The Process and application of Shellac:

I sat in the chair and the lady started working on the masterpiece. I was already thoroughly impressed by the manicure part. My nail buds looked tidy and my cuticles were perfectly clean. After seeing the manicure working out smoothly I relaxed a bit more and started to get more excited about this Shellac business. I picked the color I wanted, which was a rose pink and watched as my nail technician cleaned out her station and got ready. The shellac, to my surprise, came in a bottle that looks identical to nail polish. It is also applied just the same way as nail polish. After the first coat, I was asked to put my hands under a UV light, slightly confused by the process, I simply nodded and did what was asked of me. 2 coats later, my nails look fabulous. The color was glossy, and my nails didn’t look fake or thick. I was extremely impressed and happy with my decision.

Removal of Shellac:

As I went up to pay and got ready to head out, I asked the lady about the removal process. She said, you come back every 3 weeks for a fill or dip a cotton pad in nail polish remover and place in on top of the Shellac polish for 5-10 minutes to completely remove it. I think she noticed my stunned expression, which screamed, “I have no time for that.” She quickly said with a smile on her face that I can wrap a piece of aluminum wrap around my finger to hold the cotton pad down in order to do my work and not be distracted. I was a tad turned off about the removal process, but then again, I should have asked before making the commitment to this manicure.

Well, last night was the time to take off my Shellac. So I did exactly what was asked of me. And just like the lady described, after 10 minutes, the gel polish slid off my nails. There were still some pieces I had to pole with a tweezer but it was not bad at all. My nails are not damaged and my cuticles still look decent. I think this might be something to keep up, but with my crazy schedule, I’m not sure If I have the time to go back every three weeks for a fill.

My experience with Shellac was great! I was a little taken aback by the fact the I was not briefed on the removal process before the application began. But this was a simple miscommunication. The nail technician didn’t answer because I did not ask. All in all, during months with back-to-back events, I will definitely be considering the 3 week manicure. Have you ever tried Shellac before? What was your experience like?