Can I add my ‘me too’ to the voices who have sung the praises of CND’s Shellac Nail Polish system? I first read about Shellac Nail polish on the About.com Skin Care site. My first experience wasn’t great, as I didn’t like the manicure service itself. My nails were different lengths, poorly shaped and my cuticles looked ragged. The polish did last almost two weeks however. There was no chipping and the polish stayed sparkling until it was removed. The polish started peeling from the sides and cuticle however. On one nail, I actually tacked down a peeling area with a tiny dab of nail glue—and it held well. I was impressed enough with the durability of the polish to find another salon with fabulous manicurist that has turned me into an addict.

My second experience was much better and I left the salon with my nails looking beautifully manicured—it was a good thing I wasn’t driving because I spent the ride home admiring my nails. The polish lasted sixteen days, with only some slight wear on the ‘corners’ of my square shaped nails; no peeling and the polish still had a just-like-new gleam.

While the polish was on, I washed dishes, cleaned house, gardened, typed like crazy, and like Scarlett O’Hara, even went riding without my gloves. The polish stayed beautiful, with only some slight scratching—not discernible unless I had my glasses on and looked closely. The third experience reflected the second, with the exception that my polish has been on almost three weeks. Because I opted for an almost skin tone color, the line between my polish and cuticle is almost invisible. And because I type all day, long nails are uncomfortable, so I filed them back, fully expecting the polish to flake away from the filed edges. Nope. The polish still looks great.

I’ve read that in some salons Shellac Manicures cost about $50. The first salon I went to charged $20 with a half-price coupon. Because the service was poor, I’m glad to have found Jess’s Nails in Barrie offers amazing manicures for only $28 (plus tip). The cool thing about Shellac Nails is that you don’t have to go the day before your special occasion to have chip free nails. I had mine done a week before going on vacation and my nails looked great for a week after I returned. It’s also awesome that your nails are dry in a few minutes. No worrying about picking up your car keys or pulling out your wallet and smudging your nails after your manicure. The only down side is a rather limited number of colors to choose from, but from what I read, the line is expanding rapidly.

You can check out CND’s color pallet and learn more about Shellac Nail polish from the CND website. You can also buy supplies for DIY Shellac polish. Certainly that would keep the cost down, but I don’t trust myself to shape and clean up my nails as well as the manicurists at Jess’s.

(And after your manicure, I recommend you turn right out the door and take a break at Sip n Tip Cafe. These are great folks who serve up wonderful café style food.)