Hair & makeup salon
If your like me you know how hard it is to keep freshly painted nails in perfect condition. I always tend to smudge them on something no matter how hard I try! So it's a good thing they invented shellac and gel nail polish, it's been a real life saver! Since I am always having photos taken up close, of me doing makeup and hair, I need picture perfect nails! Whenever I have a wedding or event coming up I know I need to have my shellac nails ready to go! This type of Polish is also really great for wedding days! They have beautiful colors and it will stay on the nail as shiny and perfect as the day you put it on! Brides will be getting dressed in a beautiful gown, drinking champagne, hugging family, putting rings on, and feeding someone else cake! I am pretty sure that calls for nails that won't budge!
I love all the new nail art I see out there, they have come up with some really fun combinations! For brides I think the more natural nail is beautiful, but you can always add some color or sparkle to spice up the day! I am a more all natural girl myself so I tend to lean towards the pinks, nudes, light grey, browns and beige. This gel and shellac process does take a bit longer so brides be sure to schedule extra time out of your busy wedding weekend to have it done! In my experience shellac lasts about two weeks with zero chipping, sometimes even longer!
I even bought my own kit so I can do shellac nails at my house if I don't have time to see the manicurist, which with my schedule happens a lot! Of course it isn't as perfect as when someone else does it but it will do!
At home you will need a little manicure set with clippers, cuticle trimmers and a file. Clip or trim nail and shape into desired nail shape. To paint the nails you start with a base coat, add however many layers of the color and a top coat. Each time you paint the nail with base, color and top, it will need to sit under the CND lamp (or other brand) for at least 90 seconds. Be careful not to put too much polish on each coat, a little goes a long way with this polish! The lamp cures each layer so you are able to do next coat right away, giving you a strong, no smudge nail. After the nail has done the full time under the lamp remove the top sticky film with a plastic backed, lint-free pad soaked with 99% Isopropyl Alcohol. ( If you need more in-detail instructions how to do this at home visit www.cnd.com)
Brands of polish:
There are a few different brands of shellac and gel polishes. My three favorite are CND, OPI, and Essie Polish. I think they have the best variety of colors and they hold the very best! These are carried at many beauty supply stores as well as on their websites.
I love searching the web for fun beauty ideas and I stumbled upon some really beautiful nails so I have to share some!