It's been close to two weeks since our testers, Kirsty and Lisa, got their manicures.
"Shellac is a patent pending UV 3 technology; it's brand new, so there is nothing else to compare it to," said Angie Wingle of Creative Nail Design.
The makers claim Shellac is revolutionary. It paints on like polish, but wears like gel. It dries instantly and isn't supposed to chip, peel or smudge for up to 14 days. What's more - it's supposed to give nails a high shine mirror finish.
"Shellac is 3 free, what that means is there is no formaldehyde, no toluene, and DBT," said Angie.
Creative Nail Design, or CND, are the makers of Shellac and gave Action News an exclusive preview. But does it live up to the hype?
It's been 10 days when we checked back in with our testers Lisa and Kirsty.
"They're fabulous! They look literally like I had them done yesterday," exclaimed Lisa Allen. "There is a little bit of re-growth at the base, but the white is still absolutely perfect!"
"It's like a super manicure; it lasts so much longer," Lisa said.
Kirsty had a bright color painted on her nails.
"I'm really impressed," Kirsty Halliday said. "It does what you expect, what you'd like a manicure to do. It just stays in place and you don't have to think about it."
But if Shellac doesn't wear off, how does it come off?
"The key here is that it comes off in minutes," said Angie.
Experts recommend you have the product removed at a salon where a remover wrap is placed on each finger with acetone. After 10 minutes, the wrap is removed, and the residual polish is scraped off.
CND says the process is not damaging to the nail.
"There is no damage, no drying out of the natural nail, and the nail stays healthy," Angie explained. "So once it's removed you'll see the growth, you'll see healthier nails."
Lisa and Kirsty say they give Shellac an "A" and are looking forward to their next super-manicure.
"I would love to get my toes done," said Kirsty.
Shellac does cost more than a regular manicure. Salons that charge $20 for a regular manicure will most likely charge about $35 for a Shellac manicure. Most salons will not charge for the polish to be removed. And the list of certified salons offering Shellac is growing.
Links and addresses to salons in our area that offer Shellac:
Louis Christian Wayne Robert Salon and Spa
1990 Route 70 East
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
(856) 751-2233
http://www.lcwrsalonandspa.com/home.html
Elite Concepts
112 Buck Road
Holland, PA 18966
(215) 364-7112
Hair FX Studios
3007 Ocean Heights Ave.
Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234
(609) 601-9229
Debra Werner
Reflections Hair Designs
939 E. Schuylkill Rd
Pottstown, PA 19465
www.reflectionshairdesigns.com
(610) 323-2030
Heather Tedesco
Salon Exquisite
9436 State Road
Philadelphia, PA 19114
(215) 637-2511
Salon Rouge
2110 Route 70 E
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
(856) 424-3611
www.salonrouge.com
For more salons: http://www.cnd.com/Consumer.aspx
