Red Carpet Manicure

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#1,414
Hi all,

I have spent the last 2 days reading everything I can about DIY SOG, and I am strongly considering ordering the RCM Pro from Ulta.

I have had 3 Shellac manis in salons and the quality has varied widely based on the tech's skills. I am not super happy with the last one I got and so I thought you know, maybe I should just DIY.

My main question is that I love the CND Shellac color Iced Coral (both alone with my skin tone and as a layering option) and it doesn't seem like any other lines dupe this color. Will this color cure using the RCM LED light? Has anyone tried it? If I love this color should I just go for a UV lamp and stick with the Shellac system? If this is not the proper forum post to ask this question, please help a newbie out and point me in the right direction!

Thanks :D
 
#1,416
gweneddk said:
Hi all,

I have spent the last 2 days reading everything I can about DIY SOG, and I am strongly considering ordering the RCM Pro from Ulta.

I have had 3 Shellac manis in salons and the quality has varied widely based on the tech's skills. I am not super happy with the last one I got and so I thought you know, maybe I should just DIY.

My main question is that I love the CND Shellac color Iced Coral (both alone with my skin tone and as a layering option) and it doesn't seem like any other lines dupe this color. Will this color cure using the RCM LED light? Has anyone tried it? If I love this color should I just go for a UV lamp and stick with the Shellac system? If this is not the proper forum post to ask this question, please help a newbie out and point me in the right direction!

Thanks :D
Click to expand...

I wanted to add a few more things but I couldn't find an edit button...

I do have somewhat of a chemistry background so I have read up about how gel polishes work since my initial post. It seems like "no one knows" whether Shellac will cure with a LED lamp but I read somewhere that some colors will cure, so I guess I was just looking to see if anyone here had had a good experience. But, I understand that the polymerizing compounds in Shellac are probably different than the ones used in other brands so it is likely that trying to use an LED lamp to cure Shellac will result in under curing. Which is a bummer, b/c otherwise the shorter cure times + convenience of getting the whole package from Ulta had won me over on RCM.

I'm definitely not a nail fiend that will go out and buy a zillion colors; Iced Coral on its own looks great on my nails, and I might buy 2 or 3 other colors to layer with it but I think I'll be happy with that. Do you think I should just stick with the Shellac system?
 
#1,418
gweneddk said:
I'm definitely not a nail fiend that will go out and buy a zillion colors; Iced Coral on its own looks great on my nails, and I might buy 2 or 3 other colors to layer with it but I think I'll be happy with that. Do you think I should just stick with the Shellac system?
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's what I said, two years and 168 colors ago...
 
#1,419
gweneddk said:
I wanted to add a few more things but I couldn't find an edit button...

I do have somewhat of a chemistry background so I have read up about how gel polishes work since my initial post. It seems like "no one knows" whether Shellac will cure with a LED lamp but I read somewhere that some colors will cure, so I guess I was just looking to see if anyone here had had a good experience. But, I understand that the polymerizing compounds in Shellac are probably different than the ones used in other brands so it is likely that trying to use an LED lamp to cure Shellac will result in under curing. Which is a bummer, b/c otherwise the shorter cure times + convenience of getting the whole package from Ulta had won me over on RCM.

I'm definitely not a nail fiend that will go out and buy a zillion colors; Iced Coral on its own looks great on my nails, and I might buy 2 or 3 other colors to layer with it but I think I'll be happy with that. Do you think I should just stick with the Shellac system?
Click to expand...

I would stick to UV light if you are wanting to use shellac colors just to be safe prevent undercuring and future allergies. And had to laugh at just using 1 color I started off just wanting it for french manicures haha now I have every color of the rainbow and then some!
 
#1,420
gweneddk said:
Hi all,

I have spent the last 2 days reading everything I can about DIY SOG, and I am strongly considering ordering the RCM Pro from Ulta.

I have had 3 Shellac manis in salons and the quality has varied widely based on the tech's skills. I am not super happy with the last one I got and so I thought you know, maybe I should just DIY.

My main question is that I love the CND Shellac color Iced Coral (both alone with my skin tone and as a layering option) and it doesn't seem like any other lines dupe this color. Will this color cure using the RCM LED light? Has anyone tried it? If I love this color should I just go for a UV lamp and stick with the Shellac system? If this is not the proper forum post to ask this question, please help a newbie out and point me in the right direction!

Thanks :D
Click to expand...

I don't know if an iced coral dupe sadly. Wish I did as shellac doesn't wear as well as others for me, but its one of the few shellacs I kept.

Shellac isn't formulated for LED curing. The photoinitiators that are in it are different. They state each color has a unique formulation (which is why they frown upon mixing and only recommend layering), and that seems that it may be true as some colors do appear to cure under LED, while others don't at all. However, its likely that even the ones that appear cured are not really cured properly.

If you want to use shellac colors I would get the shellac lamp. It's a great lamp and the only one CND will back their product with. It will also cute everything if you do decide to branch out an acquire more colors. ;)

gweneddk said:
I wanted to add a few more things but I couldn't find an edit button...

I do have somewhat of a chemistry background so I have read up about how gel polishes work since my initial post. It seems like "no one knows" whether Shellac will cure with a LED lamp but I read somewhere that some colors will cure, so I guess I was just looking to see if anyone here had had a good experience. But, I understand that the polymerizing compounds in Shellac are probably different than the ones used in other brands so it is likely that trying to use an LED lamp to cure Shellac will result in under curing. Which is a bummer, b/c otherwise the shorter cure times + convenience of getting the whole package from Ulta had won me over on RCM.

I'm definitely not a nail fiend that will go out and buy a zillion colors; Iced Coral on its own looks great on my nails, and I might buy 2 or 3 other colors to layer with it but I think I'll be happy with that. Do you think I should just stick with the Shellac system?
Click to expand...

Yeah that's what we all said. I have over 200 colors now two years later. ;)

Morisa said:
Is "an evening to remember" a silver metallic color?
Click to expand...

No it's black with holographic glitter bits in it.
 
#1,423
Morisa said:
Oh wow, that looks totally different from what the bottle looks like on ulta. Ulta has this light silver-y color? Looks totally different. Thanks for the link!
Click to expand...

I have "An Evening to Remember" and I just looked on the Ulta site. They have the wrong color bottle pictured for that color. It is black with holographic sparkles.
 
#1,424
Zzgapaw said:
I have "An Evening to Remember" and I just looked on the Ulta site. They have the wrong color bottle pictured for that color. It is black with holographic sparkles.
Click to expand...

Yup.... lately I've had some major issues with ulta.com as well as their customer service. The closest store to me is about 30 miles round trip (not worth the gas) and every time I call to see if they have the colors in stock they tell me no.. so I really didn't have a choice but to order online... I really wish the LE colors weren't exclusive to Ulta:tdown:
 
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