The Ed.
Well-Known Member
The latest development in the battle against unverified products being available on eBay has taken a worrying turn. The site has posted the 'Shellac Nail Polish Buying Guide' which is not only all sorts of wrong considering that genuine CND Shellac is only ever sold illegally on eBay, but also because the advice they give is downright dangerous.
First things first: Shellac CND is a professional product. End of. There is no discussion about this which is why, when eBay states, "The procedure can be done in a beauty salon, although women can now try it on their own as well. With good Shellac nail polish, salon treatments can be practised at home, and this can be an enjoyable activity to be undertaken with friends."they make a CND Shellac manicure sound like nothing short of a hen party. Nail professionals should be (and will be) horrified to see this 'official' advice being published by the auction site.
eBay also feels qualified enough to direct people on how to apply a Shellac manicure saying that, "Before undertaking a Shellac manicure, it is advisable to use nail and cuticle oil to maintain the nail's flexibility and moisturise the skin." Well, we all know that's not true - the nail should be free from oils before applying the product. Good one eBay.
It's not all irresponsible journalism though (sarcasm noted). They do at least recognise the legal origins of CND Shellac. "Shellac was originally created by CND and the Shellac nail polishes available in shops and online are generally produced by this company." Erm no, eBay. Not generally. Shellac is always produced by CND. Other companies offer cured manicure systems but these have a different name - a little research may have gone a long way here.
In fact, eBay is so keen to flog all the unregulated professional manicure products they have for sale that they repeat their belief that a professional doesn't have to do the treatment. "A Shellac manicure can be done by a nail professional in a salon, but with the right accessories it is actually manageable at home as well," and, if that wasn't enough, they are working hard to divert all the money that your clients should be giving you towards their own coffers. "Although the utensils might seem expensive at first, they pay off in the long term." In other words, give us all your money and then you don't have to pay a hard-working professional.
It's not all bad though. eBay does throw in this worthwhile comment towards the end, "It is worth mentioning that Shellac is a system, and for best results, you should choose products from the same manufacturer when it comes to the nail polishes." Phew! Finally some decent advice. Oh wait no. This comes next, "However, you may buy any nail and cuticle oil or UV lamp you like, because the brand should not have a significant effect on the result. Should you have any questions about the listed item, delivery, packaging, payment methods, or refunds, feel free to contact the seller."
Hmmm. I have a few things to say the seller.
While this article specifically keeps referring to 'Shellac' and occasionally to CND, it appears to do so in a fairly generic way throughout (in the same way that we use Hoover, for example) so this is a problem for all professional brands fighting the battle against unregulated products on eBay.
This kind of attitude is what professional brands across the world are struggling to fight and while brands are doing their damnedest to fight the sales of unregulated professional products on eBay is a very tough fire to fight.
Geeks - you can comment on this 'Buying Guide' HERE and you should. Make sure consumers who are unaware of how misguided this information is can hear the voices of professionals who have worked hard to make this amazing industry their own. Go forth and be heard.
Until then geek on!
The Ed.
First things first: Shellac CND is a professional product. End of. There is no discussion about this which is why, when eBay states, "The procedure can be done in a beauty salon, although women can now try it on their own as well. With good Shellac nail polish, salon treatments can be practised at home, and this can be an enjoyable activity to be undertaken with friends."they make a CND Shellac manicure sound like nothing short of a hen party. Nail professionals should be (and will be) horrified to see this 'official' advice being published by the auction site.
eBay also feels qualified enough to direct people on how to apply a Shellac manicure saying that, "Before undertaking a Shellac manicure, it is advisable to use nail and cuticle oil to maintain the nail's flexibility and moisturise the skin." Well, we all know that's not true - the nail should be free from oils before applying the product. Good one eBay.
It's not all irresponsible journalism though (sarcasm noted). They do at least recognise the legal origins of CND Shellac. "Shellac was originally created by CND and the Shellac nail polishes available in shops and online are generally produced by this company." Erm no, eBay. Not generally. Shellac is always produced by CND. Other companies offer cured manicure systems but these have a different name - a little research may have gone a long way here.
In fact, eBay is so keen to flog all the unregulated professional manicure products they have for sale that they repeat their belief that a professional doesn't have to do the treatment. "A Shellac manicure can be done by a nail professional in a salon, but with the right accessories it is actually manageable at home as well," and, if that wasn't enough, they are working hard to divert all the money that your clients should be giving you towards their own coffers. "Although the utensils might seem expensive at first, they pay off in the long term." In other words, give us all your money and then you don't have to pay a hard-working professional.
It's not all bad though. eBay does throw in this worthwhile comment towards the end, "It is worth mentioning that Shellac is a system, and for best results, you should choose products from the same manufacturer when it comes to the nail polishes." Phew! Finally some decent advice. Oh wait no. This comes next, "However, you may buy any nail and cuticle oil or UV lamp you like, because the brand should not have a significant effect on the result. Should you have any questions about the listed item, delivery, packaging, payment methods, or refunds, feel free to contact the seller."
Hmmm. I have a few things to say the seller.
While this article specifically keeps referring to 'Shellac' and occasionally to CND, it appears to do so in a fairly generic way throughout (in the same way that we use Hoover, for example) so this is a problem for all professional brands fighting the battle against unregulated products on eBay.
This kind of attitude is what professional brands across the world are struggling to fight and while brands are doing their damnedest to fight the sales of unregulated professional products on eBay is a very tough fire to fight.
Geeks - you can comment on this 'Buying Guide' HERE and you should. Make sure consumers who are unaware of how misguided this information is can hear the voices of professionals who have worked hard to make this amazing industry their own. Go forth and be heard.
Until then geek on!
The Ed.
