Shellac Manicure: My Experience

Once in a while, a girl needs to treat herself to a manicure. There is no denying it, getting pampered at the nail salon will turn any bad day for the better! I myself am not a usual "manicure getter", but more of a "do-it-yourself-er". In fact, I believe I have only gotten my nails done once in my life, as a little girl at a very girly birthday party. We had all been treated to an airbrush design on our tiny nails. Oh how excited we all were to actually say we had gotten a professional manicure!

Manicures are not a given since they can be quite expensive. But honestly, if you shop around a little, you get still get some pretty good deals at decent salons. As I was going away for a week, I did not want to stare at my chipped nails since I always feel the need to redo them whenever they start turning ugly on me. Instead of carrying nail stuff in my suitcase, I opted to get a shellac manicure, a long wearing polish that hardly chips and that can be applied on natural nails. This type of manicure resembles gel polish as they both give a glossy finish and need to be removed at the salon, although it is said that gel polish takes longer to remove. To top it off, shellac does not damage your nails (healthy nails = happy nails!).

There were so many colors to choose from, and I opted for a bright neon pink. If I remember correctly it was shade #9 on the nail display (I have no idea if there is only one classification scheme for shellac though). I absolutely love the color, it is the perfect pop of color for summer! Getting shellac involves having your nails under a UV lamp for 1 minute intervals, each time between 3-4 coats of polish. The whole session does not take longer than 30 minutes, including shaping of nails and cleaning of cuticles. Once the manicure is finished, you are out the door and can literally touch anything without damaging your freshly painted nails since they are instantly dry and hardened!

Shellac lasts for about 2-3 weeks, at which point new nail growth becomes quite noticeable and that usually means it is time to get the shellac off at the salon. The salon I went to charges $25 for shellac application, and $5 for removal, unless I would get my nails redone, in that case removal is free of charge.

I have now passed the 2 week and a half mark and my shellac nails are still going strong! I have experienced a bit of chipping, but nothing too visible that I couldn't file down. I got so happy today when the cashier at the store asked me if I had acrylics on and I gladly informed her that they were in fact my natural nails and that I had gotten a shellac manicure. 

I usually struggle with thin, peeling nails, and now my nails feel incredibly strong and healthy. Shellac is a great option for when you plan on going on vacation, as well as for weddings and other special occasions, but of course it's always fun to get it when you just feel like pampering yourself! I am very pleased with my experience and plan on getting more shellac done in the future!

Have you ever gotten shellac? What do you usually get done to your nails at the salon?

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