A NAIL trend that is emerging among women in their 20s is "gelish".

The term is taken from the professional salon product of the same name by Nail Harmony UK.

It is a soak-off type of gel nail product that paints like normal nail polish and is cured under UV or LED light.

Its selling point? It is supposed to last as long as three weeks without chipping.

It has been in Singapore for about a year and there are 48 colours now available.

One nail salon that does it is Pink Parlour.

Said its director, Ms Wendi Chan, 38: "Women that age are busy, so they prefer to do something lasting.

"Each week we get about two to three customers requesting for it and we've only had the product for about six months."

I just had to try it.

Removing oil

My manicurist, Ms Mandy Xing, 28, did the Speedy manicure (the equivalent of an express manicure in most salons) for me.

She buffed and filed my nails and then smeared them with a clear liquid, which she said removes the oil from my nails, a step that is essential for gelish.

She said: "When the nail has oil, the polish won't sit for long."

After putting on the nail lacquer, I rested my hands under a UV light three times for two minutes each.

About 50 minutes later, my nails were reflecting the ceiling lights.

I decided to put its chip-proof claim to the test.

When I got home, I washed the dishes, did the laundry and swept the floor.

Did the gelish chip? No.

Next, I scratched the walls.

Did it chip? Very slightly, at the tips. You would have to look closely to see the damage.

Not bad. A normal nail polish wouldn't have been able to withstand the abuse.

When I had to remove the lacquer, I returned to the salon.

My nails were wrapped with cotton wool soaked in acetone solution for about 25 minutes. But the polish did not come off easily.

My manicurist had to scrape it off.

The nails felt soft and rough after that, but after some buffing, it looked better.

A nail strengthener was applied to my nails to prevent them from breaking.

Will I do it again? A definite yes.

But if brittle nails after a gel polish is your concern, Ms Chan suggested: "Keep them short and use a nail strengthener. For very weak nails that split, we recommend a gel overlay to protect nails while allowing them to grow."

*****

Pink Parlour
Orchard Central
#03-19/20/22
Tel: 6100 8266

Gel Nail Polish + Speedy Manicure - $48
Gel Nail Polish + Speedy Pedicure - $58
Removal of polish on hands/feet - $28

We Love Nails
Ion Orchard
#B3-63
Tel: 6509 8863

Gel Nail Polish hands/feet- $40/$50
Gel Nail Polish + Manicure/Pedicure - $68/$88
Removal of polish hands/feet - $20/$30

Nails Bar
Far East Plaza
#04-85
Tel: 6245 7227

Gel Nail Polish hands/feet - $55/$65
Removal - $15
March Promotion: Gel Nail Polish for both hands and feet is $100 till March 31

Juup Nails
Marina Bay
Marina Bay Link Mall
#B2-71/72
Tel: 6634 1788

Gel Nail Polish hands/feet - $60/$70
Removal - $20

Pinc
Northpoint Shopping Centre
#03-52/53
Tel: 6754 8998

Gel Nail Polish hands/feet - $60/$70
Removal of polish hands/feet - $15/$20

This article was first published in The New Paper.