Shellac nails - comments?

[OnlyANinja]

I'm going away for a week with work and will be super-busy, I really like the idea of getting a colour put on my nails that will just STAY THERE no matter what I do so that I don't have to think about it?

I don't want fake nails glued on and I don't want any fancy patterns, I just want to pick a colour and have it stay.

Anyone with any experience of the shellac thing?

I LOVE Shellac. Have had no problems with it ruining my nails and have it done every month or so. Mine can last for just about three weeks before the edges start chipping.

My nails grow fast as well MrsCB & had same issue with Shellac and gaps. I find that with Seche Vite going gloopy too. In the salon I go to they seem to put acetone or nail varnish remover in it to thin it.

Thanks for the tips - I will be on the lookout for gloopyness with the seche vite.

I always have shellac on my toenails. I find that my the time my heels need another good do the nails are still perfect.

Fingernails grow 3-4 times faster than toenails apparently.

My Seche Vite arrived today - I can definitely recommend these guys for fast delivery.

Great - keep us updated!

I love that on MN you can find people who are actually interestedin hearing about your nail varnish trials :)

Seche vite is thicker than a normal top coat anyway but if you think it is too thick to work with, just add a couple of drops of acetone based polish remover and shake well. Seche Vite do make a professional polish thinner but to be honest I don't see the point in spending the extra money.

Right - I have done 1 layer seche vita as a base, 2 layers of cheap normal nail varnish, then 1 layer of seche vite topcoat. It doesn't feel especially thick.

The £15 to soak product off is payment for the Nail Tech's time - how else do you expect her to make a living? I book an hour out for product removal and include a mini-manicure, I have bills to pay and a family to feed and overheads to take out of that £15. I am not a c* (cannot type the word, I hate it), I am a professional with qualifications and skills who is trying to make a living.

I think they are only cunts if they don't tell you that it will require £15 and a visit to the salon to remove it upfront.

Also I soak off for free if I'm doing a colour change. I only charge for removal if it's a standalone appointment.

Of course - that's just good business!

If someone has to pay £15 to have it removed then £25 for a new set will seem like an absolute bargain, forgetting that at some point they will still have to pay the £15, they are just delaying it.

you can soak off yourself with acetone, buff nails gently, put cuticle oil on and then soak in acetone, or a pad of cotton wool soaked in acetone on the nail, then wrap nail in foil, and leave for a few mins,should peel right off

Actually scratch 'trying to make a living', I charge what I am worth in terms of skill and time. I am by no means cheap, I charge £27 for my Shellac-type service but guess what - I am fully booked til the end of February and have regulars booked up until June so they can get their chosen appt time. I love my job

Fully agree with horses. also those of you who found shellac is drying out your nails, are you using oil (solar oil) on them twice a day? This should be recommended to you, and good removal should not damage your nails.

haven't read entire thread, but i love shellac, they let my short weak nails grow! i don't have them removed professionally as about 2 weeks in there will be a gap from where the new nail has grown and i take pleasure in peeling them off!

MegaMe - the peeling them off means you will always have short, weak nails. As long as you don't blame the product.... Professional removal is recommended for reasons other than lining your Nail Tech's pocket you know

I had Shellac as I got a voucher for my birthday.
I thought they were a bit thick but didn't have to worry for long as one peeled off after less than a week and the others followed!

horses interesting, you might be onto something there!! but so enjoyable peeling!!

Seche Vite as both bottom coat and top coat appears to be a bad idea - large chunks of nail varnish peeled off after a day and a half (went to gym, had shower, cycled home, noticed half of my index finger was bare).

Trying it as just top coat this evening.

I can't see how professional removal is any different from doing it at home. Buff the colour, acetone on cotton wool, wrap in tin foil, leave and wipe away.

I meant to say the other day not to use it as a base coat. Ime if you want nail polish to last its worth using a proper base coat. I use the yellow Seche Vite smoothing base coat, 2 coats of polish and one of Seche Vite top coat.

I thought someone above had said they used it as base and top. Never mind. I'll see how this goes (no base, 2x polish, 1x SV) and then decide if I want to splash out on the branded base coat.