Shellac

 There are lots of different options available for a long lasting manicure; Gels, Bio sculpture, Geleration, but Shellac is definitely the most popular and in my opinion the best.

A lot of people I meet are still unaware of what Shellac actually is or how it works. 

 Shellac is the brand name for a nail product that has taken the world by storm. It is a hybrid, meaning half nail polish, half gel. The product is thin and strong enough to be applied similarly to nail polish. It is cured under UV light which gives it great flexibility and durability. It also has an incredible shine usually only associated with gel nails. Shellac is for people who want to maintain natural nails and have a no chip manicure. The polish looks as good from day 1 to day 14, and does not appear to damage nail beds.

There are a wide range of colours available with new colours released with every season.

It is recommended to have your cuticles pushed back and removed prior to the shellac application as any cuticle on the nail bed can cause the shellac to lift. Usually salons include a mini manicure in the price of the application. 

The nails are then filed, buffed and swiped to remove any excess oil or moisture from the surface of the nail.

A thin layer of base coat is applied and placed into the UV lamp to cure for 120 seconds.

Next the first layer of colour is applied. Again this needs to be applied thinly leaving a hairline around the edges of the nail bed so as not to flood the cuticle. This is very important as it can also cause the shellac to lift at the edges. 

Cure for 120 seconds.

This is followed by a second thin layer of colour.
Cure for 120 seconds.








Finally a layer of top coat is applied, ensuring all the color has been covered to prevent any bleeding of the polish when the nails are swiped.
Cure for 120 seconds.


To finish we swipe the nails to remove any sticky residue and apply some oil to re-hydrate the cuticles.

I chose Rubble. 

The price can vary from salon to salon but you can expect to pay anything from 20Euro to 40Euro for a Shellac manicure. Some salons also charge extra for a french polish.
The application usually takes 30-40 minutes.

It is very important to pop back in to the salon to have the Shellac removed. As Shellac contains a percentage of gel, we need to use acetone to dissolve the polish.
To remove the Shellac we gently buff the nail to break the seal on the polish, then wrap the nails in an acetone soaked pad. This helps to dissolve the polish and it is then gently scraped from the nail bed.
To finish, a nail oil is applied to help nourish the nails and cuticles.

Most salons remove the Shellac for free but some can charge up to 15Euro for removal.
It is a good idea to give your nails a break in between sets of Shellac as the removal can dehydrate the nail slightly. If the nail bed is not in good condition it can affect the length of time you get out of your Shellac. The norm is 14 days with a healthy nail bed, if your nails are weak and dry you may not get the full two weeks without some minor chipping.

There were five new colours released for Spring 2013