From the food on our plates to the fashion in our wardrobe and the formulas on our skin, we – as conscious consumers – closely scrutinise the brands we purchase from. Ethical sourcing, production values, quality, sustainability, accessibility and corporate responsibility… today, more than ever, it matters.
Such an approach is very familiar to us here at Nailberry and, while the stance we took from the very start appeared quite unconventional at the time, we feel that the values and actions formed by our founder’s beliefs couldn’t be more relevant today.
In the beginning
As many of you will know, Nailberry began life as a luxury nail bar in Chelsea, London. Having, however, witnessed the drying, damaging effects of pollution and other lifestyle influences, as well as semi-permanent gel manicures or acrylic nails, on her clients’ nails, our founder, Sonia, went about developing a range of polishes that would help combat their concerns.
Outstanding polish performance, texture and colour quality was, of course, a given. In addition – and what undeniably makes the biggest difference in our approach – was that our formulas also needed to reflect Sonia’s own steadfast and very personal commitment to respecting nature and our environment.
The first Nailberry polishes were many months in the making. We worked closely with ingredient suppliers and partners, ensuring no ingredients were derived from animal by-products or had ever resulted in the demise of an animal, and that they held both cruelty-free and vegan certification. In addition, the formulas had to be free from formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate – known to have undesirable effects on your health (with the latter banned by the EU in 2004). Eventually, in 2014, the first Nailberry polishes were launched.
Never standing still
Though our first polishes represented an important industry development, Sonia was certain there was more we could do… and, less than 12 months later, released a landmark new formula onto the market.
(Read more about our Halal Certification here)
Needless to say, Sonia still didn’t stop there, working tirelessly with partners on blends that were the best she could create. In 2017, a further update was launched – one that aimed to stand the test of time (and one that soon became multi-award winning); breathable, vegan-friendly, certified cruelty-free, certified Halal and 12-free (that is, free from camphor, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, xylene, ethyl tosylamide, triphenyl phosphate, alcohol, parabens, animal derivatives and gluten).
As you’ll know, we’ve since extended our range with a carefully considered collection of Nail Treatments, exclusively designed to further treat and repair damaged nails… and it’s most unlikely we’ll stop there.
We have always and will always strive to bring you a healthier – yet no less joyful – manicure; vibrant, high quality and ultra-desirable polishes and treatments that care for the future health of your nails while avoiding negatively impact our planet. We may not have begun life like other nail brands, but we rather like that. We listened closely to our customers’ concerns, we weren’t afraid to do things a little differently and we most certainly plan to continue raising the bar in nail care.
Feel good, look great and colour your nails healthy!
