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09.5.2017

MANICURES FOR FITNESS GIRLS: DIP MANICURE REVIEW

Let’s girl out for a minute with a review of my dip manicure experience. A few weeks back, I asked you on Instagram stories if you’ve ever tried the dip manicure and what you thought about it. A lot of you urged me to try it out, so I wanted to share my thoughts with you all.


To keep things organized, I’m going to share what I like and dislike about the three types of manicures I’ve tried: regular, shellac and dip. I just started giggling as I reread that sentence because this is so not a serious topic yet I’m making it sound like it is haha.
I’m just someone who loves to research whether it’s on a vacation I want to map out, a down or down-alternative duvet insert I’m ordering (currently something I’ve been reading a million different reviews on lol) orrrr just a decision on a manicure.
So, I’m writing this for all the other ladies who’ve been interested in out one of these types of manicures.
REGULAR MANICURE
There’s not all that much to say about a regular manicure. If you’re new to the “manicure world,” a regular manicure simply involves a polish removal, cutting the cuticles, buffing, trimming and shaping the nails, and then applying your new nail polish choice. This type of manicure can be removed with nail polish remover.
What I like: I love that with a regular manicure, it’s a relatively quick and easy process. I also like that I can take my nail polish off at home and apply a new color. 
What I dislike: I stopped getting regular manicures a few years ago because I felt like it was a total waste of money. If I’m going to use regular nail polish and paint my own nails – I’m all for it. BUT, I can’t get behind paying for a polish application that chips in a matter of days. As someone who is active and hands on, I find a regular manicure looks nice on my nails for 4 days max. I’ll grab a dumbbell and chip. I’ll scrape my hand as I open my car door and chip. It’s just annoying to me because I don’t feel I get my money’s worth with a regular manicure. 
SHELLAC/GEL MANICURE
A shellac/gel manicure was first known as the “no chip manicure.” At least, that’s what I remember my local nail salon advertising it as (I can still remember the sign in the window lol). This type of manicure is pretty similar to a regular manicure in terms of the application process with the addition of UV light curing the polish to make it longer lasting.
What I like: I really like how shiny a shellac/gel manicure is; it looks like you just came from the nail salon. Now, there are a million color selections which is great (different from when I first began getting shellac manicures a few years ago) and overall, they do resist chips quite well and last me almost 2 full weeks. 
What I dislike: although it’s called “no chip” I’ve had plenty of my shellac manicures chip after about a week or so (I do get a solid 10 days of beautiful nails with this which is a big positive). I dislike the length of time it takes to get a shellac manicure which is mostly due to the removal process. Shellac/gel manicures must be removed with acetone that sits on the nails for some length of time. The removal process is what can really make a shellac/gel manicure damage your nails so it’s important not to pick/peel and have them removed by the professionals (unless you know what you’re doing). My mail complaint with a shellac manicure is that the polish starts to peel off along the edges somewhere in the second week. It sounds so weird but as I wash my hair, hair literally gets caught in these edges of my polish.
DIP MANICURE
My nail salon technician referred to the dip manicure as “the modern day shellac.” When she said that, questioning why I was still asking for shellac, I felt outdated and pressured to try the dip haha. I truly didn’t feel pressured but I thought “what the heck” and then I asked you girls and you told me to go for it, so I did. I’m writing my dip manicure review based on 1 experience so keep that in mind.

What I like: I LOVE the dip manicure. My nails feel so incredibly strong. The initial picture I took a day or two after I initially got the manicure then the one at the bottom of this post is TWENTY days after. There’s nothing you can do about outgrowth (although lighter colors “mask” that a bit) but I think the manicure still looks incredible!
What I dislike: the price is the biggest thing that I dislike because it’s slightly even more expensive than a shellac/gel manicure (my only justification is that I did get 20 days of beautiful nails out of my first dip manicure!) The only other thing some people may dislike is how thick the nails look. It’s not obnoxiously thick; in fact, I actually like the look, but some of you girls did share that’s what you didn’t like about the dip manicure so I wanted to share that. 
I wanted to share this manicure post because as health and fitness enthusiasts, our hands take a beating. The dip manicure 110% passed the weight training test!

DIP MANICURE (20 DAYS AFTER)

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