Gelish, Shellac, OPI etc?

[Kellcass]

Hi guys

I'm trying to make a decision on which gel polish I should buy so any pros and cons would be extremely helpful.

I'm torn between gelish, opi and shellac but I just don't know!

In your opinions which ones are the best for application, removal, price and availability in the uk and if there are any pros and cons to any of them.

What are gelux and orly gels like or any other ones that don't have the publicity like gelish and shellac do, are they just as good?

So hard deciding!

 

[Emm87]

Iv never used gelux etc, but I use OPI Gelcolor and Gelish. Both are great to apply and remove and last really well if applied correctly. I think the OPI brush is slightly better but Gelish have such a brilliant range of colours and I think the Gelish base coat is amazing! The UK website for OPI however can sometimes not be great for stock levels, some GelColor's can be out of stock for months which is so annoying and that's why I have started buying Gelish aswell.
Generally speaking though, both are really good, and both professional only products which clients recognise and trust.
Hope this helps [emoji4] x

 

[Kellcass]

Iv never used gelux etc, but I use OPI Gelcolor and Gelish. Both are great to apply and remove and last really well if applied correctly. I think the OPI brush is slightly better but Gelish have such a brilliant range of colours and I think the Gelish base coat is amazing! The UK website for OPI however can sometimes not be great for stock levels, some GelColor's can be out of stock for months which is so annoying and that's why I have started buying Gelish aswell.
Generally speaking though, both are really good, and both professional only products which clients recognise and trust.
Hope this helps [emoji4] x

Thanks for the reply.

Do you think it would be more worth my time to stock a few different lines then? Offer both?

I was leaning more towards opi and with what you have said has helped me lean a bit more towards opi but if the stock is a bit hit and miss that's going to be annoying so maybe selling both services would be better than one?

 

[Makeitbackalive]

I think it's a good idea to offer a couple of different brands as not everyone will like opi, gelish etc. you don't have to have all one brand in your collection, maybe you should get your nails done with a few different brands gels to see what you prefer? I think gel and shellac are great to offer as your giving your clients a second option and shellac is very popular too.

 

[Emm87]

Thanks for the reply.

Do you think it would be more worth my time to stock a few different lines then? Offer both?

I was leaning more towards opi and with what you have said has helped me lean a bit more towards opi but if the stock is a bit hit and miss that's going to be annoying so maybe selling both services would be better than one?

Yea definitely no harm in stocking both brands, they're both good in their own ways. I stocked exclusively OPI only at first but got so irritated with stuff being out of stock for so long that is why I moved to Gelish, as well as the colour range being much bigger. I still only use OPI manicure/pedicure products as I think they are the best. The application for both is slightly different however; Gelish you need to dry wipe the base coat once it has cured, with Gelcolor you don't need to do that. The nail prep is same for both. X

 

[Kellcass]

Thanks both for your replies.

I think your right, it's a good idea to have a choice to offer clients. And a great idea to actually have different ones applied to myself so I can get a good look at each one before picking what goes in my kit.

 

[Hhh]

I currently am just using gelish and love it, it lasts really well, always new collections added, customer service is very good and they are always happy to help I have found.
I might one day offer two brands as well

 

[Steph Scollie]

I've used Gellux and OPI and found both very good. I didn't like Gelish much, I found it a bit messy and went gloopy quickly compared to the others. My favourite so far has to be the Sensationail range, fantastic colours and so easy to apply and remove. Not as common but all my clients have been thrilled with them. X

 

[cheekychick]

I've used Gellux and OPI and found both very good. I didn't like Gelish much, I found it a bit messy and went gloopy quickly compared to the others. My favourite so far has to be the Sensationail range, fantastic colours and so easy to apply and remove. Not as common but all my clients have been thrilled with them. X

That's weird I've had some of my Gelish colours for 2 years and they are still as good as new, did you contact them about your problems with your polishes?

I thought sensational was a consumer brand not a pro brand? Please Correct me if I'm
Wrong x

 

[Lisa Ratkowski]

Iv never used gelux etc, but I use OPI Gelcolor and Gelish. Both are great to apply and remove and last really well if applied correctly. I think the OPI brush is slightly better but Gelish have such a brilliant range of colours and I think the Gelish base coat is amazing! The UK website for OPI however can sometimes not be great for stock levels, some GelColor's can be out of stock for months which is so annoying and that's why I have started buying Gelish aswell.
Generally speaking though, both are really good, and both professional only products which clients recognise and trust.
Hope this helps [emoji4] x

Can you help me? I am trying to use opi gel color and I have been very unsuccessful. I was trying to do French and the mad about you pink gets smeared thru the alpine snow. Then when I put the top coat on it smears through again. It also shrinks a lot and has pealed off. I know it's me but totally frustrated.

 

[Emm87]

Can you help me? I am trying to use opi gel color and I have been very unsuccessful. I was trying to do French and the mad about you pink gets smeared thru the alpine snow. Then when I put the top coat on it smears through again. It also shrinks a lot and has pealed off. I know it's me but totally frustrated.

What light are you using? It sounds like the gel isn't getting cured if it is smearing. Its the OPI LED one I use. Also, are you painting the pink first? Then cure the pink for 30 secs, then paint the white tip then cure again (30 secs) then top coat. As for the shrinking, make sure you properly cap the free edge. I also use Bubble Bath or Princesses Rule for french, find they are a bit more subtle than Mod About You which is quite a solid pink. Hope this helps [emoji5]️ x

 

[Glamournails86]

I'm a cnd shellac girl but as the collections have become more repetitive an pains me to say my clients have not been that blown away by the collections. I had to make a decision of bringing in another system. So I now have gelish and cnd on offer.
Gelish have a fantastic colour range an this was the main winner for me as with summer holidays etc my ladies wanted some brights and the paradise cnd collection wasn't doing it for them. Xxx

 

[SparklySnow]

@Glamournails86 Seeing as you are using both Shellac and Gelish, can I ask, do you find the Gelish lasts a lot longer on clients than the Shellac?

 

[Glamournails86]

Tbh I only stock gelish for brighter colours. I find with my clients I have some that can get 5 weeks from there shellac an only three from gelish an vice verser x

 

[LeilaM]

Tbh I only stock gelish for brighter colours. I find with my clients I have some that can get 5 weeks from there shellac an only three from gelish an vice verser x

glamournails@86 What is gelish like to remove ? x

Sent from my GT-I9505 using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[SiennaKate]

I use CND Shellac...its important to remember that it's not a gel polish but a power polish, this allows for easy and quick removal. It doesn't have the range of colours like some of the gel polishes...but it does offer classic colours that can be layered and allows additives to be added to create new combinations each time.
CND training and certificate is recognised worldwide. The training is outstanding and CND/S2 will offer continued support throughout your career.

Shellac is a quality product, so it is expensive. You really do need to have your business head on...i.e. Don't offer a quality service for a stupidly low price.

Some people opt to have a couple of brands, so this is something to consider.

Have a think about the business side of things...what is offered in your area and how much do you want to charge? It will really help narrow down your choices.

 

[Paulamaula]

I use CND Shellac...its important to remember that it's not a gel polish but a power polish, this allows for easy and quick removal. It doesn't have the range of colours like some of the gel polishes...but it does offer classic colours that can be layered and allows additives to be added to create new combinations each time.
CND training and certificate is recognised worldwide. The training is outstanding and CND/S2 will offer continued support throughout your career.

Shellac is a quality product, so it is expensive. You really do need to have your business head on...i.e. Don't offer a quality service for a stupidly low price.

Some people opt to have a couple of brands, so this is something to consider.

Have a think about the business side of things...what is offered in your area and how much do you want to charge? It will really help narrow down your choices.

Hi SiennaKate, do you offer hard gel and extensions as well as cnd shellac. I enrolled to do the beginner cnd course but wondering if hard gel lines will be needed for my business. Maybe I could start off with soak off gels and move into hard gels at a later time ? Any advice would be so welcome.

 

[SiennaKate]

At this time, I only offer shellac and natural nail services, I personally don't want to offer enhancements...but I'm new to all this myself, so I'm still building up my client base.
I can say that there is definitely a market for natural nail services..with CND they offer all types of courses and products to add on to Shellac without the need of enhancements. The Education Ambassador will teach you how to get the most out of your business. And although working independently, you will feel like part of a team - you are offered ongoing support.

Maybe someone else can offer some advise with this??

 

[cheekychick]

glamournails@86 What is gelish like to remove ? x

Sent from my GT-I9505 using SalonGeek mobile app

Removal for gelish takes me 10 minutes. x

 

[NancySyd]

You can't go wrong with with Gelish, OPI GelColor or CND Shellac (and yes, it is a gel polish). They are all excellent products with unique attributes. I have chosen OPI as my primary, but still have Gelish available. I also love LeChat and have recently tried Cuccio and really like it. There are lots of pros and cons to each and some of those will matter more to you than others. The lamp issue and limited colours ruled out Shellac for me, even though I love its smooth finish and easy removal. And CND's training is top notch. But OPI's base is a hybrid and removes almost as fast and easy. Also, we already had a relationship with our OPI vendor for our rnp and treatments, and clients already loved OPI's iconic colours. I find Gelish a bit longer to remove (10mins), and I am disappointed in its quality control issues (fading and viscosity issues), but the range of colors is unbeatable, especially the Trends line which gives new life to other colors.

Personally, I think the days of sticking to one product line are over. It think it is useful to have at least two lines of gel polish that complement each other in terms of strengths and weaknesses.