Okay it’s time to get totally honest—we’re all friends here and there’s no judging. We love our nail polishes, gels, nail wraps and all other manner of beautifying our fingers even if we know it’s not the best for us. We’ll be the first to admit that we’re totally guilty of it and often (okay, always) swap out our three-free, vegan, nail-friendly polish removers for the quick fix of dipping our nails in acetone. Sometimes it can’t be helped—those glitter polishes can be a bitch to remove. So instead of having gorgeous, hydrated fingertips and being the envy of all our friends, we have dry brittle nails and peeling cuticles that—surprise—we cover with another coat of polish. To help stop the vicious cycle Londontown has created a nail treatment system to bring your digits back from the dead.
After having an experience very similar to the thousands of other beauty lovers out there, Natasha Dillion decided to found Londontown as a way to save her nails. Using a combination of bioscience and a family remedy that her grandmother would use to keep her hands moisturized and healthy in the dry, cold English winters, Dillion created the Kur Nail Treatment System. The five step system includes a nail hardener and protective topcoat, a cuticle oil, a nail cream, lacquer remover and gloves. Using a blend of Britain’s rapeseed flower oil fused with natural extracts, vitamins and minerals the set is meant to repair and improve your nail health.
And we’re totally aware a five step program might sound like we’re recovering addicts, but if you’ve ever tried to swear off polish and gels in an effort to repair your nails, then you’ll know where we’re coming from. Despite it sounding like a tedious nightly regimen, (which it isn’t) it’s actually pretty simple and straightforward—plus it won’t take any extra time out of your beauty schedule since you basically swap out the products with things you're already using. The one item that that you’ll want to start adding into your routine is the nourishing cuticle oil to make sure your fingers stay hydrated.
Rarely in trying out a new product can we say that we see results overnight, but that’s basically the point of this system. After going through the cleansing and moisturizing process, your hands instantly feel hydrated, and after sleeping with those snazzy little gloves on—voila!—perfection. The trick is to keep them that way.
The polish collection at Londontown, Lakur, also does its part to keep your nails gorgeous. Specifically designed to adhere to the Kur nail hardener, the color reinforces the nail to prevent breaking, cracking and splitting—which is way more than anything our favorite OPI can do. Infused with the same vitamins and minerals as the treatment system, the paint goes on smooth and thin while still drying quickly, allowing you to actually care for your nails while covering them.
Probably the best thing about Londontown (aside from the fact that it actually works), it that all the polishes, including the hardener and top coat are five free, meaning they are formaldehyde-free, toluene-free, DBP-free, formaldehyde resin free and camphor-free. Plus all products are vegan, gluten-free and cruelty-free—so really, that’s like eight free. But even with poor counting skills. Londontown can do some serious repair—it almost wants to make us try some crazy 3D nail art. We can always fix our nails after, right?
The collection at Londontown is available online and in select boutiques and priced from $22-$125.
