Regular readers of The Amazing Blog will know that we love to support new and indie brands, and today we are featuring 516 Polish a British, inclusive and vegan nail brand as one of our #amazingfinds. As it’s almost time for us start wearing open toes, we couldn’t resist this Serene pink to wear - with pink being one of the designated and hottest colour for this S/S 21 season.
516 Polish was founded in July 2019 by Wunmi Ladele. With her passion for wearing nail polish, she became very aware of the lack of diversity within the spectrum of nail colours offered for people of colour. This was the inspiration behind her creating a range of colours in the 516 Polish collection to suit all. Wunmi wants to be “A brand that formulates beautiful colours that have the potential to be complementary for everyone, particularly people of colour.” She also went on to say, “I am committed to making 516 a people-focused brand that you can actually relate to.” They are the first UK indie nail polish brand to support swatch diversity, offering various products such as nail polish, one-step gel polish, nail care and tools. They currently have over fifty nail polish colours which are PETA certified, vegan, cruelty-free and non-toxic; with sixteen coordinating gel polishes to try out too.
To quote the late fashion icon, Diana Vreeland: “Pink is the new black,” and with this in mind, we decided to feature 516 Polish’s soft and versatile Serene pink which you can also see on different skin tones when you click here . This on trend and statement shade of bubble gum pink, has appeared on all the S/S 2021 fashion runways and doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon. What we like about this Serene pink is that it’s fresh, feminine and brightens our mood. It also adds some wonderful drama when paired with analogous reds or red-oranges, which you’ll also see appearing on the high street. The ingredients in Serene are all ’10 free’, which means it is free from 10 toxic ingredients commonly used: Toluene, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Camphor, Xylene, Triphenyl Phosphate, Ethyl tosylamide, Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), Acetone and Parabens. For those that don’t know, here are some of the reasons why these toxic ingredients are not included in the formula: Toluene is a neurotoxin that can cause neurological damage when inhaled. Formaldehyde and its by-product Formaldehyde Resin can be responsible for allergic reactions, asthma, nausea, and dermatitis. Low doses of Xylene can provoke headaches, and high doses can affect the respiratory system. Ethyl Tosylamide is banned in Europe due to it causing mild to severe allergic reactions; it also can disrupt hormones. What we also like about this Serene nail polish, is that it can even be matched with a Gel. A handy option if we’re away on holiday and in need of a quick touch up. The brand also has a nail care guide with a few tips and tricks for a better home manicure; we found their 3-Stroke method very helpful (see here). When applied correctly, the 516 nail polishes (with recommended base and topcoat), should last between seven to ten days. We found on toes (see photo) it was over ten days but on hands (too much typing and hand washing!) it was more like five or seven. Best of all the nail polishes are available in two sizes; which means you can experiment with more colours, with the 5ml bottles, at only £4.75 ea. Or if you fall in love with Serene (as we did), you too can invest in a 10ml bottle at £8.