A dazzling decade

The founder of luxury London beauty hotspot, Nails & Brows Mayfair, shares the salon’s success story as it marks 10 years in business

A lot can change in a decade, and talking to Sherrille Riley, founder of Nails & Brows Mayfair, it’s clear that the beauty industry has altered significantly since 2014. The ‘accidental entrepreneur,’ as she calls herself, opened a luxury boutique salon 10 years ago, but while the business idea might have unintentionally launched her into entrepreneurship, her navigation of the changing beauty landscape proves she was made for the role.

Sherrille Riley

“A huge change in the industry has been its digitalisation,” Sherrille shares. “It has allowed beauty to bloom, and professionals to gain exposure and take control of raising their profiles. Technology has innovated, and we have had to be innovative to survive. I’ve seen other businesses take inspiration from Nails & Brows Mayfair, which is flattering, but although these ideas seem like a new concept to them, they are 10 years old to us. Without innovation, our business wouldn’t be unique.”

So, what makes Nails & Brows Mayfair stand out? Sherrille doesn’t have to consider her answer: “We can guarantee a great client experience,” she smiles. “Our customers visit us for results and to feel great, and they are educated about their treatments. The salon is in Mayfair, a luxurious London location, and the client experience has attracted A-listers and created our reputation for excellence.

“This is why the company is very structured with training, with every member of staff undertaking a beauty bootcamp,” Sherrille adds. “Through this, they focus on each treatment in detail and explore the brand and its customer journey, to deliver consistent, expert results. I’m also selective about who I employ, to ensure that the entire team is aligned in standards, ethics and values. This helps employees to work harmoniously and accomplish amazing things.”

Business beginnings

Sherrille’s beauty career spans 27 years, and began in luxury London department store, Harrods, where she was a facialist. There, she gleaned beauty and commercial knowledge, which saw her in demand to be a brand ambassador for many beauty companies. “Following many years at Harrods, I left to work on a self-employed basis. After 10 years, I felt it was my time to shine in a different way,” Sherrille details. “I conceived the idea for Nails & Brows Mayfair while in Dubai working for a nail bar, but knowing I had a passion for brows. I realised I could bring the two areas together. With help from great people and Google, I created a business plan.

“I envisaged that in the first year, the business would lose money, during the second year it would break even and in the third year it would make profit, plus I would launch a product line,” Sherrille describes. “This is exactly what happened, but while I thought we would launch nail products during the third year, I struggled to find high-quality brow products to use in treatments and retail to customers to maintain results. Therefore, I launched a line of brow products in 2017, under the Beauty Edit Mayfair brand.”

“At a brand development day in 2012, I was asked who Nails & Brows Mayfair would be if it was a person. Audrey Hepburn was my answer.”

Beauty Edit Mayfair, now also offering skincare, nail, make-up, fragrance, haircare and grooming products, is accessible online and in a physical store, based two doors away from the Nails & Brows Mayfair salon. Here, there is a calming and beautifully scented ambience. Products are neatly organised in wall units and on a central marble island on the main floor. Downstairs leads to a treatment room, where Nails & Brows Mayfair facials take place.

Sherrille describes Beauty Edit Mayfair as ‘loyal: not to brands, but to results’. “Consumers today are bombarded with beauty products and seek an authority to tell them what works and what doesn’t,” she explains. “I have this knowledge, to be able to offer an ‘edit’ of mindful products – which we also use during Nails & Brows Mayfair treatments.”

This conscious approach is influenced by Sherrille’s early life in Jamaica, where she was surrounded by nature. “I grew up on a farm, so know what nature provides and how it can heal,” she tells Scratch. “I have tried to incorporate these values into Nails & Brows Mayfair through its choice of brands. For example, I believe we were one of the first beauty businesses to introduce and educate clients about environmentally conscious nail polish brand, Kure Bazaar.”

Sherrille adds that at its launch, Nails & Brows Mayfair was distinctive in terms of its aesthetically pleasing salon design, which is sophisticated with pops of colour and patterns. The ground floor is where nail services take place, on an elegant marble desk and sleek white pedicure chairs. The salon offers a range of basic, polish and gel polish treatments, ranging from quick maintenance to indulgent, pampering services, with luxurious add-ons available. Upstairs is the the home of brow and lash treatments, with unique patterned chairs that harmonise with eye-catching floral wallpaper in a second treatment area on this level.

From the beginning, it’s clear that Sherrille knew her brand inside out, so was able to complement its values and design. “At a brand development day in 2012, I was asked who Nails & Brows Mayfair would be if it was a person. Audrey Hepburn was my answer,” she comments. “In fact, Nails & Brows Mayfair’s signature brow shape is The Audrey Brow, created by myself and inspired by the actress. The questions continued at the event: where would your business shop and go on holiday? What kind of restaurants would it eat in, and what would its friends be like? Answering these helped to bring the brand to life.”

Beauty Edit Mayfair

“Our customers visit us for results and to feel great, and they are educated about their treatments.”

“I’m very proud of what Nails & Brows Mayfair has achieved in 10 years, and celebrating its success was about giving back to the team and customers.”

The Nails & Brows Mayfair team celebrating the brand’s 10-year anniversary.

Celebrating 10 years

“I’m very proud of what Nails & Brows Mayfair has achieved in 10 years, and celebrating its success was about giving back to the team and customers,” says Sherrille. “In terms of the team, I felt it was Sherrille. “I felt it important for the team to experience quality services and be pampered, so I arranged a spa day for 18 of us. For our customers, Nails & Brows Mayfair hosted Customer Appreciation Week, where we invited clients to receive complimentary treatments in areas they may not usually book, and added value to purchases with gifts.

“We also held a huge party, inviting customers to attend for free. We offered special promotions and food from a luxury restaurant that is a local partner, and welcomed a tarot card reader and astrologer to share insight. There was such a demand that we had to manage the event via tickets.”

Looking to the next decade

“I love the beauty industry: in particular its constant evolution, opportunities and people, and I want to make a difference,” reveals Sherrille. “Stepping into the next decade, I remain committed to continuing with the same passion and dedication. My mission is to host more events, as we have built an incredible community of people across the sector, who can provide value by sharing their knowledge – from hair health specialists to nutritionists and obstetricians. I see Nails & Brows Mayfair and Beauty Edit Mayfair continuing to evolve and innovate by harnessing the power of community.” www.nailsandbrows.me / www.beautyeditmayfair.com