Nailed It! CND Shellac Gel Manicure at Angelo David Salon in NYC

Over the years, I have gotten pretty good at doing my own nails. So much so that I began to see little to no need to spend $10-20 on a manicure that I could do just as well on my own.
 
But then I heard about gel manicures….
 
I was invited to the lovely Angelo David Salon for a CND Shellac Gel Manicure. I couldn’t believe that it had taken me so long to finally get one of these, considering how obsessed I am with beautifully polished nails.
  
I didn’t really know what to expect when I went into the New York City salon (super conveniently located right near Grand Central on 43^rd between Park and Madison) as I had never really researched much about gel manicures.
 

I found that the gel manicure is unique in that thin layers of gel (base coat, two polish coats, and a top coat) are applied to your nails and then treated under a UV light which creates this super shiny polish which the makers claim lasts 14 days.
 
I chose a dark purple CND shade, Rock Royalty (which FYI came out much darker than I thought it would), and sat back to enjoy my manicure. It was a very long manicure (about 40 minutes), which was the only complaint I have about the initial experience. I pleasantly found that there was no waiting time for the polish to dry — as the UV light you put your hand under after each polish dries it.

 
The manicure was super shiny which I loved! And no matter what I did it wouldn’t chip! Amazing!!
 

14 days later the polish still looked phenomenal. The only problem was that my nails were growing so my nail bed was peeking out and making me very much look in need of a manicure.
 
Here is my second issue with my gorgeous manicure — you can’t just remove the polish with nail polish remover and some cotton balls. You have to wrap your nails in these bandaid like things dipped in acetone for ten minutes and then scrape the remaining polish off with an orange wood nail stick. You either can do this at the salon, or purchase CND products to do it at home. Annoying, but it was a really really good manicure…
 
The manicure — which is more expensive than a regular manicure — isn’t something I’d recommend for collegiettes™ on a budget on a regular basis. However I would 100% recommend it for special events and vacations where touch ups aren’t an option (or less than ideal). I was thinking it would be especially perfect for spring break (or another similiar trip) where you’re so busy and the last thing you want to do is paint your nails. Splurging on a gel manicure before your hard earned vacation that will last the entire vacation is, in my opinion, a better use of your money than a manicure that will be chipping a day or two into your trip.
 
New York collegiettes™ (and those interning here this summer) DEFINITELY check out the Angelo David Salon and let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below!