What to charge as a nail content creator, or influencer

If you're a nail content creator wanting to monetize your nail content, you've come to the right place. I'm Crystal, I go by @lovefreshpaint on Instagram, I've been a content creator for almost 10 years, have been doing it full-time as a career since 2021, and have been mentoring other content creators since 2022. I love helping other creators learn how to navigate the world of brand deals because it's a world that many of us get thrust into just from having a presence on social media.

I know exactly how hard it to know what to charge at first, because so many of us started creating content for fun, and then suddenly we find brands in our DMs and we have no idea what a fair rate would be. It’s an entirely different world! Believe me when I say that what feels like a lot to you at first (when you first start charging) is usually far too low. 🥲

And I’m not just speaking for myself, as someone with a lot of experience and a decent-sized following, I’m privy to a LOT of brand deals with content creators of various sizes, so I’m seeing numbers that are being accepted first hand. 👀 

One of the biggest mistakes I see people making with their pricing is giving flat rates for everything, and not taking into account your time, resources, experience, influence, and the variables that are unique to each partnership. 

There’s a LOT of money in advertising, don’t forget that. If a brand wants to use your content then you deserve to be compensated. 💯

So, if you need help figuring out what to charge for nail swatches, nail videos, nail art content, etc, check out the resources at the link below, or feel free to message me on Instagram if you have any questions. 

Learn what to charge for your nail content here

Essie Resort 2017: Strike A Pose-Itano Comparisons

Hi guys!

Today I have swatches and comparisons of the newest mint green to join the Essie family, Strike a Pose-Itano. I always look forward to the Resort collection and this year was no exception. I have to thank my buddy Lauren for sending me the entire collection as a baby shower gift last month. If you are an Essie lover but are not familiar with Lauren's Instagram account or blog I highly recommend you check them out! Not only does she redefine #nailgoals, but she regularly partners with the Essie Canada team and is a great source for swatches and reviews of upcoming collections. And although I plan to feature just one shade from the collection today, I also plan to cover all four polishes in an upcoming review. I just have one more polish left to try before I can do so. But anyway, back to the task at hand!

Essie: Strike A Pose-Itano

Mega Essie Haul: My 100 Bottle Sweepstakes Win

Hey guys! The time has finally come for me to share the mother lode of all nail polish hauls... My 100 bottle Essie sweepstakes win (queue dramatic lighting)! Thanks for being so patient with me on this one; I know I've been promising it for a long time!

Life Update

Hi Guys! Long time no see! I just wanted to pop in and write a quick post about where the heck I've been and what's been going on in my life. If you don't already know, in late August I found out that I was pregnant with our first baby, which was quickly followed by 2 months of a mild (which, for the record, is still AWFUL) case of hyperemesis gravidarum, aka the worst form of "morning" sickness, during which time nail polish and Instagram became the least important things in the world to me. I had no motivation to do much of anything for a really long time, even after the morning sickness went away and I moved forward into my second trimester. So, I basically didn't even look at a bottle of nail polish between September and Christmas Eve. However, on Christmas Eve I finally got the bug to put something festive on my nails and wound up with my first manicure in 4 months (Essie A-List... see below), which was really exciting! It felt good to paint again, and I foresee getting back into the swing of things, though I doubt I'll go back to my usual new mani every week thing for a while (as I write this my Christmas Eve mani is still on, and it's now January 7th!). 

Essie A-List

Essie Go Go Geisha + September Essie Club Collab

We're one step closer to fall and I couldn't be happier about it. Fall is hands down my favorite season---I love crisp air and "sweater weather." I love the fashion and the rich, seasonal colors. Here in Southern California it definitely still feels like summer, but I'm ready to jump right into Pumpkin Spice Lattes and go on a Bath and Body Works candle binge. And if I'm being honest, going to Bath and Body Works during fall and winter might just be my favorite seasonal tradition... Well, you know, after the whole family gathering stuff! But anyway, I welcome the change of season with open arms; now let's get into the nail polish!

Here's a little Fall #nailporn for ya!

Fall Essie Haul

If you follow me on Instagram you know that I just hauled some Fall-inspired Essie polishes from eBay that consisted of a lot of shades I have been lusting after for a while now. A lot, if not all, of these colors were inspired by my fellow Essie lovers on IG. Their beautiful swatches caught my eye and made it onto my shortlist of polishes I wanted to own. The great thing about this haul was that I didn't pay any more than $4.99 for each bottle. I love shopping eBay for Essie because there a lot of great deals to be had and a lot of sellers offering free shipping. So, if you haven't checked out eBay for nail polish yet, take a look. 

For this post, since I've only worn one polish so far, I thought I'd compare each to similar shades in my collection. Let's start with an overview...

L-R: Topless & Barefoot, Angora Cardi, Sew Psyched, Smokin' Hot, Sexy Divide, and Aruba Blue

July + August Essie Club Collab

Recently a group of us on Instagram decided to collaborate each month to create a collage featuring our favorite Essie shade within a specific color family. It's really fun to see which shades everyone chooses and I figured I'd share these collages here, since it's a great way to see a variety of colors side-by-side, which could be helpful if you are looking for a particular type of shade. 

Most recently we featured blues in August, inspired by the ocean and the end of summer. Shade names and participants are listed below: