I know I’m a little late to test out Shellac, as even Fashion Pulse Mom had done it before me, but I know that some of you must be curious and haven’t done it yet, right? I hope so! Here’s the break done of it: choose one color (or have two blended, like my manicurist did for me) from the CND Shellac UV Color Coat collection, and go through the steps of Shellac Base Coat, Color Coat and Top Coat along with the intermittent CND (or Brisa) UV Lamp for one minute after each coast is applied. It does take longer than a usual manicure but saves you time in the long run, as it last for 14 days!
I had mine done, compliments of Dana from CND at the Cocktails & Couture event during fashion week in a blueish/maroon/black hue that certainly got tons of accolades in the two weeks to come. As a manicure only lasts four days on me if I’m lucky, I noticed some slight chipping at the very tips (but not very noticeable) after 10 days, and removed the polish after 14 days using pure acetone and the Shellac wraps which prevented damaging my nails.
I really liked that I didn’t have to think about doing my nails at all for two weeks, and how easy it was to take it off at home (although you can go to a salon and have them soaked if you don’t want to do it yourself). Go to CND to learn more about the process, and check here for a list of salons to find one in your area that does Shellac.
-Julia DiNardo
