Monthly Archives: October 2021

Those who are regular visitors to the salon will be all too familiar with the damage that constantly wearing polish can cause, Namely dry, brittle nails that are prone to breakage. Enter “breathable”, or “water permeable” varnishes.

Unlike regular polishes, breathable formulas are made up of polymers that allow oxygen and water molecules to reach the nail. This means you can enjoy the perfect mani while keeping your talons healthy and hydrated.

Although the concept first came about in 2013, the number of brands producing breathable polishes has increased. Formulas have also improved and product offerings have diversified.

For Muslims, an advantage of breathable nail polish is that it can be worn during the five daily prayers. Before prayer, Muslims are required to perform “Wudu”, a ritual of cleansing the body in which they must wash their hands three times and ensure water reaches their nail bed. Breathable products can therefore can be worn during prayer.

While not all of the products in our round-up are halal certified, they are technically halal-friendly, but we’ve noted which brands have obtained halal certification.

We tested a range of breathable polishes for ease of application, finish and longevity to see how they match up against non-breathable formulas. We also paid attention to how many coats were needed of each polish to get a good colour payoff and how long it took before the polish started to chip.

Lena breathable polish in ‘Dubai calling’

Best: Overall

Lena’s vegan nail polish (which has been laboratory tested for water permeability) comes in an impressive 240 shades, including holographic colours. Our favourite is “Dubai calling”, a bright white which delivers opaque coverage in a single coat—something that even some regular formulas struggle to achieve. Aside from the excellent colour payoff and high-shine finish, this formula has one of the fastest drying times of those we tested. We also loved the longevity of this polish, which kept our nails chip-free for seven days of wear.

Nails. Inc plant based vegan nail polish in ‘u ok hun?’

Best: For controlled application

As a leader in the industry, it is no surprise that Nails. Inc’s breathable formula made our list. The extremely high-shine finish left our talons looking like we’d just had a gel manicure and we love the short applicator, which allows for maximum control and made painting a fool-proof task. Our top pick was the shade “u ok hun?” – a hot pink from the brand’s vegan plant power range, the formulas of which are 73 per cent plant based. Out of all those we tried we found this one lasted the longest on our nails without chipping.

Orly breathable nail polish in ‘morning mantra’

Best: For pigmented colour

Orly’s breathable lacquer is an extremely pigmented formula that offers opacity in one coat. If water and oxygen permeability wasn’t enough, it is also infused with argan oil, vitamin B5 and vitamin C for strong, healthy nails. The wide brush made it easy to get full coverage in one single stroke – although getting perfect edges took some practise. Despite the high pigment of this formula, we recommend an application of two coats as we found a single coat chipped more easily. Our top pick was “morning mantra”, a pastel sea blue that looks great on all skin tones.

Niya Cosmetics in ‘be a boss’

Best: For long lasting

This breathable polish in the shade “be a boss” is a true, classic red which has great longevity. It lasted a full week without chipping, but we did need a separate top coat to achieve a high-shine gel-like finish. We found applying this product was easy thanks to the long brush, which meant a more even application of colour across the nail. The formula has also received halal certification from four independent bodies.

Nailberry in ‘lilac fairy’

Best: For shade range

Nailberry’s halal-certified range of breathable polish offers a thick, opaque coverage in just one sweep of the brush. We loved the paddle like brush, which made application extremely easy and fast. Our pick of the extensive shade range is “lilac fairy”, a creamy pink shade which can be worn across all seasons. Choose this polish for a quick mani which delivers on shine as it leaves an extremely glossy finish.

Maya Cosmetics in ‘ruman’

Best: For autumnal colour

Another high pigment polish, one coat of this halal-certified formula lasted well on our nails and kept our manicures pristine for almost a full week. Despite its strong pigment, the product is thin in consistency and has minimal drying time. Once dry, the varnish has a good amount of shine, but it’s not as glossy as others, so we recommend a top coat with this one. We loved the shade “ruman”; a deep pomegranate hue perfect for the transition into autumn and one we will certainly be wearing regularly.

Zoya nail polish in ‘Jodi’

Best: Glossy finish

After just two coats of Zoya’s polish, our nails were as glossy as a fresh gel manicure. Those who struggle to get a perfect application will also enjoy using this brush, which is relatively small. This helps control the coverage of the product and avoid mistakes, but it does take a little longer to apply. Our favourite shade was “Jodi”, the perfect creamy, baby pink shade which looks great against sun tanned skin. We did find that this product had a little longer drying time compared to some others on this list, but a finish this glossy is worth the wait.

Mersi Cosmetics breathable nail polish in ‘Yosemite’

Best: For a darker look

Mersi Cosmetic’s chic colour range makes this polish an instant favourite, and the moody “Yosemite” was our top pick. This product has the thinnest brush out of all the ones we tested, allowing for excellent control. While the formula dries to a glossy finish, we found we needed at least two coats to get an opaque colour payoff.

The CND Holiday 2021 Nailathon, a free virtual event featuring live education and the finale of the NAILS Next Top Nail Artist competition, will take place October 4 from 10am-3pm EDT. The live education covering innovation, holiday nail designs, and nail health will be conducted by CND brand experts and renowned nail professionals from around the world including Winnie Huang, Tamara DiLullo, Liliya Leheta, Debbie Hehanussa, Tan Nguyen, Kathy Perkins Scott, Valerie Ducharme, and Tom Bachik. Showcased CND products will include Shellac, Vinylux, Plexigel and more.

Led by CND co-founder Jan Arnold, the event will reveal the latest Holiday collection, “Party Ready.” Applauding a renewed outlook on life and all that is to be celebrated and rejoiced, the collection comprises a range of effortless yet glam holiday shades that embrace a relaxed approach without compromising style. The talented CND artists will demonstrate ways to create three glamorous nail looks featuring the Party Ready Collection for this year’s holiday festivities.

The finale of NAILS Next Top Nail Artist will also be staged, with a presentation of the top 3 finalists and season 8 winner. Don’t miss it! Click here to register.

As England enters its third national lockdown, mandating the closure of all non-essential shops, including hair and beauty salons, you may be facing an overgrown gel manicure. With a trip to your favourite manicurist out of the picture, removing them at home is your only option.

And no that doesn’t mean picking them off with your hands, despite how satisfying that may be.

Removing them properly will minimise any damage to the nail bed and keep them in tip-top condition. Flaky, weak nails are good to no one and if you can avoid it, you absolutely should.

While a trained beautician is the ideal way of having your nails done or removed, it’s not possible during lockdown, but there are steps you can take to ensure it’s done safely.

Once life returns to normal, rest assured we’ll be booking an appointment at a salon ASAP.

You can trust our independent roundups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.

In the meantime, here’s your step by step guide to safely removing gel nails and acrylics according to expert Marian Newman, nail artist and author of Nailed It.

Step 1

Lightly buff the surface of the gel, then wrap each nail in an acetone soaked cotton pad with tin foil tightly around the pad and nail. Leave for 15 to 20 minutes. We use Mylee 100% pure acetone.

Step 2

The gel polish should then come off easily in the foil, but may need lifting with a cuticle stick. These are easily available on Amazon if you don’t have one to hand. If it doesn’t come off easily, rewrap the nail for a further five minutes. Newman advises: “Don’t force the gel off that nail as that will damage the nail.” Noted.

Step 3

If there is any leftover on the nail, Newman recommends wiping over the nail with acetone on a cotton pad, before massaging nail oil onto the nail and surrounding skin. “Acetone is a solvent and very drying to the nails and skin,” she says, adding, “The oil will replace the natural oils and keep them both hydrated and supple.”

Online retailers like Amazon has nail kits like this Teenitor nail polish gel remover tools kit, £12.49, contains everything you need, including nail clippers, pads, a cuticle pusher, nail brush, nail file and buffer block.

Superdrug also has packs of pre-made foils for £2.49 if the tin-foil in your kitchen cupboard runs out.

Acrylic nails grow with your natural nail, so after two to three weeks, you’ll start seeing growth at your cuticle beds, and seeing as we’re going nowhere fast, removing them at home is a longer process than gel nails but not impossible.

“This process can also be done with cotton pads soaked in acetone on the nail and wrapped with kitchen foil,” says Newman but as acrylic takes longer to remove, it may take a few goes by resoaking the cotton pads and the melted acrylic can harden while this is done, making it harder to remove.

Instead, here is a simpler alternative.

Step 1

Have two bowls ready, one large with warm (not hot) water, one small empty one. Buff off the bulk of the acrylic, but not down to the nail, then pour enough acetone to cover the nails into the small bowl.

Step 2

Put your fingers into the acetone and cover your whole hand. Then put the small bowl with your hand in still into the larger bowl and both bowls with a towel. Leave for 20 minutes.

“Don’t be tempted to remove your hand”, says Newman. Once the timer goes off, remove your fingers and the acrylic should be easily removed with very gentle scraping with an orange nail stick. If all of it doesn’t come off, soak fingers for a further five minutes.

Step 3

Once all the acrylic is gone, apply plenty of nail oil and massage and gently buff nails with a three-way buffer, to remove ridges and add shine.

Nails Inc superfood nail oil, £15 is a handy bottle to keep by your bedside to massage into cuticles, nails and the surrounding skin. With regular application, the sweet almond, argon and rosehip oil-rich formula will strengthen any weakened nails and we can attest that it’s non-sticky and has a pleasant, but not overwhelming scent.

Newman advises applying nail oil several times a day to naked nails to help protect them and keep them flexible, especially with so much hand washing needed at the moment.

As we are washing them more than usual, to help combat the dryness that soaps and sanitisers can cause, apply a hand cream. Clarins hand and nail treatment cream, £23, was our favourite in the IndyBest test of hand creams for it’s fast-absorbing, non-greasy formula that will keep mild eczema at bay, moisturise the skin and minimise age spots. It’s as luxurious as it is effective.

If your nails are weathered by excessive biting, picking off gel nails or looking brittle, the CND rescue daily keratin treatment, £13.15, is a must-have. The brush-on oil contains cruelty-free keratin which prevents nail splitting and within a few days makes a noticeable change to how strong they are, if applied twice a day.

A little goes a long way, we’d recommend applying in the morning and before bed, just make sure to massage it all in before touching your bedsheets.

If you still want to have your nails painted in glossy gel colours, there are kits that come with everything you need to do a DIY gel manicure, including the polish and UV lamps that set the colour and give it the glossy finish.

Newman does not recommend them because of the risk of a reaction from (meth)acrylate chemicals, the ingredient found in acrylic and gel nails.

There is a risk of an allergic reaction if nails are left under the UV lamps too long, or not left under long enough, and if the polish comes into contact with the skin as well. In order to avoid this, make sure you follow the instructions with your kit properly.

The Bluesky & Mylee black convex curing kit, £95, came out top in our IndyBest review of at-home gel nails kits, if you’re looking to try it yourself. It comes with four Bluesky gel polishes (nude, pink, red and black), a top coat, base coat, LED lamp, remover, lint-free wipes to clean nail and a prep and wipe fluid to sanitise nails and aid the adhesion of the gel colour to your nail.

With easy-to-follow instructions, and a simple to use LED lamp that has three timer settings – 15, 30 and 60 seconds – and enough space to fit all five fingers in at once, it’s a speedy process to give yourself a mini salon treatment at your desk.