Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you wish to know about our polishes, our care and our rituals. If you cannot find your answer, write to us at contact@cledevie.fr.

Our formulas

What does "21-free" mean at Clédevie?

It means our formulas are made without the 21 ingredients listed on our Ingredients page, among them toluene, formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), camphor, xylene and parabens. We chose the list ourselves, and we publish every name so you can check it against the label.

What does "bio-sourced" mean?

Bio-sourced means an ingredient is derived from a natural renewable resource, such as a plant, instead of from petroleum. Some are plant extracts; others are transformed through greener processes.

What do the percentages on your boxes mean?

Each box shows how much of the formula comes from natural sources. "Bio-sourced" is the share derived from natural renewable resources. "Natural origin" is the share of natural-origin ingredients, calculated under the ISO 16128 standard. Mon Vernis Soin, for example, is 83.5% bio-sourced.

Are your products vegan and cruelty-free?

Yes. Our formulas contain no ingredients of animal origin, and we do not test our products on animals. We follow EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.

How is Mon Vernis Parfumé scented?

Mon Vernis Parfumé is a bio-sourced polish inspired by the perfume houses of Grasse. Its delicate scent lasts up to 48 hours, so the colour is something you see and the scent is a breath, not a cloud. A top coat softens the scent for a more discreet effect. The fragrance, and any fragrance allergens, are listed on the box.

Can I use Clédevie if I have sensitive skin or allergies?

Any cosmetic, natural or not, can bother someone. Read the ingredient list against what you know you react to; fragrance is the most common one. Test a little on one nail first, and stop if your skin feels irritated. If you are pregnant, or have a skin or nail condition, ask your doctor or pharmacist before you start.

Do your products contain nanoparticles?

Some of our shades use a black pigment, CI 77266, in nano form. It is coated, so it is not an uncoated nanoparticle, and it is marked [nano] in the ingredient list of each shade that contains it.

Where are your products made?

Our polishes and nail care are formulated and made in France: Mon Vernis Soin and Parfumé, Mon Trio Essentiel, Mon Top Ray-Active, Mon Soin Après-Gel, Mon Sérum Lumière, Mon Élixir Cuticule, Ma Mousse Précieuse and Mon Dissolvant Soin. Mes Macarons Pétons have a French formula and are made in the PRC. Our glitters, crystals and nail files are made in the PRC.

How is your packaging made?

Our boxes are made from FSC-certified paper (FSC C159609) and printed with soy ink. Our bottle caps are made from wood, in place of plastic; the wood is not certified.

Using and wearing the polish

How do I get the best finish?

Start with clean, dry nails, free of oil and old polish. Apply a base coat and wait 2 minutes. Apply a thin first coat of colour and wait 2 to 3 minutes. Apply a second, regular coat and wait 3 to 4 minutes. Finish with a top coat. Cap the free edge of the nail with each coat, which means brushing along the tip, to help the colour hold at the edge.

Why does my polish look streaky or thick?

Usually the coat is too heavy. Take a little less on the brush and apply in three strokes: centre first, then each side. Roll the bottle gently between your palms before use instead of shaking it, which keeps bubbles out.

How long should I wait between coats?

Wait 2 minutes after the base coat, 2 to 3 minutes after the first coat of colour, and 3 to 4 minutes after the second coat, before the top coat. A thin coat sets faster than a thick one, so thin is quicker as well as smoother.

How long does the colour last?

With a base coat, two coats of colour and Mon Top Ray-Active, colour and shine lasted up to 3 weeks in an internal test on 10 people. Results depend on your lifestyle. Without a base coat or top coat, Mon Vernis Soin kept 96.6% of the manicure intact after 6 days in our user trial, and wore for 5.9 days on average.

How do I make my colour last longer?

Apply base coat and top coat, cap the edge, and renew the top coat every few days. Wear gloves for washing up and cleaning, since hot water and detergents wear polish down.

Can I use Mon Top Ray-Active without a lamp?

Yes. It needs no lamp: apply one coat over dry colour, wait 2 minutes after your polish, and it sets in natural daylight in 3 to 4 minutes. It is compatible with all nail polishes.

What is Mon Trio Essentiel?

A 3-in-1 coat. Use it as a protective base coat (wait 2 minutes before your polish), as a top coat over dry polish, or as strengthening care: apply it twice a week as a cure and remove it between each application.

How do I take polish off?

Use Mon Dissolvant Soin, our acetone-free remover. Soak a cotton pad, press it on the nail and hold for 20 to 30 seconds, then wipe gently from the base to the tip of the nail. Avoid circular motions, and repeat until no colour remains. Wash and dry your nails afterwards, and never scrape or peel polish off.

What size are the bottles?

Our polishes and nail care bottles are 12 ml: Mon Vernis Soin and Parfumé, Mon Trio Essentiel, Mon Top Ray-Active, Mon Soin Après-Gel, Mon Sérum Lumière and Mon Élixir Cuticule. Ma Mousse Précieuse is 30 ml, Mon Dissolvant Soin is 100 ml, and Mes Macarons Pétons are 90 g each, in a set of four.

How should I store my polish?

Keep the bottle closed tightly and upright, away from heat and direct sun. Wipe the neck before closing, so the cap does not stick.

Nail and foot care

What is Mon Élixir Cuticule, and how do I use it?

It is our two-phase cuticle oil. Shake the bottle about 10 times until the two phases blend. Put a drop on bare nails (one drop is enough for the entire hand) and massage it into each nail in circular motions. Wash and dry your hands carefully before applying polish. For very dry cuticles, apply it twice a day.

What are Mon Soin Après-Gel and Mon Sérum Lumière for?

Both are intensive in-between care for nails that feel weak or tired after gel. Apply them to bare nails and wait 2 to 3 minutes between coats. With Mon Soin Après-Gel, apply 2 coats twice a week, or use it as a base coat under polish. With Mon Sérum Lumière, apply 1 to 2 coats; for a 7-day cure after gel removal, use it daily. Mon Sérum Lumière leaves a pearlescent peach-raspberry veil.

What is Ma Mousse Précieuse?

Our nail foam serum, for dry nails and cuticles and for the hands too. Apply one pump to bare nails, cuticles or hands and massage in circular motions until it is absorbed. It nourishes deeply and absorbs instantly, with no sticky feel. Wash and dry carefully before applying polish. Use it every day, morning or evening.

How do I use Mes Macarons Pétons, the foot bath bombs?

Fill a basin with hot water (38 to 42 °C) and drop in one macaron. Soak your feet for 15 to 20 minutes. During the soak, you can gently massage your legs to relax, to nourish the skin deeply and to help remove dead skin. After about 10 minutes, rub hardened skin gently with Ma Lime Pétons, then pat your feet dry and massage in the oils that remain. Use it twice a week on normal feet, or three times a week for two weeks on calluses. It contains essential oils, so read the allergens listed on the box. Do not use on broken skin, and stop if your skin feels irritated.

How do I use the glass files and the file set?

Ma Lime Fantastique is a 2-in-1 glass nail file: a coarser side to file and a fine side to buff. File gently from the base to the tip with the coarser grain, then buff with the fine grain for a silky finish. Rinse under water and air dry. Ma Lime Pétons works the same way on hardened skin on the feet. Keep each file in its sleeve and do not drop it: the glass is durable but not unbreakable. Mon Trio Je Lime C'est Essentiel is our set of graded files (120/180, 150/240 and 600/3000), reusable and washable.

What are Mes Glitters Bio-Luminescents?

Fine vegan glitters made from plant cellulose, and biodegradable, in nine shades (5 g each). Sprinkle them lightly over a polish that is still wet, then seal with a top coat.

How often should I care for my nails?

A little each day works better than a lot once a week. Cuticle oil in the evening, gloves for cleaning, a rest from polish between manicures, and a gentle file once a week is a simple routine.

Should I cut my cuticles?

We suggest you do not. Cuticles protect the nail from germs. Soften them with oil and gently push them back instead.

Orders and the store

Where can I buy Clédevie?

On cledevie.fr, and in our official Clédevie store on Shopee Mall Singapore at shopee.sg/cledevie. Our Stockists page lists the shops that carry us.

Where do you deliver?

We deliver within Singapore. If you would like delivery elsewhere in the world, send an enquiry to sales@cledevie.fr.

Can I return or exchange a product?

For safety and hygiene reasons, we cannot accept returns of opened products. This does not affect your legal rights if a product arrives damaged or faulty. To find out more, contact our customer service at contact@cledevie.fr.

Something arrived damaged or is not right. What should I do?

Write to us at contact@cledevie.fr with your order number and a photo, and we will look after you. We reply within 48 hours.

Do you run sales or discount codes?

No. We keep our prices steady, as a maison does. From time to time we offer curated bundles, without discount.

How can I become a distributor?

Send an enquiry by email to sales@cledevie.fr, and tell us about your business.

How can I contact Clédevie?

For general questions and customer service, write to contact@cledevie.fr. For sales, delivery outside Singapore and distributor enquiries, write to sales@cledevie.fr.

Tips

Small rituals for beautiful hands and feet, written to be read in a minute.

The perfect manicure, in six steps

1. Prepare. Wash your hands, remove old polish with Mon Dissolvant Soin and shape your nails with Ma Lime Fantastique.

2. Soften. Put a drop of Mon Élixir Cuticule on your nails and massage it in. Never cut your cuticles.

3. Cleanse. Wipe each nail with a dry cotton pad, so no oil is left under the colour.

4. Base. Apply a thin coat of base coat, or Mon Trio Essentiel, and wait 2 minutes.

5. Colour. A thin first coat, then a regular second coat of Mon Vernis Soin or Mon Vernis Parfumé, capping the edge each time.

6. Seal. Finish with Mon Top Ray-Active and let it set in daylight.

Tips to make colour last

• Thin coats beat thick coats, every time.

• Cap the free edge with every coat.

• Renew the top coat every two or three days.

• Wear gloves for cleaning and washing up.

• Use your fingertips, not your nails, to open cans and peel stickers.

A foot ritual for the evening

1. Fill a basin with hot water (38 to 42 °C), drop in a macaron from Mes Macarons Pétons and soak your feet for 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Gently massage your legs during the soak, to relax and nourish the skin.

3. After about 10 minutes, smooth hardened skin gently with Ma Lime Pétons.

4. Pat your feet dry, and massage in the oils that remain.

5. Finish with a polish colour, or leave them bare and soft.

Care between manicures

• Rest your nails from colour now and then.

• Put a drop of cuticle oil on your nails every evening.

• Keep your hands out of hot water when you can, and wear gloves for strong cleaners.

• Remove polish with an acetone-free remover and never scrape it off.

Reading a label like an insider

• Ingredients are listed in descending order of weight, so the first few are the most abundant.

• INCI names are international names for ingredients; look up any name you do not know.

• "Fragrance" or "Parfum" is the usual place a sensitivity hides. Allergens above a set level must also be named.

• "Natural", "clean" and "green" have no legal definition. A brand that shows its full list and its sources is the one to trust.

Good to know

Results may vary from person to person, and depend on your nails and your lifestyle. Product photos are for reference only. Our products are for external use on nails and feet only: never use them on the eyes or the face. If you notice irritation or an allergic reaction, stop using the product. Flammable: keep away from fire and flames. Keep out of reach of children, and do not swallow. Any questions? Send us an email at contact@cledevie.fr.