A super shiny, smooth and chip-free manicure that lasts 2-3 weeks - wow! I haven't had acryllic nails since high school - IMO, they're trashy, expensive, high-maintence and horrible for your natural nails. Luckily, I do have fast growing natural nails so I just swipe on OPI polish to wear for a week, take a bare naked nail week, and then do it again. And gel nail polish, also known as shellac, is a perfect marriage between long-lasting pretty polish and reasonable up-keep.
My mom received all the "tools" for gel nails for her birthday and we've had a great time doing DYI manicures - and even a few pedicures. I've had numerous people ask about buying everything so I have to share information on purchasing a shellac nail "set."
The mandatory needs and process are base coat (one thin coat and "bake" under UV nail light for 10 seconds); one coat of polish and bake for 2 minutes (note: the polish is heavier so it can gravitate to globs around the cuticles which is hard to avoid).; second coat of polish and bake for another 2 minutes; top coat, 2 minutes. To finish, rub a cotton pad of rubbing alcohol to clean away the tackiness - at first I worried this would take the polish off but it actually makes it very smooth & shiny! Ultimately, they don't chip and they keep your nails feeling strong but after a few weeks they do grow out at the base so to remove the polish, you soak a cotton ball or paper towel in nail polish remover and wrap foil around your finger - very cute extraterrestrial look, if you will. After a few moments it should come of easily. My preferred method is to peel it - probably not the best for the nail but once a little lift starts in the corner, it all peels off in one piece. Sort of addicting once you start and afterwards, buff them and they look shiny and natural again.
I have friends who spend $38+ every couple weeks to have gel nails done at a salon. The lamp my mom bought works great and was only $53 and around $11 tax. Check it out here. There are a few different brands of polish that she's bought, some we've liked more than others. They can be purchased on Amazon.com and range from $7-15, since you have to have a professional license to buy them in beauty stores. I also have a group of girlfriends who bought everything together which is another cost-effective way to do it. But it's definitely worth the time and savings for the investment - 30 minutes at home is far nicer than an hour to an hour and a half at the salon - oh and at home, you don't have to tip! ;)
Update: I shellaced my toes and although they looked shiny and cute, it may not have been the best choice. The next night I wore heels out for dinner and dancing downtown and the next morning, I woke up without polish on my little toe on each foot. I looked down and thought, "What happened!" The shoe rubbed against them and popped the polish right off. The same thing happened on my second to last toe when I wore heels that rubbed a different part of my foot days later. It's nice, like I said above, how it just peels off in one chunk but it's not like using regular polish with which you can just slap on a fresh coat. I tried to match it and it worked but it's not the same - I'll stick to the fingernails!
No comments:
Post a Comment