Love mani's. Go ga-ga over polish. Hate the chipping.
Therefore manis for me are purely for grooming. I forgo the polish, get a buffing instead and leave the salon looking forlornly at the latest shades that I always pass up because it'll be chipping off within hours in the life of this mom of two.
That was until I was introduced ( by the awesome Plush Beauty Bar team) to Shellac Nails.
This soak-off (ok, I peeled it off) glassy gel mani sounded too good to be true:
- does not damage the nailbed
- emits no harmful fumes or chemicals
- lasts for up to two weeks without chipping
- and has a beautiful, natural, smooth, thin texture.
It was even featured in the New York Times!
And guess what?
LOVED IT.
The color selection was not nearly as wide as the latest from OPI, obvi, but I had a steely gray applied (for $34) and a perfect mani was all mine, chip-free for over two weeks.
Today it finally started to peel a bit. I caught a peel-wave and by the end of one red light on route to a kiddie b-day party I had peeled all ten fingers off. No polish remover!
My nails looked a little dry after, but some great hand-cream came to the rescue and now all good. I cannot believe I can actually have polish on my nails now! It's a whole new world. Whoo hoo!
It it really does take a village to get groomed when you have a new baby (or toddler) which is why I'm groovin big time over Plush Beauty Bar for Moms.
Phone: 323.656.0030
Email: [email protected].
7879 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood , CA 90046.
On the corner of Santa Monica & Fairfax, by Whole Foods Market. Free parking. Additional parking in Orange Grove lot for 75 cents per hour.
Here's more about it from Hillary Fry on Skincare.com
How is Shellac different from the traditional polish manicure?
Typical nail polish dries by evaporation, which means your manicure is not cured until 2-3 hours after your service. Think about it – most of your manicure time is spent waiting for polish to dry.
But Shellac is cured by UV light, and within minutes. Your nails are completely dry by the time your manicure is over, and strong enough to withstand accidental knocks. It acts like a plasticized coating, suitable as a long lasting polish.
How is a Shellac service different from traditional nail enhancements (fake nails)? Drills are never used or needed with Shellac, and removal does not leave nails dry, thin, possibly torn.
Can you apply Shellac at home? No, Shellac can only be applied by a licensed, trained manicurist. Improper tools or techniques will give a less than desirable result with Shellac.
Are the UV rays from the lamp dangerous? I began researching this back in February. Standard use of the product (every 2 – 3 weeks) is minimal, but there is no real data. Use sunscreen if concerned. (I recommend Neutrogena pure & free baby, spf 60+ or Renee Rouleau Daily Protection SPF 30). Wash off or wear out after service. Sunscreen for your hands is a good thing anyway.
Can you take Shellac off at home?
You can. It requires the use of 100% acetone. Removal at home can be done; proper removal is only 10 minutes overall. However, removal at the salon very minimally increases the time and may be less of an inconvenience for you.
Wait, what is wrong with artificial nails? On the whole, nothing. But as a manicurist and proponent of natural and organics, there is nothing is more exciting for me than seeing natural nails on a client.
While I love the creativity made possible through gel nails or liquid & powder, I think artificial nails are often used to mask a nail problem (peeling, splitting, flexible) when a focused regiment can improve the condition.
As a former skincare formulator, the most rewarding part of my job is identifying clients’ troublespots, and working out a program to bring the hands, feet and nails to the point of perfection. Knowing Shellac can withstand even the rigors of salon life, the focus for the everyday woman can be more on care and maintenance of skin and nails – leaving perfect polish in the hands of Shellac.