Shellac

I also heard that its really almost impossible to remove and its best to go back to the salon to have it removed. I don’t see myself getting into this sort of commitment- I know, lazy me!
But, I love the look.

I have heard from people who have had it when you remove it it really weakens your nails. I don’t think I will ever try it! My nails are weak as it is!

Shellac is great as long as you make sure you go back to the salon to get it removed by them.
I tried removing it myself at home, major fail & damaged my nails!
I do love Shellac & get it twice a month.

Ive had shellac & artistic gel nails done both were great, no chips for around 2 weeks and rock solid dry when i left the salon! Just wish there were more colours to choose from (guess that depends on where you get them done!) I found removal ok, just cut 3 cotton pads 4 ways to get little triangles, put nail polish remover (acetone NOT non acetone) on each one, sat on nail & wrapped fingers in tinfoil from the supermarket. 10mins later pull them off, a little bit of a pry with cuticle pusher & voila!

I have the cheap Bluesky version. The only difference I’ve noticed is that the result just doesn’t seem quite as thick, but doesn’t seem to effect the longevity.
Linda, I agree, removal can be a pain, when I don’t be naughty and peel it off..so bad for the nails, I know, but sometimes I can’t help myself.

I’ve had shellac at the salon a few times, it varies in how long it lasts, but in general is pretty good.
I’ve recently purchased an “at home” Lumninail set – $50 all up, included 3 x polishes, UV coat, removers, and the LED light – it’s really good value & I’m hoping I’ll save money by doing it at home (sometimes). I like salon manicures so will still visit the salon for some too.
The one downside – removal – it’s a big pain as in it takes ages, whether at the salon with their special wraps or if I do it at home – there’s no quick way to take you polish off, it can take almost as long as it takes to apply it.
I do like how shellacs dry super fast in the salon too – you can be there 30 minutes & come out with perfect nails & 3 coats of very dry polish

talking about shellac, I literally just today bought my Artistic Colour Gloss kit. I’m SO SO EXCITED!!!

it was Exxy, because its the proper professional kit with an awesome LED light. totally worth it because I am actually studying to become a beauty therapist and will be starting doing peoples nails in any spare time I have to earn a little extra money.

Thanks girls this has given me something to think about..

Hi I’ve tried shellac and loved it but found it a bit too pricey. In Australia it sells for $25 + for 7.3ml bottle but in the USA you can buy them for $13.00! It is priced much higher in Australia for some reason.

So I’ve been testing out a few other uv gel polish brands like Bluesky and Gelish and found these work identically! And they are about half the price of the CND brand! I did a bit of online research about the chemical difference between shellac and uv gel polish and found they are basically the same. But I guess CND have veryyexpensive advertising and public relations budgets that justify the $27.00. I found that both Gelish (as uv gel polish which applies and removes exactly the same and I got 14 days without chipping) at a much more reasonable price for a 15ml size bottle. I think uv gel polish is amazing and gives the same result. I love the result and I love the money I save. I”m now looking at trying a new Australian brand hybrid gel polish called LOVE hybrid gel polish which sells for $19 for large 15ml bottle. I’m ready to put my $10 change towards my next Phuket holiday. So give these other uv gel polishes a try. 🙂

Thanks girls this has given me something to think about..

I’ve got gelish on (I do it myself), and I work as a night filler, which means my hands and nails go through A LOT… Before Gelish (it’s similar to shellac), my nails would break everytime I’m at work, but now I get to come home to perfect nails.

I also agree with Gabzilla, that if you tend to use your nails as a prying tool, the likelihood of it breaking off increases. However, from experiences it does add some strength (not as much as acrylic though). I say give it a go since you live nearby to a nail salon!