Manicures - Which holds up better for cruises?

I usually do my own nails...Don't have the patience nor want to spend the $$ to go for frequent manicures.

Since I don't want to mess with nails on cruise though, I do get a professional mani/pedi with gel on hands/standard pedi about 2 days before our cruise.

Pedi will usually last for 10 or 11 night cruises except for last year...I wasn't even on the ship yet and someone stepped on my big toe with her high heel....Took off 1/3 of my nailpolish! Usually I bring a bottle of polish to touch up with...This time I didn't...Lesson learned.

Definitely wouldn't waste time/$$ on cruise for mani/pedi.

Wondering if I should get a gel french mani this cruise. Does this hold up better than getting standard one color gel?

 

Wondering if I should get a gel french mani this cruise. Does this hold up better than getting standard one color gel?

I've had generally good luck with gel manis, regardless of whether it was French tips or one color, but occasionally the French tips will chip a bit earlier than one color might; probably due to the fact that the white color has an "edge" at both ends rather than going all the way down to the nail base. The top coat still keeps it pretty durable but I still think it has a slightly better chance of chipping than one solid color. YMMV

I use regular polish and do my nails (with 2 -3 topcoats) the night before leaving. Since I'm not doing my normal work on vacation, my polish lasts the entire week! (Yes, I do bring the polish with me, just in case!). I've only had to "touch up" once!

Could just buff your nails to a high shine.

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The gel manicure lasts 2-3 weeks for me. If I know I have to go at least 3 weeks, then I usually get a lighter color, so that the growth of the nail bed isn't too obvious.

My regular pedicures usually last 3 weeks, but I would probably get a gel pedi for the next trip.

I have also used press-on nails (French) on a dressy or formal evening and then soaked them off after a day or so.

Shellac manicure definitely! the only one for me when I travel - a few extra bucks but well worth it - lasts 2-3 weeks and nails look like your just left the salon - always! :) (usually do regular pedicure but will do a shellac pedicure as well is lots of 'beach destinations' as I find sand/rocks etc very hard on a regular pedicure - and lots of touchig up required!)

I don't use color on my fingernails on cruises.

Do get pedicures (cruising or not cruising).

For cruises I go with a light gloss color which is much more forgiving. :)

Hi ladies..

Getting a manicure makes me feel like a new woman, and all is right in my world when I walk out. I love a fresh mani and when I get lazy or don't want to spend the money, I try to remind myself how good it makes me feel. :)

Anyway, my comments below on some polish options:

• Gel Manicures - for me Shellac brand does not last and cracks easier.. So, for thin nails, I suggest OPI brand gel. The OP asked about a french vs. a color - if your gel tends to crack (think thin nails), lighter colors don't show it as much as darker colors, so french would be better if you are away longer. I usually get 3 coats of polish, or I ask for a second coat of the clear at the end - helps make it last longer for me personally. Another tip I use with lighter colors is to get a very subdued glitter over whites because glitter polish seems to never chip!
  

• 
  Vinylux Polish - this is such a great product! There's a few brands that now sell gel-type polishes but without needing the UV light to cure, and no soaking to remove. This polish goes on like regular polish, you wait for it to dry, and then it also comes off easily with nail polish remover. This is seriously a favorite of mine and my nail salon has it for an extra $5. I usually just bring my own so I can touch up if I need to, but since I'm not always a huge fan of gel manicures, this is a great option. They are around $6-8 on Amazon, and you do want to get a topcoat.. or just get the topcoat and put it over your regular polish. With the vinylux, you do not use a basecoat. Perfect option for the toes!
  

Good luck!

Shellac shouldn't crack if it is being applied correctly. I know I go on and on about this but as a CND trained tech I know there are literally hundreds of places out there not applying it correctly, buffing the nails blah blah. In the 6+ years I have been using Shellac on my clients I have only had one that couldn't take to it and between her medication and her picking it we moved over to Vinylux.

However if you have paper thin nails many CND Shellac trained techs will use a product called Brisa smoothing gel which gives the nail a bit of strength and then apply the Shellac on top. (This is not be be confused with Brisa sculpting gel which is used to build enhancements).

Shellac is actually kinder to the natural nail than the OPI version and every other product on the market including OPI brought their version of the product out to try to stop the flood of CND Shellac which took the nail world by storm when released. To this day it is the only one of it's kind and is not a gel polish per se. You have to file down/rough up the nail bed nail with a nail file to take the shine off for all of these other gel polishes (which makes the nails thin) but not Shellac, and the removal of Shellac is super easy. I always know when someone comes in to the spa and says yes it is Shellac and when it takes us a while to get it off we know for sure it is not Shellac!

Vinylux is a good product if you just want a regular polish, the technology behind it is basically it hardens as the week goes on making it more robust, hence the name weekly polish. It was brought out for people that didn't want to keep the Shellac on for so long.

Thanks for your post celtic girl - I know you helped me a while back when I had some shellac done at a local salon and it peeled off within days! I went back to show them and they said - oh it's your fault - your nails are too dry - you can't have shellac!

I was devastated and posted here and you responded - and told me to find a place that had the real CND lamps and techs were trained - and that it was not my nails that were at fault!

....you even provided me with a list of questions to ask :)

And you were right of course! I did find and have since found many salons that have genuine CND shellac and lights and that is where I now go - I also once had the OPI polish and I could definitely see the difference.

I also have/use vinylux at home when I do my own polish .....

Froufie, you are welcome and I am very pleased to hear you are still a Shellac girl:D

Gels have always worked out best for me, but not once it has to be removed. I'm going to take my polish and a small amount of remover this trip. Biotin has really been helping my sad nails....want to keep a good thing going!

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On this same topic, I stopped bringing a bottle of nail polish remover a long time ago after the bottles leaked everywhere, every time. I now use the nail polish remover pads when cruising. One pad removes a full manicure, and they don't leak.

I have never been able to do my own nails and make them look nice, so I go with a gel. I find a French manicure can begin to look a little yellow when out in the sun a lot and sometimes chip on the edges. If its more than a week, I go with a neutral beige. It isn't as obvious as the nails grow out. I can normally get by for 3 weeks this way.

Shellac shouldn't crack if it is being applied correctly. I know I go on and on about this but as a CND trained tech I know there are literally hundreds of places out there not applying it correctly, buffing the nails blah blah. In the 6+ years I have been using Shellac on my clients I have only had one that couldn't take to it and between her medication and her picking it we moved over to Vinylux.

 

However if you have paper thin nails many CND Shellac trained techs will use a product called Brisa smoothing gel which gives the nail a bit of strength and then apply the Shellac on top. (This is not be be confused with Brisa sculpting gel which is used to build enhancements).

 

Shellac is actually kinder to the natural nail than the OPI version and every other product on the market including OPI brought their version of the product out to try to stop the flood of CND Shellac which took the nail world by storm when released. To this day it is the only one of it's kind and is not a gel polish per se. You have to file down/rough up the nail bed nail with a nail file to take the shine off for all of these other gel polishes (which makes the nails thin) but not Shellac, and the removal of Shellac is super easy. I always know when someone comes in to the spa and says yes it is Shellac and when it takes us a while to get it off we know for sure it is not Shellac!

 

Vinylux is a good product if you just want a regular polish, the technology behind it is basically it hardens as the week goes on making it more robust, hence the name weekly polish. It was brought out for people that didn't want to keep the Shellac on for so long.

Shellac constantly cracks on me - sort of like hairline cracks that you would see in a paint job on a car. My nails still bend even with gel on them, whether its Shellac, OPI or other gel brands. OPI gel definitely last longer on me than other brands. Any recommendations for stronger nails?

Any recommendations for stronger nails?

Taking a regular dose of Biotin has helped mine immensely. Eight out of ten of my nails are doing wonderful...my right thumb and pointer are a little on the slow side, but they have all stopped peeling.

Shellac constantly cracks on me - sort of like hairline cracks that you would see in a paint job on a car. My nails still bend even with gel on them, whether its Shellac, OPI or other gel brands. OPI gel definitely last longer on me than other brands. Any recommendations for stronger nails?

You will probably know OPI nail envy but that is quite a good product and you should notice a difference after just a few weeks.

Re the Shellac problem, try finding a certified CND tech (look for salon locator on CND dot com). That should ensure you get the correct application and removal. The Brisa product I spoke about earlier under your Shellac will help stop your nails bending as much.

Also CND solar oil (cuticle oil that you can put all over nail - and Shellac too as it is porous unlike the other brands). For years I poo poo'd cuticle oil but what a difference and it helps condition the nails.

For paper thin, weak nails, it is always best, in my professional opinion, to avoid any product where they take a file to your natural nail bed before application or at the removal process as this weakens the nail bed so badly. This is why sometimes nails are weak after artificial nails too as they are drilled/filed to an inch of their life and it takes months to recover. The "chop shops" are the biggest culprits but it is not just these places who do it.

Anyone continually filing down an already thin, weak nautural nail bed without offering some sort of help to strengthen does not have your best interest and lets face it health, at heart just $$$$.

I wished I lived beside everyone of you lovely ladies who have nail problems, I would love to help.

The gel manicure lasts 2-3 weeks for me. If I know I have to go at least 3 weeks, then I usually get a lighter color, so that the growth of the nail bed isn't too obvious.

This is exactly what I do...I love a gel polish manicure, they wear like iron for me (esp if OPI gel polish is used).

Once a month, I usually get a 'speed pedicure' at my salon for $25...and then, to make the polish last, I will apply topcoat once a week, and I also make sure to have the polish color that was used on hand for any emergencies. I am a creature of habit, so I pretty much alternate between that same five colors for my pedicures, all year long. I have the bottles of polish on hand for touchups or to take with me on a trip.

Pardon my ignorance, but I've never used the gel polishes. Is there a special technique in using them, specifically the ones you buy in the drugstore and use at home? I usually do my own manicures/pedicures, but I've never tried these before. Are there special base/top coats that they require?

When you get a gel polish manicure at a salon, they use a UV light to 'cure' it. Typically the manicure lasts at least two weeks with no fading of the glossy finish, no chipping etc

You can get gel polish kits, with a light, to mimic the salon results for varying prices at stores like Ulta, Target etc - I've never tried those, so I can't really comment on how well they work.

You can also get 'gel finish' polish - there is no light involved and it applies just like regular nail polish. Some brands are a two step process with the color polish and then a top coat (Essie, Sally Hansen, Revlon to name a few) and some are one step (for example, Wet N Wild).

I don't do my nails at home, so I don't have any personal experience with those polishes, but I know people that have used the Sally Hansen "Miracle Gel" polish + topcoat (no light needed) and were very happy with the results.

Vacations are the only time I get a manicure, and I do a french gel - because it lasts for so darn long and since there really isn't much color variance between the polish and your natural nail, the growth isn't very obvious at all. I do hate how my nails are after taking gel off though, hence it being a vacation only treat. I'll have to look into the other options mentioned above for next time.

A little bit off topic but when I do my nails at home I use Orly rubberised base coat with OPI Polish and I finish off with the clear Sally Hansen miracle gel as a top coat. It lasts for ages!

I've been using the Revlon gel which lasts a good week or more. (Less if you swim a lot.) I bring mine to the nail salon and have them apply it. I do use a basecoat with it because I don't want it to stain my nails. (That might contribute to it lasting "only" 7 days.)

Nexgen. Best ever and doesn't chip. Lasts 2+ weeks if it is done correctly.

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Hi! I was just wandering around the site and saw this conversation. I thought I would mention my experience if that's ok?

Hubby and I recently had a family wedding to attend and part of the bridal stagette events was manicures and pedicures. Now.. I don't normally get manicures because I'm typing at a computer all day long and they chip very quickly. Seeing that it was a special event, I thought why not. I ended up getting gel polish which I'd never had before. What a nice surprise! The polish didn't chip once for the 3 weeks I had them! I went to a different place for a colour change about 1 1/2 weeks before the wedding (got robin egg blue with sparkles!) and it lasted for 4 weeks before I went and had them removed. My nail growth was just showing too much to not remove them. I've never had polish not chip before so this was amazing! I've very lucky that I inherited good nail genetics from my grandmother and mother so they didn't have to do any extensions on my nails. We're heading out for a cruise in a couple of weeks (YAY!!) so I'm going to be making an appointment with the salon for gel polish for sure!