Who knew that waterless manicures were a thing?! The benefit? Not soaking your nails before you apply nail polish helps prevent your mani from chipping. Your nails expand when submerged in water and then shrink once dry, so your manicure can lose its strength by the time your final coat of lacquer dries.

It started behind the scenes of New York Fashion Week where time was limited and water not easily accessible, so manicurists skipped the water to make their nail designs and looks happen in the middle of backstage rush and chaos. Their creativity popularized the beauty and convenience of the waterless manicure, with science supporting their ingenious discovery. Removing water from the manicure has fantastic long wear benefits that we never knew could exist and paired with butter LONDON’s 8-Free, good-for-you formulas, we are all for making your manicure last longer and promotes healthy, stronger nails and less chipping.

Here’s how to get the best waterless manicure at home or at your salon:

Remove any nail lacquer from your nails! If you are on the go, our Nail Scrubbers are individually wrapped nail lacquer prep and remover wipes that are super convenient to keep in your purse and take when you travel.

Apply Melt Away™ Cuticle Exfoliator to the bottom of each nail and rub into the cuticles.
While you wait for the product to soak in, file and shape your nails. Gently push back cuticles with a cuticle pusher. Remove residue with a Nail Scrubbers 2-in-1 Prep & Remover wipe.

Apply one coat of one of our award-winning basecoats to each nail and let dry. Horse Power™ Nail Rescue Basecoat will help strengthen nails with Vitamin E & Calcium or Nail Foundation™ Priming Basecoat‘s nude formula smooths and fills in ridges.

STEP 4: Lacquer & Topcoat

Apply two coats of your favorite butter LONDON nail lacquer, letting each coat dry in between. Lock it in with a shiny coat of Hardwear™ Shine UV Topcoat, remembering to wrap the tip.

STEP 5: Quick Dry Drops

In a hurry (we all are), let the topcoat dry for two minutes and then apply 1-2 drops of P.D. Quick Dry Conditioning Drops™ to each nail to accelerate dry time and nourish cuticles with Rose Hip Seed Oil.

STEP 6: Don’t Forget Your Cuticles

As the final step once nails are completely dry, squeeze a pin-sized amount of QuickFix Moisturizing Cuticle Balm™ onto the massager. Gently massage in a circular motion around the cuticle area to keep your cuticles soft and moisturized.

If you get your nails done at a salon, ask them to skip the water next time! The waterless manicure is here to stay, and you won’t ever look back. It’s easy, quick and your manicure won’t lose any of its beauty. Give it go!