Nail polish - normal or Shellac? Any advice/experiences?

I never bothered with nail polish and now I use shellac religiously! This lot has lasted me 3 weeks without a single chip, and as long as you take it off properly it won't damage your nails. So worth it - with normal nail polish it'd chip within a day for me but this is wonderful!

It could be done sooner but potentially best to do it as late as possible to get it to extend to the conference

I had a french manicure shellac on not very long nails. Had it done 2 days before the wedding and it lasted all the way through 2 weeks in Australia and a few days in Bali!

If you have it taken off properly then your nails should be fine. They can be a bit dry afterwards to you could get some nail oil stuff to rub into them after you've had it off.

Shellac is just a brand of gel nail overlays. There are lots of others such as geleration, gelish amongst others. I would 110% recommend gel over normal nail varnish. I do my own french nails using a kit from Boots. But for my wedding day i'll be getting it done at the salon

benefits-

instantly dry

stronger nails while on

ultra shiny

Should last 3 weeks

cons-

best to get them removed in the salon £6-12 roughly

Nails may feel a little dry after but cuticle oil and hand cream help this

a little more expensive than nail varnish £5-15 more roughly

hope this helps

Xx

Shellac is great and doesn't damage your nails as long as it is removed correctly

I have OPI gel colour which lasts 3-4 weeks. I was told that Shellac usually lasts about 2 weeks.

I had gel nails for my sister's wedding in March, and it was great! Lasted for a good month afterwards (until the point that it started to look stupid because my nails were growing!). I really wanted to get it done regularly after that, but unfortunately wedding/house saving took over and I couldn't justify the regular cost.

Will definitely get it for my wedding though.

I would recommend Shellac (or any other gel polish) over a standard manicure. Expect to get around 2 weeks from it if you aren't too heavy handed!

Another option is bio gels. I think they are far better than the gel polishes. They last longer (3-4 weeks for me), have a better finish (smoother and shinier) and are better for your nails (although none will cause any great damage if they are applied and removed correctly).

The extra time you get from bio gels means they will easily last through your honeymoon ?

One other thing that is worth a mention is that in my experience french polish in anything never lasts as long as a colour, though I appreciate you are hardly going to chose scarlet red for your wedding! Might be worth considering a nude or pale pink though if you are after long lasting...just a thought ?

Ditto the others - gel varnish is the way forward in life but I'd definitely get it removed professionally. I have the sensationail kit from Boots to do it myself from home. It goes on a lot more easily than normal polish, and you get a better finish and it definitely lasts longer. I find if I take them off myself it weakens my nails and subsequently the nails break quite frequently. I'm currently experimenting with using 'normal' polish and then a top coat of gel on top to see if it saves my nails better... I'll report back!

my current nail artwork, just so you can see how the gel compares to normal polish I'd definitely advise leaving as late as you can as they'll stay looking smarter as they grow out at your conference. Alternatively, you can put normal polish over the top as they grow out to keep them looking tidy (works best with a dark or a bright colour as it hides the line where the bottom of the gel is growing out!)

ETA not sure why the flash has deformed and made my fingers look so stumpy! ?

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I had shellac for the first time for my wedding and it looked beautiful and is still on now 9 days after having it done. My mum and both bridesmaids also had it done (one being a horse rider) and theirs has lasted just as well and my BM's don't have long nails at all.

I would definitely recommend it.

I had mine the morning of the day before and later set up the venue with decorations etc and mine didn't chip at all

I first had shellac as a BM this time last year... it stayed on for 14 days after the wedding and gently came off without any damage bar a couple of teeny marks on my natural nails! Really helped them grow too. Since them I've had them 3 more times.... over christmas last year when I broke 3 of my nicer nails being chased up the stairs by H2B (godo job as I was propose to with these shellacs on, nice xmassy red for the photos!), a fancy pattern done for my engagement party, and again for my holiday in majorca to protect them from splits and bangs.

Deffo have shellac, I will be having a french manicture but with pink glitter tips and a more clear nail

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Wow, thank you all so much for your advice. Sounds like Shellac (or equivalent gel brand) is definitely the way to go. Now to find a good salon.... does anybody happen to live in Cornwall?!

That's great to hear! We're also off to Australia (& New Zealand) for our honeymoon but not til December. Did you do a honeymoon report with details of where you went I can have a nosey at?

Literally just had mine done as a practice. Shellac French Polish on not very long nails!

I do my own gel nails at home - have the full kit. The key is NOT to peel it off - so tempting at times - and to remove it properly but gently. Use cuticle oil every day too and your nails will be better for it.

I own a hair and beauty salon, gel polish whether shellac gelish or any other professional brand for that matter will state up to 2 weeks but in most cases all will last longer.
A regular of mine always has a French gel manicure and always last 3 weeks until we take it off unless she breaks a nail!
With normal polish it won't last for your wedding and honeymoon.
Ps the lady I'm talking about looks after her 2 small grandchildren 4 days aweek

Sorry to hijack your thread BeccaK, would love to pick the brains of people in the know if that's OK?

I want to have my nails done for my wedding, the problems I've got are

1. I bite my nails (ideally I'll have finally managed to stop by the wedding!)

2. I can't wear nail varnish for work and I'm back at work 1 week after the wedding

What would you lovely hitchers recommend? I don't mind paying for a gel manicure to ensure it looks good for the wedding but I don't want it to be a problem to have it taken off after just a week. If I haven't managed to conquer the biting habit by then would falsies be any good?

Thank you ?

If you haven't conquered the biting habit you will need false nails. If you do then you can have gel just take it off before you go back to work. Xx

Im a nail fanatic! I must own a collection of over 100 polishes plus nail art pens, rhinestones, studs, glitter etc...I'm very much the exhibitionist when it comes to my nails and I love swapping and changing them...... But I must admit, I am debating getting a shellac for the wedding so I don't have a nervous breakdown on the day if a rhinestone falls off or the varnish chips!

I'm going to the nail salon today, going to get shellac French manicure, with a bit of glitter over the top ? I adore shellac- my record was 8 weeks of wear, although of course my nails had grown and I only really had glittery tips but I still kept it- people were astonished! It would last a whole half term at school with no chips, worth every penny!

I know that some people don't like it because they like to change their nails regularly but that is never going to be me- lowest maintenance possible is what I want!

Shellac is definitely more durable and it lasts longer. The downside is that you have to be really careful with it and that it is quite a thick layer on your fingernails. Maybe you should consult a nail polish professional for some tips and advice.

Not really sure what is that but when it comes to nails, I always buy my nail polishes from this site. Do check them out! https://funlacquer.com/collections/all-f-u-n-lacquers

It is my business to own and operate a beauty salon. The wear time of gel polish can be up to two weeks, but it will usually last longer than that! The lady I am speaking of has always had French manicures & Toe Nail Separators (which are super durable), so I am confident she will not be taking regular old nail polish away with her to her wedding or honeymoon (ps, this lady cares for her 2 small grandchildren four days per week).

If you have never had Shellac, I would definitely trial it before the wedding. I had Shellac for my sisters wedding and it really wasn't for me - it felt like there was stuff stuck to the end of my fingers and I couldn't shake the feeling. I had it removed the next day. I know lots of people love it and it's more hard-wearing but I'm going with normal nail polish for mine.