I had my nails Shellac’d a few weeks ago.
Shellac is supposed to last for the minimum of 2 weeks without chipping, as it’s a hybrid of polish and gel.
I took a photo of my nails exactly 2 weeks after the treatment.
I would say that I use my hands a lot, but to be fair, I don’t do much manual labour per se, I certainly don’t shy away from using my nails to pry things open or to pick a few noses. With this in mind, here are the images of my nails after the CND Shellac Manicure.
Remember – I acted as I normally would, I didn’t give my nails a hard time on purpose, nor did I pussyfoot around them either. I left my nails alone completely, including the cuticles so they are messy!
Ta-Da!
Ok, so you can see I have ‘tip wear’ on nearly all my fingers. I expected this really, but you see the weird chip in the middle of the nail? For some reason it started to bubble on on my finger and that’s where a chunk of colour fell off:
This happened on a nail on my other hand too – no idea why it did this bubbling but I could have peeled most of the polish off that finger!
From another view…you can see that my nails grow quite fast so the base of it was looking quite jagged. There’s not much you can do about this as this stuff is supposed to last 2 weeks, possibly more!
My cuticles are a mess.
In truth, I don’t do anything to my cuticles at home because I find that they are quite neat when left alone, and by gum – I do think they have a purpose!!!!! They have a right to exist!
So the only time I have cuticles removed is when I get my nails done. And then I get this messy cuticle thing going on when it grows back….
Here is my other hand:
Another issue I have with the Shellac is that they really dried my nails out. My nails are far from perfect but they are quite strong. The peeling I got on my second and third finger (see photo above) NEVER happens normally.
My nails were just peeling off!
Closer look – my nails are yellow because of this.
REMOVAL:
You are supposed to go to the Salon to remove it as they use 100% Acetone. I couldn’t be arsed, so I bought these CND Shellac Wraps from eBay for £5 and some pure acetone for £3 (also eBay!).
The wraps look like this, a nail nappy:
This is pure Acetone – it’s very drying on the skin (hence the whole pro removal thing) but you know what – my hands have had worse:
You soak the pad with the acetone and wrap it around you nail. I tried using a normal cotton pad, it wasn’t as good as the special Shellac removers. When removing, you sort of roll the wrap side to side and the polish…cracks off!
If you are a nail technician, turn away now, because I basically winged it:
Well, it came off and my nails are a little tender, but essentially in one piece.
Verdict:
You know how when you get a Boots Meal Deal, you pick the biggest sandwich you can, and a slice of chocolate cake and a fruit smoothie, just because you can and because it’s the most expensive combo you can get away with, and then after you’ve eaten it all you realise that you’ve consumed like 1000 calories and it’s only 1.30pm?
I feel a bit like this about Shellac. It was such a bloody good idea at the time, but now that there is the aftermath (OPI Nail Envy for the win!) I am not sure it was such a great idea.
Obviously – this is just one experience of Shellac. It might be better next time.
My treatment was complimentary, BECAUSE, I had a bad experience the first time and they invited me back to get my nails redone. But if it wasn’t comp, it would’ve cost a whopping £52.
There is no way in hell I would pay £52 for this experience again. £20, yes, £52, I want a signed contract saying that my nails will live long and prosper, regardless of how many cat noses I’ve picked.
{ 49 comments }
that’s awful! lucky it was complimentary. Sometimes I think doing your own nails is a win…
Well it was complimentary – but only cos I had a bad experience before!
what about the yellow stain? is it off or will you have to wait for your nails to grow?
Wait for them to grow
What do you do about peeling fingernails (the actual nail)? I have that problem and it will not go away!
Those are hella expensive, and it seems as though they don’t even last as promised! Rediculous. I saw them on the news over here, and was thinking of going and having them done. (They’re slightly cheaper in NYC than in London – about $50 here) But my nails already have issues with peeling, so the last thing I need to do is go and get an expensive nail job that doesn’t last and is going to exacerbate my existing nail issue.
This wasn’t very good for my nails, which doesn’t even like to be painted (they will start to dry out!)
So I won’t rush and get this done again in a hurry!
I had 2 shellac manicures and they turned out great. Other than the natural grow-out, my edges remained perfect for 3 full weeks each time. The shine remained and my nails seemed to be stronger. Because of the removal process, I have decided to discontinue shellac for the time being, although the removal wasn’t too bad. I thought my manicurist did a beautiful job. From your photos, it seems that your manicurist didn’t have a clue as to shellac-ing your nails properly. Because of the bubbling and peeling, you should have immediately gone back to the salon to get your money back. When done properly, these manicures are lovely. Obviously, you had the wrong person give you this terrible manicure. They are full-proof, when you go through the proper cleaning and application procedures. Sorry you had this bad experience.
omg how awful
xx
so so so disappointing. pff
Lidia, Do you work for Shellac by any chance?
Sorry, folks, but Lidia is right. I’m going on my second week with my first shellac manicure and it still looks great. No chips, bubbles, cracks, nada! The only way that you can tell my manicure is old is because my nails are growing out. It also seems like my nails are stronger and less prone to breaking.
Unfortunately, and since shellac is a relatively new thing in a lot of salons, your manicurist probably isn’t experienced enough or maybe was in a rush. I say check out the salon first, ask questions, read reviews. I am a firm believer in shellac!
The only downside to shellac is getting tired of the color after two weeks! I can’t wait for my manicure on Sunday.
Hi Aivlis –
Obviously everyone’s experience with Shellac will be different. I had mine done by a trained technician, it was an expensive treatment and she did not rush (I was falling asleep!) – Unfortunately, it started to peel after 2 weeks. Clearly I won’t be the only person on earth this has happened to; I don’t believe ANY nail process can say it is 100% foolproof. Also the effect on my nails (which are naturally strong) was terrible – with those layers on my nails couldn’t breathe.
This is just MY experience with Shellac. I will tell things as straight up as I see them. I am sure many will enjoy the Shellac but for me, I prefer normal polish at least I can take it off quite easily.
I had my first Shellacing on Friday, and by Sunday I already had 2 nails peeling
Hello.
I’m from Holland and I just saw your shellac nails. Wow, Youre manicureitst put it thick on as I can see, so maybe thats were its started to bubbling. Sorry for my bad english. And your nails are dry because you didn’t use any cuticle oil. Thats why also your cuticles looking very dry. And if they put shellac on, the also have to seal the egde of youre nails so there will be no chipping. but the price was very expencive as I saw 52 dollars??? wow mostley I read that salons in the usa are asking for 35 dollars or Im a wrong? sorry for that. If you go any salon just visit http://www.cnd.com/Consumer.aspx mabye you can find another salon which is chaeper. greetings from holland and sorry again for my bad english hihihi
I’ve had my nails done several times and it never stayed on 2 weeks. I paid $35.00. My nails started cracking and breaking. Now they are in bad shape. They are dry and brittle. I liked the shellac nails; however, I think they should also use oil and treatment. I am going to look for someone more experienced and let my nails rest for awhile.
Hello Carol.
It’s me Tamara from Holland.
You said that your nails never stays on at 2 weeks. You mean the shellac nails?
It could be that you have oiled nails, Also the stylist has to put cuticle oil like cnd after your treatment. So it’s weird that they haven’t done that.
I would like you to go to the website from cnd(see link above youre commend)
so you can find a good salon thats know’s about the shellac.
Wow your nails look terrible and I’m not trying to be mean. You were overcharged also. I’m on my first shellac and I’m going strong as of week 2. I would question if your manicurist prepped your nails properly and if she used authentic products many companies are coming out with their version so its possible she used a similar but not as good product. I was also given a small bottle of solar oil from my manicurist and told to apply it 3x a day before putting on moisturizer. I think that made a huge difference so my nails still look shiny and cuticles look good. Its also possible your just really hard on your hands but then I can’t imagine a regular manicure lasting you more then a day.
Sorry it didn’t work out for you. Personally I don’t know that I think its really healthy for your nails so I don’t think its something I would use on a regular but definitely something I will do next year for holiday season with all the parties and not wanting to get nails fixed all the time. Also if I’m going away on vacation this will be a plus. So for once in a while yes everyday no.
Hi Evi
I don’t take offense that easily! Also I agree the Shellac cost too much but this is a salon in the heart of London – these are the kind of prices that are relevant to the area. The products I am quite sure are genuine – this is not some back street salon but a place with a strong reputation. I was told also to apply oil to my nails, which I did. But I’d also add that the point of something like Shellac, to me, is to be low maintenance, if I have to keep applying oil and creams to it throughout the day I may as well just use regular polish which is easier to remove…I agree too that it’s its for occasions only. My nails were so dry under that – it is like shellac, it there’s no way your nails can breathe under it.
So for me, no burning desire to try it again…
I am an 11 year nail tech, and have been offering Shellac for a while now. When I first used the product, my results were pretty much just as pictured above. The reason, because I did not know the proper way to apply the product from start to finish. Once I watched the CND tutorials for professionals and put all tips to use, my results have been flawless. No bubbles, no chipping, no worn edges. Perfect for two weeks (or more). I can tell you from my experience with Shellac, that your tech didnt properly pull the product to the outer edges, sealing the nail with the base coat, and likely the color (hence the worn edge effect) and she either didnt shake the product well enough, (which is rigorously before each application) or she didnt use the correct light. Just my opinion.
I meant the shellac didn’t stay on for 2 weeks. OK I found another nail tech and the shellac stayed on for 10 days. She told me they should last 7 to 10 days. Well, that’s kinda expensive to me. I’m going to check out online the procedure because I don’t believe she did everything right. She didn’t put the polish all over my nails and around the edges. This lady was $32.00 plus she does a good manicure; however, I got a migraine because in the small shop was burning incense. So, that cost me $35.00 for my meds plus $6.00 for gas to go see her. I love to have nice nails even though all I do is ride horses. I am going to find another tech nail. Maybe, I expect too much as my hands are in water a lot.
Wow, those don’t look good-lol
I know a few nail techs had problems to start with with Shellac. Like any new products, it sometimes takes a few goes to get it right. I would say, looking at the nails, that they weren’t prepped properly.
I use EZ Flow’s gelez which also goes on like a polish and sets like a gel. Never had a problem with it and have gone 3 weeks with no problems. I think whatever system you use, you need to know how to apply it properly and you won’t have any problems. Looking at your pics, I would say that the free edge wasn’t capped which makes a big difference.
Don’t let it put you off having another treatment though. When done properly they are fab. Try and get a recommendation next time x
It lookes like you haven’t applied it right! So many people that carry shellac don’t know how to use it properly. It lookes like you haven’t sealed it right, thats why when you cure it it shrunk and therefore it didn’t last as long. I have done it on my self and it lasted for two weeks, just like acrylic nails. Don’t use to much of it either.
I didn’t apply it the nail technician did. I think people need to accept that Shellac works for some, not for others. To say that this will stay put for everyone is like saying one kind of face cream will work for everyone. There are other people who also didn’t like Shellac either – having said that I’m open to trying it again or Gellish nails and seeing if they work better for me.
I’m a nail technician and do shellac the most in my salon and have never seen anything like that before, I also have never seen it chip or bubble the way yours did. My guess is whoever did your nails prepped and applied the shellac wrong.
£52, pft! I paid £25 and my nails are perfect, no chipping no bubbling, it looks brand new, well minus a bit of growth and one chip, but that is my fault, I’m not blaming the manicurist for me being stupid. I was recommended to use cuticle oil on my fingers, which I believe helped because my skin does tend to dry out easily. I think it’s all about finding the right person to do it. My hairdresser has a manicurist come in every week, and so I booked mine with her because I trusted my hairdresser 100% and the lady who did mine spoke me through the steps, told me why she was doing what she was doing etc, and I definitely would recommend a friend to her as she did an amazing job! The person who did yours screwed up royally, it has nothing to do with the product, she clearly did a crap job and you should have complained!
Ok, quite a few things, and first things first is any dollar amounts I put forth are US.
Did your nail technician have any formal training to do Shellac? Did she use Solar Oil on your nails after the service was finished and did she inform you it was necessary to purchase and use Solar Oil AT LEAST once a day to maintain your Shellac manicure? Did she use Scrub Fresh to prep the nail before the Shellac was applied?
My first guess is the answer to a lot of these questions is ‘NO’. I took the time to receive the training for this product and I can tell you it sounds as though your nail technician may have fallen short in providing you with not only necessary but professional service.
Firstly, Shellac is guaranteed to last UP TO 14 days. Read that again, UP TO 14 days. The reality here is that if the Shellac is applied correctly it SHOULD last far longer than a regular nail lacquer manicure. How long does that usually last for you? *I* can almost guarantee that this Shellac lasted longer.
Next, if Shellac is not applied properly, it won’t last. It will bubble.
It will lift at the cuticle or at the free edge. If the nail plate is not properly cleansed of oils, it will lift and/or bubble. If Shellac is not properly cured, it will not last. Shellac is a SYSTEM and if you attempt to use anything other than the system that was designed for it you will not have the correct results. It really is that simple.
Finally, Shellac is definitely MORE expensive. Why? Because here in the US one tiny bottle of Shellac color is $16. Compare that to the $3.50 it costs for your standard bottle of OPI polish that is more than double it’s size, if I’m not mistaken. The UV curing lamp is $150 and the replacement bulbs–which have an hourly timer on them, are almost $60 per bulb (times 4 bulbs). So yeah, it’s more expensive however, when used correctly, it does NOT damage the natural nail like an artificial enhancement does. *Shrug*. To each his own–you can get fake nails for less and absolutely do damage or you can find a reputable Shellac salon and pay a bit more for a service that will enhance your natural nail without the damage.
At the end of the day, not every Thing works for every One. Shellac is no different. It’s quite possible someone could be allergic to a chemical compound in the Shellac. It’s quite possible someones nails may be super sensitive to the UV rays used to cure the gel based polish. I have a client coming in to see me in two days, after two weeks of Shellac wear, who has experienced drying issues to her nails using a different soak off gel polish system (NOT CND). I’m interested to see how her nails have done. I saw her last week for a pedicure and my application still looked flawless except for some wear at the tips, which is to be expected after a week of wear. The point is, I spoke to her about the fact I cannot guarantee what HER nails will look like upon removal but that my application would be correct.
Bloggers really need to be responsible for the information they put out. This is so incredibly lacking in specifics it’s not even funny. But I suppose fighting something like this is a losing battle so hopefully the smart folk will be able to figure for themselves the right and the wrong.
Hi Rysma
What specifics did you want? I never said I was a ‘nail expert’ – I went for a professional manicure and this is the result I got. In terms of ‘right and wrong’ you already said yourself, there is no right and wrong. I always say to my readers, by all means try things out for yourself and see if it works for you. Quite clearly Shellac this time didn’t work for me – I will probably try it again in the future I have nothing against it at all.
Did the nail technician have Shellac training? Yes. I asked her. She works at a salon for a high end part of London – did she use solar oil, YES! Did I apply nail oil YES! Did she prepare my nails YES! So you are wrong in presuming the answer is no.
As far as I know she did everything correctly – however, she is the professional if she did something wrong for this to happen then she did – you’d have to ask her personally. The best manicure I have had lasted 10 days – which is longer than this Shellac. Once again, you seem to be channeling Derren Brown and using the power of assumption….
As for price – I’d expect this to be more expensive. Why not? I am aware that the system and polish is expensive. In central London, it’s going to cost even more. I didn’t complain about the price but for the average woman, who can do a decent job with normal polish at home it’s not always justified. If it was for a special occasion, a wedding, a holiday, if you are a woman with means who would never do nails yourself, then sure – I’m sure you can afford to Shellac regularly
At the end of the day I’ve come to realise there are a lot of nail technicians on here, complaining about the work of this particular technician, complaining about the accuracy of my review. I get it – a bad review isn’t great for business. But quite frankly – and this is important – this IS what happened to my nails. I am reporting this has honestly and as truthfully as I can to my readers so they know how it turned out FOR ME. Trust me, brands would love me a lot more if I were gushing but I won’t lie about the experience.
I have always said, everyone is different. People can try Shellac for themselves and see if it works – every technician is different, every persons nails are different. I can totally accept that Shellac will work well for some people even if it didn’t work for me (and I will not agree that Shellac is GUARANTEED in Gods name to work for everyone) – so why do some people have such a problem accepting that sometimes it just fails to deliver?!
Wow, quick response for an almost year old review! I honestly didn’t expect a response.
I never claimed you to be a nails expert. I would LOVE to hear what your nail technician has to say regarding these claims to this particular Shellac manicure she gave you. I bet she’ll concede she wasn’t really as on task as you may have been led to believe.
I have no problem accepting that this product ‘fails to deliver’. In fact, I believe I went into detail about this with a specific client I’ll be seeing on Wednesday of this week. The better question is–why do YOU seem to have such a problem with licensed nail professionals telling you your service was done incorrectly?
As for the pricing and your complaining? It absolutely sounded as though you were complaining–just in general. Sorry if that wasn’t your intention. But I’ve had clients, in real life, make the same complaints as I illustrated in my post above–that artificial nail enhancements were more ‘bang for your buck, if you will, than a Shellac manicure. *Shrug* I was only pointing out MY experience, here.
I don’t work for CND but I respect the company and have for many years. If I see issues in ‘reporting’, as I did with your blog as well as others, I’m going to have my say. This is the internet, after all. I just hope folks will take all the FACTS with them when they leave this blog, which is why I submitted a post today.
Hi Rysma
I’m on comments today I don’t get usually get a chance to reply so quickly!
I absolutely accept people’s comments and difference of opinion – I welcome it, if I didn’t I would’ve deleted comments I didn’t like and blocked people I didn’t want from visiting again…which I don’t. Of course nail technicians can come along and leave their views, although I’ve found a lot of the comments quite aggressive and I am surprised by how many people were quick to disregard another professional’s work. That – rather than the defense of Shellac – is what I found unusual.
I doubt very much that the nail technician would admit to not being ‘on task’ – would any professional admit that?! I am not psychic so I wouldn’t speculate on her skill level or what she would say about the manicure she did on me although I admit it would be interesting.
Oh I was complaining to the extent that – this Shellac bubbled and looked terrible quickly and of course, it was a pain to take off. But I was referring specifically to the price – a lot of people mentioned the price was far too high and they did it cheaper, whereas I defended the fact that it cost a lot because this particular salon was in central London and, I know it’s not a cheap system for manicurists to buy in.
As for CND – I like them too, in fact I do regularly use their polish and base coat. Like I said before I am likely to try the service again and see how it goes.
I have to say, kudos to you for staying on top of your blog! I recently commented on another blog, mostly to the commenters and I’m pretty sure it won’t be responded to again since the last comment was a couple of months old. So seriously, thanks for keeping up with this and communicating with me– I truly do NOT want to fight with you, I don’t doubt your experience I only doubt it being the norm or even common.
I feel confident in disregarding another professionals work because I’ve seen it happen right in front of my eyes. I won’t go in to detail but we now have a nail technician who is no longer allowed to perform a Shellac manicure until she receives education from me, for which so far she has been unwilling to do.
Another colleague continues to ‘argue’ with me about how the CND Shellac behaves even though SHE never took the class or had any other formal training.
I take what I do seriously–I could truly hurt someone physically and I take that VERY seriously. I would MOST DEFINITELY admit if I was not on task, and I in fact HAVE. Where I work we have a policy to follow up with our guests about their service and I’ve had feedback regarding the amount of time a regular nail lacquer manicure should last. I can’t answer that generically, so I offered her a complimentary repolish. I am NOT perfect, I don’t have it all figured out, and I can only become BETTER than I am today if folks are willing to help me along the way. I anticipate the times I falter and I also anticipate those clients who won’t be pleased no matter how far I bend.
I’ve been a licensed nail technician since the year 2000–which means absolutely nothing since I’ve been practicing off and on since then. I do not think I have all the answers and am truly eager to learn all there is to know about this profession. It doesn’t pay a whole lot but I truly do enjoy it. At this point it pays for my sanity so my 4 year old can go to day care while I work to pay for that care.
I have found, since before I became licensed, that a lot of professionals in this industry have one goal–to make their paycheck. To find someone who truly cares about the individual client and their nail health and care is truly rare.
So, at the end of the day, I don’t at all doubt your experience. I’ve seen it first hand. I simply dispute that it’s common and would like to point out that operator error is more an issue here so folks shouldn’t automatically believe that your experience is what they will experience. I love Shellac, I’m a huge believer in this product and at some point I do hope to become a CND educator. But I will never be one to blow smoke and will only support something so long as it remains true to what it claims, and so far I’ve found that with this product.
I had my first Shellac manicure on June 21 – no wear on the tips and my nails are shiny. No crackin, peeling or bubbling. The bad news is my cuticle area looks icky (technical term) I assume it’s from growth. I wonder if she didn’t paint the cuticle beacuse of the chemicals in Shellac
So from a distance my nails look great, but upon closer inspectionI look like I have a reverse French manicure with color at the top and 2 cm of nail at the base of my nail bed.
I’m going to try again when this round of polish is through. I will ask the nail professional to pay close attention to cuticle area.
It’s hard to decide if having nice tips outweighs the 2cm of bare nail at the base of my nail bed.
Nail polish of any kind does not belong ON the cuticle. Shellac, specifically absolutely does not belong because it will not adhere to the skin. It will lift and peel away from the nail.
From the pictures you supply looks as do you peeled out the gel polish from the cuticle area yourself there’s not an even look about them. I smell a fake review sorry I’m just saying
Thanks Row (& everyone)-really useful info. Is there a quick course to learn how to do it ?
I got my nails done with Shellac for the first time almost 2 weeks ago. No peeling, cracking, dis-coloring, my cuticles look fine etc. I have washed dishes, done laundry, cooked, cleaned counters, took the trash out, put gas in my car and they look the same now as they did the first day I got them done. I got them done for free to see if I would like to continue it. I’m an Admin. Assistant and I use my hands all day long typing etc. I like it, but I personally will go back to regular nail polish. I don’t like the color selection Shellac has. I was not impressed one way or an other. I can see having it done for the holidays too. Thanks for posting
Sorry it didn’t work out for you. I should also mention that I have acrylic nails.
Hi!
When I look at your pictures I see resultas that I have never seen.
I work with nails in Sweden and I have an education for the Shellac.
It seems like you have gone to the wrong place.
I can give you a garanti for at least 2 weeks for the condition of the shellac.
I have costumer who comes back after 3 weeks with no signs of what you have on your pictures.
Why the bubbel?- The manicurist who have made your nails has proberbly used to thick layers.
The yellow on your nails?- Not using scrub fresh or the base coat.
Unfortunately some people just wanna make money in fast time, so maybe she skipped some stages to get you done. And where the shellac has pealed of from the free egde is proberbly because sha has not sealed the free edge with top coat and the colour shellac.
OMG, the application must have gone terribly wrong… you should change the salon or technician you go to
I have never had a problem so far, i am wearing (my favoriteee) Purple Purple for 12 days now… I am going to have it removed though tomorrow, because the natural nail has started to grow and it looks funny!
Your nails look terrible!! What happened?! I have had shellac and it stayed perfect for 4 weeks (no joke). It was the fedora colour, so even when my nail was growing out from a distance it still looked great and just made my fingers look longer! There was still shine and everything at 4 weeks! And I just peeled them off clean once one got a chip! I work in a pharmacy, and we all have shellac done by the beauticians there, and I’ve never seen anyones look as bad as yours! AND I work mixing medications and my nails get a beating peeling stickers off bottles etc.
I don’t know Claire I am not the nail tech!
Unfortunately I am not the only one Shellac didn’t agree with – either these techs are not being trained correctly or it just doesn’t work so well on some people. Remember – everyone has different experiences!
Wow there are a lot of rude people who right comments. I have gotten Shellac twice in my life from two different technicians and the results were completely different. Having a properly trained tech is essential unfortunately, unless you get a personal referral it can be really hard to know who is doing it right (and wrong). My first experience with Shellac was perfect 3 weeks no problem. My second experience was similar to what you have pictured above, bubbling chipping and just an all around hot MESS. It is important for people to give their honest experience, thanks for sharing yours !
Hi all
I’ve been having gel nail extensions with white tips for about 3 years (off and on every few mths to give them a break).
I’ve had them off for 2 weeks now & i’m booked into the salon tonight. I was considering gel polish, just for a change, but reading all your comments over the past few months……….perhaps i’m better sticking to my faithful gel extensions lol just in case!
Hey, i was thinking of getting my nails done by Shellac.But after seeing this, i’m a bit worried. Although, i think i’m ready to take the risk… I really like the colour you have on, could you please tell me which one it is? I would appreciate it!
Thank you,
Nisha
THE PERSON WHO APPLIED THESE NAILS DID IT WRONG.
APPLICATION IS OBVIOUSLY TOO THICK THATS WHY IT BUBBLED AND BY THE LOOKS OF THINGS THEY DID NOT REMOVE THE DEAD SKIN BY YOUR CUTICLE AND THATS WHY ITS PEELED IN THAT AREA (OR YOU HAVE PICKED AT IT)
SHELLAC IS THE BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO OUR INDUSTRY IN YEARS AND I HAVE DAILY CUSTOMERS IN FOR SHELLAC THAT WALK OUT THE SALON PLEASED AND COME BACK IN 2 WEEKS TO HAVE IT BACK ON.
YOUR POST IS NOT ACCURATE AND YOU SHOULD TRY HAVING YOUR NAILS DONE AT A MORE PROFESSIONAL PLACE TO GET A REAL OPINION ON IT X
Hi Jemma
it’s actually getting quite tiring responding to comments from nail techs on this thread. Seriously – this time it didn’t work for me. As I make clear over and over and over I will probably try it again and see how it works out. I am not the only person in the world that Shellac didn’t work out for – trust me on this. There is no miracle nail product that suits everyone any more than there is a face cream that will suit everyone.
As for the more professional place comment – this was a £50 treatment at a top London salon – that doesn’t mean the tech was brilliant however, but then again, what am I supposed to do, go round until I can find a tech that can apply Shellac “properly”? As a consumer I will presume whoever is doing my nails is trained to do so. This is why women waste money all the time on treatments and services that don’t work…my job here is to report on THIS experience of it and it will be truthful, regardless.
You may have left caps on.
Thanks
The point here is that your particular experience had everything to do with application and not the product itself. I am here, as an educated professional to simply point that out, not to say it will work on every single person.
It matters not you went to a top salon on London and if you choose to assume, well… You are in fact supposed to shop around and find a tech who knows what they’re doing. Word of mouth is also a great way to find a good tech. Wouldn’t you do the same for your hair?
I don’t think anyone is saying your experience is wrong, just your interpretation. That’s all. Working in this industry is difficult enough with the chop shops offering subpar service at rock bottom prices, we don’t need misinformation out on the web.
There seems to be an awful lot of people in the industry watching this thread!
The point is this – if the application is EVERYTHING then CND themselves need to do a better job of regulating who is doing the training and providing their services. As a consumer, I can only go to a salon and try the service, and it’s really not my job to go through someone’s nail training history to see if they are good enough to do the job. Too difficult to regulate? In that case, like all beauty treatments, you will have to accept that there will be good experiences and bad and therefore good reviews and bad ones.
As for the top London salon comment – I already pointed out that despite that fact it was expensive, it was no guarantee I’d get a good result. I only mentioned this because some people seem to suggest in their comments that I went to someone’s front room to have it done – not the case at all!
As for word of mouth – if it exists, then great. If not then no, I absolutely do NOT think it is the consumer’s job to spend hours trying to find a good tech. I personally do not have the time – it’s just nails at the end of the day – to get endless recommendations before going somewhere to get a beauty treatment. A lot of women will go to a new salon and trust that they can do the job otherwise there would be a very small amount of individuals in the industry getting all the work.
I disagree my interpretation is wrong. I reviewed this as I would review any service, sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad. Remember I am not in the nail industry, and my review will never be “God this Shellac was a disaster but I am sure CND Shellac is amazing anyway so even though this didn’t work out go and try it because a lot of Nail Techs have said it will be brilliant.” Makes no sense because that wasn’t that result
Er no. I report as it happens. And when I try Shellac again (guess what – already booked in for a weeks time) if the experience is great I will say so.
Also what I would say is that if Shellac is SO dependent on having a good nail tech (and I hear more horror stories not about Shellac in particular but salon manicures in general) then how much can the average woman splashing out £40 on a treatment be assured that she will get a good result? Does she need to pay £40 and spend hours finding a decent tech to do the job because it would be a lot easier to just stick some regular polish on….
I get emails when new comments are posted, so yeah I do keep track.
You are outright refusing to recognize the reality here. No one is asking you to change your opinion of anything, just recognize that your particular experience has everything to do with incorrect application. Period. Does that mean your next experience will be better? Nope. Does it mean shellac will work for you next time? Nope. What it does mean is this- if you came to me and I performed this service on you ican guarantee your nails would NOT look like they do in your pictures-even from day one. Your cuticles look horrid from the start, number one, they certainly weren’t going to get better over time.
.
Does this mean my shellac application will work on you? Nope. But your nails would not look like that.
I totally agree CND needs to require training, and it’s not that it’s difficult, it’s just specific. But you can go on eBay right now and buy shellac and do it yourself at home, there is only so much regulation. IMO, it’s up to the technician to give a rats ass about the quality of service she provides, but that’s just me.
If you want quality service, sometimes you have to shop around, that goes for many things. It is what it is.
Ha Nice! It’s great when people finally reveal their true colours and get nasty “Your cuticles look horrid from the start, number one, they certainly weren’t going to get better over time.” Brilliant, gives me the chance to now put you officially in the “troll” category. Even if my cuticles look bad guess what I’m not the sort of person that has time to sit around and apply nail oil day in day out…hey lets inspect you from head to toe and see how fantastic you are? Up to it? Email me your photo for all me readers to rate? No? Then please, control the bitch within.
I am reviewing service AND product. Reality. Fact. I found Shellac highly drying and when it was taking off, it left them worst off than any normal nail polish could. Fact.
At the end of the day it’s nails. Great fun, looks nice, highly irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. When I need something actually important I’ll be sure to shop around.
Also, you’re not reviewing the service, you’re reviewing the PRODUCT, big difference. In your particular experience it was the service that failed you, not the product.
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