Amazon's Top-Selling Nail Brand Beetles Makes European Debut at Cosmoprof Bologna

Beetles Gel Polish, one of the top-selling nail brands on Amazon in North America, made its debut at Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna this week, the most significant trade show in professional beauty. The appearance marks a notable step for a brand that has built its reputation almost entirely through e-commerce and mass retail channels in the U.S., and now appears ready to go international.

International Business Times previously reported on Beetles' entry into Walmart, where its gel polish kits gained rapid traction amid a broader consumer shift toward at-home nail care. Since then, the brand has continued to scale. Founded in 2017, Beetles now serves more than 18 million users across 30 countries, sells approximately 300 million nail products annually, and is stocked in over 5,000 retail locations across North America, including Target and CVS. Cosmoprof represents a different kind of audience: distributors, salon buyers, and professional beauty operators for whom trade relationships and product reliability carry more weight than social media reach.

A Professional Line Enters the Picture

The centrepiece of Beetles' booth at Hall 47, B10 was Beetles PRO, a dedicated professional line the brand is positioning for nail salons, freelance nail technicians, and advanced users. The range includes salon-grade gel systems, HEMA and TPO-free builder gels, a 48 W full-spectrum UV/LED lamp, and professional precision tools. The launch signals something significant: a brand that made its name selling accessible DIY kits to home users is now making a case for itself in the professional segment, a market that demands a different level of performance, formulation rigour, and commercial trust.

Sitting alongside the PRO line is the brand's Stay Shining Collection, designed for everyday consumers, that brings together colour gels, base and top coats, nail tips, and accessories into a single workflow. The dual-line structure reflects a deliberate push toward what Beetles describes as a complete nail ecosystem, a strategy favoured across the beauty industry as brands drive deeper customer loyalty and higher basket sizes through system-based selling rather than individual product transactions.

Why Europe, Why Now

Beetles has not announced specific European retail partnerships or distribution agreements at this stage. But its decision to debut at Cosmoprof Bologna, combined with an operational foundation that includes five owned manufacturing facilities, a 60-person R&D lab, and a product development team of over 200 people, suggests the brand is building toward a sustained international presence rather than testing the waters with a single trade show appearance.

The timing is not without logic. The nail category has seen consistent growth across European markets in recent years, supported by the rise of the freelance nail artist sector and continued consumer appetite for professional-quality results at home. European cosmetic regulations around ingredients such as HEMA are also tightening, a trend that could work in Beetles' favour given its existing investment in HEMA-free formulations across both its consumer and professional lines.

The path from Cosmoprof debut to sustained European retail distribution is rarely straightforward, particularly in markets where established local brands hold deep relationships with salon buyers and distributors. But for a brand that went from launch to Walmart shelves in under a decade, the ambition is clearly there.