Talons Turns One

Expression has always been central to who I am, and when I experimented with nail art for the first time in the Summer of 2024 it sparked the idea for Talons. A year later I’d built a small team and was ready to test the hypothesis that men were ready for a product like Talons. When we officially launched on September 30th, 2025 we were blown away by the reception. It validated that the world is ready for an expressive man.

Proving my hypothesis that men would buy press-on nails was obviously an essential step in the infancy of the company, and as soon as that was out of the way we turned our attention to what was actually far more interesting and important: How do men express themselves? And what effect does wearing nail art have on them? What we found fascinating. Talons is more than just a product... it's a permission slip for men to get out of their heads, experiment with something new, feel seen for who they are, be creative with their style, playful in their expression, bold in their masculinity, and embody themselves fully. This is the reason why I went all-in, leaving a 19-year corporate career to build Talons full-time.

Building a startup isn't easy and it isn't for the faint of heart. We lost a co-founder, got robbed by a PR agency and faced challenges with product quality, conversions and logistics. Yet we kept going, continuously improving along the way.

In reflection, I'm blown away with what we've accomplished in our 1st year. Launched 19 designs across 5 product drops (including 2 product extensions), updated and upgraded our packaging and components, joined an accelerator program, spread across multiple social media platforms, started showing up at independent boutiques, engaged with customers in street fairs and music festivals, and updated our website - twice! And most importantly, we've built both an amazing team and an incredibly supportive community that we couldn't be more grateful for.

In year two, we're planning to grow into more boutique locations, and we're also eyeing larger retail opportunities and platforms like Amazon. And what motivates us even more than growing- is engaging with you, our customers, and doing our very best to create the products and experiences that you've been asking for. That's why the roadmap for our second year includes additional men's nails and packaging upgrades, expanded sizing options, more frequent nail drops, nail glue & remover, top coats, polishes, and a few other exciting surprises we're cooking up in the proverbial lab.

Year one proved Talons belongs. Year two is about expanding our impact. Thank you for being with us on this incredible journey.

Celebrate with us. We’re marking our first birthday with 30% off almost everything through October 1 at 11:59 PM PST. Shop the Anniversary Sale

Sasha