Shellac: A Love/Hate Relationship

I know I joined the Shellac train a little late, but I don't frequently go and get manicures because I find it so much more fun to paint my own nails. I finally decided to try Shellac before my 3 week trip to Europe. Packing clothes and makeup for three weeks was difficult enough without having to choose what nail polishes and remover I wanted to bring, so I thought that having the same permanent colour for the 3 weeks would just be easiest. I immediately preferred getting a Shellac manicure to a regular manicure simply because Shellac nail polish dries instantly-- meaning there is no way that you'll mess up your wet nails when getting into the car 5 minutes after you leave the nail salon.  I also loved how shiny the Shellac manicure was.

This love affair ended after the second week into the trip when my Shellac started to chip. BUT because it was a Shellac manicure I couldn't buy a cheapo remover and take it off-- I would have to wait until I got home for that nightmare. Removing Shellac is perhaps one of the most tedious and horrifying experiences ever. After soaking my nails in remover and filing off the remaining polish, I swore to never again get a Shellac manicure (I didn't think my poor nails could go through that again). Unfortunately, I soon broke this promise when I went for manicures with my best friend for her birthday. Yet again I fell in love with the quick drying and shiny affect of Shellac. But, now that I was home and had access to my full range of nail polishes, I was bored with the colour after one week and wanted to remove it. I sucked it up and continued for another week until I simply could not stand the colour anymore. This time I went to a salon to have my polish removed-- assuming that they would have a better process of removing Shellac. I was VERY wrong. The salon I went to used the same soaking process and used a tool to shave off the remaining polish. My nails looked so sad and demolished after the removal process that I once again swore that I would never get Shellac.... Until the lady doing my nails asked if I was sure I wanted a normal manicure because it would chip easily and I made the rash decision to ONCE AGAIN get Shellac.

I have since removed my last Shellac manicure at home and have returned to the world of regular nail polish. I definitely see the appeal of a manicure that lasts so long for vacations, or women who do not have the time to paint their nails regularly. As for me I love being able to change my nail colour weekly, and do not want to put myself through the Shellac removal process again anytime soon.