Source: Justin Lambert / Getty
MADAMENOIRE and HelloBeautiful were excited to tap into the consistently creative and fly world of nails for this year’s Melanin Awards.
Since Black women are particularly regarded as tastemakers and trendsetters in the nail game, we knew everything we tried and ultimately picked as a winner in our nail categories had to be up to par.
What made this year’s Melanin Awards even more special was our choice to solely feature Black-owned brands.
To spread awareness of their business, our flyness, and nail grooming as an art form, read below on how you can implement the brands we put to the test to get your nails looking their best.
Doing Your Prep Work
Doing prep work on your nails will ensure optimal health and growth regardless of how you adorn them.
Using People of Color’s Beauty’s Citrus Breeze Cuticle Oil is excellent for at-home manicures, in between salon visits, and when your nails could use some extra TLC.
As the winner in the “Best Cuticle Oil” category, we can attest to the nourished sheen this product leaves on your fingers and nails without leaving them greasy.
A related product tested in this category was Mischo Beauty’s Nail Elixir Cuticle Oil, sent to us in a Manicure Kit including the brand’s high-end glass nail file and top coat.
Putting On Some Press-Ons
MN and HB take our work seriously — so we couldn’t keep our “Best Press-Ons Nails” category in the Melanin Awards knowing we only received sets to try out from one Black-owned brand.
That said, we’ve tried our fair share of mainstream press-on nails and know what makes a good set.
In addition to press-ons lasting as long as a salon set would, it’s important the quality of the sets are strong, durable, and of course, stylish.
We loved the two sets we received from Glam Goodiez because the packaging was everything!
Each set came in a small, reusable box with a cuticle pusher, nail buffer, nail file and alcohol wipes to prep your nails.
You also get a bottle of nail glue small enough to pop in your purse and use anytime or anywhere you want to conveniently and quickly slay your nails.
Glam Goodiez carries a variety of press-on sets in different styles, lengths and shapes, so we’d definitely recommend it if press-on nails are your thing.
P.S. — the brand also has a loyalty program for returning customers!
Source: Courtesy of Glam Goodiez / Glam Goodiez
Painting With Polish
You can’t go wrong with our winning nail polish picks in this year’s Melanin Awards.
Breukelen Polished’s The Business Woman Collection won the “Best Nail Lacquer” category, and the Pottle Deluxe Gel Kit won “Best Gel Polish.”
The Business Woman Collection’s trio of nude polishes won our hearts due to its 11-Free and chip-resistant formula.
Well done at-home gel polish manicures are easier than ever with Pottle’s Deluxe Gel Kit, which also made that an easy win.
Read more about the Melanin Awards’ impact below.
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