Post # 1

Member
817 posts
Busy bee
2 weeks before my wedding and I’m just now encountering this dilemma.
I don’t like acrylic nails normally but have gotten them for special events in the past. However, I was set on having natural nails for the wedding and just getting a manicure. Until the past three days….I’ve broken almost all of them mysteriously, they’re all jagged and different lengths.
Arggg! Should I just go get acrylics? I love the look of a really short, french nail acrylic.
What are you doing?
Post # 3

Member
5667 posts
Bee Keeper
If you’re going to go the faux nail route, I’d suggest gels. They’ll look a lot more natural.
Post # 4

Member
5843 posts
Bee Keeper
Somehow right before my wedding all my nails decided to break. I prefer short nails with polish.
Post # 5

Member
1249 posts
Bumble bee
Try gels – they look so much nicer. But not French – with a nice pale pink polish.
Post # 6

Member
61 posts
Worker bee
I’m getting Shellac!
It looks BEAUTIFUL!
I get the french manicure. I suggest you check it out!
Post # 7

Member
1036 posts
Bumble bee
Personally I am not a fan of the acrylics. I have never had them myself, but I prefer the look of a natural nail. I am worried about this myself actually (breaking nails right before the big day). I have decided that I will most likely stick to natural, unless more than one of my nails is uber short, and then I may go gel. I like the look of the french manicure, but more pink/white so it looks more natural.
Post # 8

Member
197 posts
Blushing bee
I have to get fake nails for the wedding, my nails are short and super thin and just ick. I think I am going to try gel ones for the first time, I hate getting acrylic nails, they just seem so bad for you…
Post # 9

Member
860 posts
Busy bee
Unfotunately all of my lovely nails have chipped or broken too! I need to do something but am not sure what yet…guess I’ll try to decide between acrylic and gel and I am leaning toward a french tip.
Post # 10

Member
698 posts
Busy bee
I’m getting mine done too. Interested in gels though…what are they all about?
I can’t rely on my natural nails not splitting and braking off either! Like right now, I’ve broken 5 in the last two weeks…alll different lengths now…boo!
Post # 11

Member
1211 posts
Bumble bee
I have gel nails with a twist. What my nail tech actually did was add the tips (nail extension) when they were short with the gel over top. Then after a couple of months when my natural nail had grown to a nice long length she removed the tips (the fake nail extensions) and just applied the French manicure get micture over my now long natural nails. So the length that you see is ALL MY NAILS. But the French manicure over top is the hard gel mixture. Its like having unbreakable Wolverine (X-Man reference) nails with completely unchipable nail polish. It’s SO COOL! My nails can’t break and the manicure cant chip! And I just get them filled (where they have grown out from the cuticle) every three weeks. 😀
Post # 12

Member
698 posts
Busy bee
@MrsGolden2Bee:interesting…I’ve had acrylics before and hate how they destroy my real nails (OUCH!) And then if they break…OMG the pain! How much more are they top get done than acrylics? I must investigate this…LOL
Post # 13

Member
4581 posts
Honey bee
I plan to get gels with tips. My nails can’t grow to any reasonable length without chipping and breaking.
Post # 14

Member
55 posts
Worker bee
@Wannabe-diy-bride: if you are getting gels, make sure its the soak-off gel or soft gel. This type of gels are better for your natural nails. There’s no filling of natural nails, only buffing. And when you’re taking it off, your natural nails will stay the same (by soaking it off, dont try to peel it. If you peel it you WILL take some layers off your own nails). They lasted for about 2 to 3 weeks.
These gels comes in fast range of colors and you can also pick french. Some brand of soak off/ soft gel : SHELLAC, OPI AXXIUM soak off (make sure its the axxium soak off, the one that doesnt say soak off is a hard gel and its worse than acrylics), Calgel, BioSculpture, LeChat Nobility and more……
You can also pick some simple design that matches your color scheme.
Some bridal nails design


Post # 16

Bee
6468 posts
Bee Keeper
- Wedding: June 2011 - Sydney, Australia
I had acrylics (not gel) and now, three months after the wedding and after they’ve been off, I still have ridges in my natural nails – it’s awful! 🙁