Are you tired of painting your nails and then having the paint chip on the edges the very next day? Are you tired of painting your nails and having to wait 2 hours for them to dry completely? If you’re like me, you’re obsessed with painted nails but have zero patience to wait for them to dry completely. So aside from having finger prints and smudge marks left in un-dry paint, the color chips off the edges every time you have to actually use your nail.

Never fear however, the solution has been found! Shellac nails are the hottest nail trend for 2011 and will continue on long into the future of nail-polish wearers across the globe.

What is Shellac?

Shellac is a special kind of gel-like nail polish that is applied in several coats and then your fingers are placed under an ultra-violet light to dry and for the polish to harden. Shellac is applied directly to your existing nail, doesn’t involve fake tips or acrylic. Shellac is also sometimes referred to as “natural gel” polish.

Why get Shellac?

If you like the length of your natural nails and want to go for a more natural look than acrylic tips but want the paint to last longer than a regular manicure, shellac is for you! Shellac polish comes in 100 different colors and lasts until it grows out (they typically look good for about 3 weeks). Another benefit to shellac over acrylic is that is is relatively cost efficient. Shellac typically costs $20.00 to do and then if you keep going back they take the old polish off and apply brand new instead of filling and dealing with cracks, bubbles, or imperfections.

The other pluses to shellac are that your nails dry while you’re at the salon under the light and you can open your wallet, put on gloves, put on your seat belt etc. immediately after leaving the salon. Additionally, Shellac won’t ruin your nails like acrylic nails tend to do.

It Gets Better

Because “shellac-ing” your nails is just like applying nail polish, you can shellac your nails at home. All you have to do is purchase the special gel polish in your choice of color, the finishing polish, and the UV light. It’s great to get shellac done at the salon but if you feel like you’re going to be a life-long shallac-er (like I’ll probably be) then it would probably be worth your time to purchase your own shellac polish and equipment.

You can find everything you need to get started, here!