Wednesday, 10 April 2013

NOTD and Review: Shellac Nails in Tropix

Recently one of my oldest friends got married and the day before me and another friend had Shellac nails done for the wedding. I picked this beautiful coral pink colour (thanks to Google I now know it's called "Tropix"), as I thought it would go really well with the electric blue dress I bought to wear. 
Shellac is described as "a true innovation in chip free, extended wear nail colour". Shellac is 3-free, which means it contains no formaldehyde, DBP (dibutyl phthalate) and toluene. It is applied just like a traditional polish, but in between each layer my nails were put under a UV lamp to cure each layer. I didn't count how long my nails were under the lamp, but it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. A base and top coat were also applied and cured under the UV lamp. The result is super shiny, glossy nails, which are dry instantly. It's really odd because you feel like you need to be careful with how you move around, but you can run your fingers over the nail or knock it against something and there is no way it is going to smudge! Here are my nails the same day:

One of the big selling points of Shellac is that it is meant to last for at least 14 days. If you follow me on Twitter you may have noticed that I regularly moan about my nail varnish peeling off, sometimes within 24 hours of me applying it. I have tried so many different things with no avail and have just come to the conclusion that I have really oily nail beds!! Unfortunately for me, the Shellac actually started peeling off within a week. You can clearly see this on my middle finger on the pictures below. 

As it started peeling off I decided to remove it properly, as otherwise I knew I'd just end up picking it off! You can go back to the salon to have it removed or if you want to do it at home, all you need is some pure acetone, cotton wool and foil. I put a little bit of the acetone on a cotton wool ball, popped it over the nail and held it in place with foil. If you leave it on for 5-10 mins the Shellac will start to flake off and any left on the nail should easily scrape off either using your nail or a cuticle stick. Obviously pure acetone really isn't good for your nails, so now some hand and cuticle cream is much needed!

Unfortunately I don't think I will have Shellac done again anytime soon, purely because it cost me £20.00 and it only lasted a week. However it was lovely to have it done for a special occasion and I would recommend giving it a try if you haven't already. It would be perfect to have done before going on holiday!

Have you had Shellac done before? What was your experience?

Beauty Bird xx


SHARE:

28 comments

  1. I borrowed my friends equipment and did my own shellac french manicure, it looked great on the day but as with yours it started peeling on the honeymoon and by the time i got home i had ended up picking it all off which i know is so bad for your nails :-/ xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My sister has bought her own equipment to do it now, next time I'll probably just get her to do it instead, then at least I haven't spent anything!xx

      Delete
  2. This is such a nice colour! I haven't tried Shellac before but I've heard it's meant to be really good. I wish you could do Shellac on arcrlic nails.

    Beauty Fiends Blog

    ReplyDelete
  3. That's such a shame it peeled off so fast! I used to have Shellac regularly and most of the time it lasted me about 3 - 4 weeks! It never chipped on me, I only had it redone because my nails had grown so much! :) I missed painting my nails though so don't have it any more! I agree it is perfect for a special occassion though :) xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're so lucky it lasted longer! You definitely got your money's worth at least :-) xx

      Delete
  4. Shellac really looks so beautiful once done, and I'd love to try it but £20 is a bit much if it starts to peel just after a week. But maybe like you said, for an occasion or something! Great post though :D xx

    beautybydm.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! Yeah for a week it's just not worth it for me :-( xx

      Delete
  5. It is really pretty colour, I think if I was to have my nail done I would go all out an have gels or acrylics done instead!

    Pipp xx
    http://pippjones281190.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've never had gels or acrylics before, are they quite bad for your nails?xx

      Delete
  6. Ive had shellac done for holiday before too, it lasted around 4 days which was annoying as I paid about the same. But its nice like you say for an occasion or holiday. I had the Orly Gel FX in pixystix which was a lovely coral pink. Wish they stayed on for longer! x

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is a gorgeous gorgeous colour! If only it lasted longer! Well done for resisting to pick it off, whenever my polish peels like that I can't resist attempting to pull it all off in one go haha xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I normally do pick my nail varnish off but I thought I better take Shellac off properly. The colour is beautiful isn't it!!xx

      Delete
  8. Oh how annoying :( xx

    http://beautyqueenuk.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ooh I loooove that shade, such a shame it didn't work out on your nails though!!

    http://www.rafflesbizarre.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. lovely shade :)sad it started peeling soon :)
    www.primedwithprettiness.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd love to find a similar shade, I need to go on a hunt for one!xx

      Delete
  11. That's a really pretty shade, shame it didn't last very long! :( x

    Evelyn @ We Were Raised By Wolves

    ReplyDelete
  12. Beautiful colour! X x

    http://desireformakeup.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
  13. That's a lovely colour Sasha - shame it didn't last! It would be ideal for me if it did! xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I guess everyone's nails are different, it might well last longer... it's a risk to take!xx

      Delete
  14. Oooh how interesting! I do love the colour but I bet it wouldn't even last a week on me...

    Tara
    www.thestylerawr.com
    xoxo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah you would expect a lot from an application like this, so a week is quite disappointing xx

      Delete

Thank you for reading my ramblings! Please feel free to pop yours in the comments box - I read and reply to every one! :-)

© Ramblings of a Beauty Bird. All rights reserved.
Blogger Templates by pipdig