Are all gel polishes alike? And can you mix & match?

[missyb1975]

Hi all,

I'm a beauty geek but tempted to start trying these gel polishes to build some more business.

I've got a couple of questions...
1) Are they all much of a muchness? Or does Shellac really stand out?
2) Do you have to stick with one brand or can you mix the base & top coats with a different brand colour gel polish?

I'm based in Australia and the brands that I know of are Shellac, Gelique, Gelish and OPI's version, Not sure if you have these same brands but any recommendations for a low cost salon?

Cheers
Melissa

 

[hairstudent]

Hi

I use orly gel fx, I love it, I went on my training last week and have had so many people book in for it already.
My kit cost £500 including my lamp.

I would highly recommend it.

As for does shellac stand out? I would say any nails that look nice stand out!

 

[elmo]

I use Gelish and it's fantastic! 21 days wear, over 80 colours to choose from that's without all the colours you can create from layering!everyone that's had it loves it

 

[geeg]

Shellac is not a gel polish.

You cannot mix Shellac with other ranges and call it Shellac.

When a client calls and asks for Shellac ... That is what they should get.

If you want to use a gel polish ... There are hundreds to choose from now.

If you want to use the real Shellac ... There is only one !

 

[Sher16]

I have tried gelish and i am a user of shellac now and I would highly recommend shellac. Clients ASK for shellac more than anything else, clients assume all are the same but they arent - as Geeg says there is only one shellac.

You need to use the base top and colour coats from shellac as well as scrubfresh and dsperse as well as the cnd lamp - you must use their lamp as otherwise it probably wont cure properly - believe me - i tried it on myself and it chipped after a day as it wasnt cured properly

Re cheaper- if you invest in shellac itll be money well spent. Re costs earlier on this page - it cost me less to set up with shellac! So hope that helps. Look on cnd website for more info re training/purchasing.

Good luck making your decision!

xEm

 

[missyb1975]

Shellac is not a gel polish.

You cannot mix Shellac with other ranges and call it Shellac.

When a client calls and asks for Shellac ... That is what they should get.

If you want to use a gel polish ... There are hundreds to choose from now.

If you want to use the real Shellac ... There is only one !

Geeg, how do you mean Shellac is not a gel polish? Looking at the videos of several companies they all look the same. Same application, same wear time and same soak off...

 

[izzidoll]

Shellac actually isn't the same application etc you do notrequire to remove shine from the nailplate before application, and you do not need to buff the topcoat prior to removal.
If you do a search on here you will see there have been many threads about the difference between Shellac a power polish and all the other Gel polishes.

I use Gelish and have found that the range of colours suits all my clients needs.

To answer your question...mix and match is not recommended, do your research before you pick a system and make sure it is the right one for you and your clients, then use the full system for optimum results every time!

 

[Wooshka]

Hello to a fellow Aussie There's not too many of us on here

Ok, to start off, yes there are heaps of gel polishes on the market but they are definitely NOT all the same.

Are you trained in mani's and enhancements or just mani's/pedi's?

Who did you do your training through? I ask this because most decent training places have their own brand of SOGP but if they don't, we have nearly the same choices here now as do other countries.

Although they might all look the same, I can't stress enough how they are not the same and I would never suggest you mix and match your systems, I don't see why anybody would want to do this and risk giving yourself and clients problems.
This is why it's paramount that you do your research fully before jumping in an buying a system and when I say system, I mean system, as in everything that goes with the brand you have chosen, from the light to that companies cleansing products.
The best thing to remember is that all the reputable companies have done a lot of scientific research to produce their product and they test it using the entire system and they then make it to work together and this guarantees the product but when you mix and match, you take a big risk of having problems.

 

[missyb1975]

Hello Aussie Wooshka!

Nice to see some of us Aussies on here :biggrin:

I'm not trained in enhancements, never had any interest in them mainly as Acrylics always gave me a migraine and I wasn't keen on all the filing/buffing and seeing damaged nails really put me off. :smack:

BUT slowly I've come around (especially noticing how even the ones who cry poor will spend money on their nails) and the whole idea of painting on like polish appeals especially the long wear.

Now relooking at all the videos I can find online from all the above mentioned brands I do like the idea of Shellac being non-filing but I do wonder how does that work with those clients who have really ridgy nails?? I'd like to maybe try OPI's new gelcolor as a point of difference as it seems seams similar to Shellac as there's no buffing, but that's a $750 start-up cost which is a bit too steep for me at the moment... decisions, decisions.... hope Santa leaves me a sack of money this year

 

[smithjojo]

i agree with you
Really shellac is not gel polish....!!

 

[geeg]

Hello Aussie Wooshka!

Nice to see some of us Aussies on here :biggrin:

I'm not trained in enhancements, never had any interest in them mainly as Acrylics always gave me a migraine and I wasn't keen on all the filing/buffing and seeing damaged nails really put me off. :smack:

BUT slowly I've come around (especially noticing how even the ones who cry poor will spend money on their nails) and the whole idea of painting on like polish appeals especially the long wear.

Now relooking at all the videos I can find online from all the above mentioned brands I do like the idea of Shellac being non-filing but I do wonder how does that work with those clients who have really ridgy nails?? I'd like to maybe try OPI's new gelcolor as a point of difference as it seems seams similar to Shellac as there's no buffing, but that's a $750 start-up cost which is a bit too steep for me at the moment... decisions, decisions.... hope Santa leaves me a sack of money this year

Shellac base coat fills in all ridges to create perfect smoothness .. I should know as all of my nails are ridged, very ridged. You can see my nails Shellacked in my albums. Pretty impressive. Not a ridge in sight.