shellac gel nail polish

Shellac is a UV light cured gel polish that lasts about two weeks. I have used OPI's Axxium gel polish and it destroyed my nails. I now use Shellac. This base coat goes on easily and cures quickly under the UV lamp. One item of mention is that to remove you need to use an acetone nail "wrap" for about 20 min to get the polish to come off easily. I make my own "wraps" by soaking cotton balls with acetone, placing the ball on my nail and covering with a 4 inch square of aluminum foil. Wait 20 minutes and the polish peels off like magic with no nail damage. Although this system takes more time compared to regular polish, it is long wearing under harsh conditions. The only reason you can't get more than two weeks out of a single coat of polish is because your nails will grow out.

I recently purchased all the CND Shellac products and love them. The only problem I have is with the curing light. I purchased an Ibd 1000 light here on Amazon and it will NOT cure this brand. I followed the directions perfectly, and still it didn't work. After reading around on the web, I discovered the best light to use is the CND one. Otherwise, the CND Shellac products are wonderful - very easy to use. The polish is a different consistency from regular polish and goes on evenly and smoothly. I love this new product from CND, and yes, it really does last two weeks if you apply and cure it the way CND suggests.

I purchased the CND Shellac system to use at home, since I am a penny pincher and can't stand to pay $30 for a manicure. For an initial investment of about $90 I will be able to do 15-20 manicures.

The base coat goes on nice- thin and smooth. You use a 36 watt UV lamp to "cure" the polish between each of the coats. I didn't purchase the CND lamp. For about $25 I bought one from ebay. It works great. I think any lamp would work, just make sure it's 36 watt.

The Shellac polish is long wearing and durable as stated.