MANICURE

In regular nail polish, the technician will remove any old polish from your hands, shape and prime your nails, give you a little hand massage, then apply the base coat, polish, and topcoat. Regular nail polish is easy to apply and remove, so you can change the color as often as you'd like.

Shellac polishes mix two types of nail coating: gel (for durability and nail protection) and traditional nail polish (for color and shine). The finished look errs on the natural side. Shellac nails can be removed by a manicurist within five to fifteen minutes—without scraping, thanks to a special acetone-based remover made specifically for shellac polishes.

A manicure for men entails softening the skin on the hands, filing down the nails, and shaping the cuticles.

In Gel Polish, the process to apply the polish is much the same as the traditional manicure. Your nails will get shaped and clean, your hands will be taken care of, and the base coat is applied before the color. Then, the application process changes. After the gel base coat has been added, your nails will be placed under a UV light to "cure" the polish. Each new coat gets set in the UV light after application, right down to the topcoat. The gel adds a layer of protection that helps keep your nails from breaking.