The Expert Edit [1] features interviews with specialists about the products they swear by in their chosen field. For the latest installment, we spoke to celebrity nail artist Melissa Samuel about her beauty product recommendations that she's used on clients like SZA and Brandon Blackwood.
During the 2020 shutdown, the days often poured into each other, so I spent my time aimlessly scrolling on Instagram gathering fashion and beauty inspiration. One day, I stumbled upon a post from creative giant Alani Figueroa [2], showing her extravagantly-adorned nails [3] which instantly went viral, and I immediately fell in love. The genius behind the artistry? Melissa Samuels [4].
More popularly known as "Finesse Your Claws [5]," the London native is highly revered for her avant-garde manicures that more than live up to her alias (think Flo-Jo's claws). She started getting acrylic nails at 16 years old, but the salon never fully delivered on the intricately-designed sets she imagined. "I'd always ask them, can you paint a dragon or something? And they just couldn't do it," she tells Popsugar. "My mom suggested that I start painting designs on my own nails using acrylic paint, and I often thought 'Is this even going to look good?,' but I kept practicing and people loved it — and it quickly became my passion."
Samuel's talent led her to the United States in 2015, where she discovered the vibrant nail industry and honed her skills working at a Japanese nail salon. She ended up managing two nail art salons before making the plunge into the world of full-time entrepreneurship. Her business was quickly (yet temporarily) stunted when the pandemic hit, but still, Samuel kept working to make her dreams come true. She made press-ons in the meantime, before opening up her studio, and the rest was history.
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But let's be clear — what seemed like an "overnight success" for Samuel, was the fruit of years of perseverance and faith. "Doing nails is very personal; it's a collaboration between you and your client, especially the more complex the design is....even at this stage now, having the clients that I've had, I'm always practicing and learning new techniques because trends are always evolving which speaks to what people want," she says. "The ultimate key is staying humble and realizing that there's no glass ceiling with this — you just need to keep pushing."
These values are part of what's granted the Brooklyn-based artist access into some of the industry's biggest rooms with some of the biggest names — from SZA's 2021 cover for Cosmopolitan Magazine, to other stars like Justine Skye [7] and Lil Yachty visiting her salon. Faithful clients also include designer Brandon Blackwood [8].
While Samuel's career is dedicated to making others feel and look good, she's far from compromising when it comes to her own self-care routines, which often consist of pedicure and facial appointments. Ahead, she shares her holy-grail beauty products, including the matte top coat that keeps her masterpiece sets in place.
A Base Gel
Gelish Foundation Base Gel [9] ($15, originally $25)
One of the biggest secrets to Samuel's sets? This foundation base gel from Gelish that acts a uniting agent between the nail plate and polish, creating longevity for your manicures. "It's a very old school gel, but I use it for my manicures because oldies work," she raves.
A Toner
Fenty Skin Fat Water Niacinamide Pore-Refining Toner Serum [10] ($36)
Like most of us, Samuel is a major Fenty fan. While doing her skin-care routine, she often uses Fenty Fat Water, which is made with ingredients like Barbados cherry to brighten the skin.
A Cuticle Oil
Finesse Your Claws Cuticle Oil [11] ($5, originally $10)
Samuel swears by her cuticle oil for all of her clients. Made with an essential blend of jojoba, vitamin E, almond, grapeseed, and avocado oils, it's the perfect product for growing and maintaining healthy nails — with or without tips.
A Hand Sanitizer
Dove Deep Moisture Nourishing Hand Sanitizer [12] ($9)
With her day-to-day responsibilities requiring constant physical contact, she often uses hand sanitizer, but frequent use can cause dryness. To combat it, Samuel turns to this moisturizing hand sanitizer from Dove. "Your skin can get pretty dry from using a sanitizer all the time, but this one prevents that physically dry look," she says.
A Matte Top Coat
Kokoist Velvet Matte Non Wipe Top Coat Gel [13] ($20)
This matte top coat from Kokoist is another tried-and-true product Samuel frequently uses on her clients. "I like to do a lot of my designs in matte since I do a lot of graphic, bright colors; and the matte makes it pop," she says. "A lot of people are scared to use matte top coats because back in the day they came off shiny before you left the salon, but Kokoist's coat will keep your nails matte until you remove them."
A Cuticle Remover
Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover [14] ($5, originally $7)
For many of her viral sets on Figueroa, the nail artist uses this Sally Hansen cuticle remover to properly prep the nails before tip installation. Made with aloe and chamomile, this oil works to condition and soothe the nails, while eliminating excess cuticles in under 15 seconds. "Alani doesn't have a lot of cuticles so I use this on her to give a nice clean cuticle when I start doing her extensions," she explains.
A Tinted Moisturizer
Fenty Skin Hydra Vizor Huez Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 Sunscreen [15] ($43)
Another Fenty favorite for Samuel, this hybrid tinted moisturizer not only acts as a sunscreen, but also a foundation. "I recently went to St. Lucia and I didn't really wear makeup because of the heat, so I tried this Fenty moisturizer and it's one of the best products I've used," she says. "I got a shade slightly darker than my skin because of my tan, and it gave me a super nice glow — I wouldn't do without in the summertime."
A Dark Spot Serum
Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Dark Spot Serum [16] ($82)
While Samuel is a nail connoisseur, she also refers to herself as a proud skin-care girl. She often uses this serum from Caudalie, praising it for its hydrating and brightening capabilities. With ingredients like patented vine sap viniferine and olive squalane, you're bound to look your most radiant.
Naomi Parris [17] is the assistant shopping editor at PS, based in New York. With over eight years of experience and previous roles held on the brand's Beauty and Operations teams, she enjoys telling stories that merge fashion, beauty, and Black culture. Naomi has also lent her skillful pen to Essence Girls United, Elle, Bustle, and Elite Daily. When she's not crafting shopping roundups, high-profile features, beauty op-eds, or trend guides, you can find Naomi behind her blog "Eli-Nay," where she inspires readers through style guides, cultural pieces, and innovative content on her Instagram.