I have a thing for nice nails. I’m pretty sure it comes from watching my mom sit in front of the TV at night, filing and shaping her nails. I remember falling asleep with my head on her lap while she watched the Atlanta Braves game on TV. Her body would rock as the file moved back and forth across her nails. She wasn’t much for primping, but she always kept her nails in good shape.
I like to keep my nails filed, and polished when possible. So I have a new favorite thing to share. Have you heard of gel nail polish, or shellac? Creative Nail Designs makes the gel polish. OPI makes the shellac.
It’s only available at nail salons. The nail technician applies a clear base coat on my own nails (not acrylics), then sets it with a UV lamp. Then she applies the first of two color coats, setting them each with the UV lamp. Then there’s a final top coat, followed by the lamp. The last step is to rub your nails with plain alcohol to make them shine.
After the rubbing is done, I sit there in amazement and touch my nails and even scratch them. Wonder of all wonders, there isn’t one little dent or ding even though the nails were *just* polished. It’s a weird thing, after spending years of my life having to wait a LONG time after the manicure to make sure the polish isn’t ruined.
But that isn’t even the BEST part! The best part is the polish lasts for at least three weeks AND makes my nails strong with zero chipping. It would last longer if my nails didn’t grow so fast and have space between the polish and my cuticles. Here’s how my nails looked after three weeks:
If I had chosen a color that contrasts more with my skin color, I don’t think I could have worn it for three weeks. The growth would be too obvious.
The second time I had this nail polish applied, I went with the French manicure. Here’s how it looked after a week and a half. (Disregard my ragged cuticles and cuts, please. Focus on the polish, y’all!)
I think I like the color polish better. French is nice, but it’s too perfect and makes me look like a salon rat; as if I am a high maintenance woman who gets her nails done weekly. Which isn’t true. Usually I do my nails myself at home with those nail strips I love so much. Lupus makes the skin on my cuticles very thick and tough, and it hurts badly to push them back. I don’t like a nail technician doing this for me, so I do it at home myself. Besides, this gel/shellac manicure is twice as expensive as a regular manicure - $30 as opposed to $15.
But for a special occasion or a nice treat, I’m definitely going back!
3 comments:
I have not seen this!!! I live in the atlanta area i need to find someone who does this
Mine have lasted too! Last night though, I gave up and removed the polish. My nails were TOO long!!! I had to cut them. I also felt like I looked like a spa rat. They looked almost TOO good :) However, two nights ago, I purchased the lamp and polish on Amazon! I'm so excited to try it at home to see if I get the same results. The lamp was only $54! I'll keep you posted!
I got the shellac on my toes a while back and loved it, although once it started to chip, I was obsessive about picking at it. Something tells me you might understand that. ;)
Post a Comment