When You Go Shellac, You Never Go Back

Allow me to introduce you to my latest beauty obsession- CND's Shellac manicures. Seriously, this nail polish is the answer to all manicurally-challenged women in the world. Every. Single. Time. I got a manicure before, I would inevitably ruin it within 10 minutes of leaving the salon. Can you say furious?? You can bang Shellac with a hammer, cover your nails in black paint, even open a can of Diet Dr. Pepper and the stuff won't budge.

Shellac can best be described as nail polish on a high dose of prednisone. You brush it on just like normal nail polish and the finished product looks like normal nail polish but it completely dries in about two minutes per coat and lasts at least 14 days. No smudging, no chipping, no fading, no disappointment.

I got my first shot of shellac on April 28. I wanted sexy nails for my upcoming 28th bday and wanted the manicure to last. My shellac mani was going on day 18 when I finally went to the salon for round two. I didn't NEED new nail polish but I WANTED to do it again! It does cost a smidge more- about $10 extra- but it lasts about three times as long. (And my shellac pedicure is still going strong after three weeks- no chips, no smudges, still shiny.)

How can this be??

You don't want to know the science of it all and I don't feel like spilling it all out on my blog. BUT I can say that CND's Shellac is hypo-allergenic and contains no formaldehyde, no toluene and no DBP. You do have to dry your nails under a UV dryer for the polish to set, so wear your sunscreen if you worry about the exposure. To remove it, use an acetone nail polish remover soaked onto a cotton swab. Leave the swab on your nails, wrap them in tin foil and let them sit for about five minutes. The polish peels off or you can scrape it with a wooden cuticle stick. You will need to buff your nails for full removal- full disclosure.

via Product Girl

Voila! The end result! Is a little tin foil worth it? I think so...

Gorgeous, flawless nails that last AT LEAST 14 days. Unbelievable!

I strongly encourage you girls-on-the-go out there to give this stuff a try. It will change your life and keep you with pretty, shiny hands. Don't be fulled by other companies either. CND holds the patent on Shellac and no one else makes this product, not even our precious Essie or faithful OPI. My one complaint is that CND has not produced as many color choices as I'd like to see yet, but all in good time, I suppose...

I promise: Once you go shellac, you won't go back!