I originally was going to a place near my town to have it done, but due to family circumstances, I had to cancel and pray for a place in Maine to get Shellac done. I checked the CND Salon Locator and found Studio One, in Old Port, Portland, Maine. It was about a 30 minute drive from where we were staying, so I convinced the fiance to go and we could check out some cool architecture.
I decided not to make an appointment and instead to just "walk in" and see what kind of service I could get. To my delight, they had an opening in 45 minutes, so we headed downstairs to Anthony's to eat (which was amazing, by the way).
The salon itself is very open and inviting while still maintaining a professional vibe. The magazines available are current (which you don't really think about but when you're at an appointment early, it makes a difference!), and they offered me a water, but I declined since I had just eaten lunch.
Now, I cannot for the life of me find the business card from my manicurist, so I do apologize that I am not mentioning her by name.
Studio One offers other gel services too, such as Young Nails, but I was pleased to see that for the Shellac services, all the CND products were being used. Mixing and matching products can result in flawed results for the client.
Because I had just recently had a manicure, I didn't need my nails trimmed or shaped, and I chose to put on Hollywood, a pretty red, with a top coat of Mother of Pearl, a light holographic scattered glitter, much like China Glaze Fairy Dust.
I ended up spilling that I was a nail blogger, so my manicurist did not explain the entire process to me but I really loved that she had it down to an art on her side. She would have one hand in the UV lamp while the other was being polished, and then she would move the lamp over for me so I didn't have to twist my wrists or cross my arms to get to the lamp. It was a relaxing hour that ended with a soft hand scrub with a CND spa scrub.
The ONLY complaint that I have was that at the end of my Shellac manicure, instead of using 99% isopropyl alcohol to remove the "sticky layer" that sits on top of the nail after the top coat has cured, she used pure acetone. I literally drew my hands back in horror and said "What is that" after smelling acetone, and she assured me that she did this with all her Shellac manicures.
This is not what CND has said to use. CND has explicitly said that only 99% isopropyl alcohol should be used to remove the "sticky layer." Acetone is used to break down Shellac through the microtunnels that is created by the Shellac coats. Needless to say, I allowed her to wipe my nails with the acetone, and as a result, my nails felt rubbery until the day I removed said Shellac. She also did not apply Solar Oil after my manicure, but I asked for some anyway, and she provided it from her desk. (I was not offered a mini bottle to take home.)
I paid $30 for my Shellac services on 26 June.
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Freshly Shellac-ed! |
I removed my Shellac on my own on 10 July 2012 without any issues. CND does not recommend for the client to remove her Shellac on her own to maintain the integrity of the nail.
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Shellac - 10 days later! |
Edit: I had the original dates wrong. I wore this polish for 14 days, not just 10.
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Shellac Day 14 |
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Left Hand - Day 14 |
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Right Hand - Day 14 |
Awesome! I've been looking forward to this post! I want to try Shellac ASAP now! :) I can't believe it looks so good after 10 days!
ReplyDeleteI'm obsessed with this product - this is my second Shellac manicure and I would definitely do Shellac again! (I currently have a Shellac pedicure!!!)
DeleteThat's just what I needed to know. Now (may become the day!) I'm ready to try my experience!
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot :)
YAY! Check the Salon Locator for a salon/spa near you that offers TRUE Shellac, not "We wish this was Shellac and will use the name but not the product!"
DeleteI will!
DeleteBTW I forgot to write it before, congrats onyour engagement! <3
Thank you!!!
DeleteI'd really like to get a Shellac mani one day but they cost around $60 in salons in Australia and I could buy a kit and do it myself for much less than that, I already own a UV lamp!
ReplyDeleteThis red looks so lovely, I can't find a red polish to suit me and it sucks because it's so classic!
-Elissa
I'm finding that EVERYTHING is super expensive in Australia. :| I have a few friends out there and they are constantly complaining.
DeleteI hear you about reds! I used to NEVER wear red!
Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteThank you!!! <3 <3 <3
DeleteThat is one hell of a ring! I's gorgeous. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteThank you!!!
DeleteCongrats! I am toying with the idea of doing a shellac manicure, my husband is in the Air Force and we are stationed in Nevada, but we'll be travelling to our home state of New York and staying for 12 days. Even though I LOVE nail polish and doing my own nails, I don't really want to deal with doing manicures every few days and I won't really have the time to do my nails that often since we will be busy visiting family. Did you just soak the manicure off or is there a trick to removal.
ReplyDeleteFor me, Shellac is the way to go! Your salon might even offer you a special on removal. You can see from my last Shellac posts that I used the CND Shellac wraps but didn't leave them on long enough. This time, instead of wraps, I used aluminum foil to cover my finger with a cotton ball soaked in acetone.
DeleteLast Shellac: http://www.polishgalore.com/2011/09/cnd-shellac.html
I have been using latest collection of Shellac polish and I really satisfied. I get here Very helpful information. Excellent blog right here! I was just searching for this information for a while.There is obviously a lot to know about this. I think you made some good points in Features also.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Jane