Going to the nail salon should, in theory, be a relaxing experience. But things can escalate quickly when you’re faced with a plethora of nail polish samples, and you’re circling the decision fatigue drain. (Do you go with the same red nail design or take a risk on the funky greige?) Then, in the middle of this endless debate, you ask the receptionist for a gel mani and they say, “We only have Shellac, but it’s pretty much the same thing.” But is it? No, they are not the same. Not to worry, I tapped two nail experts to walk you through the key differences between Shellac vs gel.