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10 Steps to Start a Nail Polish Line | Experts Advice

Beautetrade.com

3 min Read

The need for nail polish business will continue to increase in 2025. Beauty and self-care are everyone's way of life. The worldwide market of nail polish is predicted to reach USD 33.46 Billion by 2033. From parlors to social media personalities, there is a global demand for nail art. Whether it is nude or neon bright colors of nail polish, there is a demand for all.

Starting the niche nail polish business in 2025 is a wonderful business idea. Customers desire cruelty-free, long-lasting, and clean beauty products more than ever before. Whether it is UV gels, matte finishes, or breathable and peel-off products, the market is offering opportunities to begin a line of nail polish. In this article, we will guide you through different types of nail polish, nail polish market segmentation, and 10 professional steps to start your own cosmetics line. Keep reading!

Different Nail Polish Types - Explained 

To start a nail polish brand, you first need to understand different nail polish types. Below are the top 4 types of nail polish that are currently in demand. 

1. UV Gel Nail Polish

  • Expected Users: Professionals, salons, and users who use nail polish for 2-3 weeks at a time

  • Market Price: $8-$20

  • For Whom: High-gloss on LED curing kits, brides, and party events.

  • Reason Why It Is Famous: The salon-like look lasts 2-3 weeks.

2. Matte Nail Polish

  • Target Audience: Teenagers, fashion followers, beauty bloggers.

  • Market Price: Approximately $6-$15.

  • Trends: Earthy shades, dusk-rose, grunge colors.

  • Unique Selling Proposition: Velvet feel, quick dry.

3. Peel-off Nail Polish

  • Target Group: Children, not-so-regular users, and travelers

  • Market Price: $5-$10.

  • New Trends: No Remover Needed. Fun and Bright Colors.

  • It is popular because it is extremely easy to apply and remove; it is convenient for temporary use.

4. Breathable Nail Polish

  • Target Market: Those health-oriented vegans and Muslims.

  • Market Price: $7 to $18.

  • Trends: Halal certified, water permeable, nontoxic.

  • Advantage: Encourage healthy nails and clean and hygienic beauty choices.

Nail Polish Market Segmentation

The nail polish market is segmented into the following categories:

1. Professional Salon Use

Focus: For salon use, UV gel and premium breathable polishes need to be supplied. These are users who are professionals looking for long-lasting, high-quality finishes. UV gel, which gives a salon-like finish, has a durability of 2-3 weeks, so it is in great demand in salons offering manicure services. Health-conscious salons opt for premium, breathable polishes that offer eco-friendly or halal-certified products.

Buying Cycle: Salons purchase products in bulk for maintaining the constant supply. Since these salons operate on a constant supply of top-selling products, creating long-term relations with salon distributors will provide them with repeat business and consistency.

Marketing: Promoting this group will require B2B contacting. Attending trade shows and beauty expos will be an opportunity to network with salon owners and distributors. Having products displayed in a business environment shows performance and value to the decision-makers within the industry.

2. DIY/At-Home Users

Focus: The do-it-yourself market requires the use of peel-off, matte, and breathable varieties. Peel-off polish is favored by casual consumers who need a no-mess, quick method of application and removal of nail polish. Matte is trendy nowadays, especially among fashion users, while the breathable ones are preferred by health-oriented individuals who want nail-friendly products.

Buying Cycle: This segment buys seasonally or spontaneously. Consumers will buy nail polishes according to trends or events; therefore, introducing products in small quantities or season colors will boost sales. Fad or limited edition colors will increase quick and impulsive buying.

Marketing: Engage this group on social media. Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok are perfect for nail polish presentation, reels, influencer reviews, or tutorials. To capture attention from DIY customers depends on showcasing how simple your whole process is!

3. Luxury/Niche Segment

Focus: For the highly niche or luxury segment, emphasize organic, vegan, and green formulations. This is one segment that will pay money for a quality, premium product whenever it aligns with its values. Thus, polishes that are made from natural, cruelty-free ingredients make your brand sustainable and ethical, and hence your nail polish is popular in the market.

Price Positioning: Prices are typically $15-$25+ per product in this class, which is aesthetically high-end. These products should be positioned as premium products with high-end packaging, special tints, and special formulas.

Marketing: For marketing this segment, one must rely on storytelling-based branding. Tell the story behind the brand values, sustainability, and ethics of the company. Offer limited editions plus exclusivity appeal, and your product will attract itself to these consumers. This segment usually loves to have everything exclusive, so creating a sense of rarity or uniqueness around your product can drive sales.

4. Budget Segment

Focus: Under the budget segment, bring in matte, peel-off, and travel-sized nail colors. They are effective yet inexpensive. Matte and peel-off types have attracted a niche group of this kind of buyer as they are perfect for anyone interested in interactive nail paints but not necessarily with limitless budget. Small travel packs are also perfect for those needing more value.

Price Positioning: The price range is between $3-$10 per piece, an excellent cost-to-benefit ratio without compromising on quality.

Marketing: Budget buyers' marketing strategy is in bundles or set discounts. Target drug stores or online stores where customers usually purchase lower-priced goods. Online flash sales are also available, where customers feel the need to create speed to push sales. Affordable influencer collaborations to promote the brand on a tight budget also work.

Step-by-Step Guide to Start a Nail Polish Line

The following are the steps to launch a vegan and cruelty-free nail polish brand. Continue reading to see what every step is about! 

1. Research the Nail Polish Market

Start by learning about the global and U.S. nail polish industries. In 2025, the industry will be worth $3 billion for the U.S. market alone. Find out what customers want: clean and cruelty-free, vegan, and long-lasting formula beauty. Identify gaps in the leading brands in product types, shade offerings, or sustainability initiatives. This research can also inform you about trends that are positive for differentiation from your product and help you develop a strong nail polish business plan. 

2. Choose Your Type of Products

When starting a nail polish line, it is important to have product types that are trending as well as what customers want. UV Gel is one of the most popular gel nail polishes, providing long-lasting and salon-quality shine that is only achievable in salons. The others are Matte, Peel-Off, and Breathable. If you want to expand your nail product line and are planning to serve niche markets, then you should provide these kinds of nail polish varieties to attract and engage target customers.

3. Find Target Customers for Selling Nail Polish 

Identify the targeted customers of your products. Teens, mothers, beauty lovers, or young professionals? Will you be supplying salons or catering to DIYers at home? Know whether they desire good but basic, everyday-priced, or, for the customers out there who are looking for rich, premium, and eco-friendly products. It will define your brand voice and marketing strategy.

4. Create Innovative Formulas and Colors

The nail polish manufacturing process should reflect current trends and future trends. For 2025, it introduces neutrals, dramatic brights, and environmentally friendly shades into demand. Nail polish product development must have high potential for performance, e.g., intense color pigmentation, quick drying, and resistance to chips. Collaborate with cosmetic chemists or labs to develop innovative and customizable formulas that consumers will value and buy again.

5. Collaborate with Manufacturers or Private Label Nail Polish Partner

Choose the best suppliers for starting a nail polish business. Either opt for the USA-based sources, which certainly have faster delivery and better communication tools to select foreign manufacturers. Their MOQs, production lead time, and packaging options need to be researched. Samples must also be obtained prior to production confirmation to ensure their quality. By choosing a genuine private label gel nail polish manufacturer for your business you easily make your business grow and get good ROI. 

6. Nail Polish Branding Ideas and Packaging Design

Choose an exclusive name, create a logo, and have consistent color palettes. Offer elegant or environmentally-friendly packaging as per your segment. Unboxing experience must also be appealing to customers. What would your product feel and look like when your customer opens it for the first time? This helps in building brand loyalty.

7. Pricing Strategy and Market Positioning

Set competitive prices for each category:

  • UV Gel: $8-$20

  • Matte: $6-$15 

  • Peel-Off: $5-$10 

  • Breathable: $7-$18

Your brand may be positioned as:

  • Economy – Good for students, teenagers, and occasional users. Smaller size, simple colors, or combos would do.

  • Midrange – Good for everyday users seeking quality at reasonable prices. These need to carry on-trend and essential colors. 

  • Premium – Provide high-end formulations, green ingredients, and premium packaging to customers seeking more than nail color.

Ensure that the nail polish line startup costs are competitive because it ultimately represents your packaging, branding, product quality, and customer expectations. Effective pricing creates trust and repeat business.

8. Fulfillment, Logistics and Legal Requirements

Make sure your nail polish meets all the U.S. FDA regulations, with proper listing of ingredients and warnings and usage directions provided on the product labels. Create a functional shipping policy for both domestic and international shipping. Define your shipping partners or order fulfillment facilities for smooth order handling. Legal compliance and logistics guarantee smooth operation.

9. Marketing and Promotion

Create a suitable marketing plan. Use social media sites like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest to highlight your nail polish collection. Collaborate with influencers and conduct viral challenges. Apply SEO with blogging activities to enhance the search ranking. Conducted giveaways and executed user-generated content (UGC) campaigns for audience-building campaigns. Make your brand entertaining and noticeable.

10. Selection of Channels for Sales

After the product is ready, the final step is to determine the sales channels of every audience group.

D2C Website

It is selling products directly to customers via one's own website. One has full control over branding, pricing, and customer relations. A strong website is a source of loyalty for customers, thereby adding value to the brand.

Beauty Retailers

Collaborate with beauty retailers and online marketplaces like Ulta, Sephora, Amazon, and BeauteTrade. These sites will help you to show your product to more targeted customers and provide you with increased visibility.

Salon Distributors

Sell your nail polish in bulk to beauty salons, nail studios, and professional makeup artists. These customers typically offer possibilities for repeat orders, hence long-term growth.

Every channel is of a different cost. D2C for branding, retailers for visibility and salon distributors for demand. Best would be a blend of all three!

Summing Up 

Starting a nail polish line in 2025 will be extremely profitable in generating good revenue by following the proper steps of market research, product choice, branding, and promotion into a stunning and prosperous beauty company. Whether it is for home use or not, offering quality and premium quality chip-resistant nail paint is the smart way to the success of your business. 

Ready to launch your own nail polish line? Start looking into possibilities for UV gel nail polish today and take steps toward your own beauty experience!