All about shellac – properties and comparison with other coatings, how to do a manicure

If you’re obsessed with maintaining the perfect manicure, you’ve undoubtedly heard of shellac. It’s currently one of the most popular nail care trends, but how does it differ from other nail coatings? This post will define shellac, examine its special qualities, and contrast it with other well-known nail polishes. Shellac knowledge could change your life, whether you’re an avid nail art enthusiast or just curious about maintaining the flawless appearance of your manicure.

A hybrid nail product, shellac combines the best aspects of gel and traditional nail polish. It is renowned for its strength and glossy finish, which doesn’t chip for weeks at a time. Shellac is cured under a UV or LED lamp, which helps it set and stay in place more quickly than regular nail polish. We’ll examine the differences between this process and other coatings such as gel and acrylic so you can select the one that best suits your requirements.

Applying shellac to the nails differs slightly from applying regular polish. There are a few steps involved, such as base coat application, nail prep, and lamp curing each layer. We’ll guide you through each step of the procedure and provide advice to help you achieve the ideal shellac manicure. In addition, we’ll offer some guidance on safely applying and removing shellac to preserve the health and beauty of your nails.

Because of its glossy shine and long-lasting finish, shellac is a popular option for manicures and pedicures. But how does it stack up against other nail coatings? This article delves into the special qualities of shellac, examining its advantages and disadvantages in relation to gel and conventional nail polish options. We’ll also take you through a step-by-step tutorial on how to get the ideal shellac manicure at home, saving you a ton of money on salon-caliber nails.

What is shellac, its advantages

The most well-known product from CND is called shellac. This company was the first to create a manicure coating that was semi-liquid but still strong. It blended gel with regular varnish. The company only disclosed natural resins; the composition was kept a secret for a considerable amount of time. Subsequently, a variety of manufacturers’ gel varnishes hit the market, and "shellac" became more than just the brand name for one particular product.

Regular gel varnishes or the manicure that uses them are frequently referred to as "shellac." Certain brands—like BLUESKY—even place the term "Shellac" on the packaging, but the material composition differs from the original CND.

The primary benefit is that you can replace the nail plate with a different material and avoid filing it down to increase durability. Without this, the material blends in with the natural nail. There are no thick or raised bumps on the manicure; it appears natural.

Durability

Shellac typically lasts two weeks, but it can often last up to twenty or twenty-five days. If quality materials are used, the technology is followed carefully, and no chips, peeling, or cracks should occur during this time. Only the top layer may fade slightly at the end of wear, and it will gradually get small scratches.

Pros and cons

One of the many benefits of shellac is its ease of application and wear.

Advantages:

• suitable for nails of different lengths and thicknesses;
• can be given any shape to the tips;
• gives scope for designs;
• the coating does not require much time, 2-3 hours is enough;
• easy to use;
• lasts 14-20 days;
• rich palette of shades;
• makes thin nails thicker, increases strength;
• the product in the bottle does not dry out, does not deteriorate.

One of the drawbacks is the expense. Shellac is far more costly than gel polish, so this kind of coating cannot be referred to as inexpensive. Many substitutes have been available recently from domestic, American, and Chinese manufacturers for three to five times less money.

Differences between shellac and other coatings

The nail coatings known as gel polish, shellac, and gel allow you to maintain a manicure for a few weeks without having to get a touch-up.

The natural resin mixed with ordinary varnish in shellac’s composition is what sets it apart from other materials. Toluene, formaldehyde, and other hazardous materials may be present in comparable products made by different companies.

The distinctions between shellac and gel polish are not very great. They look exactly alike, and the method is the same, but occasionally a primer is applied underneath shellac. Without it, it should hold up nicely. Between gel and these materials, there are additional distinctions. They differ in terms of consistency, application technology, gel pliability, skill requirement, and filing.

Table of comparative characteristics of the coating

Shellac

Gel polish

Gel

Shellac or gel

It is preferable that it is more comfortable to wear and lasts longer. Some girls are quite happy with shellac because it looks natural, lasts a long time, and allows for any length of growth. But some nails reject it because they don’t like it. The only explanation for this, given by even the masters, is that "it does not suit everyone." Regardless of the manufacturer, the coating begins to peel and chip. It is preferable to select a gel in this situation. Since it becomes hard after polymerization, it will also be a blessing for extremely thin, flexible nails.

Shellac or gel polish

Their characteristics and appearance are strikingly alike. There are hardly any technological differences between these materials. You can easily try gel polish if you know how to use shellac. It’s challenging to decide which is superior. In terms of cost, availability, and prevalence, gel polishes are superior. A number of factors affect durability. In terms of composition, shellac triumphs because it has fewer chemicals and dangerous substances.

What is more harmful

Inadequate application, incisions, and hasty removal are more detrimental to natural nails. Natural nails grow well and get thicker with careful work and following all the guidelines; they don’t need the much-discussed rest. Clients go to reputable masters for beautiful manicures without any breaks for several years.

The worst that can occur from a properly performed manicure is an allergy. Selecting a gel or gel polish is preferable if shellac is the only application method, and vice versa.

The most prevalent misconception concerning long-term coating is that it stops nails from breathing. However, nails don’t require oxygen.

Doing a manicure with shellac

Shellac is simple to apply at home, in contrast to thick gels. Long-term coatings won’t cause any issues if a girl knows how to paint her nails with regular polish. Conversely, there are instances when working with them is simpler. The most important thing is to purchase all you require and learn the technique.

Materials, tools

A basic coating kit includes a few tools that are necessary for every application; the shellac color is the only variable.

What you require:

• Cleanser, degreaser. Liquid that removes moisture and grease.
• Primer. Provides durability, prevents peeling. Sometimes they do without it, but with wet nails, sweaty hands it is advisable to use.
• Base. A layer between the nail and the color coating. Ideally, the original from CND is used. A less expensive version of the Kodi base, but you can also use TNL, InGarden.
• Colored shellac. It sets the shades, participates in the design, you can choose to your taste.
• Top or top coat. The finishing touch that provides shine, adhesion of layers, protects nails from deformation. We use the brand of base coat (TNL, InGarden, CND).

Consumables: files, buffs, lint-free napkins, extra brushes for decoration, and cuticle line drawing are also required. Without a lamp, a manicure is impossible.

Processing the nail plate

Everything—durability, accuracy, and perception—depends on nail preparation before applying shellac. In addition to removing any remaining old varnish, the plate needs to have its holes cleaned, cuticle and thin pterygium films removed as much as feasible. Because wet nails are less durable, it is not advised to perform a wet manicure by soaking the cuticle in water.

Procedure for carefully prepping nails:

1. Clean the nails from old varnish or coating.
2. File the tips, shape the free edge. If necessary, then remove the length.
3. Apply a softening agent to the cuticle, wait a few minutes, remove the skin with an orange stick or pusher, you can cut it with tweezers.
4. Clean the nail at the base from pterygium, pay attention to the holes, otherwise the varnish will peel off.

Following the preparation, hands need to be cleaned with soap and dried. If cuts developed during the cuticle removal process, apply chlorhexidine right away.

Before applying the shellac coating, avoid using any cream or oil as fatty ingredients can cause peeling.

Step-by-step technique of execution

While it is possible to perform a trim manicure, remove leftover varnish, and begin shellacing later in the day, masters typically complete all of these tasks simultaneously.

How to apply shellac:

1. Buff cleaned nails with a buff. Unlike other coatings, this does not require filing. Just slightly remove the top shiny layer to a matte state, do not overdo it.
2. Wet a napkin in cleanser, wipe all the nails, do this carefully, especially at the cuticle.
3. Now open the primer, process all the tips, ends, edges, so that the material firmly adheres to them.
4. Apply the base coat. The first layer is the most important. Lubricate thinly, rubbing movements. Do not put a lot on the brush so that streaks do not form, work on the ends, tips, seal. Dry in the lamp for a minute.
5. The second layer of the base can be made a little thicker. It is used to align the plate, hide defects. Drying.
6. Now we apply colored shellac, also in thin layers, the first time we seal, then you can not do this. Usually two layers are applied, each time drying in a lamp, but sometimes the color does not overlap well, in which case you can apply additional layers.
7. After drying the colored shellac, applying the design, it is time for the top. It can be applied thicker, there will be one layer. You need to carefully cover the entire surface, do not leave anything. With the top, dry the nails a little longer.
8. Wet the napkin in the cleanser, remove the sticky layer that forms after drying on the surface.

When doing a manicure on five fingers at once under a small lamp, it’s better to work on four fingers on one hand, four on the other, and then the remaining thumbs.

Chips and peeling

The majority of women are curious about how long shellac lasts and if it outlasts other gel polishes. Durability influences the selection of the material. Here’s where the absurdity lies: a manicure can last up to three weeks when done once, but it can only last five to ten days when done again with shellac. Peeling and chips can occasionally start to show earlier. Rarely, a violation of technology occurs; more frequently, the cause is the material’s quality.

Why do the tips have chips on them?

• Cleanser, primer was not used, or it was done incorrectly, there are untreated areas.
• Thick layers are applied, which simply do not have time to dry well, or a weak lamp is used. You do not need to take 12-24 W, although, according to sellers, it is ideal.
• The ends of the nail are not sealed, it is important to do this. If you can not work out all the corners and edges, you can use a separate thin brush for the base and shellac.
• The ends were sealed too abundantly. You need to apply only one layer of base, color coating and top on them. If you cover the edge with each layer, a thick roller is formed on it, which will definitely chip.
• Thin nails. The tips bend strongly even under the coating, small cracks appear, the free edge chips off.

Under severe load, chips can occasionally appear on the very tips. One girl, for instance, uses her nails to type a lot on the keyboard. Consequently, the coating chips off, tiny cracks form, and the top coat wears off.

The reason behind delamination:

• The cuticle is poorly processed, pterygium remains along the edges of the nail, which does not provide strong adhesion.
• The plate is not prepared. The surface needs to be sanded well, remove all the gloss. Pay attention to your buffs, files, maybe it"s time to update?
• The materials do not dry out. Here, the problem can be found in the thickness of the layers or in the operation of the lamp.
• Inaccurate application with streaks. As a result, after 2-3 days, the filled areas lag behind the skin, rise, peel off, pull the rest of the nail area with them.

It is crucial to take care of coating materials, regardless of their cost or durability. It is not appropriate to use your nails to open jars or to scrape or scratch objects. Wearing gloves is recommended when performing household tasks, particularly if you will be handling chemicals.

How to remove shellac

The prevalent misconception is that natural nails are ruined by strong polishes. Actually, what damages a manicure more than the materials themselves is a lack of professionalism and disregard for technique. Nail damage typically results from incorrect nail removal. The manicure cannot be broken off by biting, pulling, or scraping. Together with the shellac, a layer of the natural nail may "go away." It will develop pits and bumps, rough scales will rise, and the plate will thin.

Removing the coating by soaking

The simplest method, even for a novice. Use specific caps or clips to make the process easier. You’ll also need cotton pads, which should be cut into pieces that are just a little bit bigger than the nail plate. Use a remover, which is another name for specialized solvent, for soaking. Severina, TNL, and other brands are appropriate.

Caps for submersion

How to properly remove shellac:

1. Take a coarse file and lightly go over all the nails, remove the top top coat. You don"t have to do this, but soaking will take a long time, it"s better to spend a minute.
2. Lubricate the area around the nail with oil or cream. This is an optional step, many instructions don"t even include it, but this way we will protect the skin of our fingers, the solvent will not sting.
3. Wet pieces of cotton pads in a special product. Soak well, but drops should not drip. Apply to the nail.
4. Put on a cap or clip to fix it. If you don"t have anything, you can wrap the tip of your finger in foil. Wait until the shellac gets soggy. It will crack and swell.
5. Take a pusher or an orange stick, scrape off the coating. Move from the base of the nail to the edge.

You can reapply the cotton pad and soak it a little longer if the coating isn’t completely removed the first time. It is more practical to file small portions only.

Solvent bags are available for purchase, which you insert your fingertips into. Many reviews claim that they are not very convenient, that the substance ruins the skin, that it flows under the cuticle, and that it stings. Direct application of the cut napkins onto the nail plate is preferable.

Removing the coating by filing

The chemical soaking agent has an unpleasant smell, frequently causes skin pinching, and thins the nail plate after extended use. Thus, filing is becoming more and more preferred by professionals. You can practice it at home as well.

What is suitable for filing:

• a device with a cutter;
• regular files.

It is simple to file your nail, but using a device to file requires skill and caution.

Managing standard files is time-consuming. It is therefore advised to use multiple pieces: for artificial nails, start with a large abrasive, then move to soft files for a natural plate, and finally, buff the work to completion.

Subtleties and secrets of shellac manicure

Unlike gels or extensions, shellac application is far simpler. However, merely stained nails reveal themselves. A home manicure does not adorn the fingers and is frequently noticeable from a great distance. There are techniques that not only make your nails look better, but they also make the coating last longer.

Principal nuances:

• All the main materials must be from the same manufacturer to avoid peeling.
• The plate must not only be carefully processed, freed from cuticle and pterygium, but also leveled.
• You cannot touch your nails with your fingers from the moment the plate is degreased. Our skin has a lot of fat, which will affect durability.
• You should not choose a cheap low-power lamp, it is wiser to immediately purchase a device from 36 W.
• It is better to apply more thin layers, but let them dry normally.
• You do not need to save on napkins, it is advisable to purchase special lint-free consumables. Otherwise, small fluffs and threads will spoil the entire manicure, the perfect glare will not work.
• If the nails are initially crooked and bumpy, then you need to level them out, usually a base is used for this, but you can also take acrylic powder.

Since the coating takes weeks to take effect, take your time; allot two to three hours for the process, find a spot that is suitable, turn on some lighting, remove any distracting objects that are in the way, run, make noise, and ask questions. A thorough manicure should ideally be completed in three hours as opposed to one hour and then redone.

Popular types of nail decoration

Although everyone knows what a shellac manicure entails, not all girls are content with simple nails. It’s the long-lasting coatings that let you create a range of designs. You don’t even need to be able to draw in order to feel like a nail artist.

Popular styles of ornamentation:

• Moon manicure, French. It is convenient to do with stencils, but you can paint over the smile line with a thin brush.
• Gradients. Give a huge scope for imagination, you can come up with a variety of combinations of shades.
• Stickers. A simple, convenient, cheap way to decorate your nails with flowers, animals, hieroglyphs and any other pictures.
• Rhinestones, bouillons, pebbles. Used for convex decor, do not require any glue, "sit" on the top coat, sometimes on the base.
• Stamping. It is a plate with patterns applied, you can choose shades, shapes yourself.

There are lots of options; the key is to avoid going overboard because too many stickers, bouillons, kamifubuki, and rhinestones look cheap. It’s important to know when to give up, and keep in mind whether a manicure like that is appropriate for the office or a school.

Answers to frequently asked questions

What exactly is luxio, and how is it not shellac? Luxio is the brand name of a gel polish manufactured in Canada. Shellac is a composite material composed entirely of gel and varnish. The Luxio product has a pleasant scent, is simple to use, and goes away fast.

What is the difference between shellac and vinylux? CND Vinylux is positioned halfway between standard polish and gel coatings. Manicures with this type of polish last an average of 6 to 8 days, and unlike traditional gel polish, it does not require drying under a lamp. greater impact compared to the shellac line. A useful item for the house and salon.

What is the shellac sticky layer? The consistency of the base, color, and top is guaranteed by this dispersion layer. The sticky layer on top coat is always removed. It’s best to wait a few minutes to do this; letting the manicure cool will make it appear incredibly glossy.

What is a shellac primer? This liquid-like product is used to treat the nail plate after it has been degreased, ground, and polished but before the base layer is applied. Usually only applied to the ends, the primer removes any remaining moisture and provides good clutch. It might or might not have acid in it.

A shellac lamp: what is it? These days, hybrid, LED, and UV drying are all very common. Buying 36 and 48 W bulbs is preferable to buying low-power bulbs.

Single-phase shellac: what is it? That type of product is not available from this manufacturer. Single-phase gel polishes have a maximum shelf life of 10 days and are persistent gel polishes that are applied directly to the prepared plate without the need for a base or top coat.

Thermal shellac: what is it? In terms of characteristics, this is a classic shellac, though the shade changes depending on the air or water temperature. It is possible to perform one manicure in a cool setting and another in a warm one. Additionally, the color shifts seem very enticing, creating a stretch and gradient effect.

Why isn’t shellac applied to every client’s nail? This is not the most inexpensive business. The master will not be able to get by with just two or five shades, so investing in a full palette will cost a fair amount of money. In addition, there are currently many other materials on the market that are of reasonable quality. The second reason is that it is often counterfeited.

And what kind of tough coatings have you applied? Tell us what you thought, what you liked and didn’t like. Ask away if you have any questions!

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2 comments on “All about shellac – properties and comparison with other coatings, how to do a manicure”

YaroslavEditorial staff

Hi, good afternoon, Yaroslav! We don’t in any manner discriminate against men! Recently, articles about men’s manicures and men’s nail care were published here and here, respectively. Kindly pay attention.

Shellac Properties	Comparison with Other Coatings
Shellac is a brand of gel polish known for its long-lasting formula. It combines the ease of regular nail polish with the durability of gel. It usually lasts about 2 weeks without chipping.	Compared to regular nail polish, shellac lasts much longer and is more resistant to chipping. Unlike traditional gels, shellac doesn"t require extensive buffing or soaking to remove.
How to Apply Shellac	Manicure Tips
Start with clean, trimmed nails. Apply a base coat, then two layers of shellac polish, curing each layer under a UV or LED lamp. Finish with a top coat and cure again. Wipe off the sticky residue with alcohol.	Before applying shellac, make sure your nails are smooth and dry. Push back cuticles and file nails to your desired shape. Proper preparation ensures a longer-lasting manicure.

Shellac, with its special combination of polish and gel qualities, has completely changed the nail care industry. It is a well-liked option for people seeking manicures that last a long time because of its capacity to provide a glossy, long-lasting finish with little chipping. The main advantages of shellac are its ease of application and removal, as well as its resilience to normal wear and tear.

The differences between shellac and other coatings, such as gel nails or traditional nail polish, are readily apparent. Shellac strikes a balance with its relatively easy upkeep and impressive longevity, while gels require a longer curing time and more intensive removal and traditional polish requires frequent touch-ups. For individuals seeking something more durable than standard polish but requiring less dedication than gels, this is an ideal compromise.

A shellac manicure only requires a few easy steps to complete. First, prepare your nails by buffing and shaping them. After applying a base coat, cure each layer with two coats of shellac color under an LED or UV lamp. Use a top coat to ensure that everything is securely in place. Professionals and do-it-yourselfers can both benefit from the process’ efficiency and relative simplicity.

In conclusion, shellac is a great option for people who want a shiny, long-lasting manicure with less effort than other options. Many people choose it because of how simple it is to apply and maintain; it strikes a great balance between convenience and durability. Shellac can help keep your nails looking amazing for weeks on end, whether you apply it at home or at a salon.

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