About 6 months ago, I started getting that miracle manicure that lasts for 2-weeks. I thought it was the greatest thing on the planet. I mean, I spend majority of the day washing my hands from either changing a shitty diaper or having sweet potatoes dried to my fingers. With a normal manicure, that shit would be peeling off within minutes. Total waste of money. So I bit the bullet and tried the Shellac Gel Manicure. I’ve never been one to do the acrylic nails or other things most women do beauty wise (my hair color is 100% natural-dye has never touched it…as of now). Of course I wanted them when I was in high school but my mom would nag and nag me saying “don’t do it-it ruins your nails!!”. So I listened because as a hair dresser and someone who worked in the industry for 30+ years, she had to know what she was saying. Also, she didn’t want to help me pay for the maintenance because she knows after a few weeks I would probably ask for some monetary help seeing that I made next to nothing at my part-time job.
I have been hearing mix reviews about Shellac mani’s. Some people I talked to said regardless of the 2-week guarantee, their nail polish would still chip and there would be damage to the nails just like getting acrylics or the regular gel manicures. Others rave about it, saying its the absolute greatest, it 100% lasts for 2-weeks and they highly recommend. For those not familiar with the whole process, check out this article. You can choose from a bunch of colors and it usually costs around $25. Some places might charge you for removal of the Shellac, but I just buy my own acetone and do it myself.
So I’ve been shellacin’ my shit at least once a month since my mini me was born. I really do love the fact that no matter how many times I wash my hands, give baths and do the dishes, my nails stay intact. Its nice not having to worry about the way my nails are looking. I’ve got a list of other crap that I have to be worried about-my nails shouldn’t be one of them! I do have one gripe. When I take off the Shellac, my nails sometimes get very brittle. When that happens, I slap some nail hardener on my nails and they get back to normal with in a week.
It is worth a try if one of your pet peeves (like mine) is chipped nail polish.
Do you get Shellac mani’s? If so, what are your thoughts? For those who are Shellac virgins – would you give them a whirl?
