Aug
09
Hyper Glossy Nails
I’ve been to a nail salon..maybe twice in my whole life. That includes the time I went just two weeks ago. I dread each time I go to the salon and this time was no different. I’d much rather be at a car dealership stroking Aston Martins. But I never get the kind of finish I want when I do my nails…Is it because I’m never patient enough until they dry? Most likely. Anyway, the second time I went, I was cajoled into trying this gel manicure-she says its been around for a while and that it looks better than polish. Because I always like to try new things I said yes, and after I was done I loved the look. I’m very much into meticulously groomed nails right now, but I always like a faint pink natural gloss — something that almost matches the color of my nail beds but just a little more pink. After she was finished with doing my gel nails, I noticed that while the color was really natural and translucent, the glossy finish looked very unnatural. My nails were impossibly glossy, and I loved that. You know how when you apply that second coat of nail polish and it hasn’t dried..it looks so glossy and pretty glimmering under the light..but then it dries and it’s not glossy anymore. Well this gel she applied on me had that constant glossiness. I had to find out how to do this at home so that I wouldn’t have to come back to the nail salon. The lady who did my nails was more than helpful and told me to try this nail salon supply shop. Now here is a disclaimer for any straight males reading this blog; this post is for girls only! =)
After I got to the shop, I was greeted with a saleswoman who didn’t want to sell me stuff. I asked for the same gel that lady applied, and the woman asks me if I work in a nail salon…of course I say no and she says that it’s impossible to apply this stuff without experience. Instead she offers me this thing called Shellac. I kept insisting she sell me the REAL GEL the lady used on me because I don’t want the “almost” version. She said that Shellac was actually the same thing as the gel, but it’s much easier to apply for people like me who don’t work in a nail salon. I also had to buy the uv curing machine (it looks like a mini tanning machine for your hands, but it’s not). This machine just has UV lamps inside that set the gel. I came home with all my new supplies and I have to say after trying it once I am so glad I bought it so that I can maintain my hyper glossy neutral nails.
Have tissues ready and some acetone to dampen it with, you’ll need it at the very end.
I start out by buffing my nails, or gently sanding them down. This helps the gel to stick the nail.
Now that my nails are buffed (you can see they are all scratched up nicely) I can clip off any white pieces of skin around the cuticles. I take the time to do this at least once a week now just to keep my nails groomed.
These are the special gels the lady told me to use. As I said she wouldn’t sell me the real gel stuff but I found out that Shellac has the same end effect. The only thing is that you have to get three parts, the UV base, the color coat, and then the top coat. You can’t have one without the others. The color I’m using is “Clearly Pink”
I start out with a thin coat of the UV base. After a thin coat on all of the nails on both hands, you can cure them under the UV lamps for 10 seconds on each hand.
Then I applied a coat of the color gel. I chose a very faint transparent pink, it’s my favorite because it looks very natural and clean.
Same process, shortly after you’re done painting the nails you have to cure the first coat under the UV lamps.
What I love about these Shellac gels is that everything happens quickly. After the first coat color coat, you have to cure the nails only for 2 minutes.
After you’re done with the first layer, you have to apply another layer of the color, and then cure them for another 2 minutes just like before. Then the last layer is the top coat. After you’re done with the top coat you have to cure them for the final 2 minutes. Each hand takes approximately 6 minutes to cure. The weirdest thing is that at the end when you’re done curing, you’ll feel this sticky film on top of your nails. You have to wipe all of your nails down after the final curing with acetone to get rid of this film. Underneath this film is that real glossy finish. When I tried this the first time, I almost returned all of the gels and this UV lamp because I thought it didn’t work, but I figured out at the end you just have to wipe down your nails to complete the gel manicure. How stupid of me!
The last thing I like to do is to massage my cuticles with cuticle oil. I do this twice a week too just to make sure my nails stay healthy.
When the nails are finished, they are really shiny. The thing about this gel is that it’s also quite thick, after it’s done curing you feel like your nails are a bit bulbous. I like the look but maybe you’re not so into it. In that case you just have to apply a very thin layer. This shellac company has a lot of different nail colors- I wonder how glossy the color gels look, I bet they look pretty too. But for myself I don’t like color too I just like this pink transparent tone. I think this gel is great for people who have very thin nails that break. If you’re trying to grow them I recommend this stuff because the gel is so strong that it’s impossible for your nails to chip or break with it on.
Yes my nails are completely dry in the picture below, and it’s this glossy. I don’t know why but I’m just obsessed. It is hard for these to get scratched easily or even chip. The picture below is not photo-shopped either. I’m just so happy I don’t have to go to the salon for this kind of look. You can check out other colors too.
Feel free to leave any comments if you’ve tried this product and you’ve had less than stellar results. I would be surprised to hear that you did because I am no nail expert and found the process to be very easy and the finish to be quite nice. I am 100% sure I will never go to Duane Reade to buy regular nail polish, I’m hooked on these gels.
I haven’t tried this method yet but I did just read an article about the pros and cons of using the uv rays for curing.
http://thebeautydepartment.com/2011/08/this-or-that-8/
I love the results but I get nervous about the method.
I, too, loathe going to the nail salon (and I do love me a yummy DBS V12). The manicure process wastes so much time! So while I agree that gel nails are a godsend from that standpoint, I don’t love what they do to my natural nail. Even if I go back to the salon to have them removed, the top layer of my natural nail is always removed along with the gel, which results in a weak, splintery nail. Takes about a month for them to recover. I’d love to find a solution to that side-effect…
Oh man, I’ve wanted to take home the gel experience so badly, I had no idea it was even possible to purchase all the necessary tools as a non-salon worker! Wondering how much that UV light costs…
Anyway, my favorite type of gel by far is Calgel–which is similar to shellac but even stronger, and has a much better color range. It’s made by a South African company out of rubber, so it’s apparently breathable and healthy for your nails. Only problem is, an application of one solid color costs around $50, so it’s way too expensive to do very often.
Gel nails are convenient because they last forever and you don’t have to worry about chipping, but I’ve found them incredibly difficult to remove. The last time I got gel nails, I just waited until they grew out to avoid chipping/peeling them off (which leaves my nails really weak and damaged) or soaking them in acetone (I’ve read this is not recommended by people who work in chem labs and such). In the States, I got gels at a regular salon, and I’ve found that going back to them to get them removed makes my life a lot easier even though they wrap an acetone-soaked cotton ball in aluminum foil on the nail for a few minutes.
Having said that, they are super popular in Japan, and all the designs they do over there are irresistible. I’ve succumbed a couple of times, I wrote about it briefly it in this post http://keipopnation.blogspot.com/2011/07/hot-dangerous.html. There’s also a Japanese blogger who posts pics of her DIY gel nails–she has some pretty cool but simple designs that I thought you might enjoy or be inspired by, since you’ve got your set-up and seem to be good at working with tools and creating (awesome!) things: http://tokyofashionholic.blogspot.com/search/label/Nails If you need things like studs and whatnot, maybe you can find them online. Actually, looking at Tokyo Fashion-holic’s nail posts now, I’m amazed at some of those meticulous details, and want cool nails like that. But see–I’m waiting for mine to strengthen again before I put even regular nail polish on!
Have fun!
Three questions for you:
1) How do you remove the Shellac? (I’m assuming regular nail polish remover doesn’t work)
2) Can you paint over the gel manicure with regular nail polish? For instance, if you want to use the Shellac as base to keep your nails strong and healthy, but still like to change your polish color often.
3) What happens when your nails grow? Do you just apply another layer of the Shellac? Do you get a dip in your nail near the cuticle? (Sorry, that was sort of three questions in one!)
Thanks! Your nails look great! I love the neutral color!
@ Elise
I can’t answer your question about when your nails grow. I am guessing you just have to remove the polish and redo it. As for removal, the process is quite easy. Check here for the full process http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeandgarden/2011/03/shellac-manicure-update-the-removal/
The glossy effect looks great! I was just a bit iffy about the filing of the nail surface. I watched Lisa Eldridge get shellac nails too and her manicurist didn’t file her nail surface.
You can check out how she had it done here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mItP5g9d4M
Anyway, if I had the money I’d buy a shellac kit too!
Thank you so much for posting this! I never go to the nail salon either and always wondered how my friend’s manicures were always extraordinarily glossy. Definitely want to try this out now!
It immediately caught my eye and creeps me out a little bit, so I have to ask. What is the rubber finger figurine finger for?
so glad you posted this! I have been meaning to get my nails done (which i rarely do) to get shellac. I had no idea it was so simple to do at home!!
Shellac is amazing stuff. I’ve only had it professionally applied and I’ve only tried the black shade but I’m sold. The main downside is the polish removal process which recommends soaking the nails in acetone. Not my kind of thing. I’ve found they peel off after several weeks but this leaves the nail beds dry and scratchy. How do you remove it?
I’ve never done a mani/pedi before and I suck at nail polish. I don’t like the idea of cooking with nail polish… so
I’ve used some three step buffing set that works like, well obviously, sand paper with the roughest file first and then a super fine file last. It polishes the nails to a really glossy state (I find it impossible to stop touching my nails when I do it), and it lasts at least two weeks. Can’t remember the name, but it’s great if you like keeping your nails natural and still want a gloss like this.
I’ve tried this and it’s not for me, but I must suggest that you put on gloves next time you put your hands in that UV machine.
You should try using Seche Vite top and base coat. The results look exactly the same and you won’t need a UV machine. It also takes 5 min for EVERYTHING to dry! Hands down best nail products in the world.
Echoing Aurora, I think you should wear gloves if you plan on using this regularly. I don’t have the citation anymore but I have read a medical journal that documented cases of skin cancer on hands from women who regularly got UV gel manicures over several years.
Wow, I’m impressed at your DIY job! I’ve been hooked on Shellac for a few months now, but they do have their cons. At first I was in love, because my nails were still pretty strong and I was in love with the glossy finish and no chips. My first Shellac manicure was perfect to the point that the only reason to re-do my nails was because I had so much growth showing!
I guess that was the honeymoon phase. Now my nails are weaker because of the gel removal process, so the gel doesn’t stay on as well. My nail salon just soaks your nails in a bowl of acetone and scrapes it off so maybe that’s harsher than the Shellac Remover Wraps (I’ve never tried the wraps so I don’t know if they’re less harsh). I’ve been experiencing a lot of lifting/bubbling lately, and on a color like Clearly Pink, the lifting looks a lot worse than on an opaque color.
Btw–do you really use acetone to set the polish at the end? I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to use alcohol to remove the sticky finish.
This is interesting, I didn’t know you could bought those kind of stuff without working in a nail bar!
There is an alternative I use very often, because I really don’t like to go to the nailbar (in France it’s still a little expensive and sometimes I even do it better myself!) and I don’t like to keep the same color in my nails more than two days.
You can try the Chanel 445 (a glossy pink very light) and apply the OPI rapid dry top coat.
It leaves a kind of thick plastic fabric on your nails, and stays very glossy
i have acrylic nails, never had gel! my best friend is a nail artist and that makes me happy! she applies one glossy pink layer of acrylic, puts over the nails polish and another layer to make it shine! i think she is right about the real stuff because the preparation has to be perfect! otherwise the gel wont stay on! i must say it doesn’t look bad at all! i always love the tick effect of gel or acrylic and you have the same effect! my favorite part is the fact that my nail polish stays on for about 3 weeks, so i don’t have to worry about my nails. I am a huge fan of my best friend because she can do her own nails, i have no idea how she puts on the acrylic with her left hand but she does it! Oh and i am a huge huge fan of your cloth, the one with Brussels on! what a fabulous city ;;;)))
I haven’t had very good experiences with gel manicures – I find that after a couple of days parts of the varnish start peeling off at the tips of my nails. No one else has had this problem though it seems, which is a bit depressing… I love the look of them and just wish it would work for me!
Wowza that is awesomely glossy! SO trying this on my next trip to the salon!
http://itsthedollhousebaby.blogspot.com/
x
Your nails looks awesome! This is currently all the rage in asia now (I’m from Singapore). You might want to look out for this brand called Gelish which most manicurists here are using. Its bigger in bottle than Shellac and has more varieties of colour too.
Hi, what a nice job you did! I don’t have the patience for nail salon, but the worst for me is the hairdresser’s, it’s so long and risky!!! But as I color my hair I need to go regularly, because DIY color seems not so good…
get out of my head!!!!
no, seriously, you are always so spot on, it’s freaky/awesome. starting in about march of this year, i started getting the UV gel nails done at my local nail salon. for about 3 visits, i kept getting this amazing sparkly-ruby-slipper-glitter-Hedwig-drag-queen red nails. i loved that color, but finally decided to try another color for Easter. a lovely fuchsia. unfortunately, it only stayed lovely for about a day. i went back and they fixed it, but it kept chipping. i went back to the red and was happy. then i tried the dark purple, and it happened again, chipping long before the 2 weeks were up, only a few days had passed.
so i don’t know if this is common experience, but maybe someone can help me out? does the glitter last better than other colors? or is it just my salon?
the other thing that put me off was that sometimes they would soak my nails to get the gel off and sometimes they would use that mini-sander thingie, which after a few months of the gels, really hurt the thin nails.
@Kristin
This shellac stuff isn’t like that and the nails don’t chip. It stays on for quite long and the removal process isn’t painful.
i wonder, if perhaps, my salon was trying to cut corners. it sounds like the same thing i had done. the clear coat, under the light, color under the light, more color, more light. the main reason i stopped going to that salon was because i looked into the cost of buying my own UV machine and in doing that research, i discovered that every site said that it was supposed to be the acetone soak off. on more than one occasion, they soaked my nails for a few minutes, scrapped some of it off, and then moved me over to the sander thing that they usually use on acrylic nails. after the second time they did this, i didn’t go back, it didn’t seem right.
oh my…they’re gorgeous! like you, i work with my hands, and i rarely get a pro manicure. i don’t know…a professional manicure doesn’t usually seem worth it, since my nails take a beating when i’m working.
what a lovely idea for the nails. i seriously might have to try this.
L&o svu! Gotta love that show
And very nice nails. I agree I love the super glossy finish!
i HATE going to salons as well but have been dying to try this method…thanks for the walk through!
I hate to be a “goody/worry wort” but I have to concur with the people being cautious.
I work in a biology lab doing lots of DNA extractions adn seriously, we use tons of UV light. It flouresces the DNA so we can see it/deal with it/extract it (after we dye it ofc). But we also take alot of precautions.
And frankly, the DNA mutations are nothing to laught about or shrug off. You’d think if the curing was so dangerous they wouldn’t do it, but then alot of things are done we shouldn’t.
Find a good pair of finely woven gloves and clip off the finger nail portion, and don’t stick your entire hand in if you don’t have to. I *know* it seems overly cautious and stilly. But seriously, I’ve worked with UV enough to know its now.
Looks great, but I’d be a careful with that stuff! Usually to learn how to handle nail extension products (gel polishes included) you need to take a very long course, sometimes lasting as long as a month.
Besides the concern with the UV cabin, the products are also fairly toxic. I have an aunt who owns a distributor dealing exclusively with nail products, and she won’t let me near them unless I agree to be properly trained.
Personally, if I were you, I’d return those products and make an appointment with a professional!
@Coco, the shellac nails are made for amateurs not professionals, the lady would not sell me the real gel that is only for nail salon pros as I mentioned. I didn’t find the chemicals toxic at all but I must agree with using gloves next time for the UV lights.
The shellac nails look lovely, but you did do a few things wrong. You shouldn’t buff your nails until they look scratched. Your buffer should have at least three sides and you should use them, very lightly, from roughest to smoothest until your nail looks smooth. Also, you shouldn’t clip your cuticles, it’s bad for them and might cause nail infections. you should use a cuticle removing lotion or push them back with an orangewood stick.
Hi Luxirare,
Amazing colour!
I’m not sure though that the Shellac nails were made for ‘amateurs’. From everything I’ve heard from other people, they just seem to be a step forward technologically from gels and they’re offered in salons as that. My boyfriend’s mother runs a chain of hair and day spas, and they have the Shellac nails on offer at the salon because they are “better than gels”. Apparently they’re less expensive, faster, healthier etc. than the gel, and they’re not that much like the gel–they’re a “gel-polish hybrid”.
She also makes all the technicians take a training course for the Shellac nails (as many people also said above), because of the UV lights and the potentially dangerous chemicals–so I’m not sure it’s designed for amateurs as such (as much as it can be used by amateurs).
Have a look at this video, from the people who made Shellac: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCpXTHjYADQ
Shellac is really the go-to manicure if you are looking for healthy strong shiny nails.
But PLEASE don´t buff your nails previous to basecoat application, because shellac doesn´t require this. For gel nails you need to do this buffing, so that the gel adheres to your nail.
If you will ever getting bored of shellac, try Seche Vite Top Coat, it gives you the most glossy finish for any nail polish, and dry´s in no time at all.
For cuticle removal I highly recommend NFU-OH´s Cuticle Remover which works like a miracle.
Enjoy your glossy nails.
Be careful ladies…shellac will wear on your nail and nail bed. It strips the moisture and layers from your nail, weakening it. The stronger the chemicals, the weaker the nail.
You don’t actually have to use a shellac or gel nail polish colour in between layers, you can use any nail polish from any brand and it will work just the same and more colour range and alot cheaper! Just don’t forget the base and top coat. The UV lamps are easily found on ebay for £10 super cheap and work the same! Hope this helped
Hi everyone
Can you tell me what camera use?
Thanks, I love Luxirare
I work in a spa/salon and have a few concerns for encouraging (for lack of a better word) the DIY method. Shellac and many other brands have the benefit of causing less damage to your nailbed than the usual acrylic gels or gel overlay (bio sculpture) however, I must insist that you use caution when removing them. For example, I’ve had customers try to bite them off and chip their tooth. They need to be soaked off in a high concentrate acetone remover, however, depending on their brand you might need specefic products (ie, CND shellac cant be removed with some acetone soak off products, and vice versa). NEVER EVER try just chip it off, or manually removing it- you are pulling on the top layer of your nail-not the product.
Also for anyone who is a “nail addict”, yes everything causes damage to your nails, but constant and over repeated filing can weaken/crack your nail bed, which can cause infection and fungus. Everytime you remove gel nails (including the shallac type) you have to do some filing, and refile your nails again to apply it. Sometimes we have to tell clients that their nails are strong enough to get a refill on their gels, and they need to wait a month with bare nails and just strengthener polish. Whenever you add length to your nail via an acrylic tip, it requires more than 50% of your nail to be filed down, therefore underneath your nails are severly damaged and will need to be consistantly filled in every 3-4 weeks.
That being said, the shellac is AWESOME for toes. Keeps your feet looking like a fresh pedicure for up to 3 weeks! I’ve had all of the above, and personally love the gel overlay for myself (although I’m super particular and will only let one lady do my nails).
As stated above, try seche vite. My salon uses opi products, and i love their rapid dry top coat, and new sorbet like finish from the recent texas collection (they are bright colors, but your nails look wet when dry!)
I’ve also done this myself too! But instead of the polishes I actually bought the uv gel. It’s a lot harder to work with because you must have the proper handiwork. If you’re not careful enough you could cure gel that gets stuck in your cuticles and that hurts likes a mother LOL. With the gel, you can get lifts if not applied well. So it’s a good thing you’re working with polishes.
Glossy nails are awesome because you don’t have to buff you nails anymore! 
This is exciting that you got all the supplies! The possibilities are endless. I can picture you doing something really crazy with it. You can even put things on your nails now like lace, glitter, truffle shavings…iv’e seen one girl who had scraps of dollar bills in her gel nails!
These are my hands that i got done once with gel. The flowers were hand painted using acrylic paint and then topped with a coat of clear gel and cured.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/216652_213256242033278_156773281014908_837674_7865520_n.jpg
You should really get your hands on some gel. Just tell the supply stores that you do work at a spa! Sometimes they don’t ask for proof.
I never use this method but I buff my nails until they’re smooth and shiny and then put just one coat of my Maybelline salon manicure nail polish. It’s clear but adds the faintest bit of pinkness to your nails, strenghtens them and makes them nice and shiny
x
Basically the same effect but I find it much easier to use and it takes less time
Hey Luxirare, ive been checking on your blog for several years now, it is so different and much more elegant than other blogs! and seriously, both cooking and clothes? Best combination
I just wanted to comment to add my warnings, even if to repeat others: DONT FILE YOUR NAILS before applying the gel! ewww it makes me feel really bad for them!! You must know these four-side nailfiles that help you polish your nails so that theyre all shiny and soft? Well these files are pretty soft compared to the usual metal one youre using in your pictures, and though you are advised not to use them more than once a month (!!) in order not to damage the fragile sheets of keratin composing your nails. So, please consider this, of course i am no expert but i could not refrain myself from posting!!
Here a never-ending comment from a faithful french follower (so please excuse my bad english)
I love Shellac nails, too! I have been doing them at home for a while, now.
Just a few things I wanted to mention after reading your post:
First: NEVER rough up your nails before using shellac. This is not necessary and can damage the nail plate. Wiping your nails with a cotton pad moistened with pure acetone is sufficient . As an aside, it’s not a good idea to use a metal nail file. Ever. An emery board with medium grit or a glass file is preferable.
Also, nipping your cuticle is not a good idea. Hangnails, yes. Cuticle? No. Instead try pushing the cuticle back and using a good cuticle remover. Many people like Blue Cross or Sally Hansen (the blue one.)
Use very thin coats of Shellac. Be sure to shake the bottle vigorously for at least 30 seconds before each application. If the Shellac is thick, this means you haven’t shaken the bottle enough.
When you have applied and cured the final coat, remove the sticky residue, which is called an inhibition layer, with lint-free cotton moistened with 91 % alcohol. You can find this at any pharmacy. Do not use acetone. Acetone weakens the Shellac.
For removal, I like to cut a round cotton disc into fourths, soak the cotton in acetone, place the cotton over the nail and wrap the nail tightly in a strip of aluminum foil. Leave for 10 minutes. The shellac dissolves and and can be gently wiped from the nail. No need to scrape.
Sorry for such a long post, but I know that you are meticulous in all that you do, so I thought you might find this information useful.
@EVERYONE-
thanks for all the tips!!!!
luxirare, tell me please what camera you use?
thankU
Step-by-step guide, direct from CND:
http://www.cnd.com/Tools-Support/PDF/Step-by-Steps/4974_ShellacSBSUpdate.pdf
As mentioned earlier, you can use acetone instead of the Scrub Fresh.
This is “new” in Mexico and i love it! But some Salons don’t know how to put it, so it chips very easily…
i liked that you put emphasis on applying a THIN coat, that way it will last up to three weeks
I am a nail tech and beauty therapist and do shellac regulary i noticed in your photos you were filling/buffing you nail plate, you dont need to do that with shellac thats the beauty of it you use your own natural nail fix only your cuticles and file into shape. (filling or hardout buffing your nail plate will weaken and thin out your nails.
I’ve been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this site. Thanks , I will try and check back more often. How frequently you update your web site?
I was wondering if you could email me the product name they actually used on you at the salon?
רשת מעצבי השיער של ארי שומר מבצעת מזה זמן רב החלקה יפנית תוך התחייבות ל-100% הצלחה ותוך עדכון תדיר של החידושים והטכנולוגיות האחרונים בתחום החלקה יפנית ו החלקה ברזילאית . החלקת שיער יפנית / החלקה ברזילאית מתבצעת ע"י ארי שומר ואלכס (מנהל קניון "הבאר") בלבד, ללא הפרעת עובדים או לקוחות אחרים, תוך אבחון להכנה מיידית (בשר) ומיומן של סוג השיער והטיפול המומלץ לו.
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