Hi! I have never gotten my nails done 
I hardly ever paint my nails because they chip within a day or two. I want to go to a nail salon and I have no clue what kind to get, I have small hands and I tend to keep my nails rounded and short. I don't want long nails, I just want polished nails that look nice for a couple weeks, no flowers or designs. Just short and sweet. My nails aren't super strong so I would want something that won't damage them too much. Any advice??
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I've always wanted to try Gel polish! It's supposed to last a lot longer than regular polish.
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Gel mani! I got one today. No dry time, stays for 2 weeks!
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Don't peel the gel off, that will damage your nails
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@JMOM: Another vote for gel polish!
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@hellobeeboston: That looks great!!
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Gel is great but ditto @hellobeeboston: about not peeling it off.
I'm also a big fan of buffing! They basically take this cream and buff your nails with a chamois and they end up super shiny. No chipping because it's not paint. Just your natural nail with a high shine.
Enjoy!!! I think once you do it you'll be hooked
I never had a mani until I was about 26 (I'm now almost 35) and ever since I have to have one weekly! So relaxing and it feels great to have pretty nails!
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@SweetiePie: never heard of this! Will look into it!
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For your needs, I also agree with gel and ditto no peeling it off. There's a way to take it off at home, but I'd also encourage you to go to the salon for removal. You may have to pay $5 for them to remove it, but they do it so much better and faster than when I tried the same thing on my own
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@SweetiePie: I'm 42 so you have me beat for the first time having a mani. How long does buffing last? I had one of those guys at a kiosk at a mall use some kind of stick to buff one of my nails and it was months before it stopped splitting as soon as they grew out past my fingertips.
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@pregnantbee: Can any salon remove them? We'll be traveling this summer and I might have to get them done while we're away from home.
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@JMOM: As long as the salon does gel manicures they can remove it. I've gone to a different salon other than the one that did it in the first place. No problem.
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@JMOM: Oh no, then I don't know what he did because this doesn't hurt your nail at all. It just polishes it. Like getting your car waxed/buffed or polishing your silver
I'd say mine stay shiny for a couple of weeks. But of course it slowly wears off. Just like anything. Even with a gel mani it's not going to be as perfect on day 14 as it is day 1. But it's still way better than regular polish. -
Another thing to keep in mind is that you'll start seeing new growth. That's normally when people would want to remove it since the rest of the polish won't chip.
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I love gel. You can take it off yourself soaking in acetone but it's easier to just go back to a salon and have them take it off!
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Another vote for a gel Mani!
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I love gel manicures so much that I have my own curing light, lol.
I would suggest going to get one at the salon first to check it out and see if it works for your lifestyle. Then, if you decide to continue with it, I would highly suggest you look into your own light. If you can polish your nails, you can do it at home. It literally takes me less than a half hour and the cost is a fraction of the salon service.
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Does this gel stuff really stay on a whole 2 weeks?? When I polish my nails it normally last less than 24 hours what with all the baby bottle washing!
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@Bubbles: If done right, yes they usually last 2 weeks. You will see the growth from the bottom but I've never had a nail "chip" like classic nail polish. When they grow out is when it usually starts to come off.
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@Bubbles: Well, for me, since my hands are in water a lot, no, they do not last 2 weeks, but for sure about 10 days.
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Thanks guys, might have to give one a try!
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Yeah, get gel! After I had DD, not that I got my nails done at all, but I wouldn't even bother with regular polish.
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I love to get my nails done, I would like to distinguish for you though..
Gel, typically takes longer to cure under a light and needs to be filed off
Shellac or "Gelish" manicure is what I believe the others are referring to above, this is a soak off product with acetone (and yes easier to soak off at the salon)
for me I only make the distinction because I am allergic to gel and not "shellac or gelish manicures"
it depends on each person's body chemistry but shellac lasts almost 4 weeks for me, more like three if I'm washing more bottles or on a cleaning binge
enjoy the pampering
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@Mrs. Pickles: Which one is less destructive to your nail bed?
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I love shellac mani's and they do last, but I compulsively peel them so they're not great for me.
I do use the Sally Hansen miracle gel polish (1 color, 1 topcoat) - lasts much longer than my standard mani and dries via regular light rather than air drying. Honestly I love this product so much, lol. I think I have 20 colors
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I am not a fan of gel. It does last a lot longer than polish but I hate having to rely on returning to the salon to get it removed. Manicures are a special treat for me and I don't want to need to go back to the salon so quickly. It feels like a racket to keep you continuously dependent on salons! Personally I strongly prefer no-polish manicures so I don't have any lingering aftercare to-do items to worry about. Pretty colorful polish is something I prefer to reserve for my toenails. (Which are currently bright bright red from my amazing Mother's Day hot rocks wine spa pedi yesterday).
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@JMOM: Shellac I think
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if it is your first time getting polish of any kind done at a salon, i'd get a regular pedi instead of a manicure! i find as a mom getting my hands done is just not worth it, but getting my feet cleaned and polished up is such a treat! clean smooth feet and polish lasts quite a while :). perfect for spring! and i can remove it at home.
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@tysonja: That's a good suggestion. I'm going to get my feet done, too. I'll see how I like the manicure and how long it lasts, etc. before I decide if it is something I want to keep spending money and time on. This is not really my kind of thing, but I'm tired of looking like a mom who doesn't care.
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Another vote for a pedicure, but if you're going to get both hands and feet maybe do regular polish for your first time so that if you don't like having painted nails you can take it off easily with drugstore remover. I love me a shellac manicure but I know I love it and don't mind planning (and budgeting) to get to the nail salon every 10 days or so (since I was pregnant 2 years ago (!) my nails grow RIDICULOUSLY fast).
If you start going regularly its nice to get the same technician every time who knows what you like and don't like (I HATE having my cuticles cut or pushed back, and my usual chick knows and never tries it, but when I get someone new I always have to say something). Ask for a card if you like what your technician does the first time so you know his/her name (it always seems to be Tammy).
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@JMOM: show us a pic when you're done!!
enjoy it!
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@hellobeeboston: just got them done. I chickened out and just got a light pink on my nails. I got dark red sparkles on my toes, but nobody wants to see my feet.
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@JMOM: Pretty!
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Just for anyone wondering about how long they last. This is day 16
and I don't have any chips, just growth. If I do nick one I can usually file it or trim it out.
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@JMOM: Nice colour choice!
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Ooh, I love gel nails! If you need to take the polish off, it's easy to do. Great tutorials on pinterest!
Also, I get gel polish on my toes. It makes my pedicure last 4-6 weeks. Totally worth it!
I never had a mani until I was about 26 (I'm now almost 35) and ever since I have to have one weekly! So relaxing and it feels great to have pretty nails!
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