(07-30-2011, 09:34 AM)Donna in Huntsville, TX. Wrote: Shannon, sorry you had problems with the Linkage and I totally understand about the cost. In these times you've got to watch every penny. The brush issue is the main reason I stress to to anyone interested to use the swabs instead. I'll use most of the bottle before I throw out the last 1/4" when I use swabs. I've found if I keep using Linkage past this point, I'll start getting lifting since the primer is pretty contaminated by this time and it's started to thicken.
curious... using a new Q-tip each time... contaminated by air? or the Q-tip material?
I've been "rolling my own", smaller Q-tips... takes some time but, rolling them very tight... I can really squeeze the Linkage into the nail...less waste...
I'd experimented with using some teflon tape around the threads... seems to seal tighter...
(07-30-2011, 10:09 AM)harmonysky Wrote: I've been using Linkage faithfully for about 2 years, now and can usually get a full 3 weeks of clients from one bottle. The first new style bottle I used was gone and halfway dried up in a little over a week. I use the brush as I don't like using the swab.
I figured out that the brush that was provided with the new style bottle was too big and too long. It not only flooded the client's nail plate with too much Linkage but it seemed as if it sort of pushed too much air back into the bottle.
So, I still use the brush provided but I cut the length off so it's only about 1/4" long. I know it doesn't reach to the bottom of the bottle but I can sort of tip the bottle to the side and get the product up to the brush. This way I've been able to use just about all the Linkage! I'm on my 3rd bottle that I've done it this way and so far so good! I haven't spilled any so far!
Plus, I like the way the shorter brush kind of lets me "scrub" the Linkage into the nail and right up to the cuticle without actually touching the skin. The bigger brush was really getting the product all over and the longer I left the brush outside the bottle to wipe off the product, the faster it was going to dry up.
I contacted Brenda about the problem I was having and I was basically told the bottle and brush is how it's going to be so I decided to do what I had to do to make it work. I love Linkage and don't ever want to change products! It's totally changed my nail business by preventing lifting on all my clients and shortening my service times. I'm hoping to find another bottle that I can transfer the Linkage in so I can get the brush to reach the bottom but in the meantime, how I'm doing it works just fine!
I purchases some solvent brushes, a pack cheaply... cut them to desired size, thought it would reduce contamination because I could really soak and clean them, not have to clean immediately and re dip.... (cut the bottle brush off)... might work for the size issue...
product contaminated anyway... but not as fast as the bottle brush, now using swabs... (after some time of experimenting with various natural and unnatural bushes)
(07-31-2011, 11:12 AM)Donna in Huntsville, TX. Wrote: Here's the problem with Linkage when you talk of storing some other bottles....it's exposure to air that activates it. So when you transfer it to another bottle that's not full, then it has air trapped in the bottle with the Linkage. I've left work on Friday with a quarter of a bottle left, thinking I'd have enough to get me thru til my next one arrived, only to come in on Tuesday and it's all gone! (I might not have had the lid screwed on tight enough, too :oops: )
If I were going to transfer some to another container I'd use somethng you can get the air out of. What comes to my mind is the small pinch seal bags that tips come in. You can pour some in it, make sure the air is out, seal it, and store it in a dark place.
agree, I tried putting it in very small bottles, thinking... use up small bottle, then open the next so... less exposure to air.. etc.
didn't really work, possibly, caps not fit enough for product... some bottles stayed fresh, several never opened, set up and, impossible to clean.... end of experiment....