Style & Nails Go Hand In Hand: The Bias Cut x London Grace

As many of you know, my love for style was born out of my relationship with my mum. She showed that clothes can make you feel good, taught me to appreciate quality, and helped me learn to express my personality through what I wear. And ultimately she became my inspiration behind The Bias Cut. 

But a love for style isn’t the only thing my mum passed down to me; we share an obsession with nails. My mum has the most magnificent nails – they’re long, strong and always perfectly manicured, to the point where they’re one of her ‘identifiers’. Wherever we go, she’s regularly complimented for them, with ladies both shocked that they aren’t fakes, and loving her choice of colours (purple being her particular favourite).

Now I can’t say I have quite as fabulous nails as my mum, but I have inherited their strength and the ability to grow them long. So from a very young age I’ve taken good care of my nails, and giving myself a home manicure has become one of my go-to self-care rituals.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t love going to a nail bar too. It’s a lovely treat, and who doesn’t love having professional level nails?! So when I discovered London Grace it was more than I could have a dreamed of – a nail bar with its own vegan nail polish, and a coffee shop and cocktail bar all rolled into one. YES PLEASE. 

And I knew I had to introduce it to you too. The Bias Cut and London Grace both stand for self-love and care, are small British businesses and, ultimately, our goal is to empower you to feel your absolute best. So a few weeks ago, as part of our collaboration, I visited their Bank nail bar for a mani – and naturally had to take my mum along.

It was a wonderful experience. After a busy day, we relished the opportunity to relax into plush seating, and felt very indulged as we sipped on refreshing elderflower fizz cocktails whilst having our nails manicured to perfection (all covid safe of course). The only issue was choosing which colour to go for…. After a lot of deliberation, I went for a gradient nail effect, and whilst my Mum opted for a zesty orange.

Believe it or not, that was a big deal. Whilst my mum doesn’t religiously stick to purple, she generally stays within at that colour zone, alternating between mauves, deep blues and teal. So bright orange was complete completely new for her.

 

I wore our Princess Denim Stretch Jumpsuit, whilst my mum wore our Rise Blouse - now both on SALE

And that meant something. It might seem small, but when you take such pride and care in something, it can be very difficult to try something new. Whether it’s trying a new nail colour, a new hairstyle, or wearing a different colour, making a change – no matter how small - means something. And it can be scary. But you’ll be all the better for it – because in that lies all the joy and excitement of experimenting with style and appearance.

So many women tell me they’re afraid of wearing colour. And whilst you know I’m a huge advocate of it, and trying something new, that doesn’t mean I’d encourage you to throw yourself in at the deep end. As I always say, start small – perhaps with an accessory, trying a style of clothing you feel comfortable in another colour, or even just doing your nails. No matter how big or small the step, these little tweaks can re-energize you.

Our charity Strike Out Ageism Charity Set Of 3 Studs, with Ross & Britney shades

Whilst waiting for my nails to dry, I had some fun pairing some of London Grace’s colours with a selection of our earrings, as it’s such a quick and fail-safe way to inject some colour into an outfit. From matching shades to pairing complimentary tones, even the simplest of outfits can be lifted by some statement earrings and polish. And if you head over to our Instagram you can be in the chance of winning one of these pairings.

Our Marble & Pink Athena Circle Hoops, paired with Peter and Semra shades

I’ve always said clothes aren’t life or death – and, naturally, the same goes for nails. But there’s a big difference between superficiality and taking care of yourself. We all deserve to treat ourselves, and when you look good, you feel good. If you don’t live in London, you can still shop London Grace’s polishes via their website, and if you do, I strongly recommend booking yourself some me-time at one of their nail bars – perhaps I’ll see you there!

London Grace's Nail Care Top Tips:

1. Whilst washing up it's best to wear rubber gloves for protection as too much water and soap can dry the nails out. Water expands the nails which can cause cracking if you're wearing polish or gel

2. File your nails on average on a weekly basis, but depends on the nail condition (if they're weak and breaking it might need to be more regularly than if strong and longer).

3. Make sure to buff your nails at home too - but with a low grit buff and not more than once a week ( smooths out the nails)

4. The best way to file your nails is to use your cuticle line as a guide for your natural shape. And if using a professional quality file you can lightly sweep back and forth until you're happy with the shape. Different shapes like squoval and almond are best to ask for in a salon as they are trickier to create at home. 

5. If you choose a 10-free polish and use a cuticle oil daily then regularly having nail varnish is ok. However we'd recommend alternating every now and then between polish and our Renew + Revive treatment. The Renew + Revive treatment includes a shape and buff to ensure the nails look smooth and tidy and then the application of our Renew + Revive treatment (£8) with a blend of 6 mythical oils, which deliver amazing hydration and reconditioning results.

6. It's not good to pick off polish or Shellac as you are also taking the top layers of the natural nails off with it, leaving behind weaker nails that are more likely to break or split! Visiting a salon just to have your Shellac removed can be inconvenient (especially if you don't want a new manicure) so we recommend buying our At Home Gel Removal Kit (£15, 10 removals) which includes the same products we use to remove gel polish in our London Grace salons, with easy to follow instructions. 

7. Cuticle oil should ideally be applied twice a day. Using a cuticle oil daily can help prolong your polish as it provides an extra barrier of protection and nourished nails are much less likely to break or chip! Bare nails also benefit from a few drops of cuticle oil to promote shiny, smooth and healthy looking nails.

8. For the best at home mani, first wash your hands with luke warm water and an anti-bacterial hand wash. Make sure the hands are thoroughly dry and use a small amount of nail polish remover to cleanse each nail (and remove excess oil) before applying a base coat. Apply two thin coats of colour and then finish with a glossy top coat.

Find out more about London Grace here