Gelish, Shellac or IBD Just Gel?

[LadyGray]

Hi All,

I'm really struggling to make a decision here so I'd love some input from you lot, especially if any of you have tried off of the above...

I qualified several years ago but for a variety of reasons gave up doing nails altogether. I sold ALL of my equipment. Every last thing.

I'm now starting up again, doing mobile, and for the time being just offering manicures and gel polish, but I'm really struggling to choose a brand.

I'm currently using Maddisons Unique Gel which I really like but they are cheap and not well known and I know nothing about it's origins which I don't like so it has always been my intention, once I have some funds under my belt to switch to a more premium brand.

In my past life I used Artistic Colour Gloss but I'm not feeling drawn to use that again.

Gelish, I'm drawn to the huge colour range and the fact that fans are really devoted.

Shellac, I'm drawn by reputation, but put off by tales of lamps being dodgy and the fact it's not always great for clients who are heavy handed (I have some clients who use their hands a lot for their work).

IBD, I'm just feeling a buzz from this site about this range but I don't know much about it, other than I am trained in IBD acrylics so I trust the brand.

But I've literally spent days going over and over this and I'm struggling to make a decision. I'm not a salon, I don't want to stock two brands, and couldn't afford to at this point in time anyway, so I'm a bit scared about making a mistake!

Advice?!

 

[Chazs1811]

Hi! 😊 we stock 3 brands in the salon, IBD Just Gel, Gelish and Orly Gel FX. My personal fave is IBD hands down. The colours are fab and it's the only one I can wear as a therapist for 2+ weeks with no peeling or lifting. I don't actually like the IBD base coat though so I use Gelish Foundation base coat and my IBD colour and the IBD Top coat. My clients are happy with all 3 of the above brands although we do stock more colours in IBD so more clients swing towards that.. Hope this helps you! 😊

Charlotte x

 

[LadyGray]

Thanks so much for your reply, it is helpful!

I wondered, with the IBD, do you need to brush the base the coat, or if not, do you still brush the Gelish base coat if using the IBD polish?

And may I ask why you're not keen on the base coat?

 

[lwoody]

Hi , got to say I love shellac , I used gellux, which I didn't get on with ! But shellac is fab. I am a hairdresser, and my nails stay perfect( and I am rubbish at using gloves for washing hair!) I use bl underneath for added strengh, never have problems and with additives I never struggle to find a colour choose for a client ! 😃😃

 

[vanitybeauty1]

I am a shellac lover, I can get over 2 weeks wear even though I remove countless nails and touch acetone on a daily basis (however I do get bored easily so tend not to leave them on for 2 weeks lol) having said that as I remove them quite often I have found out of all the "gel or gel like polishes" I have tried shellac removes the easiest, I have been using it constantly for over 2 years with the odd day here and there without it on my nails and I have no nail damage at all. I love that you don't need to buff the natural nail or have to file the top coat before removal.

I do however love the range of colours that Gelish have, the neons and glitters are fab I think that's the only thing I prefer about it, I used to use Gelish and found I would need to use three coats on a lot of the colours and removal took longer with the thicker coats and quite a few of the colours faded for me. Gelish is good for heavy handed clients though.

Am I right in thinking IBD Just Gel used to be called Gelac? If so then I have tried a few colours a few years ago they were okay but didn't stand out to me (please correct me if I'm wrong about the branding though!) I can remember they had a strange scent to them which I wasn't keen on.

In my opinion shellac is the best BUT Gelish is a very good choice, for me personally I would go for shellac but also have a few staple colours in Gelish for clients who need a little extra strength x


Felicity xx

 

[NancySyd]

I would eliminate CND Shellac simply because it does not cure in LED, which I consider the way to go. Although I really love IBD Just Gel (except the base coat, which I find hard to remove), I would not start a business with it as my only gel polish. It just doesn't have the market penetration, merchandising, name recognition, education, training or customer support that the others have. That said, it has a great range of colors and effects. Gelish says that its base and top coats can be used with other brands' color coats, so I'd recommend starting with Gelish and adding in IBD colors as necessary.

 

[packerfan]

Hi when you remove your clients shellac do you use gloves? I have a hard time keeping my shellac on cause I remove my clients polish and mine comes right off

Sent from my SM-G900V using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[AngieG]

I offer Gelish, Artistic Colour Gloss and CND Shellac. I love Gelish/ACG for the colour choice and Shellac because of strength and easy removal. I have ladies that love Gelish but don't get on with Shellac and ladies who can wear Shellac for 3 weeks but can't get on with Gelish. The CND Shellac sells itself too . Which I why I offer both as I'm guaranteed to find a solution that works for everyone.
I tried IBD but it didn't last as well as Gelish.
The one thing that puts me off about Gelish is that it's so easy for un trained people to buy it as it's available in Sally's where as to buy Shellac through the official distributors you HAVE to show your qualifications to get an account Everyone seems to be offering Gelish at the moment
Sallys are meant to check but they don't!
I think the best thing you can do is try them on yourself and which you prefer.

 

[LadyGray]

Really appreciate the replies everyone, thank you!

My clients aren't so drawn in my brand reputation and I'm not so bothered about increasing my client base at this point in time. It sounds like a weird basis for a business doesn't it but basically I'm a stay at home mum who does some copy writing who'd like to get back into doing a few nail clients a week to keep my hand in.

I've got a few regular clients already and would like to add a few more in, which I think is quite doable, so brand reputation, although a factor not to be dismissed, and definitely something I'm considering, isn't the be all and end all as it hasn't affected me so far if that makes sense. I'm finding word of mouth and my photographs are doing the work for me!

really appreciate the input, lots to consider. Thank you!

 

[vanitybeauty1]

Hi when you remove your clients shellac do you use gloves? I have a hard time keeping my shellac on cause I remove my clients polish and mine comes right off

Sent from my SM-G900V using SalonGeek mobile app

I don't use gloves as I find they just disintegrate from the acetone! I don't have any problem keeping my shellac on when removing others, make sure you have enough top coat on the nail and try to avoid saturating your fingers in any remover and work quick, I also wash my hands whilst the hands are wrapped, I find the pump dispenser bottles good for this x


Felicity xx

 

[packerfan]

Sent from my SM-G900V using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[Jill Thomas]

I am a shellac lover, I can get over 2 weeks wear even though I remove countless nails and touch acetone on a daily basis (however I do get bored easily so tend not to leave them on for 2 weeks lol) having said that as I remove them quite often I have found out of all the "gel or gel like polishes" I have tried shellac removes the easiest, I have been using it constantly for over 2 years with the odd day here and there without it on my nails and I have no nail damage at all. I love that you don't need to buff the natural nail or have to file the top coat before removal.

I do however love the range of colours that Gelish have, the neons and glitters are fab I think that's the only thing I prefer about it, I used to use Gelish and found I would need to use three coats on a lot of the colours and removal took longer with the thicker coats and quite a few of the colours faded for me. Gelish is good for heavy handed clients though.

Am I right in thinking IBD Just Gel used to be called Gelac? If so then I have tried a few colours a few years ago they were okay but didn't stand out to me (please correct me if I'm wrong about the branding though!) I can remember they had a strange scent to them which I wasn't keen on.

In my opinion shellac is the best BUT Gelish is a very good choice, for me personally I would go for shellac but also have a few staple colours in Gelish for clients who need a little extra strength x


Felicity xx

How do you do your Shellac removal? I'm using the new light and new Express top coat. I wrap with Nourish and foil and let sit for 5. But it doesn't come off as easily as I wish it would. My nails do feel a bit compromised.

I sometimes will take gel off a client (application from elsewhere, like on vacation, etc) and the gel with literally wrinkle off...super easy.

Do you feel Shellac is the easiest removal?

I also like that you don't have to remove the natural shine or the shine to the top coat but I don't feel it removes as easily as other brands I've seen.

I'd appreciate your input. Thank you!

 

[laura250]

Hi , i use gellux and a few lbd just for a few diffrent colours i do my mum nails and she a cleaner and hers last her 12-14 days which i think is really good considering her job , other clients who have less hands on jobs eg office jobs have known to stay on for 3 weeks . Hope this helps

 

[Nails Plus]

Hi , got to say I love shellac , I used gellux, which I didn't get on with ! But shellac is fab. I am a hairdresser, and my nails stay perfect( and I am rubbish at using gloves for washing hair!) I use bl underneath for added strengh, never have problems and with additives I never struggle to find a colour choose for a client ! 😃😃

Don't know what you mean by "bl" do you mean IBX?

 

[x Fee x]

Don't know what you mean by "bl" do you mean IBX?

I would think the poster is referring to CND Brisa Lite Smoothing Gel with the shorthand 'BL'

 

[nataliemc]

Shellac all the way!! Most defiantly the best product I have worked with throughout the gel polish ranges, lasts and is easy to remove! [emoji4]

 

[Jill Thomas]

Hi , i use gellux and a few lbd just for a few diffrent colours i do my mum nails and she a cleaner and hers last her 12-14 days which i think is really good considering her job , other clients who have less hands on jobs eg office jobs have known to stay on for 3 weeks . Hope this helps

Shellac all the way!! Most defiantly the best product I have worked with throughout the gel polish ranges, lasts and is easy to remove! [emoji4]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts!

 

[Jill Thomas]

I think you're right. It's interesting, when I used Brisa Light under Shellac, I had it lift because it was thicker. I once used the BL Base coat and Shellac and that worked really well. Hmmm..

I would think the poster is referring to CND Brisa Lite Smoothing Gel with the shorthand 'BL'

 

[Jill Thomas]

Hi! 😊 we stock 3 brands in the salon, IBD Just Gel, Gelish and Orly Gel FX. My personal fave is IBD hands down. The colours are fab and it's the only one I can wear as a therapist for 2+ weeks with no peeling or lifting. I don't actually like the IBD base coat though so I use Gelish Foundation base coat and my IBD colour and the IBD Top coat. My clients are happy with all 3 of the above brands although we do stock more colours in IBD so more clients swing towards that.. Hope this helps you! 😊

Charlotte x

Thanks for your help Charlotte, I appreciate it!

 

[ceknott]

Hi , got to say I love shellac , I used gellux, which I didn't get on with ! But shellac is fab. I am a hairdresser, and my nails stay perfect( and I am rubbish at using gloves for washing hair!) I use bl underneath for added strengh, never have problems and with additives I never struggle to find a colour choose for a client ! 😃😃

What does 'bl' which you say you use underneath please?