As green and natural as I try to be, I have one weakness; my nails. My natural nails are and have always been awful. Please don’t tell me I should change my diet or eat gelatin or try this polish or that strengthener. I have done it all and none of it works. Even pregnancy didn’t help the thin, weak mess at the ends of my fingers.
I have succumbed in the past to both acrylic tips and gel nails and I love them every time. What I hate is the cost and all that filing and the smell of chemicals. For about a year and a half I haven’t done anything because I vowed to stop being so vain as to sacrifice money and possible health all for the sake of pretty nails.
Then, I discovered Shellac. I don’t know all the ins and outs of it. I just know it’s miraculous. It’s a “hybrid” polish that goes on like a regular nail color but it’s cured under UV lights so it is long lasting and instantly dry before you leave the salon chair.
I have had two shellac manicures now, one light color and one dark, and I can’t say enough about them. The color lasts two weeks minimally and there is no chipping, or cracking. Keep in mind, I’m a mom so there are dishes and baths and playing in sand involved in my every day life and STILL this polish stays put! The hidden gem of all of this is that I now have long(ish), strong(ish) nails. Whee!
When you go for removal, there is no awful drill or sanding/filing involved. Just a little acetone polish remover wrap and it peels right off with no damage to your nails.
Yes, you’re still drying under UV light but I just try my best to only put finger tips under the light. It’s not perfect, but it’s no tanning bed either.
My nails are my one spot of vanity left as an otherwise frugal, eco-conscious woman. Now that there is Shellac, I don’t intend to fight the urge for pretty nails anymore.
About Jo-Lynne
It is not always for you to encounter this kind of well written article. Thanks a lot. Its wonderfully put
I put my nails through the ringer at work and I have been dying to have a gel mani… I’m convinced it’s going to chip but I’m gonna have to go prove myself wrong, soon.
Sarah, mine usually last about 9 days. Not a full 2 weeks, but still better than the 3 hours a usual manicure lasts for me 😉
The cosmotology school salon only has 2 women who can apply the shellac. They are always booked when I call. I went today to the local salon & paid 18$. It will be interesting when I go back to have the shellac taken off & a new color reapplied. Read where you have to soak the nails in pure acetone for at least 8 minutes.
i just got a Shellac manicure TODAY! and i LOVE it!! its perfect for a busy mom who doesn’t even have time to let her nails dry 🙂
I had the Shellac Manicure done once at the suggestion of the gal at the salon. I now know however, that she did NOT do a good job! That being said most of my nails did in fact last about a week and a half. When I removed them,. my nails were a disaster.
That is not a Shellac problem ladies! I did my research almost immeadiately and have learned quite a lot. The gal should Not have roughed up my nails, she did not apply the polish close enough to the cuticles, did not properly wrap the tips with each step and she did not properly prep my nails and cuticles. It’s a wonder mine lasted at all.
I decided that I loved the product overall, so I started shopping around. I read a lot, watched a lot of videos and decided to buy my own UV lamp and the neccessary CND Shellac Base, Color Coat, and Top coat. They just came in today. I already bought the wraps and acetone, but still need the curette, scrubfresh, and hi-proof alcohol. The investment is spendy but in about 3 applications/manicures I will have my money ‘back’. The shellac manis are spendy in themselves.
Anyway, we’ll see if my little experiment works out in the end but lots of people DIY the process with great success. If you can read/study up, and can paint your own nails well, you can DIY the shellac.
I can’t wait to try my first set!
get the New CND Shellac at http://www.labeautyzone.com/CND_Shellac.html
get the new shellac at http://www.labeautyzone.com/CND_Shellac.html
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