Frequently asked questions
What does the nail brush collection at ND cover?
125 nail brush SKUs spanning 5 categories: ~55 acrylic/Kolinsky brushes for the EMA monomer + polymer bead workflow, ~33 nail art and liner brushes for freehand detail, ~28 ombre and gradient brushes for color blending, ~5 gel oval and flat brushes for gel polish application, and ~15 curated brush sets and kits. Brand coverage includes LAVIS NAILS (largest line), Chaun Legend, Kiara Sky, Classy Nail Art, plus specialty brushes. Price band $3.99 to $54.
Kolinsky vs synthetic — which brush should the salon stock?
Most salons stock both. Kolinsky sable brushes ($8.99-$54 at LAVIS) carry the EMA monomer + acrylic bead with smooth release, hold sharp tip for freehand line, last 12-24 months at daily salon production volume — best for production-floor acrylic and upscale-tier service. Synthetic taklon/nylon brushes ($3.99-$20) are vegan-friendly, easier care, more forgiving on cleaning lapses, last 6-12 months — best for salon starter, backup brush, technician training tier.
What size acrylic brush should the salon use?
Size 10 to 20 is the salon-tier standard for the EMA monomer + polymer powder bead workflow. Size 10 picks up smaller beads for detail and Pink and White French tip work; size 14-16 is the production-floor standard for the full-set extension service; size 18-20 picks up larger beads for the sculpted long extension and architectural shape work. The LAVIS Kolinsky Brush Oval at $8.99 covers the size 14-16 production-floor tier.
Which brushes should a new salon stock first?
Start with a 4-brush salon-starter set: LAVIS Kolinsky Brush Oval ($8.99) for acrylic and gel application, LAVIS Kolinsky Brush Ombré ($8.99) for gradient and ombre service, plus 2-3 nail art liner brushes from the Classy Nail Art line ($3.99-$8) for freehand cat eye stripe, French line, and detail work. The 4-brush starter covers the standard gel + acrylic service plus the freehand detail at the booth-opening client tier.
How do I take care of nail brushes to make them last?
Four-step routine: (1) Clean immediately after every service in monomer (acrylic brushes) or dedicated brush cleaner (gel and nail art brushes). Do not let residue dry on bristle. (2) Reshape tip to original point between clients. Kolinsky returns to point under gentle pressure. (3) Cap or sleeve between services to prevent dust contamination. (4) Replace at end-of-life (Kolinsky 12-24 months, synthetic 6-12 months at daily salon production volume). Signs of end-of-life: bristle splits, tip cannot hold point, ferrule loosens.
What's the wholesale ordering setup at ND?
No business license required, no minimum order, no membership fee. Price band $3.99 to $54 across the 125-SKU library. Free shipping on every order over $99, same-day dispatch on in-stock brushes ordered before 2pm PT weekdays. The brush category bundles into LAVIS acrylic powder and gel orders at the volume-discount tier when ordered together, which is the standard reorder cadence for the salon stocking the LAVIS line at the booth.
Why the right brush set drives the gel and acrylic service tier
The nail brush is the precision tool that controls every gel and acrylic application stroke at the salon production floor. A Kolinsky acrylic brush at size 10 to 20 picks up the EMA monomer plus polymer powder bead for the full-set extension service; an oval gel brush flat-loads the gel color across the nail surface in 2-coat true-color payoff; a liner brush at the 5mm tip places the freehand cat eye stripe, the flower petal, or the French line freehand without a stencil. The brush at the booth is the technician's hand extension, which is why the salon stocking the right brush set per service tier holds the consistent finish across back-to-back bookings.
ND Nails Supply ships 125 nail brush SKUs spanning Kolinsky acrylic brushes from $3.99 to the $54 LAVIS Pro Acrylic Brush Kit, ombre and gradient blending brushes, liner and detail nail art brushes, gel oval flat brushes, double-ended specialty brushes, and curated brush sets from the LAVIS, Chaun Legend, Kiara Sky, and Classy Nail Art brand lines. Top-volume picks at the salon production tier include the LAVIS Kolinsky Brush Ombré at $8.99 (496 units in stock), the LAVIS Kolinsky Brush Oval at $8.99 (493 units), and the LAVIS Double Ended Oval #8 + Spatula Brush at $15.99 (489 units).
The 5 brush categories and what each does
| Brush type | SKU count at ND | Best for | Typical bristle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acrylic / Kolinsky brush | ~55 SKUs | Acrylic full-set extension, Pink and White French, sculpted nail shapes. Size 10-20 is the salon-tier standard for the EMA monomer + polymer bead workflow. | Pure Kolinsky sable hair or premium synthetic blend |
| Nail art and liner brush | ~33 SKUs | Freehand cat eye stripe, flower petal, French line freehand, animal print detail, geometric pattern at the 5mm or 7mm tip width. | Synthetic taklon or nylon at fine tip |
| Ombre and gradient brush | ~28 SKUs | Smooth color blending across the nail surface for the ombre service, baby boomer French gradient, and shaded design tier. Fanned bristle pulls the gel into soft-transition gradient zones with no hard edge. | Synthetic fan or flat blend |
| Gel oval and flat brush | ~5 SKUs | Standard gel polish application, flood-free 2-coat true-color payoff. The oval shape caps the free edge in one stroke. | Synthetic at the salon-tier consistency |
| Brush sets and curated kits | ~15 SKUs | Salon-starter packs, multi-shape sets for the technician adding new service tiers. LAVIS Artist Brush Set, Pro Acrylic Brush Kit, and Double Head Liner Brush bundles cover the $20 to $54 starter-to-pro tier. | Multi-bristle (Kolinsky + synthetic combined in one set) |
The 125 SKU library at ND organized by brand
- LAVIS NAILS brushes (largest line at ND): Kolinsky Ombré, Kolinsky Oval, Double Ended Oval and Spatula combos, Artist Brush Set, Double Head Liner Brush, Pro Acrylic Brush Kit. The LAVIS line covers $3.99 to $54 across the full brush type range at the salon margin tier.
- Chaun Legend brushes: signature line acrylic and detail brushes for the upscale-brand-recognition salon serving the Chaun Legend acrylic powder line.
- Kiara Sky brushes: gel pro brushes pairing with the Kiara Sky All-in-One dipping and gel polish lines.
- Classy Nail Art brushes: specialty nail art liner and detail brushes for the freehand art tier.
- Other specialty brushes: ombre brushes, striping brushes, dotting tools, and double-ended specialty brushes for the salon offering multi-technique nail art service.
Kolinsky versus synthetic: which to pick
Two bristle chemistries dominate the salon brush market. The choice depends on the dominant service tier and the budget per brush at the booth:
| Factor | Kolinsky sable | Synthetic (taklon / nylon) |
|---|---|---|
| Bristle source | Natural Kolinsky weasel tail hair, premium quality | Synthetic polymer fiber, animal-free |
| Bead pickup (acrylic) | Excellent. Natural hair carries the EMA monomer + powder bead with the smooth release the salon technician needs for the bead placement step. | Good with premium synthetic. Holds the bead but releases slightly differently than natural sable. |
| Tip precision | Sharp natural point holds the freehand line. Salon-tier kolinsky tips return to point after every clean. | Synthetic point holds well in the first year of use, may need replacement sooner under heavy daily wear. |
| Price tier | $8.99 to $54 at the LAVIS Kolinsky line. Premium pro kits $50-plus. | $3.99 to $20 at the budget-to-mid tier. Salon-starter friendly. |
| Care requirement | Clean immediately after use with monomer or brush cleaner. Cap or sleeve between uses. Natural bristle dries straight if cleaned. | Easier care, more forgiving on cleaning lapses. Synthetic bristle resists residue buildup at the entry tier. |
| Best for | Daily-use salon production-floor brush for acrylic extension and the upscale-tier client booking. | Salon starter brush, backup brush, vegan-preference salon, brush for technician learning the technique. |
The salon stocking both bristles at the booth is the standard upscale-tier approach: Kolinsky brushes for the daily acrylic and gel production-floor service, synthetic brushes as backups and for the salon technician training tier.
How to pick the brush set by salon service tier
- New booth, single-chair starter: stock the LAVIS Kolinsky Brush Oval at $8.99 plus the LAVIS Kolinsky Brush Ombré at $8.99 plus 2 to 3 nail art liner brushes from the Classy Nail Art line. The 4-brush starter set covers the standard gel and acrylic service plus the freehand cat eye and French detail at the booth-opening client tier.
- Mid-volume salon, daily acrylic and gel sets: stock the LAVIS Pro Acrylic Brush Kit at $54 plus the LAVIS Artist Brush Set plus 4 to 5 individual liner brushes for the daily freehand art rotation. Add the LAVIS Double Ended Oval and Spatula brushes at $15.99 each as the booth's secondary brush stock for back-to-back service throughput.
- Upscale salon offering full art menu: stock the full LAVIS Kolinsky line plus the Chaun Legend signature acrylic brushes plus the full Classy Nail Art liner range. Add the LAVIS Double Head Liner Brush for the salon offering the upscale freehand detail tier at the $80 to $120 manicure pricing.
- Mobile booth or at-home retail tier: focus on the 4-brush salon-starter set plus 1 to 2 nail art liner brushes at the lowest stock-footprint. The Kolinsky Oval plus the Ombré plus the liner trio covers 80 percent of the at-home gel and freehand requests.
Brush care and life span at the salon
The salon-tier brush at the production floor lasts 6 to 24 months depending on the bristle chemistry, the daily use volume, and the cleaning protocol. Routine care for the salon brush:
- Clean immediately after every service: wipe the brush in monomer (for acrylic brushes) or in dedicated brush cleaner solution (for gel and nail art brushes). Do not let monomer or gel dry on the bristle, the cured residue stiffens the brush at the ferrule and shortens the brush life.
- Reshape the tip: pull the bristle to the original tip shape between each client. Kolinsky tips return to point under gentle pressure; synthetic tips need a clean fingertip stroke to reset.
- Cap or sleeve between services: cover the bristle with the cap or the cardboard sleeve the brush ships with. Open-air storage between clients lets dust settle in the bristle, which contaminates the next client's gel.
- Replace at end-of-life: Kolinsky brushes typically last 12 to 24 months at the daily salon production volume; synthetic brushes typically last 6 to 12 months. Signs of end-of-life: bristle splits at the tip, tip cannot hold point after clean, ferrule loosens. Replace before the next booking to avoid the failed-finish client recall.
Wholesale pricing at ND
The nail brush collection at ND ships at the wholesale-priced-for-everyone tier. No business license required, no minimum order, no membership fee. Price band $3.99 to $54 across the 125-SKU library, with the LAVIS Kolinsky core brushes at the $8.99 production-floor tier, the LAVIS Double Ended and Artist Brush sets at the $15.99 to $25 mid-tier, and the LAVIS Pro Acrylic Brush Kit at the $54 premium tier. Free shipping on every order over $99, same-day dispatch on in-stock brushes ordered before 2pm PT weekdays. The brush category bundles into LAVIS acrylic powder and gel orders at the volume-discount tier when ordered together, which is the standard reorder cadence for the salon stocking the LAVIS line at the booth.