Over the past year, there has been a new whisper at the nail salon that continues to get louder... Gel Nails, a UV light-set polish with the promise of a no-chip, two-week beautiful manicure. Count me in! I have been wanting to try this for some time now, but always wind up going for the mani/pedi specials in my neighborhood instead. I mean who could pass up a $28 mani/pedi deal?!
So it took my sister to convince me, when she invited me to a salon near her house to get the so-called chipless manicure. (it almost sounds too good to be true) The various brands of gel nail polish they had were Shellac by CND, Bio Sculpture Gel, and OPI's Axxium Gel Nail polish. I chose Shellac because they had the color I wanted and it was also the cheapest option at $25! I picked a light pink very opaque color. I considered doing a french, but I heard the polish they use for it is so thick and has a better chance of cracking/chipping. Shellac goes on just like polish, wears like a gel, and can soak off in 10 minutes.
Shellac by CND
They say it will last 14 days, currently I am on day 7, and so far so good except it just looks a little grown out (below).
The polishes have no odor or drying time. They just have you put your nails under UV lights throughout the session. So as soon as your service is over you can go in your purse, to the restroom, etc. your nails will be completely dry. I love that because I am way to impatient to sit in the front of the nail salon under those dryers doing absolutely nothing for a good 20 min. and longer. I found out you can also have a no-chip manicure on your toes too! I wasn't quite ready for that yet. I also feel that my pedicures seem to last fairly long anyway with regular polish. The only bonus about a no-chip pedi is that you do not have to wait for them to dry! It would be the best thing to do if you are wearing close toed shoes and are in a hurry.
So yes, I have fallen in love with this new manicure, but before you think I have been binging the gel nail koolaid, there are a few cons:
*The price - expect higher prices and sometimes double what a normal manicure costs. (however it does last 2 weeks...)
*Time - say bye to your quickie manicure as it takes twice as long to apply, and much longer to take off since you need to soak the nails. (again, only need to do every 2 weeks!)
*Growth - there will be no chips, but you will notice nail growth since the polish is much thicker. (similar to acrylic nails, but does not ruin your nail beds like acrylic application will)
*UVA - your hands will be exposed to UVA lights during the process, though only for a short time. May want to grab your sunscreen if it really concerns you!
*Options - not as many color options, not all brands have no-chip...If you have a polish favorite you may need to find one closest. (they did not have my dear bubble bath, so I chose one similar!)
Regardless, I will definitely be trying this again, and might even dare to pick one of OPI's bright summer colors!
-M
