Nail affiliate programs leverage humankind’s need for beauty and style. Nail care and art is an ancient tradition made more relevant by today’s emphasis on personality.
The nail industry is a multi-billion-dollar market, with many products for individuals, nail technicians, salon professionals, style influencers, and beauty consultants or advisers. You can boost your income by promoting and selling these products, too.
And if you’re clueless which nail program to pick, you can check out our shortlist of the 11 most promising nail brands to affiliate with in 2024.
11 Best Nail Affiliate Programs to Boost Your Income in 2024
As you can see, many nail stores have set up their affiliate programs. There must be a good reason behind that.
If you create an affiliate program, you can get beauty bloggers or lifestyle content creators to advertise your nail brand. It’s a no-risk investment, as you only pay advocates money when an order is made.
UpPromote – Shopify’s most recommended affiliate marketing solution – will help create an affiliate campaign in minutes. You can recruit the right advocates who love your brand and reach your target audience with ease. And you only pay when a sale is made so that you can maximize your marketing budget.
Medusa Nails
Boca Raton, Florida-based Medusa Nails has one of the most impressive gel nail polish collections to make appendages look more stylish.
Medusa Nails formulated its cruelty free product offerings with nontoxic ingredients. Unsurprisingly, nail and nail-art professionals love these polishes.
But Medusa Nails isn’t all about nail polishes. Customers can consult the company’s nail specialists for design and customization advice. It ships to over 50 countries, too. Such service should extend your target audience to those outside the US.
The company has a multi-tiered commission rate starting at 10% for sales volume less than $5,000. And if you sell Medusa Nails products worth $5,000 to $15,000, your commission increases to 15%. Top the $15,000 volume sales, and Medusa Nails will share 20%.
Although Medusa Nails’ sales volume-based commission structure seems “unreasonable,” you’ll be surprised.
The average Medusa shopper spends $120. Hence, you only need about 42 customers to breach the $5,000 limit and around 125 sales to exceed $15,000.
Now that’s more than achievable!
- Commission: 10% to 20%, multi-tiered
- Cookie Lifespan: Revealed once accepted
NailHugs
Nail art is nothing new. The ancient Babylonians (c. 1800 BC) were known to adorn their fingernails with colorful patterns and designs.
Today, millions of women flock to salons to have their nails turned into works of art, spending up to $100 for celebrity-level gel nail art.
NailHiugs won’t charge you that much. Instead, customers can apply stunning art on their fingernails for as low as $6.68 for a pack of three sheets. That’s enough for three people putting art to their fingernails and toenails (or six individuals for fingernail-only application).
This company offers one of the most exciting nail art supplies one can ever hope for. Its appliques are easy to use, last long, and look stunning.
Like many companies, NailHugs work with ShareASale affiliate network. Signing up should be easy, and managing the marketing campaign is equally straightforward.
However, its cookie window is only 15 days, about half the industry average. Still, joining NailHugs makes sense if you’re into highly varied nail art every so often.
- Commission: 20%
- Cookie Lifespan: 15 days
Modelones
Modelones should be top-of-the-mind if you’re looking for a program with a wide range of products for your audiences.
Established in 2015, Los Angeles-based Modelones is the go-to for premium-quality home manicure products guaranteed to dazzle fans, mesmerize paparazzis, and make wearers look more stunning.
Unsurprisingly, Modelones’ single-minded attitude towards healthy, premium nail solutions earned it several awards from Pantone Color Institute, ELLE, StyleCaster, Glamour, Bustle, and NailPro.
You can get various formulations of gel polish (including kits, palettes, and sets), poly nail gel solutions, NailHugs-like semi-cured gel nail strips, gel art liners, acrylic powder essentials & kits, press-on nails, and dipping powder.
It also has nail lamps, brushes, tools, rhinestones, and other nail care and art solutions.
That’s an impressive product lineup to promote!
We recommend joining Modelones’s in-house program instead of a third-party (UpPromote). The advantage of this is you’ll get the full 15% share of each sale you make, although Refersion gives up to 20%.
- Commission: 15%
- Cookie Lifespan: 30 days
MelodySusie
Friends Melody and Susie established MelodySusie in 2009 to deliver salon-quality yet affordable beauty solutions to customers. They don’t need to visit their favorite nail artists or stylists because they can do these things at home.
This San Francisco-based brand offers nail supplies, including drills, lamps, bits, and gels. Interestingly, nail technicians and fashion bloggers consider MelodySusie’s nail lamp an indispensable nail tool. Meanwhile, its nail drills are a favorite of salon users and social media influencers.
But it’s not everything about nails.
Melody and Susie’s company also offers fashion wigs, hand creams, hair dryers, skin care devices, UV light sanitizers, facial cleaning brushes, and more. It even has out-of-this-world products for “more intimate” encounters (i.e., the “Sucking Vibrating Egg Massager”).
We don’t see any reason you shouldn’t join as an affiliate with many products to promote.
MelodySusie has two networks aspiring affiliates can sign up with – ShareASale and Commission Junction.
Note ShareASale only has a 7-day cookie window, but its commission starts at 8% and can increase to 15%. Meanwhile, CJ Affiliate offers a more forgiving 30-day cookie allowance with a fixed 10% commission.
- Commission: 8% to 15%
- Cookie Lifespan: 7 to 30 days, depending on platform
Beyond Polish
Most folks believe getting the best manicure is only possible at the salon. While that may be true, many individuals are discovering the joys and sense of fulfillment of caring for the nails at home with a popular nail polish brand.
Since 2014, Beyond Polish has been helping individuals pamper their nails with only the best, hand-picked nail polishes from the world’s leading nail brands.
Customers can pick Butter LONDON, Essie, ORLY, Wella, Sebastian, OPI, NCLA Beauty, Morgan Taylor, Monika, Eva, Mischo Beauty, Deborah Lippman, Gentle Pink, and other popular brands from Beyond Polish’s lineup.
Searching the perfect nail polish to complement your style should be a cinch with these products. It has nail drills, lamps, bits, brushes, buffers, files, and other tools complementing its cleansers, nail tips, acrylics, extension gels, and other products.
Although it only offers 5% share of the sale, the company’s branded products command a respectable price. Hence, your take-home pay should still be sizable.
Moreover, its impressive product lineup makes earning a hefty commission possible.
If any, it’s the program’s 14-day cookies we’re concerned about. Still, it’s better than seven days.
- Commission: 5%
- Cookie Lifespan: 14 days
SLEEK NAIL
Sleek Nail is like Beyond Polish, including partnerships with leading nail and beauty brands (i.e., Apres, Essue, Le Mini Macaron,NSLA, ORLY Beauty, Sebastian, and more).
It has almost everything one can ask for to get salon-quality manicure and pedicure at home.
With over a decade offering a stress-free and financial guilt-free way to pamper oneself, SleekNail is a favorite of social media influencers, beauty mavens, and nail & beauty specialists.
Interestingly, the brand is aggressive in driving customer loyalty. Its rewards program empowers customers to enjoy exclusive discounts and special offers.
If SleekNail values its customers so much, imagine how it treats its affiliates.
Unfortunately, the affiliate program commission is two percentage points lower than Beyond Polish’s offer. And with an average order size of about $31.50, your take-home pay per sale is less than a dollar.
Like Beyond Polish, not everything about SleekNail is bleak. After all, its lineup is extensive, and the products are topnotch. You can always push harder to earn more.
- Commission: 3%
- Cookie Lifespan: 14 days
Twinkled T
Two sisters’ obsession with nail polish and glitter became Twinkled T’s foundation in 2014. Liz and Lana turned their passion into a flourishing business, starting with Etsy before expanding into a dedicated online platform.
Theirs is an inspiring story.
But more than that, you’ve got to admire these sisters’ dedication to curating and delivering only the best nail art and care products for like-minded individuals.
Twinkled T offers nails & extensions, bundles, nail art, tools, and nail vinyls to make home manicure and pedicure more worthwhile for customers.
And you can become an affiliate partner, too.
Although Twinkled T only offers 10% commission, it’s still better than others. Moreover, its $5 minimum payout threshold is worth looking forward to.
Unfortunately, this program only pays via PayPal, which is bad news for affiliates who prefer direct deposit.
It remains an excellent program to monetize manicure and pedicure.
- Commission: 10%
- Cookie Lifespan: 30 days
SENA NAIL
SENA NAIL is one of the youngest nail brands on this list, established only in 2018. This upstart organization, founded by nail technician Helen, focuses on simpler and healthier products.
And that describes the “SENA” in the brand – “Safe and Easy Nail Art.”
Helen’s story is as touching as Liz and Lana’s. Bothered by ultra-sensitive skin, Helen couldn’t use commercially available nail products. So, she embarked on a mission creating her safe and healthy nail art.
Today, SENA NAIL is a renowned nail art brand.
And get this.
For every product sold, Helen donates 3% of it to financially-struggling yet academically-excelling female college students.
Now, that’s a program affiliate marketers should consider joining.
Besides the generous 20% commission, SENA NAIL offers a customizable dashboard (a must-have affiliate marketing asset) to track clicks, conversions, commissions, and more.
The signup is more straightforward than a third-party platform. It’s worth pointing out that SENA NAIL prefers social media marketing, although blogging is equally effective.
- Commission: 20%
- Cookie Lifespan: 30 days
Born Pretty
Born Pretty believes that nails are a canvas for self-expression, making nail art a reflection of personality. Whether you share the same opinion, two million customers and over 10,000 beauty and nail art bloggers can support Born Beauty’s statement.
With over 12 years experience curating and delivering high-quality nail art and nail care products, Born Pretty affiliate program is worth joining.
You can promote the brand’s toxin-free, cruelty-free, low-odor gentle formulations. Its nail art offerings also last longer than the usual 21 days while imparting a high-gloss finish on nails.
Although its commission is only 10%, Born Pretty allows multiple marketing channels. You’re not limited to blogging, allowing you to leverage your social media followers to boost sales.
Tracking affiliate performance 24/7 is easy with the Born Pretty dashboard. You can check link types, orders, earnings, payment history, daily trends, and more. These parameters should help define future affiliate marketing strategies.
- Commission: Up to 10%
- Cookie Lifespan: 89 days
Kiss USA
John Y. Chang established Kiss USA in 1989 as a provider of artsy artificial nails.
Over the years, Kiss USA expanded into several industry-leading brands, including BROADWAY Nails, IVY Enterprises, imPRESS Beauty, Colors & Care, and FALSCARA.
Joining this program is easy and rewarding. You get an exclusive affiliate discount, online coupon codes, special offers, and early access to promos and sales.
Affiliate support is also spot-on. Its affiliate managers are standby to assist and guide, while the brand’s creative assets will help boost your campaign. Videos, pre-designed banners, and promotional images are available.
And if you want a personalized affiliate marketing tool, you can ask Kiss USA’s custom co-branded assets.
Kiss USA’s commission structure is like Medusa Nails’ multi-tiered model but lower cutoffs.
For example, you only need $1,000 worth of sales to enjoy 10% commission. If not, 8% is still generous. And if you reach $2,000, that’s automatic 11%. Unfortunately, Kiss USA caps its commissions at 12% for sales over $3,500.
It’s still better than Medusa Nails’ 10% at this level.
- Commission: 5%
- Cookie Lifespan: 30 days
Sally Beauty
The oldest beauty and nail brand in this list, Sally Beauty continues to mesmerize since 1964, when it opened its first store in New Orleans. Alberto-Culver bought SallyBeauty and expanded it to an 11-store operation in 1969.
Today, the company remains a pinnacle of success, with over 5,000 stores offering over 6.000 salon-grade nail, skin, and hair products.
It has salon supplies, beauty products & tools, nail care & art resources, hair color & care items, and more.
And you can leverage these offerings by becoming a SallyBeauty affiliate. All you need are the affiliate links strategically embedded in your content.
Interestingly, SallyBeauty’s affiliate management partners vary in commissions. FlexOffers fixes the share at 8% per sale, while Sovrn is more generous with a 15% commission.
Meanwhile, CJ’s commission scheme ranges from as low as 1% to as high as 15%, depending on the product.
- Commission: 1% to 15%, depending on platform
- Cookie Lifespan: 15 days
Why You Should Join a Nail Affiliate Program?
Nail care & art affiliate platforms are a decent strategy for earning extra this year. Besides monetary gains, these programs are worth joining for the following reasons.
A lucrative market
Experts say the nail care industry will grow to $32.84 billion by 2030 if it continues its 4.95% compound annual growth rate from its 2022 market value of $22.34 billion.
Implicit in these figures are the number of products affiliates can promote. You can sell nail polishes in varying formulations, base & top coats, polish removers, nail art, faux nails, cuticle care, and more.
The more products to promote, the higher your chances of earning more.
Even ancient civilizations cared for and beautified their nails. Modern individuals apply colors and designs on their fingernails to complement their personalities.
For example, red shows confidence, while blue reflects a calm and collected personality. Brown is edgy, and pink is playful.
And since almost everyone wants to be unique, nail art and polishes are vital to everyday style.
Translation? You will always have customers buying these products.
Repeat customers
Nail care & art products are finite. People can consume a bottle of nail polish after a few sessions. Nail brushes can deteriorate over time, and nail appliques barely last three weeks.
Hence, customers will continue buying these items to maintain their style. You can leverage these repeat customers and earn recurring commissions if the program offers such a scheme.
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Nail Affiliate Program
Picking an affiliate platform to sign up with can be challenging, particularly for a saturated market like nail care. However, considering the following factors should help you zero in on the best program.
Nail brand trustworthiness
As a rule, the longer the company is in the business, the more trustworthy it is. Company longevity underscores its resilience and remarkable business practices. Otherwise, it wouldn’t last in a very competitive environment.
Besides company history, you can check brand reputation scores from popular online platforms like Trustpilot. Recognition and awards from reputable beauty and nail care organizations can also show brand trustworthiness.
Customer and organizational reviews can also reflect a nail brand’s trustworthiness.
Nail product quality
No affiliate should be okay with promoting mediocre products. After all, it’s your name on the line. If referrals have negative experiences with the products they buy, your audiences might think lowly of you for promoting poor-quality products.
Unbiased product reviews (i.e., Consumer Reports, Wirecutter, Good Housekeeping, and Popular Mechanics) can help determine whether a nail care product is worth promoting.
Alternatively, try the products yourself and evaluate whether they are worth selling to your audiences.
Commission structure
Most nail brands offer a single-tier commission (you only earn once with a fixed rate), while others observe a sales volume-based multi-tiered approach. The latter allows the business to give variable commissions based on sales.
Although most businesses observe a cost-per-sale (CPS) model, some provide commissions on a cost-per-lead (CPL) basis. You might want to check the program which model it uses.
Payout terms
Most nail companies have a minimum withdrawal amount for affiliate accounts, while others are more lax.
Some provide a single payout method (i.e., PayPal only), while others are more “understanding,” allowing affiliates to withdraw their money via multiple methods (i.e., check, crypto, and deposit).
Best Practices to Promote Nail Affiliate Programs
Your earning potential depends on the type, amount, and quality of affiliate work you put into marketing nail care products. You can consider the following best practices to improve nail care product promotion.
Focus on building trust and credibility
Marketing is all about encouraging people to buy. And you can only do that if they trust you or find you credible. You could affiliate with a high-paying program but still fail as a marketer because audiences don’t trust you.
Hence, focus on reputation building and management. Write credible, educational, or informative articles. Produce high-quality videos about nail care and the correct application of nail art products. Link with niche authorities to lend credibility to your content.
Embed promotional resources on blogs and social media channels
Nail brands give you text links, promotional banners, and creatives for the marketing campaign. Use these resources wisely. Learn the best strategies for incorporating such elements in your blogs.
Likewise, excite your social media followers with stunning posts about nail care & art products. Embed the promotional resources in these posts, too.
Advertise on videos, podcasts, and webinars
Some nail businesses prefer videos for marketing their products. And you can leverage this by creating stunning visuals and advertising the nail care product in the spiel. You can also put the link in the video description.
You can use this technique for podcasts and webinars, too. However, please be strategic about advertising products on such platforms to avoid looking “salesy” or “pushy.”
Consider email and SMS marketing
Ask your blog or social media visitors to subscribe to your email or SMS list to stay updated on the latest nail care trends and promotions.
Embed discount coupons, special promo codes, text links, and other traffic-driving resources in your SMS and email messages. It will boost your affiliate campaign.
FAQs
How much commission can I earn from nail affiliate programs?
How much you earn from nail care & art programs depend on the brand and unit prices. Our review shows companies range in commissions from 1% to 20%, with products as cheap as $5 to as expensive as $200.
Considering this information, you can earn about five cents to $40 per sale. Selling 100 $5 products will only get you $5. The same number of $200 items sold will net you $4,000.
Ideally, you’ll want to promote higher-value items to earn more.
Are there any fees for joining a nail affiliate program?
Signing up with any affiliate platform, including the nail niche, is free. However, some programs might charge a refundable fee to discourage non-serious applicants.
Are there any requirements to join nail affiliate programs?
Nail brands vary in joining requirements. For example, most programs require bloggers to have an active website, with verifiable metrics. Some don’t accept websites less than six months old or those with less than 5,000 subscribers or followers.
It’s the same story with social media. Influencers must have at least 1,000 or 5,000 fully-engaged followers (depending on the brand). “Fully engaged” means the influencer actively interacts with their followers.
Nail brands also have dos and don’ts that affiliates must observe. And that’s why reading the company’s terms & conditions is vital before signing up.
Conclusion
Nail affiliate programs might not make you rich overnight, but it has incentives. You leverage a niche as old as time and an essential extension of personality. Nail care isn’t a trend. It’s a part of our existence, allowing you to monetize the niche for many decades.
Building credibility and trustworthiness can go a long way towards encouraging audiences and followers to support your affiliate campaigns. They are your partners in generating additional income.