Another beauty post!
I love manicures and pedicures and early last year, when I found out about a new longlasting manicure I was super excited. Back then, there were only a few salons in the city doing OPI Axxium so I decided on one on 5th Avenue and got the Barefoot Contessa color.
This lasted maybe a week, I ended up peeling it all off.
I got Axxium again for our wedding last year at a place in Gramercy and mum got it done as well. My nails were way too short and the application was way too thick. I had peeled it all off within a week again.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago before we went to Australia. I went to get my usual mani and pedi when I noticed my local salon was doing the CND Shellac. I thought this would be a great chance to try it and also, if it lasted it would see out our trip to Australia. I got a goldy color and it was perfect and lasted the three weeks. I confess, it did look terrible due to grow out though but it did last and I didn’t peel it and it didn’t chip
When we got home I quickly ran around to get another shellac done. I got a gorgeous pink. This is how it looked after 14 days.
I then got a darker color which I got sick of after a week. But no chips… only grow out. Not even a dulling of the shiny top coat.
Then on the last trip I got another color gel but it was a different brand. I love the nude color and it was lovely to look at.
BUT – after 6 days I had chips and within 8 days my pointer fingers look ridiculous and now, at 10 days they look really scraggy.
SO for me, hands down, CND Shellac wins. Make sure you ask your salon what gel they are actually using. Some people swear my Axxium but for me, it was just too thick and I feel the prep was too severe. So after 18 months of some gel manis and my normal natural ones, it is Shellac all the way for me!