Treatment Tea Time

Oh baby, it’s cold absolutely arctic outside (well, maybe not so much in the south but it’s getting there), and as we enter the colder winter months, it’s important to take the proper steps to help protect your skin from the winter chill. While the humidity from the summer months can help hydrate our skin, the dry winter air can actually dehydrate skin, leaving skin often feeling parched for much-needed moisture. But, have no dry skin fears—butter LONDON is here! We’ve rounded up 6 of our favourite butter LONDON products to integrate into your skin and nail care routine that will help prepare your skin for the winter season ahead.

1. HANDS & FEET

Some of the first places you may start to notice dry skin occurring during winter is on your hands and feet! Whether you chalk it up to plenty of time out of doors or dutiful handwashing, it always seems like dry skin sneaks up on us when we least expect it.

We Recommend: Premium Body Duo

A top exfoliating and moisturizing lineup, Premium Body Duo features 1) So Buff Hand and Foot Polish with Glycolic Acid and 2) Extra Whip Hand and Foot Treatment with Shea Butter. So Buff is a dual-action hand and foot scrub that uses Glycolic Acid and Apricot Seed Powder to gently exfoliate away dull, dry skin for baby-soft skin! It also helps buff away calluses and rough skin, helping to reduce the look of age spots and uneven skin tone.

Follow So Buff with Extra Whip, an indulgent hand and foot crème that deeply hydrates skin with Shea Butter and Cocoa Seed Butter to help create visibly smoother, firmer-looking hands.

Pro Tip: The travel-sized packaging makes this duo perfect for sticking in your bag or car to help tackle dry skin.

2. CUTICLES

Cuticles, like our feelings, are often extremely delicate! The lack of moisture in the air, combined with dry indoor heat, can cause cuticles to dry and crack easily, potentially accelerating how quickly your cuticles need care. If only there were a skin-loving product specifically designed to help bring relief to dry cuticles… Oh wait! There is.

We Recommend: QuickFix Moisturizing Cuticle Balm

QuickFix Moisturizing Cuticle Balm is formulated with Coconut Oil, Avocado Oil, Vitamin E and moisture-rich Phospholipids to help deliver much-needed moisture to dry cuticles. The no-mess cuticle massager features a non-greasy formula and massager tip that hugs dry cuticles and deeply conditions them with an ultra-moisturizing, spa-like treatment.

3. NAILS

Exposure to winter air can cause nails to become brittle and more likely to flake or chip, putting a dull note in your manicure.

We Recommend: Strawberry Rhubarb Jelly Preserve Strengthening Treatment

Our entire Jelly Preserve Strengthening Treatment is formulated to help nails become stronger, healthier-looking and more hydrated with every use! We love our award-winning Strawberry Rhubarb Jelly Preserve Strengthening Treatment because it’s formulated 7 powerhouse skincare ingredients, including Calcium and Vitamin E, that help condition, strengthen and rejuvenate the look of dry-brittle nails. With a gorgeous red-pink tint, this nail care treatment is the perfect break your nails need from polish, gels or acrylics, providing a perceivable improvement of nails in only 10 days.

4. FACE

In addition to winter air drying out skin, winter wind can also take a toll on your daily makeup routine. We suggest shifting to a beauty routine that’s formulated with hydrating skincare ingredients at every step to help protect your complexion from over drying or flaking.

We Recommend: LumiMatte Cool Blue Blurring Primer

The connector between your skincare and makeup routine, primer helps prep and smooth your skin for makeup application. We fancy LumiMatte Cool Blue Blurring Makeup Primer because it’s infused with Vitamin E and Sodium Hyaluronate (a derivative of Hyaluronic Acid) to instantly blur the appearance of pores, while giving skin a rush of cooling hydration. This will help extend the wear of makeup and smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for an undetectable, luminous-looking finish.

5. LIP CARE

We are all too familiar with the dry, chapped, cracked lips that the winter months bring along. A lip exfoliator is a much-welcome addition to any winter skincare routine, as it helps polish away flaky dry skin for a smoother-looking pout.

Try: LIPPY Lip Scrub Sugar Buttercream Treatment

Set in a twist tube for mess-free application, LIPPY Lip Scrub exfoliates lips with 100% natural sugar, helping to relieve dry, cracked lips while providing a boost of instant hydration. After surface skin is sloughed away, deeply moisturizing ingredients like Jojoba Esters are able to absorb more easily into skin. With a transparent finish, this sweet lip treatment leaves lips feeling soft—prepped and ready for colour application.

6. LIP COLOUR

This winter, we’re after vibrant lip colour that keeps our lips soft and hydrated. Look for creamy formulas that not only look luxe but are also infused with moisturizing skin care ingredients.

We Recommend: Double Up Plush Rush™ Tinted Lip Treatment

Formulated with Murumuru Seed Butter, Shea Butter and Castor Seed Oil, Plush Rush Lip Tint features a unique outer and inner layer that seamlessly work together to deliver a rush of conditioning lip hydration. This berry lip balm coats lips in a sheer wash of colour with a cushiony feel that is *positively* indulgent for lips this winter.

No skin care tricks, just skin care treatments this Halloween. We’re still waiting for the day when trick or treating involves going door to door whilst holding out a fetching handbag for Patent Shine 10X Nail Lacquers *but* until then, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite nail care treatments that will pamper and moisturize our nails for a healthier-looking manicure this spooky season.

Dry, Overgrown Cuticles?

TRY: Melt Away Cuticle Exfoliator

Halloween always needs a little sprinkle of magic, and what’s better than to watch it happen with just a few swipes of Melt Away Cuticle Exfoliator? Simply apply Melt Away to cuticles to gently remove dry, overgrown skin in the cuticle area—eliminating the need to “clip.” With consistent use of the fast-acting, pain-free and good-for-nails formula, it becomes easier to push cuticles back! Just wait two minutes after the easy swipe-on application before gently pressing back cuticles with a cuticle stick. Put your clippers away and treat yourself to perfectly manicured cuticles every time.

Brittle, Damaged Nails?

TRY: Award-Winning Victoria Plum Jelly Preserve Nail Strengthening Treatment

Don’t trick your brittle, damaged nails into another cover-up manicure. Give them a rest from polish, gel and acrylics. Instead, treat them to this plum-tinted Jelly Preserve Nail Strengthening Treatment. This 2-in-1 translucent nail colour and 10-FREE nail treatment formula gives the effect of a delicious sheer jelly look while working hard to rejuvenate the look of nails and help repair damage from harsh nail formulas and practices. Infused with Acai, Tea Tree Oil, Arginine, Vitamin E—Need we say more? Shop for your Jelly Preserve nail treatment with colour now… your nails will thank you later.

Rough Hands and Feet?

TRY: So Buff Hand and Foot Polish

Take your at-home manicure to the next level by not only treating your nails, but the skin around them. Treat yourself with So Buff, the Hand and Foot Polish that uses a skin-loving blend of physical and chemical exfoliants (Apricot Seed Powder and Glycolic Acid) to gently polish away dry, dead skin, helping to unveil softer, smoother-looking skin that’s oh-so-touchable. So Buff hand and foot scrub helps you give a “Ta ta” to rough calluses, dry skin, age spots and uneven skin tone, by promoting baby-soft soles and hands that appear brighter and more renewed.

Dry Skin?

TRY: Extra Whip Hand and Foot Treatment

Especially as the fall chill enters the scene, it’s more important than ever to deliver intense hydration to your hands and feet with Extra Whip Hand and Foot Treatment. Formulated with Shea and Cocoa Seed Butter, this luxe hand and foot treatment deeply conditions skin and helps reduce the appearance of lines, wrinkles and age spots for visibly smoother, firmer-looking hands and feet. With the signature butter LONDON pink champagne scent, this luxe, soft pink hydrating hand and foot lotion helps create a “me moment” even on those over-extended days.

Welcome to the last day of Treatment Tea Time with butter LONDON. Today we are spilling the very last drop of tips and tricks to help make your at-home waterless manicure last longer!

Just because you can’t pop into your local nail salon doesn’t mean you can’t achieve a salon-worthy manicure that lasts. With all the work our hands put in, butter LONDON understands the appeal of a manicure that aims to withstand handwashing, meal prepping, and daily cleaning—which is why we’ve made it our mission to create brilliant nail lacquers and nail treatments that are anything but ordinary. If you want to know our secret to a longwear, chip-resistant waterless manicure that can be achieved from the comfort of home, check out our recommendations below:

Choose a Polish with a Gel-like Finish

While typical nail polishes might chip, flake or peel after one-day wear, our butter LONDON Patent Shine 10X Nail Lacquer collection is formulated with good-for-nail ingredients that truly shine. Featuring Diamond Powder, UV Absorbers, and a Shock Resistant Polymer Technology, our nail lacquer delivers a gel-like finish and high-gloss shine that lasts up to 10 days. No need for a dip powder or LED light here, because this radiance curing nail polish easily dries and hardens in natural light, allowing you to easily achieve a chip-resistant, long wear manicure right at home.

Speed Up Dry Time with Quick Dry Conditioning Drops

Have you ever proudly completed an at-home manicure only to look down an hour later and find a dozen air bubbles sitting on the surface? Many things can cause air bubbles to form on your nails, including the way you choose to dry them. Sure, shaking your hands in the air and blowing on your nails might speed up dry time, but these methods can also lead to a lumpy manicure that peels or cracks within a few days. Help make your manicure last and accelerate dry time the BETTER way with the help of the butter LONDON P.D. Quick Dry Conditioning Drops. This innovative dry oil serum is formulated with Rose Seed Hip Oil to help strengthen and nourish cuticles while accelerating your nail lacquer dry time. Simply dispense two drops on each nail, allow it to evaporate, and quickly get back to your day!

Restore Your Mani with a Top Coat and Cuticle Balm

Don’t put away your protective top coat and cuticle care just yet, because these multi-tasking nail products go beyond a good nail prep and polish. If you really want to make your at-home waterless manicure last longer, continue applying our best-selling butter LONDON Hardwear Shine UV Top coat and Quickfix Moisturizing Cuticle Balm to your nails and cuticles, as needed. The high-performance top coat will act as a barrier for your nails by sealing in your nail polish colors, while our Quickfix Moisturizing Cuticle Balm helps keep cuticles hydrated, strong and nourished. Easily store these products in your nightstand or add them into your morning routine for a quick pick-me-up that will keep nails looking refreshed and help your at-home waterless manicure last longer. And that’s the tea!

Let the Tea Party continue! Yesterday, butter LONDON taught you all the how to’s on applying a flawless, long-lasting manicure with the help of a protectant base coat, colourful nail lacquer and glossy top coat finish. Now, it’s time to switch gears and put our creativity to the test with some of spring’s most beautiful nail art trends… that you can recreate from home!

Before we get started, did you know you can use everyday, household items to help create brilliant nail art? Here are some of our faves:

• Painter’s Tape: When a geometric shape or French tip is calling your name, hunt down some painter’s tape. Tape can be applied across the nail plate at different angles, making it easy to create clean lines and precise shapes without the messy clean up.
• Q-tips or Bobby Pins: Polka dots are popping up on everything from headbands and dresses to makeup and nails. If you want to add dots to your next manicure, simple cut a Q-tip in half and use the smooth end as an applicator for your nail lacquer to create a polka-dotted mani. For smaller dots, the tip of a bobby pin is a great alternative.
• Make-up Brushes and Acetone: Tap into your inner artist with a flat make-up brush dipped in acetone. Create your favorite nail art with a nail lacquer, then use the sharp end of a make-up brush to help perfect sharp lines, clean up edges and create arches.

Top 4 Spring Nail Art Trends

Sunset Nails: A beautiful ombre manicure inspired by the colours of a spring sunset

1. Start by gathering three Patent Shine 10x Nail Lacquer colours—a light blue nail polish in Candy Floss, a soft purple nail lacquer like English Lavender and a pale coral hue in Trout Pout.
2. Apply a thin layer of the light blue nail polish to each of your nails, allowing it to dry before applying a second coat.
3. Next, create a gradient on a clean beauty sponge by applying the purple nail polish and coral nail polish in straight, horizontal lines across the sponge. Allow the colors to slightly overlap to ensure an ombre effect can be achieved.
4. Take your painted sponge and lightly press the color gradient onto your light blue manicure, beginning about halfway up the nail plate. Rock the sponge back and forth in a left-to-right motion until you reach the desired ombre effect.
5. Apply acetone to a Q-tip to remove the excess polish from the skin surrounding your nails. Seal the sunset nail look with Hardwear Shine UV Top coat and volia! A mani so beautiful even the sunshine is a little jealous.

Colourful French: An elevated French tip with a pop of dazzling nail polish colour

1. Ditch the white and pick up a PS10X nail lacquer in a show-stopping colour. Think, a rich red like Regal Red, a neon yellow like Yellow Submarine, or an electric pink like Strawberry Fields
2. Apply a thin layer of your fave nail colour to the tip of your nail, stopping at the center of the nail plate—don’t worry about the mess! We’ll crisp up those edges soon enough.
3. Allow the first layer of nail polish to dry, then apply 1-2 more applications of a top coat, as needed.
4. Dip a clean, flat makeup brush into a nail polish remover. Carefully sweep the brush along the bottom of the strip of colour to create a sharp, curved line.
5.  Once your desired width is achieved, top it off with our ultra-glossy top coat.

Negative Space: A popular nail trend that comes in many different forms, but typically combines

geometric shapes or angles with a nude nail

1. For this look you’ll need a delicate nude nail polish, painter’s tape and the butter LONDON Hardwear Shine UV Topcoat.
2. Lay a small piece of painter’s tape across the nail at a diagonal angle—starting at the upper right corner and ending at the lower left corner. Ensure the tape is covering the base of the nail, leaving the upper portion of the nail bed exposed.
3. Apply butter LONDON Patent Shine 10X Nail Lacquer to the exposed area of the nail bed. Allow the first coat to dry, then apply 1-2 more nail polish coats.
4. Once the nail polish is dry, slowly remove the painter tape to reveal the unpainted portion of the nail.
5. Gloss it up with 2 coats of our high-shine top coat for a negative space manicure that is full of trendy dimension.

Monochromatic Nails: An easy nail trend that is perfect for beginners, monochromatic nails are always having a moment

1. Choose a selection of four butter LONDON Patent Shine 10X Nail Lacquers, ensuring that you include dark, medium and light nail lacquer hues from the same colour family.
2. Dip our uniquely, curved brush applicator into the darkest nail colour, applying 2 coats to both the thumb and pinky nail.
3. Take the remaining three nail colours and apply one of each nail polish colour to your first, middle and ring finger.
4.  Finally, protect your polish with a glossy top coat and marvel at your monochromatic manicure—you did it!

It’s Tea Time! butter LONDON is spilling all the tea on how to achieve the ultimate waterless manicure from the comfort of your own home! Why do we love waterless, you ask? Because a waterless manicure means you aren’t soaking your nails—a practice that causes the nail to expand, then shrink—making it the most convenient way to coat your nails in a brilliant pop of colour that is both long lasting and chip resistant. To start you on your waterless manicure journey, we’re breaking down all the steps on how to clean, shape and file your nails for an at-home waterless manicure:

Step 1: Use Nail-Loving Techniques When Removing Old Nail Polish, Gel or SNS

The first step to any nail prep is to remove the old before applying the new. Whether your signature nail formula is a traditional nail polish, gel nail polish or SNS, it is important to remember that patience is truly a virtue when it comes to removing old nail colors. Ignore the tiny voice in your head telling you to pick and pull (it’s tempting, we know), because treating your nails with extra TLC is the secret to a flawless manicure and, most importantly, long-term nail health. To get the scoop on the best techniques, butter LONDON caught up with celebrity manicurist, Jess Alexander-Snyder, for her tips on how to remove gel or SNS nail polish at home or regular nail polish… think 10-Free butter LONDON:

“The best tip with regular polish is to soak a cotton ball in acetone and hold it on your finger for a few seconds before rubbing your nail bed. Dark colors, reds, and glitters can be stubborn, so soak those shades with remover for at least a minute. I often use Butter LONDON’s nail scrubbers, which have a rough side for scrubbing to get off those problematic colors.”

Step 2: Prep Nails with a Good Clean

Skip the water and set the stage with a clean slate.  After removing your nail polish, deep clean your nail bed with a non-toxic nail polish remover like the butter LONDON Nail Scrubbers. These multi-tasking dual-sided nail scrubbers provide a conditioning boost of vitamins to the nails while lifting away stubborn nail polish, dirt and oil. Wiping away oil and grime is a great way to prevent your manicure from peeling, as it allows the nail polish to “stick” to the surface without a dirty film stuck in between. 

Step 3: Practice Healthy, Nail Filing Habits

Filing nails has become a popular at-home nail care habit, but did you know there is a PROPER way to file your nails? Whether the way to your heart is through a square, round, oval or almond tip nail shape, filing your nails in one direction can help prevent nails from tearing and splitting. To achieve your desired nail shape, pick up our uniquely curved Signature Nail File and place it at the outer corner of your nail. Begin by gently moving the file in one direction until you reach the middle of your nail, then switch to the other corner and repeat the same motion. By working from the outside of the nail towards the middle, you can easily shape the nail with more precision, ultimately resulting in a smoother, defined finish.