
When I first had a Shellac manicure just over a month ago, I was completely new to it and hadn’t a clue what to expect. I had heard that it would last for up to two weeks and stay looking shiny, but I was dubious.
So, when I was given the chance to try it for free through work, I was all over it. So much so, that I hunted round to find out where I could have it done in Norfolk.
Having asked around on Twitter, I was presented with a few options, but opted for Nails by Gosia for my test run. I was due to go to Ladies’ Day at Royal Ascot later in the week, so wanted to look my best.
Having dropped Gosia a line on Facebook, she came back to me a couple of hours later to say that I could go to her house, or she could come to mine that weekend. Because it was the weekend, I suggested mine, so that I could get up a little later!
The manicure
Gosia arrived bang on time with all of the necessary equipment and talked me through the process, before presenting a veritable rainbow of Gellux shades to choose from. After some rather painful indecision, I opted for classic pillar box red, but I was tempted by the mint green and battleship grey.
The manicure took around an hour, with Gosia filing, painting and curing my nails. When they were finished they were brilliantly glossy and vibrantly red. I loved it.
The polish stayed put perfectly for 10 days, when it started to develop minor chips, but I didn’t have to remove it until the 14th day.
The polish actually strengthened my nails, so that when I removed it they looked strong and healthy and haven’t broken a week down the line, which is unusual.
The only negative, I would say, is the difficulty I had taking the stuff off. It took hours of soaking with acetone remover to get rid of it, and a small amount of chipping.
Gosia charged £15 for the plain colour and can add nail art for an extra cost. You can find out more on Facebook.