Shellac nails?

Shellac is the brand (like OPI) that makes color gel. basically its a manicure that lasts 2-3 weeks without chipping

I don't know much about it either, apparently it's supposed to last a lot longer without chipping or wearing off. I found this article which weights out the pros and cons for you:

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-reviews/research-institute/about-shellac-manicures

I've had them, and I loved it. It lasts longer than a regular manicure, and doesn't make your nails feel weak when you take them off. And it helps them grow. Only downside is that they costs more.

Shellac (or OPI Gel) is fantastic! I never used to get my nails done because I'd always smudge them immediately lol I started getting shellac in January of this year and my polish has stayed on for about 1 month before. I try to get them re-done sooner because my nails grow really fast but the polish really lasts for weeks! I'd say go for it - you definitely won't regret it! I've been testing out different colors every time I go to the salon for my wedding next year lol Good luck!

I only do shellac manicures. You get shine like a mirror without tearing up your nails! No chipping for two to three weeks and you dont get that 'heavy nails' feeling.

I get the Shellac done fairly often and I love it. I don't think I'd ever go back to getting regular manicures. I find its worth the slight increase in price to have a manicure that lasts 2-3 weeks as opposed to 2-3 days with a normal manicure.

Plus, it's dry IMMEDIATELY. That means I can do right back to work after getting it done and there is no smudging, no chipping, etc. It doesn't make my nails brittle the way fake nails do either. My nails have actually become longer and stronger since starting the shellac. I almost always do a french because it last longer and you can't tell when it grow out. If you take care of them (moisturize!!) they'll last 2-3 weeks easily!

Also, I'm partial to the "Shellac" brand. I've heard the OPI gel version is much thicker and harder to remove. But I've never tried it.

@Bethany W., I get the Gle by OPI and I really like it. I got the Shellac the first time and (maybe it was just the nail lady) but it didn't come off easily and the next manicure wasn't that great because my nails were just scraped at to get the last nail polish off. I've been going to a different salon that only does OPI Gel and it's been great ever since.

@Alyshia P. - I'd look around and proce the different salons. I get the Gel manicure and a spa pedicure for $50 total

Do you have to soak Shellac off? The OPI gel has to get soaked off and started chipping on me after about a week. That combined with the electric filing of my natural nails made me stop....but I've been told its all about the salon you go to. Some are better than others, so now my thinking is maybe its the brand of polish they use?

I got a Groupon deal for the OPI gel and I didn't have a good experience. The place I went wasn't very good though so that was most of the problem. The OPI is very thick, it felt like a rubbery cap over my nails. My nails break and bend easily. Bending my namis on things made the tips separated from the gel polish causing it the polish to chip within a few days.

Again, the salon I went to wasn't very good but I think if I try it again I would go for the Shellac brand.

@Mrs. B to Be - There are basically two ways to remove Shellac (or really any gel-style polish): (1) go back to the Salon (I almost never do this), or (2) remove them yourself. At home, the easiest method is to place small cotton balls dipped in acetone on your nails and cover with aluminum foil. Wait 10 minutes, and then it should wipe off pretty easily. I use a wooden manicure stick to help clean off the nail. I also once tried the at-home Nutra Nail Gel Perfect polish (hated it), but Nutra Nail's No-Mess Express Gel Perfect Remover is great. I use that to soak my nails in to remove the Shellac and it works just as well as the aluminum foil method - it's a little cleaner than trying to wrap aluminum foil around your nails. Regardless of how you apply the polish remover, you basically just need to have the polish sit in acetone for around 10 minutes.

I always hated getting manicures until I discovered this. My job involves working with chemicals that act like acetone on nail polish. I got this done for my brother's wedding, and weeks later it was still in place and looking good.

I did shellac nailpolish for my wedding and they are still going strong. I absolutely love it and have yet to remove mine because I like how shiny it looks. My stylist told me under no circumstances are you supposed to chip at shellac as it will destroy your nail.

I am a HUGE shellac fan. I just do my own at home. Once you figure out what you need and how to do it, it's awesome and affordable. I bought the light off of Amazon, and I only do my nails twice a month. I do my toenails about every 4 to 6 weeks. PM me if you would like me to post a thread about how to do this yourself.

I LOVE shellac. Did it for the first time for the wedding and have been hooked ever since.

I got a shellac manicure in May. It chipped within 3 days. By the end of the week I had peeled it all off because my nails were looking spotty.

I love the Shellac manicure because it lasts for 2 weeks and no drying. With the amount of housework I do it's a definite plus. But I've noticed that my nails became awfully brittle after about two months of doing the Shellac. I think it's due to the fact that the nail salon that I go to have you soak your nails a long time and I think that caused them to become brittle. Right now I'm trying to get them back strong again so that I can go back to the Shellac with a little less soaking.

I also use Shellac. I think it really depends on how you are used to getting your nails done. I had fake nails for over 10 years, I always went with the pink and white acrylics. I love the look of the French manicure. But it was killing my pocket book and my real nails so I switched over. I am not 100% happy with Shellac because my nails were not very strong when I started using Shellac so they broke often and I’d have to file them. I HATE filing my own nails, I’m horrible at it and they end up looking ridiculous. I was use to rock hard nails that never needed filing. So it took some time getting use to the Shellac. My nails are now stronger so they don’t break as often and I don’t have to file as often. They usually don’t chip and they last for about 2-3 weeks. Again, if I could afford it I would go back to pink and whites but if you don’t normally get your nails done I think you will really like Shellac.