Monday, March 12, 2012

To shellac or not shellac

Over a month ago I started a new job and obviously wanted to make a good impression. In preparation for my exciting first day, I got a mani-pedi. Rather than waltzing in to my new job with crazy Sally Hansen prints, I opted for a more traditional look.

I've heard about Shellac from a few gals from Twitter and decided to test it out for myself. From the outset, it's a pretty standard experience - you choose a colour, soak/spa, and the manicurist paints your nails with this gel nail polish that looks a little thicker than standard polish. They do need to add 3-4 coats but the polish dries almost immediately so it doesn't take any longer.


So what's the g.o. with shellac-ing? The good, the bad? Here's the lowdown:


Pros: 
* Drys so quickly you don't have to worry about ruining your mani
* It looks so glossy and freshly manicured for longer
* It lasts 2 weeks (I wore mine for over 3 weeks)
* It didn't chip or flake out in that entire time
* I felt like my nails were strengthened with the gel polish (this may be good for ladies with soft nails - please let me know)




Cons:
* It is more expensive than a standard mani-pedi.
* Removing the polish at home is tough-going. I found these instructions from The Pioneer Woman quite helpful.
* If you get the polish removed at your nail salon, they charge your for it.


So would I do it again? ABSOLUTELY for a manicure!! However, I don't think I'd opt for a pedicure again. Standard pedicures last quite a while for me so there's no benefit in shellacing my toes. Not only is it more exxy but I haven't even attempted to remove the polish from my toes. I think a salon visit is in order for that. *sigh*


Nail salon all over Melbourne are offering this now so be on the look out. Also there are a few groupon deals out there too.


So what about you? Will you shellac?