Recently, shellac or gel polish has completely replaced conventional nail polishes. Doubts about their convenience almost no longer arise. Nail service masters are introducing more and more new technologies and design methods to make customers even more interested. In particular, an ordinary transparent shellac, which is usually used to fix a manicure, can become the basis for a nail design.
Shellac benefits
- Shellac can be worn for a long time, on average, two to three weeks.
- Coating with a special base and shellac protects the nails from scratches and damage, so the nail plate grows faster.
- Transparent shellac can be used both as a finish and as a standalone product.
- Shellac lays on a more even layer on the nail plate, creating a mirror shine effect.
- Various stones, rhinestones, bouillons, sculpting are best kept on shellac, since it grasps the basis of the external design tightly.
- It can also be used on top (usually the design involves coating with a transparent shellac-finish.
Shellac flaws
It has practically no shortcomings. Mostly customers complain about:
- High cost. But in fact, most girls say that the price increased in comparison with the usual coating is justified: the manicure lasts a long time, and also strengthens the nails.
- Long process of manicure. Transparent shellac helps to fix the coating, but in order for it to really strengthen the nails and lay an even beautiful layer, it is necessary to degrease the nail plate first and cover it with a base. Is it worth recalling that almost every layer is dried in a UV lamp?
- Weak nails after shellac. In fact, if you properly remove the gel polish and properly prepare the nail plate for the next coating, the nails will remain strong and healthy. We will talk about this later.
What manicure is best done before applying shellac
Many masters have long moved away from the classic cut manicure. It takes a lot of time, and is also quite traumatic. In addition, so that the gel polish can be worn for as long as possible, the cuticle must be completely removed so that the coating can be applied very tightly to the nail roller.
Qualitative preparation of the nail plate can be performed using:
- Combined manicure. It combines the work of milling cutters and scissors, hence the name. The cutter master picks up the cuticle, then cuts it with scissors.
- Hardware manicure. In the hardware manicure, several cutters are used, and all manipulations are performed only with their help. One cutter pods the cuticle, the other completely clears it.
In both cases, familiar to many baths with water for steaming cuticles are no longer needed. Both of these types of manicure have a cumulative effect, over time, the cuticle begins to grow less and less.
After processing the cuticles and nails, the master degreases the plates, applies the base, varnish and fixing transparent shellac. On the nails can also be only a top coat.
Transparent shellac on nails
Now a huge selection of types of nail designs is opening up for clients, from very complex drawings, almost mini-paintings, and ending with a laconic monophonic, and sometimes even only transparent coating. All of them have a certain charm if you execute the design with taste. Transparent shellac is an indispensable material in any case. Thanks to him, the nail plate receives the same delicious glossy gloss.
Many masters use shellac shades reminiscent of the shade of a nail plate - soft pink, light beige and the like for a jacket or simply design with a transparency effect. They give the nail a healthy glow, however, when the plate grows, this slight difference between its natural color and the color of the varnish can be very noticeable. Then transparent shellac comes to the rescue. Design with its use pleases with its diversity.
Gel polish drawings
You can use colorless gel polish as a one-color coating, or you can supplement it with drawings, inlays, glitter, mica, fimo design.
Shellac transparent with a pattern looks original. Usually they leave part of the nail without a drawing, then the design creates a certain effect of refined magic.
Volumetric decoration
Rhinestones, stones, broths are actively used in nail art. They can create a minimalistic effect, when one pebble is glued on each nail or only on some, or they can assemble into a huge radiant pattern. Masters of nail service even came up with a name for a fully inlaid nail - “king-nail”. If this type of design is used, the remaining nails should not be decorated or decorated to a minimum.
Acrylic modeling also fits perfectly on transparent shellac. Photos posted in the article demonstrate the options for drawings, inlays, sculpting on top of a transparent varnish. Another interesting option is the design of the nail with glitter. Glitter is a brilliant powder that is sprinkled on a nail plate.
Custom decor
The use of such decor as rhinestones, broths, glitter, "dragon scales" (in general, everything that can fall off), involves covering another layer of transparent shellac on top. This is not always necessary, because, for example, rhinestones are fixed securely (but additional fastening does not hurt them), and "dragon scales" easily fall off literally the day after a manicure, if you do not fix it with another layer of varnish on top. No need to worry that this material will lose its properties: under the layer of transparent gel polish, all facets of the "dragon scale", radiance and the ability to reflect are preserved.
In the mid-2000s, the so-called fimo-design came into fashion - decorating the nail with special blanks in the form of flowers and fruits. Then they were used in the decor of extended nails, since gel polish was not as popular as it is now. Transparent gel or acrylic was poured into the extension mold, phimo figures were placed there and, if desired, mica, glitter was poured, then the material was transferred to the nail, and when it solidified, the mold was removed using special “antennae”. This design is called "aquarium" and is suitable only for extended nails.
However, many masters manage to glue fimo-figures on top of gel polish. It looks peculiar, and in fact this design is "for an amateur", but there were lovers. Transparent varnish is great, since the figures themselves are bright and colorful, and the use of colored varnishes as a base can make the already bright nail too heavy. The disadvantage of this design is that even if it is covered with several layers of the finish, it still remains impractical. The edges of the fimo-figures will cling to everything in a row and it is good if they do not fall off before the set time. You can combine transparent varnish with color.
Conclusion
As you can see, transparent shellac can be not only a reliable assistant in creating a long-lasting manicure, but also a completely independent basis of design or even just an independent coating. The nails, which are covered with a layer of transparent shellac without any patterns, look healthy and well-groomed, have a shiny glossy surface, are quite well strengthened. Adding them to any decor is never the same, because there are many options, ranging from various kinds of drawings and ending with applications and inlays.