CND Shellac Color Coat with UV3 Technology, Tropix

 (17 customer reviews)

I highly recommend this color and the Shellac polishes. So far Tropix is my favorite Shellac color for summer. I was expecting more of a coral red, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that Tropix is actually more of a coral pink on my nails. The Shellac polishes are super shiny and they really do last a long time without chipping (plus with the UV lamp there is no dry time!). This stuff is great. You will need to get the Shellac Base Coat and Top Coat and a 36 Watt UV lamp to use it (any 36 Watt UV nail lamp for Gels will work- mine was 15.99 plus shipping from Hong Kong!) Another tip: skip the CND remover wraps and just use tinfoil. :)

If you are not familiar with Shellac, this is NOT regular nail polish. This is a UV nail polish, it is a hybrid of nail polish and gel applications. It goes on like nail polish but must be cured under a UV lamp. I prefer a natural looking painted nail (not something that looks like tips or super thick), Shellac is what I've been waiting for. It looks like regular nail polish, but has the strength and protection of gel nails. It also does not damage your natural nail - if removed properly!

Perhaps the most important thing to know about shellac nail colors is the colors often do not look like the color on the bottle. I'm not sure why they have the opaque bottles, but its really hard to tell what the color is going to look like without trying it on. Shellac Tropix is a perfect example of this problem - the bottle looks like an orangey-red (similiar to OPI's Cajun Shrimp - one of my personal favorite colors). However, it is not very red at all - it does have orange tones, but...Read more

This is a fabulous product. It goes on smoothly and it dries perfectly under a UV light that is at least 36 watts. However, be careful because I made the mistake of trying to dry it under an 18 watt light, and while it dried, it starting splitting like regular nail polish a few days later. When I saw that, I was about to write it off until I saw an ad for the UV light I own; it said that it would not dry CND shellac because it was not powerful enough. After doing my own research, I discovered such was the case, so I bought a lamp that was over 36 watts. Lo and behold, it dries and stays perfectly!

The color is also beautiful, but you will need 2-3 coats to get it to stay on, and I recommend a dehydrator, bonder and base prior to applying it. Then, finish it off with the CND topcoat. The CND base is in short supply right now, but the Gelish one works just as well.