We Love Fridays: DIY Gel and Shellac Polish Manicures

Posted by Alexandra C. | Friday August 10, 2012

Last November, I had my very first shellac mani and since then, I have been hooked. I count myself as a shellac convert, never again will I be getting any old regular manicure! Also on the same spectrum as shellacs are the gel manis. They offer the same long lasting, glossy results.

The only downside to the shellac or gel mani is the price and the fact that you always need to head over to the salon to get one. Well, not anymore! Some geniuses in the nail industry have made UV lamps and gel and shellac polishes readily available at stores. Which means that you can now purchase an entire shellac or gel polish set and do manicures in the comfort of your very own home!

1. Red Carpet Manicure Complete Starter Kit with Profession LED (C$99.00, on sale)
2. CND Shellac 36 Watt UV Lamp (C$195.00)
3. Sephora by O.P.I. Gelshine At-Home Gel Colour System (C$189.00)
4. Quo by ORLY Gels Starter Kit (C$40.00)
5. Quo by ORLY LED Lamp for nail gels (C$80.00)
6. Quo by ORLY Gels colours (C$10.00, each)

I love this idea! Old school slumber party, complete with manicures anybody? While the machines themselves are a bit pricey, I think it would definitely work out to the same price in the long run. What do you think of the at home gel/shellac kits? Would you ever try one of these out?

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13 Comments

	on March 01, 2013 Mary Ann said: If you are worried about UV on your hands here is a tip... get a pair of cheap cotton gloves from the dollar store and cut off the tips so that they do the manicure and when you put your hands in the UV machine most of your skin is protected! I had my first shellac and will never go back! I was always frustrated at how much a mani cost and the polish would be damaged before I even drove home! The shellac has lasted me three weeks!
	on October 26, 2012 AlexJC 50 said: @Ashley To remove shellacs or gels, you should use 100% pure acetone. Here's a little trick: take a cotton pad or ball, dip into the acetone, place on your nail and then wrap it in tinfoil. Leave on for a little while, then remove, your polish should come off easily in one swipe.
	on October 26, 2012 Ashley said: I've bought this kit and the first time I used it, I loved it! Then after a week it started to chip (as would my salon shellac manicure) so I tried to remove it. The polish is extremely hard to get off and I ended up filing it off. The filing made my nails thinner than they already are. After all the polish was off and my nails were thoroughly cleaned, I applied my newest colour. This colour was more sheer that the red I originally applied, so I had to do 3 coats of color instead of 2. Everything seemed fine until I got in the shower later that day and then the polish began to peel off. Has anyone else experienced this?
	on August 14, 2012 farouknabela 3,469 said: As much as I love Shellac manicures, I would prefer to get them at a salon. I have such an unsteady hand haha :P
	on August 14, 2012 preet 914 said: intersting. looks like lot of work.
	on August 14, 2012 KatelynRose1984 20,704 said: I love Shellac! I prefer the french manicure look, over the solid colours - as I find that it wears longer, for some reason. I don't do it myself, but this post really makes me think about it! It gets expensive to have to constantly have them done at the spa, and it would be soo convienient doing them at home!
	on August 13, 2012 sodarnsweet 2,221 said: Sorry, I wouldn't try it. Shellac goes on floors and furniture. What does it do to your nails?? Plus, you need industrial strength remover to get the stuff off. Not for me.
	on August 13, 2012 scrbic 17,483 said: My nails are very thin and brittle.. I bite them all the time (down to the skin!) Bad habit :( In that case, I tend to get fake nails all the time. Nail polish rarely ever chips when I paint them, & I paint them often.. So I don't opt for shallac... My sister has tried it & she's loved it! I wish I didn't bite my nails, so I could try it too!
	on August 13, 2012 AlexJC 50 said: @Becky When I got my shellac done, I asked the same thing. UV lamps in general aren't good for you (i.e. stay away from tanning beds!). But your hands are not under the lamps for a long time and I don't think the concentration is all that high so you should be ok
	on August 10, 2012 fredamans 12,209 said: These are cool but not for me... I enjoy my own nails way too much. I am blessed with a natural french manicure, and all my girlfriends tell me how beautiful my nails are. Mind you I do polish once in a while, but just a clear coat is enough to have them looking professionally done.