I first came across Leighton Denny on the shopping channel QVC where he was promoting some of his fabulous nail polish and I was pretty much hooked straight away.

Who Is Leighton Denny?

Leighton Denny is an award wining manicurist for over 18 years and launched his own range in 2005 and is often featured in many style and beauty magazines.
His brand is now the top selling nail care brand on QVC and the brand is used in many up market salons and spas across the country.
His range has now grown and includes everything that you need to keep your nails and hands healthy and looking fabulous and has also recently launched a new self tanning range to add to his collection.

As a beauty therapist I love the passion that Leighton has for all things nails! And the research that he has put into the ranges that he has.

The Crystal File

I was given the crystal nail file as a gift and while they can be purchased on their own mine came as a set of two in a black leather case.
My actual file is black in colour and the length is 195mm and I find that this is the perfect size for me as the big chunky ones that you can get are just that big and chunky and I find them hard to use and the small ones I find are just to fiddly and are hard to get a really good grip on in order to file the nails.
The file itself is heavier than the standard ones and I find that gives you greater control when filling and the file doesn't slip away from you.
If you run your finger across the nail file it feels quite smooth a little like when your standard file has been worn down and it doesn't matter how many times you use it stills feels smooth.
Although I said that the file is black when you hold it up to the light it becomes clear, almost transparent and this is where the crystal effect comes in.
The nail file comes with a lifetime guarantee!

Why Crystal?

The nail is made with the finest lead crystal which is ground down to dust and compacted to create the nail file.
The benefits of making it with crystal means that the file simply turns the nails to dust which makes filling your nails faster and easier and you don't get any sharp edges on them as the file doesn't drag the nail at all it simply smoothes it completely, seals all the edges and leaves no trace of splitting or peeling.

How To Use It

When I was training one of the first things that we were taught and indeed had it drilled into us was that you only filled the nail in one direction from side to side and never ever back and forth, which was something that I always struggled with as its always felt more natural for me and a great deal easier to file back and forth.
The best thing about the crystal nail file for me is that you can file back and forth and unlike standard files this will not damage your nails at all and the reason for that is the smooth crystal, because its not rough it wont drag the nail and cause any splitting or peeling.

Before filling your nail remove any old nail polish and ensure that the nail is completely oil free and dry, if you are giving yourself a full manicure and have applied any hand cream, cuticle or nail oil just sweep over the nail with polish remover to remove any cream or oil.
If you are right handed file the left hand nails first and if your left handed start on the right.

Hold the nail file at a 45 degree angle and gently sweep from the end to the middle and then do the same on the other side, if you were using a standard file you would file to the middle and then from the middle to the other side and obviously you can do that with this one but you also have the advantage of being able to file back and forth.

I believe that the nails should be shaped so that they are square or oval shaped and the main reason for this is to protect that nails as its keep them stronger. If you have more of a pointed shape you will put more stress on the nail tip which will lead to breakage and splitting.
I never file the side of my nails for that reason also as it weakens the nail.

I know that its not exactly cheap but it's the best nail file that I have ever used, it shapes and files my nails to perfection and is very comfortable and easy to use and when you add on the lifetime guarantee is actually a bargain!

How To Care For Your File

After you use the file rinse it in warm water to remove any residue or build up and then let the file air dry and this will keep the file as good as new. If your file comes in a protective case or wallet always store it in there as this will keep it clean, if not just wrap it in some cling film after its dry and this will do the same job.


Where To Purchase It

You can purchase the nail file on QVC and the QVC website www.qvcuk.com You can also purchase the file on Leighton's own website www.leightondenny.com.
The price of the nail file is approx £15.00 and the set I have of the two in the leather case is £27.00.

I know that its not exactly cheap but it's the best nail file that I have ever used, it shapes and files my nails to perfection and is very comfortable and easy to use and when you add on the lifetime guarantee is actually a bargain! and that's the reason its called the Rolls Royce of nail files.