nailed it

Nail trends come and go…and I think I’ve tried them all. Correction: not all of them.  There is, apparently, some kind of new magnetic manicure that I learned of from my bravely experimental sister in law; if I’ve got it right, it involves a manicurist painting on a special embedded nail polish, then allowing an image magnet to hover over your freshly lacquered nails. Poof! The design manages to replicate itself onto your digits, like some sort of beauty Etch-a-Sketch. It’s a little too Star Trek for me; plus, I’m more of a bread-and-butter-manicure kind of gal…generally just looking  for something that won’t chip or peel seven hours after I walk out the salon.

Easier said than done. Years ago, I used to go the acrylic route; but I disliked the dental drills, the toxic smells, the sanding dust…and the fact that my nails were like paper after I had the acrylics removed.  I segued to gels, but they were pricey, and the 75 minutes they took to apply always had me looking longingly at the door.

Last year came the holy grail of nail inventions: the shellac manicure. Introduced by CND (Creative Nail Design), this in-salon service melds the chip-proof power of traditional gel manicures with a brilliantly-simple application technique; the stuff goes on like nail polish, but involves a prep coat of something that looks like clear nail polish and acts like super glue, and gets followed by a few quick passes under a UV light box.  The whole thing—including cuticle push-back, trim, massage, et al—takes no more than 30 minutes and lasts for a couple of weeks. Plus, when you decide to go back to bare, your natural nails are healthy as ever.

I swooned, literally swooned over it…until I got tired of the $40 tab. Worse yet, the salon chain I go to here in Seattle charges $10 for removal. (Want to know what’s involved in that? Soaking your digits in acetone for ten minutes, then simply scraping the polish away.)

So that brings me to my latest discovery in the drugstore this week. It’s called Nutra Nail Gel Perfect UV-Free Gel-Color ($12), and it works similarly to a shellac manicure…minus the technician, the light box, and the hefty price tag.

To avoid utterly confusing you with a written play-by-play, I’m just going to post the how-to video here….

The stuff comes in 12 colors, but the only one I was brave enough to apply on my own was an ultra-discreet shade, called Sheer Pink.  In less than five minutes, I followed the instructions and slicked the stuff on;  as promised on the box, it dried rock-hard in a flash. Removal is just as simple—you buy a box of their No Mess Express Gel Perfect Remover ($6 for 5 removal pads), rip open the packet, stick five fingers into the acetone-soaked pad for two minutes.  Take them out and ta-da…the stuff scrapes right off.

Would I go this route before a special occasion? Probably not—I like the perfection of a pro-style manicure. But for every day, I’m giving Nutra Nails a perfect ten.  Try the stuff and tell me what YOU think!