There’s more to life than tidy eyebrows and manicured nails – but it’s a good place to start.
It’s a philosophy held true at luxury concept salon Nails & Brows in Mayfair, whose clients have included Meghan Markle, amongst a host of London beauty editors.
Last week we took a trip to the salon’s Berkeley Street home, just a stone’s throw from the Ritz Hotel, to experience two of their more intriguing services: a Brow Lift and a CBD Wellness Manicure.
Inside the salon is as aesthetically pleasing as it’s treatments. Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the space with daylight, dried floral arrangements decorate marble counter tops and salon seating is upholstered in teal plush velvet. All the technicians in the salon are immaculately groomed, wearing a red lip and of course – perfectly shaped brows.
Upon arrival I was led upstairs to the mezzanine level by Brow Technician Shreya, who would be overseeing my ‘Brow Lift’ treatment. Don’t be scared by the name, this is a strictly non-invasive procedure, not dissimilar to brow lamination, which involves relaxing the hairs to straighten, before a tidy and tint. The treatment menu promises a Brow Lift will create a ‘full, feathery look’ and is suitable for all brow types from those with sparse hairs, to the naturally thick and full.
Ahead of the treatment Shreya and I discussed my brow-shaping preferences and goals – for me, the fuller and thicker, the better. Having forgone threading appointments for the best part of six months to understand my natural growth pattern, I’ve discovered that whilst my brows have a nice natural arch, they have annoying ‘gaps’ that no amount of brow mascara can fill in.
The first stage of the brow lift was to apply a solution to soften the hairs – not dissimilar to having the hairs on your head professionally straightened in a hair salon. Next up, Shreya used a solution to set the brows in place to sit upwards, giving that trending fluffy shape made famous by beauty influencers.
Finally, it was time to tint, a first for me – no dye has been near my brows, ever. This step was a game changer – thickening up the look of my brows almost instantly. Following this, my brows were gently threaded to remove rogue hairs; whilst respecting the full and fluffy shape.
One of the best take away tips Shreya imparted to me was to condition my brows daily – recommending the Beauty Edit Mayfair’s Brow Setter for this job, which contains a pro-hair formulation of castor oil, vitamin B5 and vitamin E. This makes complete sense to me – we are all in the habit of conditioning our hair to make it more manageable, so why not do the same for our brows?
I’ve been delighted with the results of the brow lift: end-to-end it took no more than 45 minutes, and has consequently shaved a good five minutes off my daily make-up routine, which now consists of a quick slick of the Brow Setter and filling in one or two gaps with Beauty Edit Mayfair’s Brow Filler pencil.
Following my Brow Lift, Shreya lead me downstairs to experience the second treatment of my appointment, a CBD Wellness Manicure. This treatment promised to nurse hands back to full health, using hand care from brand called Kloris who create all-natural, superior-grade CBD products.
CBD is a trending ingredient in the beauty industry at present, with broad-ranging benefits that include helping to ease symptoms of inflammation, joint pain and anxiety whilst also providing calmness and relaxation. Taking an hour end to end, this was no ordinary manicure, and my technician Cinzia over delivered on the claim that the manicure would nurse hands back to health.
The most transformative part of the manicure was the parrafin wax stage: my hands were put into gloves with warm, soft wax inside for ten minutes, whilst I enjoyed a pressure point massage to enhance the sense of relaxation. When the gloves were removed, my hands were non-greasy but deeply moisturised. I honestly think they looked five years younger!
With nail polishes being non-toxic and cruelty-free, I chose a shade with a poppy red hue from brand called Green, which is also plant-based and vegan. I was really impressed with the durability of this polish – three days on and my nails were still chip-free, which is so rarely the case when I don’t have a shellac manicure.
I left feeling calm, groomed and my tidiest self: at Nails & Brows the difference is in the details, no hair is left untamed and no cuticle left unloved.
To book your appointment with the most friendly, skilled and helpful beauticians, visit www.nailsandbrows.me or contact the team directly on 020 7499 5245
