In our experience, this is one of the most popular times of year for shellac manicures – people are jetting off on their holidays and want their nails to look perfect poolside, without having to paint them on the daily. With that in mind, we thought we’d look at five tips to help you to keep your shellac nails in tip top condition so they loo just as good on the plane home as they did on the way out.
Sunlight
While we usually advise against too much sun exposure, giving your shellac nails a dose of UV from the sun will actually help to keep the polish hardened and less likely to peel. Use a little Dermalogica Protection 50 Sport SPF50 on the backs of your hands if you’re worried about the sun’s harmful rays.
Oil
Keeping your shellac looking good relies on having healthy nails underneath, so we’d recommend suing an oil such as Nailtiques Oil Therapy. The vitamin-enriched formula will soak into the nail to rehydrate and treat the nail and nail bed beneath.
Gloves
If you’re doing last-minute household chores before you jet off on your hols, we strongly recommend wearing rubber gloves to protect your manicure. Domestic cleaning products are usually pretty skin-safe, but they can still strip colour or gloss off of a shellac manicure, leaving your nails looking dull or discoloured.
Tanning
If you’re planning to have a spray tan or use a gradual tanning lotion, we strongly recommend that you do this before you have your shellac mani as many tanning products can actually stain, especially if you opt for a light colour. The last thing you want is orange-stained nails making you look like you smoke 100 cigarettes a day!
Maintain
If you want to give your nails a bit of DIY maintenance while you’re away, Orly Breathable Treatment And Shine Clear is something you should definitely pack in your suitcase. The breathable formula allows oxygen and hydration penetrate to the nail allowing it to stay moisturised, while the polish itself hardens to maintain your mani.
Last updated on 30/06/2019.