Best-Ever Mommy Manicure: butter LONDON

I’ve always wanted to try butter LONDON nail lacquer.  After all, many a starlet and supermodel swears by the brand, and I love every shade offered in their diverse selection.  Roughly half-way through my pregnancy, I was hesitant to sample any nail polish, as many contain toxic chemicals that can be harmful to the fetus. 

Turns out, butter LONDON lacquer is named "3 Free" for good reason!  All butter LONDON polish, including base and topcoats are free of Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP!  In fact, butter LONDON’s motto is: "we believe in color, not carcinogens".  This has become a personal mantra of mine, as I recently purged my beloved polish collection of anything with these three ingredients. 

Thus I embarked upon the first manicure I had had in almost 6 months, and did so using three of butter LONDON’s vast selection of mani/pedi products.  Here’s the rundown:

1)  Nail Foundation (retail $18):  This basecoat (pictured above) fills ridges and dries lightening fast.  Its nude, matte finish is even pretty enough to wear alone!

2)  Yummy Mummy 3 Free Lacquer (retail $12):  Apply one coat and you’ll have nails the shade of sand.  Two will give you a darker beige.  In either case, butter LONDON brags that this shade is a perfect match for any skintone, and I must concur!  The shade also happens to work with any attire!

3)  Hardwear (retail $18):  This final manicure step is like a suit of armor for your polish.  This long-lasting topcoat dries fast but gives your nails the amazingly shiny appearance that they’re still wet!

My butter LONDON home-manicure experience was a delight.  As the pregnant mom of a toddler, I’ve come to think of certain grooming rituals as chores… manicures included.  But I was able to complete an entire manicure from start to finish in 15 minutes using these three products, and my nails were ready-to-use dry 20 minutes after that (smart- in case the little guy wakes from his nap early).  No ultra-violet light needed!

The polish remained chip-free for 4 extremely active mommy days (one mommy day translates to roughly 2-3 "normal" days in my book).  When I read that butter LONDON is actually based in Seattle, you could have knocked me over with a feather.  Specializing in inexpensive manicures and pedicures in a luxurious setting, I definitely plan to splurge on a professional service courtesy of butter sometime soon! 

I was also thrilled to read that butter has even opened a salon in the SeaTac International Airport, so perhaps the next time I’m delayed I can indulge in a mani/pedi instead of waiting at the gate jabbing crazily at a voodoo doll of an airline executive.   

Click HERE to check out the butter LONDON website.