There are really only two hybrid nail polishes that can compete: Harmony Gelish and CNG Shellac. Let’d discover how they stack up against each other.
Cost
There are two ways to determine the cost. When applied at a nail salon, the cost is about the same. However, when purchased on your own, the cost is very different. Gelish costs drastically less than Shellac. So Gelish wins the cost battle.
Color Variation
Shellac and Gelish have a decent amount of color variations to choose from on the market. However, neither even comes close to the amount of colors that non-hybrid nail brands offer. This fact alone makes both losers of this battle.
How easy is it to apply?
This is a tough question. The reason is because both Shellac and Gelish have pros and cons. Shellac requires far less steps during the application process. However it requires a far longer curing time under the UV lamp. There is no clear winner here.
Long lasting formulation?
This is a tricky question. The reason is because Gelish is a gel nail polish and Shellac is a hybrid nail polish. Since Gelish is actually gel, it has a slightly longer lasting formulation that Shellac does. The drawback here is that it must be filed before soaking, which adds to the removal time and a lot of people are annoyed by that. However, if you can handle the filing time, I would say that Gelish is slightly longer lasting.
How hard is it to remove?
CND is far easier to remove because it is a hybrid nail polish and not a gel nail polish. It requires no extra scraping prior to removal.
Which Brand do you like best?
This is kind of a controversial subject. Harmony claims to protect its brand more than CND by refusing to make it available to the public. Some people are annoyed by that fact because that makes it really hard to find. Likewise, CND might be easier to find, but that also opens it up to fakes and impostors too. Results: Tie
Grand Finale
I like Gelish better. Yes, it has it’s flaws, but I think it has more pros than cons in the long run. What do you think?
Learn more about nail polish. Stop by the Nail Polish Review website where you can find out all about gel nail polish and what it can do for you.