Gelish vs CND Shellac - newbie starting

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Kezersmith

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Good evening all

I'm currently researching gelish v's cnd shellac. Which brand do I go for? What's you're views please.

I've made contact with local trainers on both brands although the one for gelish is on holiday.

For gelish I can attend and do their manicure and pedicure course and then the 3 day gel polish course plus kit which is expensive
Or cnd shellac offer their 2 day course with kid included. It does not mention whether I need previous experience or qualification in manicure or pedicure . Can anyone please clarify for me.

Overall if I don't and this is covered then the cnd shellac course is half the cost of gelish which appears to good to be true

I look forward to hearing from you . I'm currently a midwife looking to specialise in another expertise for my days off to spend more time at home with my son
Thanks all
Kerry x
 
I personally went for Gelish as it tends to have a longer wear than shellac also a much wider colour range. Could you go and have both Gelish and shellac done at a local salon to see which you prefer?
I'm sure a geek will be able to let you know for definite but I'm pretty sure cnd will want you to have mani /pedi training as you have to have a manicure qualification to even buy their products
 
I trained with cnd with no qualifications. They send you a big book out to read through thoroughly. This is mainly science behind the nails. There's a test you need to take and pass before you can attend the two day course. You're then tested again after the first day and complete on the second day after your teacher assesses you. I don't remember exactly how much I paid but it was 3-400+vat and that included a lamp, base & top coat 4 colours and pep stuff x
 
Gelish is more expensive as the bottles are more than twice the size of shellac.

I think to do shellac you need to have a manicure certificate.

I started with shellac then converted to Gelish.
In my opinion Gelish lasts longer, offers more strength, is more hard wearing and has a much better colour range.
Their training Is fab too! Second to none :) xx
 
Also one to remember is that they are not the same product, shellac is a hybrid, part gel part nail polish. Gelish is 100% gel, so any gel polish should last longer than Shellac?
 
Gelish is 100% gel, so any gel polish should last longer than Shellac?
That's not strictly true. I've had many new clients come to me wanting CND Shellac because they can't get gel polishes to last and then happily achieve up to 3 weeks wear of the Shellac.

To the OP - don't make your decision solely on price alone. Have you thought about going and getting both a Gelish and Shellac manicure yourself? That way you can see the application, longevity, speed of removal and the condition your natural nails are in afterwards for yourself.

Both products are good professional brands and both have large loyal followers. Test them both out and go from there.
 
That's good advice from pure x
 
Gelish is more expensive as the bottles are more than twice the size of shellac.

I think to do shellac you need to have a manicure certificate.

I started with shellac then converted to Gelish.
In my opinion Gelish lasts longer, offers more strength, is more hard wearing and has a much better colour range.
Their training Is fab too! Second to none :) xx
I think you meant Gelish is LESS expensive.

But I think pure makes some important points about what to consider when choosing a brand - and hopefully you'll get to work with more than one since there are many excellent gel polish brands out there.Longevity, application, removal are important considerations, and so are color range, rnp pairing, whether they're hypoallergenic or cruelty-free, customer support, education and training, your relationship with the vendor, market reach, etc.
 
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Thanks all for your replies. Yes I've had both treatments and I have personally been happy with both. I'd like to learn stamping, foil design and nail art too
Hence when I can't make a decision between them. The shellac seems more appealing for this or am I wrong? Can I achieve the same with gelish

Personally gelish lasts longer on my toes. Can I ask what your experience is with shellac on toes does it last as long.

I really want my small business to succeed there for cost isn't an option within reason I just can't afford to do both at present
 
Nail art can be done with either. For stamping I use Vinylux as it's a thicker consistency and dries so fast. Shellac on toes stays on until either removed or it grows out! Never, ever had a problem with longevity on toes :)
 
Kerry, shellac indeed last for ages - as does Vinluyx - had that on my
Toes for 5 weeks now!
Good
Luck Hun (and coffee soon?)
 
Kerry, shellac indeed last for ages - as does Vinluyx - had that on my
Toes for 5 weeks now!
Good
Luck Hun (and coffee soon?)
Good evening hun. I didn't know you did nails too hun ? I've since passed my shellac course and gelish I will complete in sept xxx
 
I think you meant Gelish is LESS expensive.

But I think pure makes some important points about what to consider when choosing a brand - and hopefully you'll get to work with more than one since there are many excellent gel polish brands out there.Longevity, application, removal are important considerations, and so are color range, rnp pairing, whether they're hypoallergenic or cruelty-free, customer support, education and training, your relationship with the vendor, market reach, etc.

No she's right gelish is more expensive per bottle. Well at least it is from Creative Academy (my supplier in Ireland)
 
No she's right gelish is more expensive per bottle. Well at least it is from Creative Academy (my supplier in Ireland)
No, a bottle of Gelish may cost more (although that is not true here), but it contains twice as much as CND Shellac, so unless the Gelish bottle costs twice as much, Gelish is less expensive. But again, a bottle of Gelish here is cheaper than a bottle of CND Shellac.

So I guess while you might be able to say a bottle of Gelish is more expensive than a bottle ofCND Shellac, it would be incorrect to say that Gelish is more expensive than CND Shellac.
 
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How funny Kerry! Been qualified since 2003 (been a member here since then too)! Will have to catch up for coffee.
 
I meant it's more expensive per bottle as a first outlay but it's twice the size and obviously you get a lot more sets per bottle. x
 
No, a bottle of Gelish may cost more (although that is not true here), but it contains twice as much as CND Shellac, so unless the Gelish bottle costs twice as much, Gelish is less expensive. But again, a bottle of Gelish here is cheaper than a bottle of CND Shellac.

So I guess while you might be able to say a bottle of Gelish is more expensive than a bottle ofCND Shellac, it would be incorrect to say that Gelish is more expensive than CND Shellac.

yes thats what i meant, that here it does cost more to buy a bottle of gelish, I must have read the other girls comment in the wrong context. She obviously meant its not more expensive in the sense that theres more in the bottle.
 
I meant it's more expensive per bottle as a first outlay but it's twice the size and obviously you get a lot more sets per bottle. x

This is what i meant also. When you first start you sometimes dont think about the fact you get more in the bottle or the amount in the bottle you're just thinking about how much it will cost to buy 20 odd bottles!
 
This is what i meant also. When you first start you sometimes dont think about the fact you get more in the bottle or the amount in the bottle you're just thinking about how much it will cost to buy 20 odd bottles!
Yes, I understand that, but that's what I'm warning against. Thinking only of the upfront costs and not the long term value is a mistake that a lot of us made starting out. Whether it's the product, the tools or, especially, the lamp, making choices with an eye to long term value is the best way to build your business. It is hard though sometimes when having to make choices to see the forest for the trees.
 

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