Shellac nail coating is a very popular and in-demand procedure. It allows you to create an interesting and unusual design on your nails that will stay on your nails for a long time. However, this service is quite expensive, and it requires correction or removal and repainting every month or more often. Not every girl can afford to do it in the salon all the time, and therefore more and more fashionistas are trying to master the art of applying shellac at home. In this material we will talk about what shellac is and how much it costs.
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Benefits of shellac
Shellac is perfect for nails of any length. Photos of shellac nails show how masters skillfully decorate both long and short nails.
- Shellac, being a malleable material, allows you to create any shape of nails.
- The choice of designs for shellac manicure is almost limitless.
- The coating is applied within 2-3 hours.
- Shellac is easy to use. Materials and accessories are quite easy to find and buy.
- You can wear shellac for 14 to 20 days. The durability of a manicure depends on the quality of the materials and the professionalism of the artist.
- A wide selection of shellac colors and decorative elements.
- Shellac (thanks to natural resins) strengthens the nails, making the plate thicker.
Opened products do not deteriorate or dry out, allowing shellac to be reused.
Cost of materials
Currently, shellac has ceased to be a trade name and this word has come to unite all colored gels for coating and strengthening nails that have a similar composition and are not intended for extensions. Currently, shellac composition is produced by a number of companies, all of these coatings are of fairly good quality. One innovator, the CND brand, which introduced a new type of coating to the market, continues to be the main manufacturer of such premium coatings. The price of shellac from this brand is the highest, as is its quality. Thus, how much gel nail polish costs depends largely on the brand.
Much cheaper coatings are produced by the innovator’s followers, for example, the Bluesky brand. The shellac produced by him is of the same quality and has all the same properties. However, its price may be more than half that. In addition, CND offers a wider palette of shades than Bluesky, which is most likely the result of longer work on this coating. Shellac from an innovator can cost from 500 to 1000 rubles per bottle, while a coating from Bluesky will cost from 300 to 600 rubles per bottle of the same volume.
In addition, it is important to know how much it costs to remove shellac. The cheapest way to do this is to use nail polish remover. However, this is quite harmful for nails. It is better to purchase a special product costing from 200 to 1000 rubles.
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Homemade shellac yourself
Shellac is a coating that can be used at home if the girl copes well with painting her nails with regular varnish.
To create a manicure at home you will need the following list of tools and materials:
- Cleanser for degreasing the nail surface.
- Primer for long lasting manicure. Shellac nails at home must be carefully prepared before applying a colored coating. The primer prevents the coating from peeling off.
- Base is a layer between the nail surface and varnish.
- Several colors of shellac (the color scheme is selected to suit your taste, but it is necessary to take into account the compatibility of individual shades).
- The top completes the manicure, allowing all layers to adhere to each other. The top coat protects the colored varnish from chipping and early fading.
- Files of varying degrees of abrasiveness are necessary to give the plate the desired shape and sharpen the nails.
- Buff, smooth wipes are also essential when creating shellac.
- Decorating brushes will be required if you plan to create fancy patterns. Sparkles, sequins and other decorative elements remain at the discretion of the artist.
- An ultraviolet lamp is a decisive element of manicure. Without thorough drying of the layers, shellac is simply unthinkable.
Features of working with shellac
Shellac nail coating must be applied according to technology. The nail plate carefully prepared for coating so that there are no detached parts or chips on it.
This is done using a disinfectant that removes the sticky layer. Then the nail is covered with a base and dried under a lamp.
Next, shellac is applied, also dried under a lamp, and a finishing layer is applied on top of it. After which the nails are wiped with liquid to remove residues.
Step-by-step instructions for applying shellac
- Remove old coating from nails.
- File the tips of your nails to a uniform shape.
- Soften the cuticle, treat it with an orange stick along the edges.
- Clean the nail at the base, especially in the area of the hole. Otherwise, the varnish will peel off.
- After all preparatory procedures, you must wash your hands with soap and dry thoroughly.
- The surface of the nail is carefully polished with a buff. Professionals do not recommend getting carried away with cleaning. Simply remove the shiny layer of the nail to achieve a matte finish.
- We wipe our nails with a cleanser.
- The tips, ends and edges of the nail plate are primed so that the shellac adheres better to the nail.
- Apply the base with light rubbing movements. The base coat is dried for at least 1 minute in a lamp.
- The second layer of basecoat should be slightly thicker to even out the plate and hide small imperfections. Similarly, the layer is dried in a lamp.
- Colored varnish is also applied in 2 layers. Each layer is dried in a lamp.
- Nail design is applied and decoration is carried out.
- The top coat is applied once in a thick layer, covering the entire surface of the nail. At this stage, the nails take longer to dry.
- After drying is complete, the sticky layer of shellac is removed with a napkin soaked in a cleaner.
Nails look well-groomed after shellac, and the coating itself lasts for several weeks even with intensive housework. Shellac is a real find for women who don’t have time to do manicures every day.
What is a shellac lamp used for?
The lamp in the shellac set is used for polymerization (drying) of gel polish, provided that the application technology is not violated.
There are 2 types of lamps for drying gel polish:
Ultraviolet lamp(+/-)
- The polymerization speed is lower than that of LED (about 2 min.)
- Replacement of lamps is possible.
- Affordable price.
LED lamp(+/-)
- The polymerization speed is faster than in conventional UV lamps (up to 20 seconds).
- Longer service life (suitable for salon manicure).
- LEDs are not replaceable.
- Significantly more expensive.
Shellac trends 2022
Shellac for short nails involves the use of a certain decor to make the nail look elegant even if it is short. Shellac masters often do French manicures on short nails.
To make the design look sophisticated, decoration (rhinestones, ribbons) is used, and three-dimensional figures are drawn.
The lunar pattern on short nails is replaced by a crescent, when a crescent moon is drawn at the base of the nail plate. Ombre remains a current trend for any length of nails. The color transition can be horizontal, vertical, or from one nail to the next.
- Shellac for long nails offers a wide field for experimentation.
- The large plate allows you to easily create unusual designs with larger patterns.
- A three-dimensional manicure with sequins, lace and acrylic powder is perfect.
Shellac nail designs 2022 include animal prints, for example, the silhouette of a cat will look great on an elongated nail.
What can be added to the ready-made kits?
Regardless of the choice of set, it can be supplemented with useful accessories. First of all, pay attention to solutions that increase the durability of the varnish . They are called bonders and dehydrators.
A useful purchase would be products to slow down cuticle growth and moisturizing oil to care for the skin around the nail plates.
Don't forget about consumables such as lint-free wipes, sponges, foil for removing shellac and replacement light bulbs.
With these additional accessories, buying a set will be more profitable, and you will have everything you need to create a flawless manicure. Online stores offer thoughtful sets at affordable prices.
Design by season
Professionals note that shellac trends change depending on the seasons. So, in spring, women prefer more delicate shades with floral designs.
Summer is the time for bold colors and unusual designs. The marine theme is popular.
- Autumn shellac for short nails is often done using yellow, red, and orange colors.
- To maintain the autumn theme and to highlight the main color scheme, darker shades (black, blue, green) are used.
- Winter shellac is often represented by an abundance of shiny ornaments, snowflakes, deer, and New Year's sweaters.
Craftsmen note that shellac (despite its durability and strength) must be protected, and when working with household chemicals, be sure to wear gloves.
Then the colorful shellac will delight the hostess with its ornament for several weeks without adjustment.
What kind of lamp is needed for manicure at home?
Polymerization (drying process) is a prerequisite for this type of manicure. This also applies to creating a pattern with gel polish. Today, 3 types of lamps are suitable for it (in non-professional settings only 2 are used):
- Ultraviolet (UV);
- Light-emitting diode (LED);
- Gas light with cold cathode (CCFL).
The cost of a CCFL lamp is 3300 rubles.
Each model has its own advantages and disadvantages. Ideal hairstyle day by day - permed hair - Large curls.
Beginners often wonder what kind of varnishes are needed for shellac. Let's start with the fact that the name “shellac” itself is a common noun; this was originally the name of the innovative development of the CND company.
Only later, with the production of a similar product from others as a definition for all gel polishes. They are also needed for such a coating, regardless of whether the manicure is performed independently or by a professional. Many people do manicures using extension gel.
Polymerization in an ultraviolet lamp
UV lamps are distinguished by their relatively low cost and a wide range of models, the most important parameter of which is their power (from 9 to 54 W). Check out Farah's hair dye palette at this link.
Even a low-power UV lamp is suitable for home use, but the setting speed will be extremely low (up to 6 minutes for each nail), so medium-power equipment (18-36 W) is more popular, in which the average time spent is reduced to 2-4 minutes. Another positive aspect is the ability to dry varnishes from almost all manufacturers in ultraviolet lamps. Restoring dried composition - find out how to dilute nail polish.
The “disadvantages” of this type of polymerization include:
- fragility of the device (no more than 1.5 thousand hours of operation);
- large dimensions;
- heating of the case during operation;
- uncritical drying of the skin of the fingers and hands;
- danger of mercury release if mercury-containing heating elements are damaged.
Price – 2900 rub.
Advantages and disadvantages of drying in an LED device
The power of LED devices varies in the range of 12-45 Watts, which does not allow them to be used for polymerization of some types of varnish. This type of equipment significantly improves drying speed compared to UV lamps (polymerization when using an LED lamp takes only 10-30 seconds), but this property of the device can have negative consequences: the lower layers of varnish will not dry well and the coating will curl. If after drying you do not understand why the gel polish is cracking, then the coating drying technology is most likely broken.
The positive characteristics of the devices include:
- compactness;
- environmental safety;
- low energy costs;
- avoiding overheating of the lamp body during active operation;
- resistance to mechanical damage (falls, shocks, etc.);
- durability (up to 10 thousand hours of operation);
- presence of a timer and touch switch on/off (not in all models).
But there are a number of disadvantages of such equipment:
- high price;
- the impossibility of replacing burnt-out lamps (due to the lack of replaceable luminous elements, the entire device has to be replaced);
- a fairly narrow range of light waves, insufficient for drying some types of shellac.
This article will tell you what you need for eyelash extensions.
UV LAMP SOLINE 5, price – 1900 rub.
Features of cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) for nail coating and gel application
It is not advisable to buy models of this type for home use because of their high cost, so this type of equipment is extremely rare for beginners. A varied palette of varnishes will help you create incredible designs.
Benefits of the tool for beginners
At the same time, gas light lamps have a lot of positive aspects:
- suitable for uniform drying of all gel polishes;
- do not dry or harm the skin of the hands;
- serve for a long time and are wear-resistant;
- not energy intensive.
The polymerization time varies in the range of 30-180 seconds. How to remove hair dye from skin, read this material.
Every 3 weeks you need to make a correction, otherwise the overgrown nail will be very noticeable.
Photo of shellac nails
New possibilities for nail design.
Shellac kits have a number of undeniable advantages:
- High durability of the coating.
- Perfect and well-groomed appearance of nails for a long time.
- Exquisite palette of colors, fashionable and current.
- Limitless nail design possibilities.
A well-executed manicure made using these materials will look perfect for several weeks. This is especially true for young mothers, since time to visit expensive beauty salons is an unaffordable luxury for them. This manicure will also be appreciated by beautiful travelers and women passionate about their careers.
The long-lasting manicure kit will also help improve the skill level of those professionals who work from home. The kit includes everything that a nail service master might need: the kits were completed taking into account all the requirements and wishes of professional masters.
Positive aspects
Let's further study the main advantages of such a coating and find out how much shellac for nails costs further.
Shellac is different:
- long-term durability;
- easy application;
- a wide color palette, which allows the master to create original and unique images for nails to match any girl’s clothes;
- there is no need to injure the nail plate as a result of filing, as is the case with gel or acrylic nails;
- Can be used on arms and legs;
- long-term wearing;
- absence of harmful substances and toxins in its composition;
- anti-allergenic properties;
- quick drying in a lamp, which significantly saves time on manicure;
- low cost: you can ask the specialists about how much this procedure will cost you;
- the ability to comfortably remove the product.
In other words, this coating is completely safe and at the same time very attractive in appearance. This manicure can be done in a salon, because it gives your hands a well-groomed and more youthful look. We’ll talk further about how much a shellac manicure costs.
We prepare the necessary equipment
To make shellac with snowflakes with your own hands for both long and short nails, you will need to prepare the following equipment:
- Shellac base shade. For winter manicure, it is best to use mint, blue, blue or white tones of the decorative coating.
- A special thin brush for drawing.
- If you plan to draw dots, then you will also need dots. This device is equipped with a metal ball at the tip, thanks to which it is possible to make neat colored droplets or cover rhinestones with glue.
- Various decorative elements - rhinestones, sparkles, pearls, etc.
- Fixing composition.
- Ordinary foil.
Shellac with snowflakes
Negative sides
Shellac is a real salvation for those representatives of the fair sex who categorically do not accept gels, acrylics, tips and forms. This is a revolutionary product that is easy to apply and quick to remove. However, it also has its drawbacks. Although in fairness we add that they are minimal.
For example, using Shellac at home is not very convenient. To dry and polymerize the composition, a special lamp with ultraviolet radiation is required. But not many people know how much a shellac lamp costs and how to use it. Therefore, when using Shellac for the first time at home, confusion occurs, and experts recommend doing Shellac in a salon. After all, a product of this nature is not so expensive for masters. In addition, to remove this product you will also need to seek help from a specialist.
How much does it cost in professional salons?
When asked how much such a product costs from professional craftsmen, there is no clear answer.
Let's roughly calculate how much this service from a specialist might cost. In our calculations, we will try to take into account the average prices of the basic materials needed to provide this service.
For the procedure, you must have the following set of materials: base substance (cost varies from 30 to 40 Russian rubles), color component (30-40 Russian rubles), finish (30-35 Russian rubles), disinfectant (10 Russian rub.), primer (15-25 Russian rub.). In addition, you will need an ultraviolet lamp and buffs.
As a result, the cost of the service on average ranges from 115 to 150 rubles. rub. However, to this amount you still need to add the cost of the master’s services. And it can be several times higher than the cost of materials. After all, a lot depends on the level of the establishment itself, as well as the qualifications of its employee.
In any case, you should definitely remember that investing in your own beauty always pays off and is never in vain. In addition, the uniqueness and beauty of Shellac makes you completely forget about how much the procedure itself costs.
How to cover
Shellac has a huge number of color shades, which allows you to choose a nail design to match your outfit. In addition, this design goes well with any style of clothing, making it a universal product.
It is applied to the nail surface very easily. This should be done as in the case of regular varnish. The brush of the product is very convenient and is placed in the cap of the bottle.
Practice shows that there are no inconveniences in this matter. But in the case of gel, you need to perform masterly stretching of the material, which does not always work out well and attractively. And if the master is not very experienced, then the end result of the service may disappoint rather than please. This definitely won't happen with Shellac.
