Grooming & Glamour

GROOMING & GLAMOUR Raise Your Hands

By Amanda Dahl

Raise your hand if you’ve struggled with easy-to-break nails, damaged cuticles, bloody hangnails or cracked skin! In fact, raise both hands – and heal them with the products designed by Clay Cosmetics.

Launched in November 2020 by local nail technician Angelica Clay, this beauty brand, which includes nourishing oils, scrubs and butters, stands by its motto to give you “skincare your skin deserves.”

“I celebrated my first [business anniversary] last year on Black Friday,” Clay says. “So far, it’s been really positive reviews and feedback on the products. I’m really enjoying the process.”

Clay ensures quality in her products by making each by hand and using cruelty-free materials.

“I originally started it because people would come in [to do their nails] and say, ‘My skin’s so dry, and I don’t know what to do,’” Clay says. “I was like, ‘I make butters and scrubs’ – and that was just for fun at the time. So I’d say, ‘Let’s see if that helps,’ and it’s really been helping [my customers].”

Clay’s clientele as a nail technician mostly includes women, whom she originally targeted with her signature products, but her cuticle oil and body butters proved a hit among men as well, her customers report.

“Many would come in and be like, ‘I need another jar – my husband took that one,’” she says with a laugh.

Since then, Clay Cosmetics has expanded to include items for anyone, including sugar-based and whipped body scrubs, unscented and whipped body butters, and shower melts. Clay explains that the Golden Goddess body shimmer enhances your skin with a natural glow, while Clay’s cuticle oil tackles nails at their root or nail bed.

“If your cuticles are dry and peeling, the oil will really help,” she says. “Our product … helps, even with scarring.”

Expect to see Clay all around St. Louis at popups and shows, where she encourages people to put her products to the test.

“I hope [the products make my clients] feel good,” Clay says. “I hope they feel moisturized. I hope they feel like they’re ready to take on the world after using my products.”

This month, Clay Cosmetics will launch new citrus and other fruit-based scents in time for spring and summer.

Clay Cosmetics, St. Louis, theclaycosmetics.com