I had to try it. So I forked over $25 for the gel manicure at my local salon. Shout out ‘Mimosa Nails’ in Dorchester: http://www.yelp.com/biz/nails-and-spa-dorchester. The employees here are always friendly. I rarely wait and they’re usually pretty busy. They offer patrons free soda or bottled water…and have a ton of polish colors. They also offer waxing, which I haven’t tried.

It weirds me out that the nail technicians need to be certified (or maybe it is trained?) before they can apply a gel manicure…and I did read somewhere about the risks. But, so far, I haven’t noticed any weird side effects. Until then, I think it’s a great manicure and worth the extra costs, mainly because it lasts that much longer than a regular manicure. On average, the gel manicure lasts me 2 weeks without chipping. While a regular manicure lasts maybe 3 days. I am always itching my scalp, so I think my nails chip easier than the average persons.

Axxium is the OPI shellac brand http://www.opi.com/

I love how the manicure lasts and how shiny my nails look. Also, once it is dry (which takes less time than a traditional manicure) it is DRY…and you don’t have to worry about smudging your nails when you reach into your purse for your wallet. I leave the salon and I am done. My favorite color right now is Hayley by the OPI brand. Here is a pic…my hands were kind of dirty from self tanner, but you’ll get the gist of the corally color. I tried a pinky/light color and it came out practically clear, which was a bummer for me. 

One caveat: they suggest you do not chip the polish off yourself. You can soak your nails in polish remover to remove slowly, or go back to the salon and they’ll do it for you. I have chipped mine off myself, because I am a picker…it’s not a good idea, because sometimes you peel a layer of the nail off with it!

An article on gel manicures, if you’re interested: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/22/fashion/22Skin.html