Not so long ago, finding 5-free (no Toluene, DBP, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin or Camphor) nail polishes in non-frumpy colours was like finding a needle in the haystack but times they are a-changing. 5-free nail polishes have really upped their game and we no longer have to compromise on the colours we want or smooth, glossy application.  A brand new vegan and 5-free nail company on the block is HJ Manicure.

I popped along to the recent launch of the new Autumn/Winters colours at Orico on the King’s Road to find out more.

The London-based company is founded by the beautiful Helen, a model and session manicurist, who’s worked with nails for 13 years and knows her nail stuff. She’s worked for clients including Avon Cosmetics, Boots, Grazia, Stylist and Cosmopolitan. She launched HJ Manicure after noticing the increasing trend for less toxic products in the fashion industry.

The edited collection of colours is a sophisticated palette of 16 shades covering most bases with nudes, pastels, brights, and the classic red and rouge noire-ish. The purples and grey have my name all over them.

For autumn/winter, the following Christmas Shimmer metallic colours have been added to the range. I think Vintage Bronze in particular is a stunner:

I’ve tried a couple of colours, which I’ll share in a forthcoming post, and was impressed by the performance of the HJ Manicure polishes. The brush is long and thin and covered the nail easily.  The creamy formula applied smoothly giving opaque coverage in one coat. It lasted for a good five days before I noticed slight chipping on my index finger.

BTW I’ve noticed that rectangular shaped bottles seem to be the trend, what’s happened to round bottles?

15ml HJ Manicure nail polish, £9.50. HJ Manicure available in-store at Orico, 315 King’s Road, London SW3 5EP and online at hjmanicure.com