the side of my nails. Some of my nails are super curved so I’m blaming that lol. I just make sure to wipe it with my thumb so it doesn’t create a bond between the nail and skin, then let the remaining polish get washed away later. Anyways, I admire your skill! 💅🏼
Thank you so much!! Yeah you definitely can let the "hand washing and a shower" clean up the polish, as long as you do what you said "break the bond between the nail and the skin", that way when the polish on the skin lift, it doesn't pull the one on the nail with it. Then you can let the water do the clean up :) Thanks for watching!
I guess I’m a Cuban at heart because I’ve always hated a gap on my nails, but then when I do make a mess, I was wondering what was wrong with me! Good to know that there are countries out there beyond the US that prefer my way. Thanks!
Yep, absolutely! :) I mean we discuss this just to learn and see and explain, but honestly, any way to do it is ok. As long as you are happy painting your nails and like your outcome, whatever works! :D
You’re hysterical! New favorite channel.
🤣❤️ welcome here! Thank u so much haha
I wanted to express my gratitude for the valuable content you've been producing. Your videos have been very informative and easy to understand, and I appreciate the effort you put into making them. Your expertise is evident, and I feel like I'm learning a lot from you. Thank you for sharing your knowledge in such a clear and concise way!🙏🏾
I sincerely appreciate the effort you put into creating your videos. Your expertise shines through, and I'm gaining so much knowledge from your content. Thank you for sharing your wis
Thank you! 🩷🩷🩷
“And then it’s like no” 😂 I used to do my nails the Cuban way because I haaaate the gap but if I accidentally ruined my nails before they dried I would almost have a nervous breakdown at the thought of having to fix it. I get why you said it was a pain at every opportunity!
Hahahaha yeah!!!! 🤣
The gap has become a thing because it is important with gel polishes not to cure any of it on your skin as this can cause allergic reactions. As someone with small nails and a deeply recessed nail bed, it has always been incredibly easy for me to flood my cuticles without meaning to, and with the base and top coats it can be hard for me to see that and be able to know it happened until it is cured. I have learned how to 1) apply the polish better to begin with, and 2) try to leave a little bit of a gap at the top. Since the gel self-levels, by the time I get all four fingers painted, it has had time to settle and flow back towards the cuticles enough that the gap is not noticeable.
With regular polish, again the size of my nails means that more often than not, it gets on the cuticles/skin unless I apply a liquid latex peel, but I don't often use very strong colors, so I don't sweat it staining my skin. It peels off the next day when I wash my hands.
All in all, I think I prefer the cleaner method of leaving a SMALL gap, though, so I'm not drying out my skin with more acetone than is necessary.
I also just find it easier, I agree. It’s like, skip the clean up, I love the crisp line, and as it grows it looks great… so all in all, I’m happy with the small gap 😊
Learned something new with the stick and cotton. Thanks
☺️👍🏼
Thank you. I’ve never thought about differences before, but it does make sense. Thank you.
Thanks for watching! 💕
This was really informative! With very pigmented polishes I notice that clean up brushes actually spread it around more than clean it up. So I might try the stick + cotton method!
Ah haha yeah, also try to dab the clean up brush against paper towel and remove some excess so it doesn’t spread so much liquid and make a bigger mess haha
I do my own gel polish, and I guess I do a combination of techniques. I hate leaving a gap because it's shows up quickly when your nails grow. But I don't flood the nail, I get close enough to the sides and cuticle that some of the polish spills over, it's a little annoying to clean up but worth being able to keep my nails a few days longer.
For gel tho, try not to get on your skin. It's been known to cause allergic reactions on some people after some time. (Not all of course, but it could happen and it's not so uncommon).
My hands are too shaky to give myself an American-style manicure. I have been doing the thing with getting it all over my cuticles, using a stick, then cleaning up (or sometimes I put latex around the edge of the cuticle for easier clean up. I even take cotton and put it around a toothpick for better clean up. I had no idea it was a thing, I thought I made it up and it was 'wrong' but it was just easier for me. Now if anyone questions my messy in-progress nails I can just tell them I do a 'Brazillian style' or 'Cuban style' manicure. I love it! Thanks!
hahaha exactly! and honestly as long as you get to do your manicures and are happy about it, it's all good regardless of the method! :D. thanks for watching!
When I was a kid in the US, we tried to paint as close to the cuticle as possible; it was hard! We used orange sticks with cotton and acetone, too. I stopped painting my nails for a while and came back into it to see these gaps and I was surprised. I assumed it was an accommodation to gels.
I think the gel influence probably has some to do with it too. My guess is that people saw the tiny gap in gel manicures and realized it’s barely visible (if done properly) and were like, meh, we can do the same with regular polish probably haha 💕
This was cool and very educational. I didn’t know there were different ways other countries do their nails.
Thanks for watching ☺️✨
thanks for your time!!! love your videos!
Thank you! 💕
Im an American but I was looking up Brazilian because it looks so clean with regular polish. But now I’m thinking how time consuming it would be. I give them credit they do it fast. Everyone complains in America on the Brazilian videos because they think it’s causing allergies but it’s regular polish so it’s not going to cause allergies. Gel polish causes allergies on skin. Thank you for this video so we see the differences. By the way, I’m glad you’re here from Cuba. I’m sorry your country is going through so much. My thoughts and prayers are with the Cuban people. ❤
Thank you so much! So yeah, I believe the Brazilians don't do this with their gel, they just do something similar to what the Russian manicures do.
I grew up in Miami and have seen manicurist use the cotton around the orange stick to clean up but I don’t recall the polish all over my nail application. You know what, to each their own. I use an orange stick when I flood my cuticles (without the cotton because I would get lint everywhere!) It’s all about what works for you. Xoxo
I agree :) whatever works!
That was very interesting and informative. Thank you! Britt
Yw 💕💕
I also noticed neither technique caps the free edge?
Actually in Cuba they used to remove the cap, creating what they called “el filito” or “the little edge”. Like the total opposite of capping. They thought that if the polish is not reaching the absolute end of the nail, it wouldn’t chip. (American way does cap the edge tho, but capping us more personal preference than application technique if u ask me)
This was so well done! Very informative and answered all of the questions this American manicurist had, thank you! ❤️
You are so welcome! 😊
Absolutely fascinating! Helps to have the context when we observe both appreciation and criticism to techniques and change. 🙂
Yeah haha
There is a difference. You can see from afar. I wouldn’t do the Latin method myself but I would love to get it done at a salon.
Yeah, also people at the salon have a diff level of practice and expertise and do it MUCH quicker! But yeah for diy, is harder :)
@@PolishLabRat and I’d love to get a Russian/e-file manicure. I have done gel colour on myself but I think the Russian style is probably the most aesthetically pleasing. And grows out beautiful. If done safely. That’s sort of the catch. For every tech who uses a drill properly, there are those that can end up cutting you, etc.
So interesting, thank you so much for enlightening me on these different techniques. Happy New Year, 2022
Thank you! Same to you!
Fantastic video explaining cultural differences! Love it!!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Brasileiro gosta de parecer que a unha nasceu pintada, sem lacuna nenhuma ! Sou brasileira acho bonito o jeito da sua esmaltação americana , mas não nas minhas mãos 😅 também tenho toc … detesto qualquer defeito nas unhas , e simplesmente faço minha manicure brasileira 😂 mas tem um detalhe muito relevante, nós tiramos muito as cutículas, exatamente pra ter um encaixe perfeito do esmalte a pele . E a limpeza tem que ser impecável. Com bastante prática chega a perfeição . Não são todas as manicures tem tem essa excelência.
Adoraria praticar a esmaltação americana 😅 mas acho bem difícil . Hahahahahahahahaha
Yeah I understand. Also once you get used to a specific style it’s very hard to get used to another, specially if you like that style why change? Right? Haha ❤️
I'm from Brazil and after finding the nails on RUclips I started to try the "American" way, but I didn't mastered it yet, so I do something in between. I'm not a big fan of the little gap because I paint my nails for myself, I know no one is zooming on my nails, but I do look them up close, but as I started using gel polishes sometimes I started to get used to the idea even though I don't like the aesthetics.
Also, I too roll my wooden stick 🙃
Haha yeah, I don’t personally mind the gap but I totally understand people minding the gap. It makes sense, u know? Specially if I pay for the mani, then I don’t really want a gap. I think I’m only fine with it when I do them myself 😂😂😂 . - rolling the wooden stick is so much more efficient yes!!! ☺️☺️
Thank you! Yes! I love that you actually showed both processes. 👏🏻 I had no idea the Brazilian/Cuban manicure was a thing until this year😅 when I first saw it on insta I thought it was a joke, making fun of ppl who didn’t know who to paint their nails. (Of course I would never comment that tho 😒😅)
Yeah haha when u r used to the American way, the other way truly does seem like an April’s fools joke. I just happened to know about it from experience otherwise, I woulda thought the same hahaha
Haha...I thought the same thing at first!
Curiosity:
In brasil we always used to do nails with regular polish nails... gel nails is kind of "new" I mean.. 8 years or less
I believe that it is one of reasons why we always go so far on the edges and even skin.. as we know gel polish with led or uv can be on skin right ?
Also we're very perfectionist ... we can stand see a very little piece of nails without coloring...
But I have to agree with your "future advice" we apply and clean very quickly and we don't go so far on the skin... makes the process easier
Yeah, the thing with gel is that you shouldn’t touch the skin. You can cause gel allergies rather easily this way. I’m not sure how gel is done in Brasil. Also yes, you don’t paint so messy as I did here (I was going for the sake of example), but practically, you don’t need to. 💕
You referring to that cotton ball as an a**h*le just warned you a subscriber. I saw a shirt on Instagram on this video and came over. Awesome explanation!!
Thanks! That a**hole comment came from the heart hahaha
You are hilarious! And now I’m regretting not getting a manicure when I was in brazil. I really want to see this technique in person.
It feels normal, honestly haha. It just looks different but when they do it on you, it feels just fine haha - thanks for watching! 💕
Great video Larissa! So informative. It is great to see all the different ways different cultures approach things. We can all learn from each other. Loved your comment about the cotton wool. It looks so fluffy and innocent but if it gets on the wet nail!! Nightmare! 🤣
hahaha those cotton balls (which are low quality, I've had better but these I currently have suck), are the reason I moved to using lint-free pads hahaha - Thanks for watching!
The Cuban way is goals!!!✨💅🏻💖🌸
😝😝
I’ve had manicures done in both styles. As a consumer,
1. the Latin/Brazilian style ensures a flawless paint job EVERYTIME. It’s so disappointing paying for “professional” service and sometimes the nail tech’s polish application does not come out flawless (ie; air bubble, uneven/patchy application etc)
2. Latin style application, my mani with REGULAR polish would last 7 days!! I was blown away!
I just settle for the American style because that’s all that’s available. 🤷🏾♀️
Yeah it makes sense. I mean, i wouldn't be happy to pay and get some patchy/incomplete/bad job either. I wouldn't mind paying and getting a small enough gap, but as long as everything else is even/shiny/nice looking. Otherwise, I just do them myself hahaha
This is fascinating, I had no idea that's how some people paint their nails. I'm Canadian, and as a teen I was never trying to get it on my skin but I always ending up with a bit and flooding my cuticle. Eventually that excess would come off, especially in a good hot shower the next day. This was well before I was exposed to the nail community. When I first started discovering a bit more and seeing tips for painting your nails about leaving that gap it felt like a large gap to me and that you couldn't get all of the nail. With years and practice I've gotten better at painting my nails without such a mess and gotten used to that little gap. I'm still not as good as a lot of people and end up either with a little on my skin somewhere or a slightly larger gap especially when painting on my dominant hand. But I am used to it now and would rather minimize cleanup, and I change my polish at least once a week so if it doesn't last quite as long that's fine. But I loved seeing how you use an orange wood stick and cotton to clean up cause sometimes especially with nail art I end up with more to clean up off my skin and that would be great for removing the bulk of the mess and then using a clean up brush to clean in the cuticle area. Thanks for sharing this!
I'm glad you liked it Nicole! Please keep in mind, that they normally wouldn't go as much outside the skin as I did here, specially with such a highly pigmented polish. With some lighter colors I have definitely seen this though, but it's not necessary to paint SO MUCH outside haha. In any case, the wooden stick does wonders! haha
I find I don't always have a steady enough hand not to get nail varnish on my skin but I have been trying not to have any gap. Now I have seen how little difference there is looking at nails with a tiny gap all round I will try to do that in future. Thanks for the demo!
Thank you for watching! Yeah the gap is barely noticeable, so if it doesn't bother you then it's ok. I understand how it can bother some people specially if they are paying for it... so it's a personal choice and trade off.
That gap is annoying to me but not because of looks, but because of leaving the corner of the tip of the nail unprotected and ready for easy breakage. The nail polish extending all the way from corner to corner does not leave the nail expose, and it brings additional layer(s) of protection to the nail. So I don’t use any of these two ways, but a sort of combination of both. I go slightly off the sides into my skin, but I removed it immediately with the nail of my thumb on my other hand (no toothpick, just paper towel). I always do my thumbs at the very end after the rest of my nails are completely done. Not excessive clean up, no gap, and no time wasted 🤷🏻♀️
Yeah when I used to paint with no gap, I wouldn’t paint THAT much, I would barely paint my skin, and I would also clean up with my thumbs!! Haha - then finalize with wooden stick and cotton at the end
I do it somewhere in between, I have deep side walls and don't like big gaps so I always have clean up before top coat.
Yeah if you have deep side walls then you kinda have to touch the skin, otherwise the gap might be too big (even if you are ok with it), it might show. That makes sense!
Hah, I guess I've been doing my nails the Cuban/Brazilian way my whole life even though I've only ever lived in the US! The gap just bothers me way too much so I have to put polish on my *entire* nail. I use a toothpick to swipe along the edges and wipe the toothpick on a napkin. Once I've gotten most of the extra off, I let a shower take care of the rest. Sometimes I'll use a clean-up brush with acetone but that's riskier (and I have eczema so it hurts, lol) so I only really do it if I'm going somewhere the same night I'm doing my nails for some reason. This was super interesting! :)
Yeah exactly, if u will be home, just let hand washing and a shower clean it up hahaha - thanks for watching! 🥰💕💕
I had seen Brazilian girls comment on nail design accounts (instagram) mocking or saying that the nail was not completely painted.
On the other hand, let's say that I combine the 2 techniques, I do not like that the nail polish stays on the entire finger and less on the cuticle (American technique) but if I use the stick with the cotton to clean if I splash a little nail polish on the skin around my nail.
Anyway, Brazilians, Cubans, Argentines 🙋🏻♀️, we are all from America
I loved the video!
Happy new year 😊 🎆
Yeah they are not very nice to us to be honest, but can’t be fighting strangers on the internet so I don’t even reply 🤣 . I thought this was an interesting topic to cover from an informational point of view, since there was so much disparity on how people view nail painting and what’s to do or not to do. Happy new year to u too!! 💕💕
@@PolishLabRat thank you so much!!! 😃😃😃
Muy bien explicado. Yo prefiero el método de no tocar el borde de la cutícula y si cometo un error limpiarlo con la brocheta. Trate el método brasileño y se me hizo tedioso 😉👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾😂Aunque el acabado del brazilero es impecable!
Si la verdad que el acabado es espectacular, no se puede negar! El lio es ver si uno quiere pagar el precio haha - a mi si me lo hace una manicuri pues si, pero si tengo que hacerlo yo, pues no haha :)
I paint it all over without cleaning it straight away, but once the hand is done, I use a knife (yes, a knife lol) to move the excess from the sides of the nail onto the skin and use my finger to pull the skin back around the cuticles; this breaks the nail polish between the nail and the cuticle, leaving no gap and good shape following the cuticle. I do this about an hour before going to bed and sleep with my hands out to keep it from messing up. The next day, after washing my hand a few times, I use a towel and cuticle trimmer to peel the polish off the skin. Whew! P.S.: Never got manicure at the salon, but I guess the American way would be more practical if you need it to be immediately neat.
Yeah I recently posted a video (like maybe a week ago) about this. I specifically discussed how creating a gap between nail and skin is all u really need and then the polish on the skin will fall off… but if u don’t create this gap, then the polish might lift (more details on the video), you yeah 👍🏼
This was really helpful. I had seen a collab post on Instagram with the American can vs. Brazilian but they didn't do the clean up part so I was confused it was just left like that. I hadn't heard of the difference in technique. I personally have high skin around the edges of the nail. So, I press it down n try to get as close as I can then clean up if need be. No gaps.
Thanks for watching and sharing ur experience with this! 💅🏼💅🏼☺️
Thank you for explaining this! I’ve been seeing insta videos of nail artists doing this Cuban method and me, an American, was like “what the heck is she doing?!”
Makes sense now!
Hahaha right - when this started to make the rounds everyone was like “is this real?” And I got flashbacks haha I was like oh it’s real 🙌🏼
Great video! I personally like a tiny gap, but its definitely personal taste. My biggest issues: the time required (so much time) & the inflamed skin left by the clean up - the remover & the friction left the skin around your nails all red and slightly swollen.
BTW - that color is absolutely gorgeous!
Love this polish! But yeah, I mean you don't have to paint SO MUCH outside of the skin as i did here to illustrate it. Also this polish is sooo pigmented, a less pigmented polish is easier to clean. (Then a red or a black would be horrible to clean, etc). It depends haha. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for sharing your tips
Tfw! ☺️💕
I love all styles, I like to clean my cuticle like the Russian manicures, swatch like Americans, and do longer lasting manis like the Brazilians. No judgement ❣
Hahaha so true! Haha
I actually kind of like the look of the gap because it reminds me of gel manicures, which look really polished to me. The Brazilian method would work better if you put a thick, waxy cuticle butter on the skin around your nail. It works as a buffer to get the polish off faster.
I literally just told this to someone on my IG last night. I wondered if applying Vaseline on my skin before Brazilian method would assist in clean up! I think it would 💕
I do the “Cuban” method because I physically cannot do the American method. I don’t have the fine motor control to not get the polish on my skin. I wait till the polish is a bit tacky then go in carefully with a “cleanup brush” which is actually a cheap dollar store angled eyeliner brush. It does take a long time, but it’s what works for me.
I use the elf make up brush to clean up all the time! It’s one of the brushes I use, and like $1 when u can find it at the dollar store or even target or Walmart! 🥳
I can see how much faster and easier the technique is when you leave a tiny gap. I do like the filled in completely look better because it makes your nails look longer, but it's too much work, and honestly in a few days, you'll still have the same growth gap. You're right, you can't tell any difference from regular distance. My technique for years (before RUclips and blogs) was paint it all, and then after it dried, the bits on the skin came off in the shower. It wasn't as finished and perfect a look as the little gap leaves, but it was what I knew and it worked.
Yeah for sure! After u wash ur hands also a couple times the polish falls off the skin and is ok too.
I loved this! Thanks for sharing.
Yw!! 💞💞
I laughed at the Sister story and your mind being blown. Super interesting video.
Hahaha thanks for watching!
Thank you Larissa Great ,informative video 😍. In some comments , says that no gaps make varnish stay longer ?? My varnish tends to peel off ,nearly like a sticker , especially when OPI infinite shine ridge filler used as a primer???
Brazilian/Cuban method is very much against my greedy nature😂- too much waste of varnish & time🤣
But ,to be honest ,I'm using combination of both. Thanks to your influence, I've started practising with a brush. For years I was using a tip of metal nail file-but only THE ONE, so completely lost when gone missing for ages😂and pure joy after finding it in Dyson tube 😂😂😂and cotton buds- they ave less fluff. Thank you again xx
Thanks for watching Monika! 💕💕 - I’m not entirely sure if “no gap” will make it last longer or not.
I use a liner brush to get to the sides
Yeah that helps, and also to get super close to the cuticle, it helps 👍🏼💕
This is so helpful!! Thank you! 😊 And I recognized you are Cuban, you've got a cute Gloria Estefan accent! 🇨🇺❤
Haha thanks!!
Loved the video btw!
Thank you! :D
This was super interesting!
Thanks for watching! :)
It looks beautiful, despite the time it takes😊
It does haha
What an interesting demonstration! How little we know how other cultures do things we never think of or seem so different to us. For one it seems like a waste of polish. (Not judging) Also I would have cotton fuzz all over. But as you said practice is what makes an expert. Also time consuming. In the States we can buy similar pointed Qtips at Amazon that maybe aren't available in other countries. But for me applying the polish remover around my nail area would be so drying. But what a great video to help us learn other techniques. Thanks so much for sharing! Have a blessed and Happy New Year! 🤗😇😊
Yeah I feel like the wooden stick and cotton technique is only a necessity since u have a big mess to clean up. U wouldn’t be able to clean it up with a qtip since u couldn’t apply the pressure! So much polish on the skin is something I personally find unnecessary but ofc I wouldn’t tell anyone that. Be happy. But I still have that opinion about it 🤣
Not judging. Not for me. But is interesting and learned how different cultures do things.
In Brazil we also roll the wood stick with the cotton. But although I'm Brazilian I do my nails as Americans. But my sister, manicures and Brazilian swatchers all do it the Brazilian way.
Ah perfect! Yes the rolling of the cotton makes all the difference. I’ve seen a couple Brazilian videos that don’t roll but maybe it was just those specific people. The rolling Mamés clean up super fast! 💕
@@PolishLabRat for me the cleaning of the flooded area with the wooden stick is scary, so I've never did on myself, but I've been to manicures that used the wooden stick with cotton. Other different thing is that in Brazil people remove the cuticles by cutting them. I've had mine remove a long time ago when I went to a nail salon in Brazil, but since now I only do my nails at home I don't do that anymore.
Yay! Im cuban, too! I've never seen the very messy method other than in a recent video (and I was like WTF , oh...wow!) from another country, but then I was very little when I came to the US.
The way i used to paint my nails was to aim the brush slightly downward and sneak it it against the edges. It was pretty neat, no gap, and required little cleanup, if any. I started using a brush last year and love it! No way im going back to the wooden stick (or a well sharpened pencil, when i had nothing else lol).
Hahaha exactly, we have to make do with what we have! Haha but yeah, a clean up brush is what I like the most!
Im on a binge watching your videos. Ive always loved your videos. This one was interesting. I learned that i do my nails the cuban way, but done even clean it up. Wait for water to take care of it. Haha. I do try for the American (or Canadian as i am) way, but not always successful lol
The water will work but sometimes, depending on how the paint was laid, the paint that’s on the skin, will lift the one that’s on the nail…. So, even if u r not gonna clean it up and will let the water do it, go around the skin with a wooden stick as to separate the paint between the skin and the nail 👍🏼 then the water cleans the skin, and the nail remains intact
@Polish_Lab_Rat oh wow. That makes sense. I'll try that for sure when I'm lazy and don't clean it off. Thank you!
Np! ☺️
I love your videos. What is the name/brand of that beautiful purple color?
This is OPI Eco-Maniac :) I used this one because it's so pigmented and would depict the styles easily. It kinda made more of a mess than I anticipated, but close enough haha
I am on team easy application. Thank you for your video. It was interesting to watch but I couldn’t do the Brazilian style even if I tried hard. Trying to roll that stick around my nail would be disastrous. 😩
Right, the wooden stick with the cotton takes some practicing. I did it for years, and still when I try it I can tell I have lost my experience and practice haha. Even though the painting part requires more skill on the American, the cleaning part definitely requires more skill on the Brazilian. It's like a trade off :)
😂 I love your video! It’s so funny and true.
Thank you! 😂💕🌼
Thanks for doing this! I started getting into doing my own nails in 2020 but I'm so bad at it, LOL. I can't resist painting right up to the edge of the nail but then I can't manage to do good enough clean up with a brush (or stick or toothpick--ugh!). Maybe I'll get better at this in 2022.
It’s just practice! Don’t worry about it. For sure you will get better at clean up 🥳🥳
This was such a interesting video! Thank you for sharing ❤️
Yw!
You have such beautiful nails! What is the base coat you have on your nails?
Dimension Nails garlic base coat 🥰 thank u!
When I first saw this method of doing nails I laughed because it looked like that way I did my nails when I just starting to do my own and my right hand but after time and trial and error I started to get much better at doing my own nails. But this way is crazy and funny.
haha yeah, most people thought it was a joke and not real, and i'm sitting here like, yeah it's real haha