Shellac nails promise to give you a high shine, chip free manicure that lasts for two to three weeks. It's any girls’ perfect wish. No more painting your nails five minutes before you rush out the door. No more leaving the salon and bashing your nails on the car door.
It appears to be the ultimate manicure, the solution to every nail obsessive’s problem. However is this really the miracle cure we have all been waiting for?
It is hard not to be seduced by what the Shellac manicure has to offer. Combining both the longevity of artificial nails with the ease of conventional nail polishes, it promises a hassle-free, glossy polish that will be perfect accessory for your summer holiday. Yet the real deal breaker, or the pièce de résistance, is the promise that the polish will not damage your nails in the same way that both acrylic and false gel nails can.
However, be warned ladies, recent research from the US suggests the opposite. Women found after having the Shellac manicure their nails were brittle, weak and peeling and this is what I experienced at first hand. Yet what specialists fail to mention is how the polish is applied and, more importantly, how it is removed that proves most problematic.
I unfortunately fell for the allure of the 'fifteen pound Shellac manicure’, and cheap doesn't necessarily mean cheerful. If performed correctly, the manicure should be soaked off using acetone soaked cotton wool. Yet the removal I was subjected to was filing the polish off, leaving my nails thin, broken and bruised.
According to spokeswoman for Shellac, Samantha Sweet, ”Applying Shellac shouldn’t damage the nail surface. The polish has a honeycomb construction, making it porous. The oils penetrate and nourish the nails.” Therefore, my advice to all you Shellac lovers, choose your salon carefully and make sure the technician removes your polish correctly and thoroughly. It is easy to be fooled into the beauty deals that seem too good to be true.
These are the secrets to the perfect Shellac manicure, and I wish in hindsight I had been filled with these words of wisdom. With the summer balls and graduation coming up in the following semester, now is the perfect time to indulge yourself in a little bit of nail heaven.
Follow this guide, go for it and splurge. It is most definitely worth spending a few extra few pounds for that irresistible shine. With a shellac polish on your nails, you will absolutely be bringing sexy back this Spring.
