I had the CND shellac done at another salon recently because it was only $5 extra...but you get what you pay for, that salon did a horrible job, the shellac was uneven, french mani wasn't great, it started getting black spots on day 2 and peeled(thank god cause I didn't even want it to last the promised 2 wks!). Needless to say I decided that I'd rather pay a little extra and get a quality mani in a quality salon that will last the 2 weeks as advertised.
The verdict: I loooooove my french mani w/the shellac!!!!!!!!! My manicurist was so polite(typical great Bollinger service) and did my french exactly how I like it and checked to make sure I liked it after one nail before continuing with the rest of my nails. A huge bonus to doing the shellac is that it's completely dry after you put it under the LED light, so there's no chance of smudging and no need for a fan.
Personally I think it's only worth it to pay extra for the shellac if you are doing a french mani...It is perfect for special occasions, weddings, vacations, etc where you want a classic look and need it to last longer than a day. The colors are not limited and I feel like confused. But that is just my personal opinion.
more