Do you have beauty goals? As I told Marissa at STILL London while getting my non-toxic nails done there this week, my goal for being a truly polished woman has always been to get a manicure once a week, and a haircut every fortnight.
Obviously, these are still goals for me, but having now experienced STILL for myself, I have to say I may just make my mani goals a reality now. I spent an hour getting these new gel nails and minimal nail art done (vegan, non-toxic, and cruelty-free polish of course), all while sipping peppermint tea and breathing in the soothing scents of the salon. It was just like a trip to the spa, except I left with prettier hands than I came in with!
Non-Toxic Nails: Best Salons in London
Finding beauty salons or hairdressers that exclusively use vegan and cruelty-free products can often be a challenge. And considering there’s multiple products used on each visit, asking to see the label for each item before it’s used is just too much!
It’s why I tend to stick to a few key places when I want a beauty treatment, and why I was so stoked to visit STILL London too. My visit there inspired me to write this guide, showcasing the best vegan and cruelty-free nail bars in London:
Ama: Ama has been on my list to visit for a little while now. They offer premium manicure and pedicure treatments using polish and gel brands that are up to 90% natural, 10-free, vegan and cruelty free.
Content*: I love shopping for natural beauty on Content’s site, so it’s only natural that their Marylebone store also offers natural beauty treatments, talks, and products.
Cowshed: Small chain of spas offering massages, facials, and nail treatments. I highly recommend their Shoreditch House spa!
London Grace: Vegan, cruelty-free polishes applied gently and professionally, with drinks and events hosting too.
Shoreditch Nails: Independent nail salon in East London using vegan and cruelty free polishes and gels.
STILL London: Dalston-based boutique nail salon with their very own treatment room. They use non-toxic, cruelty free, vegan and natural products – all the interior pics you see here are STILL. Thank you to Marissa and the team for having me!
Vegan & Cruelty-Free Nail Polishes
And of course, if a trip to the nail salon isn’t on the cards for you just yet, why not invest in a few beautiful non-toxic, cruelty-free and vegan nail polish brands? I’ve been collecting colours since 2016, when I first started researching into natural nail polish options.
As a rule of thumb, avoid any nail polishes that contain formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and toluene. Many of the brands listed here go one step further, using three-, five- and even 10-free formulae. Here’s my favourite cruelty-free and non-toxic nail polish brands:
Kure Bazaar*: My all-time favourite nail polish brand, with a 10-free formula, and 90% natural ingredients. My favourite shade is French Nude.
Nailberry*: Another brand whose shades I collected for a while, Nailberry is famous for their square bottles and deep selection of shades. 4- and 5-free formula.
RMS Beauty*: A brand I love for cosmetics, RMS has their own range of nail polishes too. Think elegant, feminine colours, just like all their make-up.
Zoya: Zoya were potentially my first foray into vegan and cruelty-free nail polishes, and I was bowled over by their huge range of colours.
Disclaimer: I was gifted my visit to STILL London in order to write this review. All views and opinions expressed remain my own. This post contains affiliate links (denoted '*')
