Shellac vs. Alessandro gel

aleksandra · 02-03-2012, 03:12 AM

hello,

I was just wondering if any of you had tried out shellac, alessandro gel or both? I've never hadmy nails done with permanent nailcolor, so i was wondering if it actually is any good? how log does it last? and if you tried both, which one was better?

Thanks!!!

stimkovs · 02-03-2012, 07:57 AM

hey i've had shellac done.
it looks amazing, mine started chipping in about 7-8 days, still looked fine for a while (i had it done french) - by week 2 it because super gross, and took until about week 3 to naturally peel off my nails.

if you have an event to go to- i suggest having it done for about a week and then going to get it removed.

also, even though the nail colour is permanent, notice that your nails will grow so you will see the colour growing out..

meplusthree · 02-03-2012, 08:26 AM

I have used the Shellac and it lasts for 8-10 days before it starts to chip/peel. I am fairly active with my hands and have two children and was amazed that it lasted----its the only thing I will use on my nails

aleksandra · 02-03-2012, 09:32 AM

these are two very realistic aspects of having your nails done with permanent nailcolor!
i was thinking about doing permanent french on my toes for the summer. my toes are quie unattractive because of some op i had, so i wanted to keep them neat in a easy way

i think it's better than using fake gel nails, because of the removal procedure ...is that true?

cherrypie · 02-03-2012, 09:55 AM

I just go mine done with the opi gel product yesterday. Like all opi colours it looks a lot lighter on the nail than in the bottle but I'm not too worried about that. The salon I work at just got the product in so we were testing it out. I was really hard on them yesterday when I got home and they fared really well. I'm planning on keeping it permanently so I'm eager to see how it goes.

btw, opi sells nail polish in the same colours so you can touch up between appointments.

Lunula · 02-06-2012, 09:55 AM

I've been doing Shellac on & off for about a year now and I've found that the length of time the polish lasts is directly related to how good your manicurist is. I've had chips in less than a week with a not-so-great manicurist, and I've also had them last beyond 2 weeks.

My advice is to find a great manicurist! I have nails that peel a lot, and the only woman I'll go to now cuts all the peels off and lightly files my nails so peeling won't occur under the Shellac. She is fantastic about pushing my cuticles down, again, so the Shellac under it won't peel.

She is the only person I will let near my nails with Shellac now because she is very detail-oriented and does a great job. Polishes with her regularly last 2+ weeks.

I do not get Shellac done regularly anymore, though, as it is really rough on my nails. My nails are defnitely not as strong after having Shellac on them, and it's a pain for me to have to go in every 2 weeks to have them redone. I just do it when I'm going on business trips or vacation now.

I did try OPI gel once - I like it because they have a lot more color options; but it was thicker than Shellac, so my nails felt "fake" - the salon did just recently get Alessandro polish, but I haven't tried yet - but there were a lot more color options vs. Shellac.

SouthLake · 02-06-2012, 10:57 AM

I do my nails with Shellac at home on a regular basis and love it. My nails typically last a week and a half or so, which is pretty amazing for me. I don't care for color on my fingers, so I stick to French or a nice pinky clear. I normally have very brittle nails, but haven't noticed that to be a problem when I wear Shellac consistently.

aleksandra · 02-07-2012, 01:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lunula

I've been doing Shellac on & off for about a year now and I've found that the length of time the polish lasts is directly related to how good your manicurist is. I've had chips in less than a week with a not-so-great manicurist, and I've also had them last beyond 2 weeks.

My advice is to find a great manicurist! I have nails that peel a lot, and the only woman I'll go to now cuts all the peels off and lightly files my nails so peeling won't occur under the Shellac. She is fantastic about pushing my cuticles down, again, so the Shellac under it won't peel.

She is the only person I will let near my nails with Shellac now because she is very detail-oriented and does a great job. Polishes with her regularly last 2+ weeks.

I do not get Shellac done regularly anymore, though, as it is really rough on my nails. My nails are defnitely not as strong after having Shellac on them, and it's a pain for me to have to go in every 2 weeks to have them redone. I just do it when I'm going on business trips or vacation now.

I did try OPI gel once - I like it because they have a lot more color options; but it was thicker than Shellac, so my nails felt "fake" - the salon did just recently get Alessandro polish, but I haven't tried yet - but there were a lot more color options vs. Shellac.

thanks a lot! i really needed some advice about getting nails done permanently, since it is going to be my first time. if you decide to try out alessandro gel, please tell me what your opiion is

you seem like an expert!