Friday, April 19, 2013

NOTD : CCO Shellac Review

So in continuing the pink theme for this week's posts, I thought I'd feature my current nails.

For Christmas last year, Liam's sister gifted me some gorgeous UV nail colours to add to my collection.  I've previously used CND (the original) and also Bluesky Shellacs, and whilst I find that CND is clearly the best quality of the two, it can get very costly.

The opacity of Bluesky is quite poor, and requires quite a few layers.  Once you've managed to get it to the desired thickness however, the quality is quite good and will last a good couple of weeks, chip-free.  Unfortunately, it stays on so well that it is an absolute nightmare to remove.  I've tried the foil wrap method as well as soaking my nails in pure acetone, and it never seems to turn flakey like it should.  For that reason, I avoid using it too often as I can't bear the thought of trying to remove it.

I was excited to test out this CCO brand, which is quite a clear copy of the CND.



As you can see, the boxes and packaging are all quite similar. Unfortunately, that's about where the similarity ends.  For my first time testing this brand, I chose a brilliant pink shade, and applied to the whole nail, using about 2 - 3 coats of colour.  Whilst it looked great, and had that brilliant shine that comes with UV nail polish, it lasted only 3 days before chipping off!

I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt, and tried it again, this time pairing it with a hardier Bluesky polish to achieve this pink tipped look.


Apologies for the bad lighting! It really does look much better in sunlight! 


Whilst I was thrilled with the results to start with, I am disappointed that just a week later I'm already sporting three chipped nails.  The one pro of this nail polish however, is that it comes off very easily! A quick soak (less than 5 minutes) in acetone will leave it in flaky little chunks which can be scratched off with an orange stick. 

I suppose, as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for!  There are plenty of shellac dupes out there at the moment, but for quality you just can't go past the original.

22 comments:

  1. Sorry, couldn't see past that enormous rock on your left hand...;) I have shellac done at the hairdresser and they use CND and another brand - while the other brand has a better range of colours, the CND does last better. I like your pink tips!

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    1. Haha! I get distracted by it all the time.

      CND is way ahead in quality, but it's just so expensive if you want a big colour range! :(

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  2. I've used Bluesky before and it was SO painful to remove I ended up ripping it off my nail. Not good, I know.

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    1. Yep, I pretty much did the same! I got so frustrated soaking it and scratching for so long. Now that I know it's not just my lack of skills, I'm very reluctant to use any of my Bluesky polishes anymore! :(

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  3. That looks pretty but what the about chips and painful removal!?

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    1. Yeah it's massively putting me off. Unfortunately most of my collection are the cheaper brands at this stage, so it'll take a while to collect CND as they're not cheap! I think I'll just have to go with the CCO colours for the moment, as at least they're easy to remove!

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  4. Oh wow, that's not very long lasting! I'd be reeeeally annoyed! xx

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  5. I STILL haven't tried Shellac!! I'm terrified it will damaged my nails :(

    I've also nominated you for the Liebster Award, if you would like to participate, please see my blog! x

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  6. That looks really pretty. I've yet to try shellac...so curious about it.

    PS: I'm hosting a Suigo hair pack giveaway; hope you enter: http://www.underlockandkeyblog.com/2013/05/suigo-hair-review-and-giveaway.html

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  7. Your blog has helped me alot I am looking to buy my own soak of polish kit and have been looking for the difference between the different brands. I think shellac will have to be the winning one for me after reason your blog and instead of dpi family friends nails as a favour charge them the colour instead lol. Just an idea. Xxxxx thanks again. Xxx

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  8. Your blog has helped me alot I am looking to buy my own soak of polish kit and have been looking for the difference between the different brands. I think shellac will have to be the winning one for me after reason your blog and instead of dpi family friends nails as a favour charge them the colour instead lol. Just an idea. Xxxxx thanks again. Xxx

    ReplyDelete
  9. I use cco and I cure them for an extra 2 mIns after top coat. They don't chip for 10 days but I get. Rack marks on the tip of some of the nails and they are more apparent on lighter colors as maybe dirt gets caught in there. Easy to remove though.

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    1. Sorry I meant crack marks or fine lines as I have soft nails and they bend.

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  10. This is really useful to know... I have been trying to decide which product to buy so i can go my own nails at home and you've just made my mind up after much time of researching online. Gona stick with CND. Thanks :)

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  11. I am a therapist about to buy some shellac for treatments. There seems to be alot on the market obviously starting at the dearer end of CND.
    Ive been a bit slow on the uptake re shellac treatment but decided before I provided the treatment i would have my nails done in CND first.
    Have to say for 15 pounds I was not impressed and it had chipped in about days and i ended up having to paint over it then it subsequently peeled off!
    I am looking at other makes ie bluesky etc , although all reviews are not anything other than snobbery about CND which at end of day is just a brand name! they also dont own the 'shellac' bit.
    And although reviews are good it is a very expensive product and not sure it actually lives up to its reputation other than via a brand name.
    Can anyone help?.. i feel CND is not for the area I live in cost wise but also want to provide a good service too.

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  12. i use CCO brand shellac and i find it amazing. i just use the CND brand top coat so it last longer on clients

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  13. I use bluesky shellac and love it. But I use cnd shellac top coat over it. A good tip. If you wear acrylics with the bluesky you will get weeks of wear. Hope that helps.

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  14. Hi all, I had my nails done in cnd by my friend who was a beautician. I must say it didn't last long before it either started to crack or chip. I then stopped having them done as it started getting expensive to keep them looking nice. A few months back I decided to get my own kit and do them myself. I went for the make cco, I read a few reviews about people saying they were a copy of cnd and not very good etc. As I'm not a professional using them on clients etc I thought I'd give it a shot anyway. I must say its fine for me, fab colours works just the same and if you look after them then they last and also easy removel. I will say they do chip like any polish would if you don't take care of them. I'm a swimming teacher so I'm in the water quite abit, my nails get soft and sometimes the polish starts to show signs of chips and cracks, also house work and looking after my kids. I believe it's down to caring for them. Also by doing my own, I can change them when they start to look a mess or if I get bored of the colour. It has become addictive and I find I'm changing them every 4/5 days unless I like the colour and then I just touch it up.

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  15. I've used them all and I think application and longevity also depends on the colour and pigment! CND iced cappuccino is horrendous, yet wildfire glides on like a normal polish. I also find the CND topcoat goes very gloopy after a while but in all fairness all brands seem to!
    I tried the CCO for home use and I have to say I was really impressed. It wasn't thin like some of the cheaper brands and coverage is good. Also I found some of the CND colours shrink back and I am yet to find this with CCO. As a cheaper alternative I think it's great and so long as you look after it lasts as long as the real deal!

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  16. I've used them all and I think application and longevity also depends on the colour and pigment! CND iced cappuccino is horrendous, yet wildfire glides on like a normal polish. I also find the CND topcoat goes very gloopy after a while but in all fairness all brands seem to!
    I tried the CCO for home use and I have to say I was really impressed. It wasn't thin like some of the cheaper brands and coverage is good. Also I found some of the CND colours shrink back and I am yet to find this with CCO. As a cheaper alternative I think it's great and so long as you look after it lasts as long as the real deal!

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  17. Hi I got Cco on EBay, and I tried on 3 fingers. I got very bad allergy reaction, swollen, redness, itch, small bruises an bobbles. Very bad experience! :(

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  18. Hi I got Cco on EBay, and I tried on 3 fingers. I got very bad allergy reaction, swollen, redness, itch, small bruises an bobbles. Very bad experience! :(

    ReplyDelete