Sculptured Gel Extensions Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Tips For Choosing the BEST Nail Salon in Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

By | Nails, Prép Beauty Parlour

Prép Beauty Parlour

Spring is coming so so close and we can almost feel it (Being in Vancouver and all..haha!)! So what does this mean? Lovely weather, flowers blooming, yes, yes, yes! But there’s also more! Perfect, breezy weather calls for tons of outdoor events and parties! Such as what you ask?

Grad and Prom! And tons of weddings! Oh!! We at Prép are so excited! Now what does the perfect spring/summer outfit call for? Besides the outfit of course! Something glittery and fun..shiny and long lasting..!! You know what it is! Spring NAILS! With warmer weather coming our way, getting gel mani pedis are a must! But with the numerous amount of nail salons filling all the streets of Vancouver, how do you know which one to go to?

Sculptured Gel Extensions Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Today we are going to be sharing some tips & tricks for spotting a hygienic, reputable, and pampering salon! Keep on reading to find out! 👀 👀

♥1- Check the Reviews!

With the influence of social media, everybody is already on their phones. You know what I mean! Browsing through their Twitter feed and digesting all that celebrity gossip. So why not use it as a way to navigate through all the nail salons, and find one that’s perfect for you? Although not always 100% accurate, many rating/review websites are excellent when it comes to hearing about other people’s experiences and knowing what they loved and didn’t love about their service. Check out Prép’s very own Yelp page! with over 130 reviews! You can also Check us out here for 10% off your next visit!

Best Nail Salon| Prép Beauty Parlour

Best Nail Salon| Prép Beauty Parlour

♥2- What’s at their Pedicure Stations?

A clean pedicure station at Prép consists of FRESHLY cleaned towels- We basically steam ours in the hot cab, in which the towels steamed and bacteria is killed prior to use. What about the nail essentials- buffers and files? At Prép we use disposable buffers and files, removing them after each use and then scrubbing the residual glue of the file off the metal “pedicure paddle”. After this we sanitize it in our ACCEL CS20 solution.

Now the actual pedicure bowls- how does that work? Prép can’t possibly get disposable metal cans! Instead we use disposable pedicure bowl liners and throw them away after each use. As for the metal bowl, we scrub and wipe it down with more of that ACCEL CS20 solution we love so much

Best Nail Salon| Prép Beauty Parlour

♥3-Are they sterile?

Especially for those who love getting pedicures, is everything sterile? Warning: The following content may contain facts on yucky fungus! Skip on to the next tip if you feel uncomfortable! Everybody’s heard of the “nightmare salon visit”, whether shared by a bestie or read about online. So exactly what makes this visit, well.. such a nightmare?

One simple word- Onychomycosis (on-i-ko-mi-KO-sis). AKA- Nail fungus!! Shivers!! One of the most common ways that ladies tend to contract such an ugly fungus, is by visiting yours AND mine’s favourite place- a nail salon!! If the manicurist or nail technician is not properly sanitizing and sterilizing their tools, get out!! At Prép Beauty Parlour hygiene and the wellbeing of our clients are our #1 priority! We work hard to make sure all of the clippers, metal cuticle pushers, and other cutting tools are properly sanitized in Barbicide (for hair and lash tools) as well as the dental grade Autoclave and ACCEL CS20 (for nail tools)!

Best Nail Salon| Prép Beauty Parlour

♥4- Personal Hygiene at the Salon

Since all the technicians are in such a close proximity to your skin- nail technicians and lash technicians should be concerned for their personal hygiene as well. Are they using a face mask to prevent any germs or bacteria from transferring during your lash nap and pedicure sessions? At Prép we make sure that everybody does! Besides wearing masks, nail technicians will also be sure to wear gloves during the pedicure session. Wearing gloves not only protects their hands from chemicals, but also dirt, bacteria, and germs.

Best Nail Salon| Prép Beauty Parlour

 

♥5- Social Media Collection of Works

At Prép, we love to showcase all of our work by all of our talented artists! If the salon you’re looking into does not have any photo evidence of their work- whether it be on Yelp or Facebook, how will you know that they fit your style and criteria? Definitely give our Instagram a little peek HERE– For all of our nail, makeup, and lash work!

Best Nail Salon| Prép Beauty Parlour

 

Do you have any more questions on picking the perfect salon? Or just curious to ask what we use at Prép? Definitely give us a call at 604-764-6452 and we’ll be happy to answer any questions! We believe that clients should know what is being used to ensure their total safety!

Prép Beauty Parlour is located at 1305 Burrard Street in beautiful downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. We specialize in nails, eyelash extensions, waxing, massages, facials, event/bridal hair & makeup. We’d love to hear from you! Email inquiries to info@prepbeautyparlour.com. Call us at 604-764-6452. Check out our 5 Star Yelp page here! Don’t forget to follow and like our Instagram and Facebook pages! https://www.facebook.com/prepbeautyparlour

NEW Location | Prép Beauty Parlour

By | Event, Eyelash Extensions, Makeup, Prép Beauty Parlour

Prép Beauty ParlourPrép Beauty ParlourAfter 6 year of being open at our current downtown location – 1054 Hornby Street, we can sadly say that we have really outgrown our space! Being fully booked with 5 lash beds in use, 2 nail desks, and only 2 pedicure chairs, we were starting to get very cramped!

Our long standing 4.5 star rating on Yelp (with over 130 reviews! Check us out here for 10% off your next visit!) has gotten us on the map for best lash bars in Vancouver, and our lovely clients rated us best nails in Narcity and another best of Vancouver for lashes in the West Ender (Read all about that here!) Thank you to all the Prép ladies! We’ve couldn’t have done it without all the love and support we have received throughout the 6 years that we have been open!

With our new location, we anticipate on offering more services to better cater your needs! With 4 brand new, custom made hair & make-up stations, we’re so excited to welcome more technicians, stylists, and of course, more beautiful clients to share the love with!

Prép Beauty Parlour

Best Hairstyling Downtown Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

So many accomplishments have come from our location, and of course, there are many more to come at our new downtown location at 1305 Burrard Street, just a few short blocks away! Our doors are always open for those who want to drop in and we would love to say hello to our new neighbours!

Prép Beauty Parlour Prép Beauty Parlour Prép Beauty Parlour Prép Beauty Parlour

In our private room with our lovely ballroom wall decor, we offer waxing, tinting services, and we anticipate micro blading services in the future!! Stay tuned…

Prép Beauty Parlour Prép Beauty Parlour

At our new space, we also have lovely new neighbours! As sad as it was for us to say good-bye to our friends at Mine & Yours,  and our favourite coffee shop- Honolulu Cafe, we are happy to open our arms to new neighbours at Musette Caffé! Prép Beauty Parlour

Call us at 604-764-6452 to book your appointment at our beautiful location!

Check out our Instagram for more ideas and behind the scene photos by clicking HERE.

Prép Beauty Parlour is located at 1305 Burrard Street in beautiful downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. We specialize in nails, eyelash extensions, waxing, massages, facials, event/bridal hair & makeup. We’d love to hear from you! Email inquiries to info@prepbeautyparlour.com. Call us at 604-764-6452. Check out our 5 Star Yelp page here! Don’t forget to follow and like our Instagram and Facebook pages! https://www.facebook.com/prepbeautyparlour

Short Unicorn Nail Gel Design Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Nail Art for Short Nails! | Prép Beauty Parlour

By | Nails, Prép Beauty Parlour

Prép Beauty Parlour

Short Nail Gel Design Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Short Nail Gel Design Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

For those of us who are blessed with naturally long nails, getting any type of nail art is easy! Since there is so much space on the canvas to design art on. So what are we supposed to do? We short nail girls want fun and fashionable nails too! With the constant stream of crazy nail art being spit by all the talents on Instagram, we don’t blame you for wanting the crazy glass shatter nailsor the famous chrome nails!

Gel nail extensions are one way to extend and elongate your nail, this way is very common and many people get their nails extended using tips, or at Prép, sculptured extensions. You can read more about sculptured gel extension here! But for some of us…life just isn’t that easy. With work and school dress codes, long nails just might not be the best idea! We totally understand- for the safety of others right?

And that’s why today we’re here to give YOU some inspiration on short nail ideas! To ensure they don’t chip and last for at least 2 weeks before you get the removed and redone, we recommend coming into Prép for a gel polish manicure!

Compared to a regular manicure, gel manicures have a quick, almost instant dry time. Since it’s cured in a UV or LED lamp, theres virtually no time to ‘dent’ your nails!

Now let’s skip onto some of the nail inspo we have for you today!

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Animal print nails? Yes please! Leopard prints are always in style! We added a twist to this set of nails by using our NEW magnetic cat-eye gel polishes! The result? A unique, stylish set of nails! Perfect!

Short Nail Gel Design Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Short Nail Gel Design Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

YES! Finally, shatter nails! We’ve been waiting so long for this trend to come and hit us! We love the fabulous iridescent touch it leaves on your nails. Yet it’s so simple and delicate! Come in and choose your favourite glass shatter design! Now in a variety of colours to better suit you!

Short Nail Gel Design Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Short Nail Gel Design Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Gems, gems, and more gems! Short nails can get gem love too! Paired with a dark, sultry colour, the gem nail art is going to scream sophistication! We’re definitely loving the touch of sparkle too! Totally amps up the set! What do you think?

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For the ladies who prefer a lighter colour palette, check out golds, whites, and nudes! Notice the beautifully hand drawn design on the ring finger?n Our talented Prép nail technicians and artists can hand draw any design that you may imagine!

Short Chrome Nail Gel Design Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Short Chrome Nail Gel Design Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Chrome! One of our personal favourites! Whether you like rose gold chrome or want silver metallic digits- we’ve got it all!

Short Nail Gel Design Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Short Nail Gel Design Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Beautiful, fairy tale dream nails! This set features a unicorn design on the ring finger and glass shatter and sparkly nails. With a dreamy pearlescent base, who said girls with short nails can’t have fun?

Short Nail Gel Design Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Short Nail Gel Design Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Dreamy, eerie, we are loving this cute, starry night inspired look! With sparkles gently sweeping some fingers, you’re bound to get sleepy every time you look at this mani!

Call us at 604-764-6452 to book for your short nail gal dream gel mani!!

Check out our Instagram for more ideas by clicking HERE.

Prép Beauty Parlour is located at 1305 Burrard Street in beautiful downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. We specialize in nails, eyelash extensions, waxing, massages, facials, event/bridal hair & makeup. We’d love to hear from you! Email inquiries to info@prepbeautyparlour.com. Call us at 604-764-6452. Check out our 5 Star Yelp page here! Don’t forget to follow and like our Instagram and Facebook pages! https://www.facebook.com/prepbeautyparlour

Floral Pink Long Gel Extension Vancouver| Prép Beauty Parlour

Japan to Vancouver DIY Nail Art III | Prép Beauty Parlour

By | DIY, Nails, Prép Beauty Parlour

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Floral Pink Long Gel Extension Vancouver| Prép Beauty Parlour

Floral Pink Long Gel Extension Vancouver| Prép Beauty Parlour

Hello! Welcome back to another DIY Nail art series! Today’s nail tutorial does require previous experience in nail design and may be difficult for beginners. We will be using a variety of brushes and colours in order to achieve this look. The gold and the pink make for a perfect match and the delicate floral design is the most stylish way to say good-bye to Winter, and hello to Spring and Summer!

This tutorial will be guided by Prép Nail Technician Kiyomi as she demonstrates how to achieve such delicate flowers! Often times, these flowers will be drawn by acrylic as it is easier to handle the brush and it’s simple ‘press’ to mould style. Do not fret! Prép is here to guide you through this cute nail art!

This set of nails is done on gel extensions! Our Prép Nail Technicians apply a nail form to your nail and carefully build the nail using sculptured gel to ensure the nail is suitable for your nail shape and curve.

Let’s begin!

~

Difficulty Level: ♥♥♥♥♡

Materials:

♥Nail Brushes

♥OPTIONS colour in SIMPLY PINK

♥OPTIONS colour in GOLDEN TWILIGHT

♥Top & Base hard gel (or polish!) Ours is from Azkentz

♥ OPTIONAL: White gel colour

STEP 1: As always, prép your nail bed properly and apply your desired top coat!

 

Gel Extension | Prép Beauty Parlour

Gel Extension | Prép Beauty Parlour

STEP 2- We then applied GOLDEN TWILIGHT to some of the fingers, index and ring finger on one hand, and index and pinky on the other. However it is completely up to you! As GOLDEN TWILIGHT comes off sheer, you may want to apply several coats to achieve a more opaque look.

Gel Extension | Prép Beauty Parlour

Gel Extension | Prép Beauty Parlour

Gel Extension | Prép Beauty Parlour

Gel Extension | Prép Beauty Parlour

STEP 3- We then applied SIMPLY PINK to the rest of the fingers. If you prefer a lighter pink, that would look adorable as well! However, this bright pink is super bold and is adorable for the spring time.

Gel Extension | Prép Beauty Parlour

Gel Extension | Prép Beauty Parlour

STEP 4- Remember ladies!! To cure your nails between every coat and layer to ensure they are fully dry and cured!

Gel Extension | Prép Beauty Parlour

Gel Extension | Prép Beauty Parlour

STEP 4- Cure that pink and then we will move onto the nail design! We start off the art by simply drawing a stroke on the lashes. Applying the top with slightly more pressure to create the look of flower petals.

Gel Extension | Prép Beauty Parlour

Gel Extension | Prép Beauty Parlour

STEP 5- After a light layer of the petals have been painted on, go over the petals again to get the opaque and desired look.

Gel Extension | Prép Beauty Parlour

Gel Extension | Prép Beauty Parlour

Gel Extension | Prép Beauty Parlour

Gel Extension | Prép Beauty Parlour

STEP 6: After you’ve painted on the flowers, you can also add dots surrounding the nail just as we’ve done in the photos. Remember to cure between every layer!

Gel Extension | Prép Beauty Parlour

Gel Extension | Prép Beauty Parlour

STEP 7: When you are fully satisfied with your UBER chic nails, simply apply and cure your top coat, wipe your inhibition layer, and you are good to go!

Now you can flaunt your nails and wipe away all the winter blues that the heavy snowfall that Vancouver brought to Prép in January and February!

Floral Pink Long Gel Extension Vancouver| Prép Beauty Parlour

Floral Pink Long Gel Extension Vancouver| Prép Beauty Parlour

Floral Pink Long Gel Extension Vancouver| Prép Beauty Parlour

Floral Pink Long Gel Extension Vancouver| Prép Beauty Parlour

Floral Pink Long Gel Extension Vancouver| Prép Beauty Parlour

Floral Pink Long Gel Extension Vancouver| Prép Beauty Parlour

Be sure to tag us on Instagram (click HERE), and Twitter (click HERE), to showcase your own variations of this adorable mani!

♡♡♡

Prép Beauty Parlour is located at 1054 Hornby Street in beautiful downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. We specialize in nails, eyelash extensions, waxing, massages, facials, event/bridal hair & makeup. We’d love to hear from you! Email inquiries to info@prepbeautyparlour.com. Call us at 604-764-6452. Check out our 5 Star Yelp page here! Don’t forget to follow and like our Instagram and Facebook pages! https://www.facebook.com/prepbeautyparlour

Dare to Dream Bridal Showcase Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

By | Event, Eyelashes, Makeup, Nails, Prép Beauty Parlour, Weddings

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Prép would like to take the time to thank Arezoo A. of Something Borrowed Event Management and Design for inviting Prép along to the beautiful bridal showcase! The expo consisted many beautiful local artists and their arts as well as local business owners whose businesses were wedding-based. Prép would also like to congratulate those who won free tickets through Prép’s Facebook and Instagram page! Remember to follow our social media links for more information on more future contests! Definitely worth it to stay tuned!

We hope you enjoyed your visit and had a pleasant experience! We sure did!

Going to this beautiful Bridal show also inspired us to share some of our FAVOURITE nail looks! Keep scrolling to view our favourite nail pictures and follow us along to the Dare to Dream Bridal Show!

Partners of the Dare to Dream Bridal Show 2017 featured in today’s post

granville island florists

cachè couture atelier

joconde patisserie

pan pacific vancouver hotel

upright decor

something borrowed event management & design

Dare to Dream Bridal Showcase | Prép Beauty Parlour

Dare to Dream Bridal Showcase | Prép Beauty Parlour

Dare to Dream Bridal Showcase | Prép Beauty Parlour

Dare to Dream Bridal Showcase | Prép Beauty Parlour

Dare to Dream Bridal Showcase | Prép Beauty Parlour

Dare to Dream Bridal Showcase | Prép Beauty Parlour

Dare to Dream Bridal Showcase | Prép Beauty Parlour

Dare to Dream Bridal Showcase | Prép Beauty Parlour

Now onto our favourite wedding or event nail looks! Traditionally, brides would often be seen with a French gel manicure. A French manicure, or pink and white (in the acrylic world..!!), is typically when the tip of the nail is white, while the base is sheer pink or clear. No don’t get us wrong. We LOVE and absolutely adore French nails! But sometimes… it’s just not enough!

Gel French Manicure Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Gel French Manicure Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Gel French Manicure Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Gel French Manicure Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

French manicures are super classy and neat, essential for the modern business woman. But it doesn’t always suit everybody! For those with a smaller nail bed, getting french nails may shorten the appearance of your nails- leaving them looking stubby. For those who do enjoy wearing gel extensions, but again, have a small nail bed, getting a french extension manicure may mean getting uneven nails! No! Not uneven like bumpy- but uneven in the sense that the white part of the nail may overpower the clear, since all of the white is supposedly the extension.

So now what? No French? What else is the perfect wedding nail manicure? Don’t you worry– Prép has come together and have created a little combo of some of OUR favourite takes on the wedding day perfect nails!

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Pastel Pink Gel Manicure Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Classy, simple, and honestly just so PRETTY! Solid nude colours are super popular right now! Why? Because it is clean, neat, and so cute!

Sheer Pink Gel Extensions Manicure Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Sheer Pink Gel Extensions Manicure Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Sheer Pink Gel Extensions Manicure Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Sheer Pink Gel Extensions Manicure Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

We have also noticed a quickly emerging trend of clear, translucent-esque nails! And guess what? We’re TOTALLY obsessed! We love how it elongates your nail yet it looks natural, so elegant!

Sheer Pink Gel Extensions Manicure W/ Gems Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Sheer Pink Gel Extensions Manicure W/ Gems Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Sheer Pink Gel Extensions Manicure W/ Gems Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Sheer Pink Gel Extensions Manicure W/ Gems Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

What’s even better than having the perfect sheer pink? Having the perfect sheer pink manicure with GEMS!

We have also been loving these twists on the traditional French! Check them out!

Glitter Reverse French Gel Extension Manicure Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

Glitter Reverse French Gel Extension Manicure Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

French Ombré Gel Extension Manicure Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

French Ombré Gel Extension Manicure Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

French Gel Extension Manicure w/ Gems Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

French Gel Extension Manicure w/ Gems Vancouver | Prép Beauty Parlour

What did you think? We hope we sparked an inspiration for you for nails on your dream wedding nails!

Call us at 604-764-6452 to book for your special dream mani!

Check out our Instagram for more ideas by clicking HERE.

Prép Beauty Parlour is located at 1305 Burrard Street in beautiful downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. We specialize in nails, eyelash extensions, waxing, massages, facials, event/bridal hair & makeup. We’d love to hear from you! Email inquiries to info@prepbeautyparlour.com. Call us at 604-764-6452. Check out our 5 Star Yelp page here! Don’t forget to follow and like our Instagram and Facebook pages! https://www.facebook.com/prepbeautyparlour