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Just a plug for Gel Nail polish

islandgirlejfan

By islandgirlejfan,
in Cruise Fashions & Beauty

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islandgirlejfan

islandgirlejfan

Posted
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I know many gals out there get there mani/pedi before leaving....if you haven't tried it, I highly recommend asking your manicurist about the new gel nail polishes. They last for two weeks. (and probably longer, it's just that your nails grow) I just came off my cruise and my nails are still looking as fabulous as they did when I had them done over a week ago. They cost a little more to have done and you have to have them taken off or sit with acetone and foil on your fingers for a period of time, however I'm absolutely so impressed by them. I think it's one of the first times that I really was proud of the way my hands looked. They were absolutely worth the extra money!

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Keksie

Keksie

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Is this the same a shellac? I booked one of those Friday for my cruise departure on Monday. I have very strong real nails, so don't want anything fake like acrylics.

 

Shellac, Axxium and Red Carpet Manicure are all brands of gel polish. Shellac is from CND, Axxium is from OPI and Red Carpet is the at home version available at Ulta.

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imgagesmom

imgagesmom

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I bought Gelish by Harmony and got the starter kit and a few colors and a light and I am so impressed I did them a week before I went on cruise and I finally took the color off after 3weeks and it did not chip! I only removed because of grow out. My toes still look awesome!

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islandgirlejfan

islandgirlejfan

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I just can't say enough good about it! My right pointer finger has a paper thin nail and that one is usually the nail that looks bad first. My manicurist assured me that I would be very happy with this and she was right! Tomorrow will be two weeks since I had it done and my manicure still looks pretty darned good. I work as a Receptionist to pay for my cruising and Miata habits and it's important for me to look nice since I'm the first person people see upon arrival to the office...I don't have to rush around taking polish off with this. If you just get occasional manicures for cruises and you want them to look nice for the entire cruise, this is the stuff for you! I live in the Baltimore/Washington area (everything seems to be $$$$$ here so may be cheaper where you are) and it costs $35 to get this sort of manicure (they were running a special of $30), but that included two nail designs at my salon. I am so pleased!

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beachbabexoxo

beachbabexoxo

Posted
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I get my nails done with gel polish all of the time! They are absolutely FANTASTIC! I got hot pink done before my last cruise and they lasted the whole week plus an additional few weeks without even chipping! They are so much smoother and shinier than regular nail polish and they are so much less of a hassle. It's only an extra $7 at my nail salon.

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suezyq50

suezyq50

Posted
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I like that this type of mani does not chip at the end of my nails but I find it starting to peal off at the cuticle after about 12 - 14 days. Is this normal? I've used the gel mani twice.

 

Mary Lou

I have had gels done twice and havew not had them peel. I love the look and how it lasts so long.

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STARFISH*4

STARFISH*4

Posted
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my mani was great holding up to all the wear and tear on my hands before we left but after a day of the beach and playing in the sand....it peeled right off--that was disappointing as i was on a two week cruise and this was the last day of the first week.

 

my pedi tho wears like 'iron' and will last forever...i even wore flip-flops last year after my December cruise cos it still looked so good......

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TracersQQ

TracersQQ

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Hello everyone, I just wanted to put my two cents, in here. When I went on my last cruise, in December, I got "Shellac". I got it on December 3, our cruise was 12/10-12/17, plus we stayed in Fl until 12/19. My nails looked great the entire time. My nails did grow a bit, but they still looked good. When we, finally, got home, I had a million things to do since it was just a few days before Christmas and didn't get around to having my nails done, again until 12/23. The only reason I got them done again was because the nail growth was really getting noticeable. I didn't have time to go to my salon, since it's 1/2 hour from my house, so I just went to a "walk in" nail salon near my house. I use this particular place quite often for pedicures and they do a pretty good job. I called and asked if they did "Shellac" and they said yes, so off I went. When I got there, they used a product called "Gellac" - they sound so much a like that it must have just been miscommunication. I really liked the colors, so I got the "Gellac", anyway. My nails looked really nice and I loved the color, for Christmas, and I thought it would go into New years, as well. Well, I was wrong. The "Gellac" barely lasted a week. I never could understand why I hear of so many people having problems with peeling. Now I know. It must really depend on the product and, obviously, not all products are created equal. I was even thinking about getting a home kit, but, now I don't think it will be worth it, if it's not going to last a week. For special occasions, I will get "Shellac" - that seems like a really good product. One more thing, When I got the "Gellac", I was careful with my manicure. I used gloves when I cleaned, cooked, etc. so the nails only got wet with regular hand washing and bathing. So, they didn't get "used" any more than my nails did with the "Shellac".

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Rockfan2

Rockfan2

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My manicurist has been using Axxium by OPI on me for two years. I have a manicure everything three weeks and have not had a split, chip or break in that time. My nails always look great and I get many compliments from my clients (I'm a Financial Advisor).

 

Rockfan2:)

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mrsfuzzmo

mrsfuzzmo

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I loved my gel nails when I had them done. but having the polish taken off and afterward (about 3 weeks later) my nails were ruined. It took me 6 months before my nails were hard again. They got so brittle and weak, I was trimming and filing them constantly to try and keep them looking decent. I loved the gel look and feel, but the after effects are preventing me from doing it again. I normally have really hard nails and they grow very long on their own without any damage and splitting. I guess I'll just have to stick with the regular polish. I might do the Gel on my toes for my next cruise though.

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LittleMissMagic "Live from...." Rare

LittleMissMagic

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I loved my gel nails when I had them done. but having the polish taken off and afterward (about 3 weeks later) my nails were ruined. It took me 6 months before my nails were hard again. They got so brittle and weak, I was trimming and filing them constantly to try and keep them looking decent. I loved the gel look and feel, but the after effects are preventing me from doing it again. I normally have really hard nails and they grow very long on their own without any damage and splitting. I guess I'll just have to stick with the regular polish. I might do the Gel on my toes for my next cruise though.

 

That's weird - the gel is supposed to prevent that from happening. :confused:

 

Acrylic nails really messed up my natural nails when I had them done (because they sand the nail before they apply the acrylic), which is why I switched to gel.

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margeecruiser

margeecruiser

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Mrsfezzmo -- I had the same experience. It has taken me 6 months to get my nails back to normal after wearing Shellac for about 5 months (having them done about every 3 weeks). I used the acetone and cotton ball method of removing the Shellac. I have also used the GNC product that is the little band-aids and acetone with the same result. Do any of you professional nail techs out there have any advise for me? I love Shellac, but cannot stand the damage to my nails.

 

Margee

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lovevacadays

lovevacadays

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Thanks for posting this thread. I just saw the gel nail polishes and I wasn' sure what they were and how good they were. Since I do alot of work on a computer I find it I have anything but clear polish on my nails, my nails looked thrashed in just a couple of days. I'll have to give this a try.

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Seraphine

Seraphine

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Mrsfezzmo -- I had the same experience. It has taken me 6 months to get my nails back to normal after wearing Shellac for about 5 months (having them done about every 3 weeks). I used the acetone and cotton ball method of removing the Shellac. I have also used the GNC product that is the little band-aids and acetone with the same result. Do any of you professional nail techs out there have any advise for me? I love Shellac, but cannot stand the damage to my nails.

 

Margee

 

 

I'm a nail tech... hopefully I can chime in.

 

If the Shellac is being applied correctly and removed correctly (using acetone remover pads or foil cotton removers), the nails should be perfectly healthy underneath even with repeated use. I've been using Shellac since May 2010, and my regulars all have happy nails - some of them have nicer nails underneath now than they did before they started using Shellac. I'm really sorry you've had nail damage - it sounds like you've done everything right. Did your nail tech buff the nail at all, during the removal or prep phases?

 

Have you had any underlying health issues that might be contributing to this? (*not that you have to actually answer this question on a public forum... just something to think about). Nails can become dry and brittle and prone to peeling when people follow low-fat diets, as some people cut so much fat out of their diets that there isn't enough to support nail and hair conditioning. This is something I see a lot in person, so I'm throwing it out there as a possible cause.

 

I can't say enough about using cuticle oil for maintenance though - use it every day. Nothing else will help the health of your own nail like this will. Try it twice a day to start, and see how you get on. You should see a difference soon.

 

Let me know how you get on with this. I recognise your name from these forums and hope we can get to the bottom of it!

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