Remember this post from when I tried Shellac nails for the first time?

This time it has gone MUCH better!  And oh my gosh I’m so grateful to have these nails right now- there’s no way my regular nails could have withstood all the abuse from this past weekend (moving furniture, asssembling furniture, etc.).

I didn’t take a “before” picture, but here’s how they look in my third week:

Excuse the messy paint job and cuticles….overall I think they look really good for being in their 3rd week!

Here’s how I prolonged the staying power of the Shellac.  At the end of Week 2 I took a file to my nails and reshaped a couple of the tips that had grown out too much.  Then I took a 4-sided file and started filing the back edge that had grown out.  This was a lot more work than I anticipated, and of course my nails look awful now……but I can paint them with regular nail polish and nobody really knows unless the look really close.  And the nail polish sticks to the Shellac nails much better (and lasts longer) than on bare nails.

So here’s my advice for Shellac nails….

1) since the color could last for WEEEEEEKS, choose a color that you’ll be happy having for WEEEEEEEKS.

2) after growout appears (usually in week 2) take a file to the back edge to make the growout transition as smooth as possible.

3) paint your nails with regular nail polish- choosing a color similar to the shellac color.  You might need 2-3 coats to hide the back edge.

4) you can remove your regular nail polish with a non-acetone nail polish remover to change the color any time.  You may get a bit of “lift” at the back edge…and it might not appear right away.  If you do get some lift, just file that area smooth again before repainting your nails!