Custom and local nail care products gain momentum

Startup brands out of Ohio have caught the attention of regional shoppers and the media as well.

Artisanal beauty​
Companies like Glitterfied Nails, James Robert John, and Tru Man sell nail polishes with marketing messages that highlight local and ethical manufacturing,

The women who founded these Ohio-based brands pride themselves on having created vegan varnishes, not tested on animals that are also free of controversial ingredients, according to Allison Ward of the Columbus Dispatch.

“I want people to know there are local brands,” ​Rachel Worley, owner of James Robert John told Ward. “You can get a professional look but see where the products are from.”​

Inspiration from life​

Taking cues from the beauty of the world she lives in, Worley meticulously fine-tunes each polish color in the James Robert John collection. “The way you create a palette to decorate your home interior, I do that for nail polish,” ​she told the Dispatch. “They’re colors that really exist, colors that are in nature.”​

She has also crafted polishes for a good cause. The company’s red #BeyondTheSuit raises money for Dress for Success, the nonprofit helping low-income women advance by providing interview suits and career guidance. 

Andrea Clem, founder of Glitterfied Nails invents sparkling new colors everyday and custom shades by request. Each of that company’s polishes comprise at least 7 varieties of glitter in an array of sizes and hues, reports Ward.

“Glitterfied boasts almost 200 choices, including the opal-like, iridescent Diamond Ring; the color-shifting Peacock Feather; and the top-selling Offensive Line of blue, orange and silver — from her Team Spirit collection,” ​she notes.

Clem has just moved the brand to Arizona and will no doubt be quickly welcomed into the atelier beauty market in that state.

Katie Testerman founded Tru Man with a palette of polish colors crafted with men in mind. Her signature collection of colors bearing men’s names includes Matt (clear), Fred (red), Asher (gray), Levi (blue) and Cole (black).

The collection is a chance for men to express themselves with a little color and is considerably less permanent than a tattoo, Testerman told the Dispatch.

Ladies wear the line as well: “They’re like boyfriend jeans for nails — a little more casual, comfortable,” ​she said.

Latest and greatest ​

In contrast to these small-batch brands, large nail care companies showcase the latest formulation and ingredient technology.

Nanotech ingredients are being used by the international nail polish company Fiabila to alter product consistency, thereby simplifying application and removal. As reported by Cosmetics Design​, the company renewed a partnership with NaturalNano earlier this year.

The two businesses have worked together since 2008, and under the current agreement, Fiabila will receive Halloysite Nanotubes under an exclusive license for three more years.

It’s good news all around. With consumers eager to stand out, both small- and large-scale nail care brands have a place in the market.