Hard & tough for 20 days: One Shellac and I'm a Shelladdict . . .

Missy's musings . . . on beauty:

A whole lotta of pals, whose business is knowing about this stuff 24/7, have been going on about Shellac.
When I first heard about it I wondered how shellacing, which is essentially a high gloss varnish used on hardwood floors and smarty-pants furniture, could be a happening thing for your fingernails.
But, after a forty buck glossy manicure that lasted just on three (yes 3!) weeks, without a chip or a break, I am seriously impressed. And for someone who ruins any kind of mani the second I jump into the car, this is yet another way to downsize the time any of us want to spend on maintenance.
The only sign that the end of my first shellacing was nigh came the other night, when I started to slightly peel one off between clapping (and celebratory drinking)at the Sydney opening night of the musical Hairspray.
Shellac isn't about fakes nails, or talons or acrylic claws or stick-ons (many of those were on stage at the show, btw) but about an application process.


So how does it work?
Well, your nails are painted with a base, 2 color coats and a top coat and in between each coat (which is a mix of nail polish and a resin gel) your fingers are placed into a compact, supa-dupa drying and hardening UV light machine.
And honestly, there is no chance of smudging or ruining, as it hardens up in a few minutes, just like *that*
The color choice isn't as big as say, OPI or Miss Frou Frou, but there are enough choices to get you over the line, no matter what.
And what about getting it off to start all over again? Easy.
One of the nail 'technicians' put my nails in some acetone for a few minutes and it 'cracked' off, before she ever-so-nicely scraped the rest off, then buffed, polished and filed my nails. And even after the removal my nails were strong and in great shape.
And then I went through the re-application process again.
I went to USA Nails in Oxford Street, Paddington (in NSW) and for 40 bucks it was well worth having a go. And once you work out the cost per wear ratio . . . it's a good deal.
Oh, and for deets about Shellac practitioners all around Australia, call 1800 449 109