In the summer, girls want to look perfect. This concerns not only the correct and appropriately selected wardrobe, but also manicure and pedicure. That is why shellac on the legs looks especially harmonious in the summer.
Benefits
There are a lot of them. Firstly, shellac on the legs lasts longer than a similar coating on the hands. This is due primarily to the fact that the pens do most of the homework, which inevitably leads to contact with water and chemicals. The legs have no such problem, which means that the coating lasts longer at times. Secondly, gel polish is applied very simply. In the same way as regular nail polish, only it is not dried in air, but in the rays of an ultraviolet lamp. Thirdly, the shellac coating on the legs can be done independently, saving money on a trip to the master or to the salon. But it’s better to tidy up the pens with professionals, because they are always in sight, and any flaw will be striking. With legs there is no such problem, because you can always wear closed shoes.
disadvantages
Without them, too, could not have done. The biggest drawback is that you need to either purchase a ready-made Shellac kit, or assemble it yourself. If we talk about real original shellac from the American brand CND, then it will cost an average of three thousand rubles. But gel varnishes of other companies are several times cheaper, however, the result does not always live up to expectations. In addition, there is another drawback - an ultraviolet lamp. It must be purchased necessarily, because without it, gel polish or shellac simply can not polymerize.
Which lamp to choose
For the home, there is no need to choose a device with many functions and options. The simplest 9-watt UV lamp, which is most often used by craftsmen as a backup or travel option, is enough. In order to perform shellac on his feet at home, this is enough. In addition, there is such a lamp in the range of 300-1000 rubles, which is not too affordable.
Leg preparation
You can’t do without it. Before performing shellac on the legs, you need to carefully treat the skin of the feet and nails. To do this, it is recommended to make a relaxing or, conversely, tonic bath with sea salt and herbs. It is worth refraining from using any kind of oil, as it will interfere with the good adhesion of gel polish and natural nail. Therefore, just enough sea salt and herbs. With the help of a grater or file for the feet, the keratinized layer of the skin is removed, if necessary several times. The cuticle on the legs is pushed back by a pusher or orange sticks, and then removed. This can be done using nippers, a pedicure machine or a special tool. However, it is worth remembering that when working with metal cutting tools, care must be taken. The cuticle is cut off or "bites off" only in the area that easily lends itself to this. The nails with the help of a nail file are given a neat shape. It is recommended to first remove the length “under the root” with scissors, since the nail plate grows very quickly on the legs.
Necessary materials
To apply shellac on toenails, you will need:
- color gel polish (one or more, depending on the intended design and composition);
- shellac base (it is called Base);
- fixer, or top (Top Soak Gel Polish) ;
- degreaser, or nail polish remover.
An ultraviolet lamp is an integral part of the kit, so you can not do without it.
Application Procedure
Since making shellac on legs is as simple as applying ordinary varnish, this should not cause difficulties at home. However, there are some features that need to be considered.
First, the fat layer is removed from the nails with a degreaser or nail polish remover. This is necessary so that the material is better bonded to the nail bed, without detachments and chips after one to two days.
Some masters in the salon apply a special primer to the nails, which is also responsible for the reliable adhesion of gel polish and the surface of the nail. However, when using a genuine proprietary Shellac, this is not necessary. Just degrease it.
The base, or “base”, is applied in a very thin layer. It is transparent, has no smell, the consistency is slightly thicker than regular varnish. You can use a special separator so that the material does not stain the skin of neighboring fingers. The base layer in an ultraviolet lamp dries for about 60-90 seconds, depending on the power of the device.
The colored “Shellac” on the legs (the design in this case means the simplest - monochrome) is rather simple. A thin layer of gel polish is applied to the dried base, dried in a lamp. If necessary, the action is repeated to get a richer shade.
When the colored gel polish is applied, dried, it needs to be fixed. Top coating is for this purpose. It is applied in a thin layer so that the ends of the nails are sealed, otherwise the material will “slip”, chise and burst. The topcoat dries in an ultraviolet lamp for an average of 40-90 seconds. It is usually not necessary to remove the sticky layer, since modern Top Coat are made on a special basis, which completely polymerizes in a UV lamp.
Designs
Many girls quickly get bored with the uniform coating of nails. That is why the masters spent a lot of effort on developing a methodology for applying design to shellac. French on his feet was no exception. By the way, this was one of the very first versions of nail art for pedicure, which the masters began to implement.
How is French on the legs performed? Much easier than on hand. Firstly, there is no need to draw an even and perfect smile line. Secondly, there is no need to resort to special stencils. It’s enough to have a white gel polish and a thin brush on hand.
First, the preparation of the legs and nails is carried out, then the latter is covered with a base layer, if necessary and desired, in pink. When it dries in the rays of an ultraviolet lamp, a thin even brush draws a white, even strip on the edge of each nail. It should not be too wide or thick, but as natural and natural as possible. The gel polish is dried, then covered with a topcoat.
So you can do absolutely any shellac on your feet. Design is selected strictly individually. So, for example, manicures and pedicures made in a single composition and color are in great demand. At home, you can safely experiment with drawings, stickers, patterns, choosing the design that you like more.