They're Not Milky, They're Glassy—Harriet Westmoreland Just Put This New Nail Trend Firmly on the Map

If there is a manicurist who has defined the nail trends of the decade thus far, it's undoubtedly Harriet Westmoreland. With her signature "clean girl" nails and her impossibly chic Instagram aesthetic that is instantly recognisable (I often find myself endlessly scrolling on her feed), Westmoreland basically created the sheer, milky manicure.

As such, she has gained a loyal following of high-profile clientele, who flock to her for her manicures, which involve such meticulous attention to detail and luxurious nail care (think La Mer Facial Oil as cuticle oil), that her appointments can vary between two and five hours long.

So when I heard the news that Westmoreland was launching her very own brand, Westmoreland Cosmetics, launching today, I could not have been more excited.

When I sat down to speak with Westmoreland and co-founder, Olivia Corish, prior to the launch, Westmoreland told me that she often has to mix nail colours to achieve the right shades for her clients. "I was always having to mix shades to create the look that I wanted," she says. So, she set about creating her own shades and formula, which all result in her signature, glass-like shine.

The first collection, aptly named Vanilla Gloss, features five glassy, sheer shades, from a glassy white to sheer pink, peach and neutral tones, designed to perfectly flatter all skin tones. The shades are available in both Glass Gels (£25) for professional use (alongside a Glass Base and Glass Top coat), and Glass Polishes (£15), which can be used at home.

"A lot of milky polishes can either be a bit too milky or then just too sheer sometimes," she tells me. "The pigment that's contained within the milky shade is really important. Otherwise, it'll throw off grey and ashy. So we've been really particular and spent such a long time formulating the shades with the correct pigments so that anyone can wear them and they'll look amazing," says Westmoreland.

Naturally, I just had to ask Westmoreland about her favourite shades, which are numbered rather than named (and further collections will launch seasonally). Her current favourite is shade 1, a sheer vanilla gloss. She likes to wear all of the shades alone, which gives the nails a "no makeup" makeup look, but they can also be layered to create different effects if you wish.

"All the shades have a sheerness, so you can layer different colours in between. So you could do a layer of peach, milky and peach again," she says. However you wear them, they make it easy to create Westmoreland's signature sheer manicures (she calls them "juicy nails", which describes them perfectly) with a mirror-like shine that you just can't achieve with other nail polishes or gel. "They just look so juicy, glossy and glass-like that you can't go wrong mixing them and layering them," she says.

Of course, I also had to ask for her tips on how to achieve her signature manicure if you're doing your own nails at home and aren't lucky enough to secure an appointment with Westmoreland herself. Her biggest tip? Using a nail brush. "Use really great hand and nail care, and spending time on it," she says. "Scrub your nails with a nail brush, spend time moisturising your hands and nails, and exfoliate your hands. Don't do your own cuticles—those are best left to professionals. Just concentrate on hydration and like you'll end up with that chic, natural finish," she says.

Shop the Vanilla Gloss Collection: