Shellac & Gelish have you tried both?

SalonGeek

Help Support SalonGeek:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Pebbles#1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2009
Messages
132
Reaction score
4
Location
Hampshire
Any advice would be great. I did my training for Shellac months ago and sadly still haven`t managed to purchase a lamp or salon rack. Customers have lost all enthusiasm for Shellac and are no longer asking when will they be able to try it !! Maybe it`s bad timing when I go on SS2?

Don`t know much about Gellish or who distributes it, but I am seriously considering giving up the wait for Shellac and looking at Gellish.

Have you tried both products? Would love your advice.

Thanks in advance :confused:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi

I was in exactly the same boat as you! I did my training at the beginning of June but only got my lamp at the end of August! Throughout the summer I had loads of calls about Shellac but had to let people down. Now they've either gone elsewhere or not bothered.

I'm going to persevere with it though after all that waiting! And I've found some clients who have tried it with different therapists and found real variations in the quality of service they're getting. It sounds like there are a lot of salons/mobiles out there just getting it and slapping it on. Plus I've had clients saying they've seen it all on eBay and are thinking of getting it themselves!!!!

I can't vouch for Gelish but just from looking on here it seems like there are a lot of satisfied customers, and some who moved over to Gelish from Shellac where supply has been a problem. Good luck with whatever you choose x
 
Again, I was in the same situation, and I am glad to say Gelish won the race !

There was stock, and plenty of it, there was super helpful advice from Georgie Smedley and there was no pressure! Give Georgie a call or check out the website , www.nailharmony.co.uk or 0800 014 8300 or [email protected]

I popped along down to Olympia to view the product and came away with a wee parcel.

I feel a bit guilty as I am doing my training with CND, (and have been very very pleased with the quality and the educator) well using it as refresher traning as already NVQ qualified. But I just wanted to get going and get practice in before the Christmas Party season arrives therefore stock availabilty was an issue.

I would have a look at the Gelish and Shellac lovers groups, there is a lot of information on each of the groups that may help you with a decision.

Good Luck

Claire :hug:
 
Thumbs up all round for Gelish!. Fab product, wonderful customer care, never stock issues.

I too started with Shellac, but fed up with all the stock issues, no point in pushing the product if you can't back it up with the stock. Letting my Shellac stock run down now and looking forward to all the new Gelish colour coming soon.

I use a 36 watt lamp or my brisa lamp with both products
 
I have tried and use both! As long as you remember they are 2 different products though. Gelsih is great for my clients who have weaker nails as it is stronger than shellac, shellac IMO applies better but clients just don't get the layering and no matter how much you show them and 'educate' them it does not appeal. I find that having both means I can tailor my service to them which is great, I don't see why you cannot have them side by side.
Regarding application I prefer the brush with the shellac but the strength of the gelish. All my natural nail clients which is growing are seeing amazing results that they are rebooking every 10-14 days with colour due to the amount of regrowth (which is great for me and them)
 
I use Bio but on my nails I have to use nsi balance, file off, as its stronger ( my nails are like paper, always have been ) I find With bio It takes ages for me to do my nails as I have to layer and layer, I have used s gel but because my nails are soooo flexiable it just doesnt work. How strong is Gelish ?
 
I use Bio but on my nails I have to use nsi balance, file off, as its stronger ( my nails are like paper, always have been ) I find With bio It takes ages for me to do my nails as I have to layer and layer, I have used s gel but because my nails are soooo flexiable it just doesnt work. How strong is Gelish ?
IMO on my nails I no longer need nno as the gelish has been suffice! They still have flexibility but without the fear of breaking. As a mum of 4 I have put them to the biggest test and I can happily say not one breakage :) is there a gelish tech near you? I have to say that I love it for the strength and how my nails are after soaking off. In the first 7 days of wearing it I got loads of regrowth and had to change it (not that I'm complaining)
I don't see why people can't use shellac and gelish side by side as they are both best suited to different nail clients. I use gelish on my ex enhancement clients and shellac on my nn clients. The best thing is not one complaint and not a single chip:green:
 
I use Bio but on my nails I have to use nsi balance, file off, as its stronger ( my nails are like paper, always have been ) I find With bio It takes ages for me to do my nails as I have to layer and layer, I have used s gel but because my nails are soooo flexiable it just doesnt work. How strong is Gelish ?

Dito.
My nails are like paper too. Bio didn't last that great because the nails are so thin & are in water a lot from hairdressing.

I was putting NSI Balance under Bio for the strengh.

Now I am using Gelish on my nails. I also use the structure for that extra support & it's been enough.

They feel nice & thin too which they didn't when I either put NSI under Bio or lots of layers of Bio Sculpture
.
The few clients I have had that have changed from Bio Sculpture say that Gelish feels thinner but still just as strong.

Bio Sculpture have bought out Flexigel which I found better than S gel on soft/thin nail clients.
 
Last edited:
I think I'm gonna look into Gellish. structure is this another product from gellish ?
 
Thanks for your advice. Maybe I should offer both.

Thanks Claire for the contact details, I`ll contact Georgie Smedley/Harmony over the next few days.

:)
 
I think I'm gonna look into Gellish. structure is this another product from gellish ?

It is part of the Gelish range. It is still soak off, but it takes a little longer to soak off if you have used Structure with the other layers.
It can be used over Foundation or after colour or both....
Also used it to extend a little.
 
If you want advice on both products...

Gelish:+ Lasts very long on the natural nails => def. up to 4 weeks
loads of colour options
- you need to buff the natural nail before applying
harder then shellac to remove

shellac: + very easy to apply... applies like polish
no buffing of the natural nail
removes really easily!
- lasts max up to two weeks without any chipping (doesnt last as
long as gelish)
for the moment a fairly limited colour range
 
Thanks for your advice. Maybe I should offer both.

Thanks Claire for the contact details, I`ll contact Georgie Smedley/Harmony over the next few days.

:)
Hi Hun,
I offer both and they work fab along side each other. I don't buff the nail with either service, a good PEP is all thats needed. That and brush stroke confidence lol.
My clients love that they have a choice, if hair salons can offer Wella and L'oreal colours and service side by side, why shouldn't we be able to do the same thing? You know like Wella has a fab range of colours, but then again L'oreal may just have the colour that you are just aching to have.
This is not being disrespectful to a brand, but it makes perfect business sense to me. I give my clients what they want, that is colour, a good sound product and a smudge free, no worries manicure.
Both products have delivered what they promised to do, so its win win for me xxxx

It's an exiting time for us Technicians and we should explore and see whats out there....... and so far it has been exiting xxxx
 
I offer both and love them both. I have found it difficult though to fufill my
clients requests for shellac due to the shortages and and
also finding the choice of
colours gelish have to offer has really been beneficial to my business. But, they are side
by side on my shelves and get equal attention and
promotion .
 
Hiya me to I offer both and don't buff the natural nail before use just normal prep :)
 
hi ya i am just going to change my system too, and wanted to use shallac but i know a nail technician who has just changed to shallac and had trouble with lamp, had to put all her clients off cause she had to send the lamp back first for them to test it before she got a new one , would'nt mind but the lamp was a week old she was so upset, but that is the trouble with cnd where as i can just go to my suppliers pick up a lamp no trouble, she is thinking of changing now cause of that reson alone, she said she cant take the chance of that happening again so it gelish for her . what do you think geeks:eek:
 
That is a shame for her, but sometimes things happen.

In actual fact there have been very few lamp problems and every brand has them.

Thousands upon thousands of lamps have been purchased and the return rate is minute at S2. I'm sure they will sort her out quickly with a new lamp .. they have a year long warranty like any other good appliance.
 
Last edited:
I started using Shellac and always had stock for my business. I then got Gellish also to offer some more colours. I now almost always use Gelish.
 
Dont forget if you want to purchase shellac your going to have to purchase their lamp too, unless you have an older brisa one.

You dont have to buff the nail for the gelish application

The shellac bottle is only 7ml

Its ok to pick a colour from another line if your lacking it
ManiQ colour has come out with some fab colours, there is a youtube video with a colour swatch
Luxio by Akzentz is soon to launch
 
I think Shellac is soooo well advertised I wish Harmony/Gelish would do the same, or at least give us the literature/flyers to distribute for them.
I am happy to do the handing out & putting up posters etc but I don't see why I should have to pay for the privilege of promoting their products.

I have had to print my own vouchers for Gelish but am not inclined to do much more than this.

Maybe I have been spoilt with Bio Sculpture as all their advertising is free for us to hand out.

Bio Sculpture's marketing collateral is freely available & this helps technicians to promote their products without incurring a charge which obviously encourages product development.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top