CND Shellac French Manicure - Bliss for Natural Nails

I am a very busy lady, managing a household, running several businesses and juggling an endless "to do" list.  Despite being preoccupied with a million things to manage, I try and make sure my nails look good, because if the nails are gross, I feel gross... I can't explain it. Needless to say,  I nearly fell out of my chair when I read about Shellac on alllacqueredup.com. The pictures of her nails on day 14 of her Shellac manicure were astounding!  It was like someone had photographed a Unicorn!  Or someone finally captured big foot.... I could not wrap my brain around what I was seeing!  Her nails looked like they were just polished, yet her manicure was actually 14 days old!

I have to admit, I actually had DREAMS about getting my first Shellac manicure. The anticipation was so great, I could barely contain my excitement! The thought of actually having beautiful nails for 14 days (to me) is one of the greatest beauty inventions of my lifetime!

My favorite quintessential manicure is a French one.  But as all natural nailed ladies know, a French manicure is only going to look great for 2-3 days before the chipping begins.  My CND Shellac French manicure was with 2 colors, Negligee (a transparent pink with a very subtle iridescent) and Cream Puff (the opaque white used for the tips).  Now, I have to admit that I was a bit bummed at how clear the Negligee appeared. I have on 2 coats in this photo.  A white on white manicure is my preferred choice (1 coat Essie Waltz and 1 coat Essie Marshmallow).  But with the limited color selection currently available from CND Shellac, Negligee was my only option... though I think Shellac Romantique might make for a good alternative (I will try next time).

So far, on day two of my Shellac French Manicure, I have no nicks, chips or scratches.  Just INSANELY shiny and healthy natural nails!  A VERY important step to keeping your Shellac manicure looking great, is to apply Solar Oil every day!  Solar Oil contains a luxe blend of natural Rice Bran oil, Jojoba oil, Vitamin E Oil and Sweet Almond oil that not only conditions your nails and cuticles for a healthy looking manicure (I put some on just before this photo was taken), but the act of massaging Solar Oil into your nails actually stimulates nails to grow while the the oils strengthen and condition crusty cuticles and nail beds. Every time you use Solar Oil, it totally revives the beauty of your manicure!

If I needed another reason to love Shellac it would be that there is absolutely no damage done to your natural nail. Shellac is also "3 Free".  It is free of  formaldehyde, toluene or DBP.  I call Shellac "The Kind Manicure"; your nail bed does not need to be mutilated with a nail file or drill at anytime. CND Shellac polishes go on just like regular nail polishes, so there is no damage to your precious, natural nail.

So far my manicure is holding strong.  I have opened cans, boxes, washed my 225 lb Mastiff and unloaded the dishwasher without a single MARK on my nails.  I will do another photo and update in 12 days...stay tuned!

So call your salons and ask for Shellac - It is totally worth experiencing!