Painting your nails is one of the most creative ways to express yourself. If you love to experiment with hair and makeup, adding nails to the picture can show off a new side to your style.
Nail art is becoming increasingly popular thanks to a surge in new creative techniques and designs. From nude tones to vibrant colors, there is a color for every mood. The best part: you can easily keep your nails manicured without a manicurist. You don’t even need a gel or acrylic kit. Everything can be achieved at your fingertips – pun intended!
Ready to hop aboard the latest nail trends? We’ve selected some of our favorite nail care brands to help you achieve a flawless polish. These companies were started by people who are genuinely passionate about nails and self-expression.
Crete by Lil Yachty
Trailblazing rapper Lil Yachty has entered into a new venture: nails. You heard that right. He is leading the way for men to feel comfortable painting their nails with his gender-inclusive brand, Crete. His first limited-edition collection, Negatives 001, launched May 21 and includes white, gray, and black nail paint pens that make it easy for anyone to grab and swipe on or create incredible designs. The collection also includes a series of nail stickers.
Everything about Crete is innovative and expanding the beauty industry to become more inclusive. Let’s give Lil Yachty a round of applause for this jaw-dropping release.
Image via Crete
Lights Lacquer by KathleenLights
If you follow YouTube beauty channels, you’re probably no stranger to KathleenLights. She has impacted the beauty industry in countless ways, not only with nail polish. The beauty vlogger and makeup extraordinaire has worked with brands such as ColourPop Cosmetics to produce products consumers love, and her strong community of followers is with her every step of the way.
Kathleen’s popular collaborations eventually inspired her to create her own brand, Lights Lacquer, which features a seemingly endless selection of nail polish colors, finishes, and textures. (You would think Essie or Sally Hansen were behind the brand because of its overwhelming popularity.)
Lights Lacquer is vegan and cruelty-free. The brand lives by its “7-Free” philosophy, meaning seven of the most toxic ingredients typically found in nail polish (think: formaldehyde, xylene, and camphorate) are not used in its eco-friendly formula. The high-quality products are all thanks to Kathleen’s intense involvement in the brand, combined with the voices from the Lights Lacquer community.
Image via Lights Lacquer
Sienna Byron Bay
We love investing in sustainable and mindfully made products, but because most nail polish containers are not fully recyclable, it can be hard to make an eco-friendly purchase.
Sienna Byron Bay’s cruelty-free, vegan nail polish is about as sustainable as it gets. Free of many toxins, the brand goes above and beyond by using only locally sourced ingredients, 100% renewable energy to power its warehouses and headquarters, and completely recyclable packaging with wooden caps. On top of all that, Sienna Byron Bay nail polish is smooth and comes in a variety of stunning colors.
Image via Sienna Byron Bay
Dazzle Dry
For this nail care line, the proof is in the science. Created by Dr. Vivian Valenty, a bioorganic chemist with over 35 years of experience in the field, Dazzle Dry has an impressive four-step system to achieve flawless nails. On top of that, Dazzle Dry uses biodegradable packaging material and low carbon footprint practices to create sustainable products that are just as eco-friendly as they are stylish and long-lasting.
Dazzle Dry also partners with a global nonprofit called WeForest, which plants a tree for every purchase you make. So far, over 120,000 trees have been planted!
Image via Dazzle Dry
The Takeaway
Our nails are a common way to express personality, creativity, and artistic talent. Though nail polish has been around practically forever, this is just the beginning of a more exuberant, sustainable, expressive, and inclusive world. It’s changing one nail at a time.