Shellac Nail Polish (Auntie M- this is for you)

Three and a half weeks ago, I got a mani and pedi. For the mani, I decided to try Shellac which is a gel nail polish that promises to last for two weeks all the while remaining shiny and sans chips. I was skeptical, but gave it a go. You don't know until you try.

Here are my thoughts.

1. This nail polish lasted for three weeks without chips. Pretty impressive for a natural nail.

2. The color did grow out from the base of the nail bed so I suggest getting a light color like I did.

3. It would have looked better had I not picked at it from the bottom. I hate when the polish gets on my cuticle (OCD, I know) so I picked it all off which left some less than perfect bottom edges but it still didn't impact the lasting quality of the polish.

4. Taking off the nail polish is a pain. Online people suggest going back to the store and just getting it re-done, apparently they have special pods to take off the polish. I did the at-home way and it was tricky. Someone said to soak a cotton ball in polish remover, put in on the nail and cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Seemed a little too ET for me so I just held a cotton ball with polish on each nail for about 10 minutes (yes, this did indeed take FOREVER). My biggest moment of confusion was when I removed the cotton ball and the polish was still there. Apparently you needed to then scrape it off with another nail or with a wooden manicure stick. My nails all needed buffed out once this was done. It was pretty rough on the nail.

5. All in all, I only think I'd get these done again if I had a big special occasion coming up because I could get them done days ahead and know that my nails would still be shiny and chip-free on the day of the event. The removal was just such a pain that I wouldn't do this often and it's too pricey to maintain it year round.

If you try it, let me know what you think!