Competitions Added to the Networking Event of the Smokies

John Hauk is hosting three new competitions at the fifth Nail Tech Networking Event of the Smokies, which will be held at the downtown Gatlinburg Convention Center on June 24-25. Categories for John Hauk's Smoky Mountain Trilogy Competitions are Salon Style Nails, 3-D Nail Art, and Gel Color. These competitions were designed for novices and students, and new competitors are encouraged to enter. Competitors must purchase an event ticket in order to enter the nail competitions.

Enter before June 16, 2012 and fees are as follows:

> 1 competition — $40

> 2 competitions — $70

> 3 competitions — $100           

Also note:

> One model may be used for both Salon Style Nails and Gel Color competitions. (Models will not be allowed onto event floor.)

> Each competition is only 30 minutes in length.

> Only two side-by-side nails are required for each competition, such as the index and ring finger.

> Create your 3-D nail art ahead of time on five tips using your interpretation of the Smoky Mountains theme.

Visit www.nailtechevent.com for updates on the networking event and the competitions. For a complete set of competition rules, contact John Hauk at USAnailpro@aol.com or call (937) 901-1531.  

Do you plan to attend?

—Judy

posted @ Friday, January 27, 2012 1:41 PM | Comment (0)

Light Elegance Debuts New Logo

Light Elegance Nail Products, based in Redmond, Ore., has announced a new logo and tag line that debuts this month. The new logo will gradually appear on everywhere, from products to the website to the trade show booth and everything in between.

The logo — a round-bottom laboratory beaker filled with pink liquid and emitting a few floating pink bubbles — represents the Light Elegance legacy of formulating and manufacturing its products on site with its own chemist, co-founder Jim McConnell.

The tag line changes to “we’ve got great chemistry” to underscore not only the in-house manufacturing function but the close relationships Light Elegance has with its nail tech.

Lexy North, marketing director at Light Elegance, says that the new logo and tag line are just the beginning of a year of esthetic and branding focus in her department. “We’ve been so busy building the company into a success and now it’s time that our brand reflect that from top to bottom,” she said. “The new logo is just the beginning of all the new things you’re going to see from Light Elegance this year.”

“We’re not really changing anything fundamental,” said Lezlie McConnell, president and co-founder at Light Elegance. “Actually, we’re just becoming more of ourselves as a company. I heard someone say that ‘middle age is a nice change from being young’ and that’s what we’re discovering as a manufacturer, too. We are hitting our stride in a big, big way.”

— Tim

posted @ Wednesday, January 25, 2012 5:14 PM | Comment (1)

Ramp Up the Red for Valentine’s Day

With Valentine’s Day swiftly approaching, we know you want to cater to all of your clients’ requests for that lovely, flattering shade of red. Experts at Mario Tricoci Hair Salons & Day Spas — John Gialluisi, creative director; Cheryl Santucci, beauty director; and Amber Edwards, nail director— offer these tips.
 
Hair: We’re not talking Rihanna or Lucille Ball. Today’s hottest reds are vibrant but are also natural and healthy looking. Women with light skin look best in copper and golden reds, while medium skin tones glow with a true red, and darker skin looks radiant with violets and deeper reds. And remember, the best reds have dimension to them; you want darker tones closer to the roots and lighter tones at the tips.
 
Lips: Once again, the secret is in your skin tone. Lighter, fair, and yellow undertone skin looks great with an orangey red, while cooler and olive skin tones can wear more of a range — from brownish reds to pink-reds. The right red will brighten the skin when the client is wearing nothing but foundation and it won’t make teeth look yellow. At Mario Tricoci, the salon offers a custom blended route, creating the perfect red while you wait. While some women want to balance a deep red lip with a dramatic eye, a major trend this year is to go “barely there” with the rest of your cosmetics to truly make your lips the focal point.
 
Nails: For a true red, these experts recommend Essie’s [www.essie.com] Forever Young or the deep, lacquered red Limited Addition, adding that vibrant and super shiny is trendy. And, of course, if you want a red to last long past Valentine’s Day, offer brush-on gel-polish manicures.
 
If it’s red nail art you’re after, NAILS offers a gallery of exclusively that in our Holiday Red-dy Nail Art feature. And to delve deeper into color theory and cosmetics, NAILS has this article for you.
 
(Photo by Michael Dar of Factor Photo) 
—Sree

posted @ Tuesday, January 24, 2012 5:11 PM | Comment (0)

Market Research Company IDs Key Success Factors for Salons

 In its recent industry report Hair & Nail Salons in the U.S., market research firm IBIS World identified the five “key success factors” for businesses in our industry. These are identified as:
 
> Business expertise of operators. It is critical to have experience and skills in managing and operating all aspects of a small business in order to achieve financial success.
> Having a loyal customer base. A highly satisfied client base will encourage repeat customers, which are the main component of clients.
> Access to niche markets. Operators that develop niche areas of service and expertise reduce the effects of local price-based competition.
> Maintenance of excellent customer relations. Operators that strive for positive customer relations will promote customer satisfaction and encourage positive word-of-mouth recommendations.
> Must have license. Employees must possess the appropriate licenses in order to operate.
 
Purchase the entire report — it could be helpful for those of you thinking of opening a new nail salon — here.
 
—Sree

posted @ Monday, January 23, 2012 2:13 PM | Comment (1)

Beauty for Good: Cuccio Naturalé Supports BunnyLuv

As an avid supporter of ethical treatment for animals and the manufacturer of a cruelty-free line of spa products, Cuccio Naturalé has donated gift baskets to support the efforts of the Bunny Luv Rabbit Resource Center in Van Nuys, Calif., and has helped save the lives of hundreds of rabbits. The rescue center is a rehabilitation facility for bunnies of all breeds and ages that is dedicated to providing a safe haven for abandoned, abused, and neglected rabbits as they await adoption into new homes. Unfortunately, many people get a pet rabbit as a novelty item for a child or for Easter without understanding the responsibility of having such a pet and these pets are later abandoned. Rabbits are also frequent victims of animal experimenters because they are mild-tempered and easy to handle, confine, and breed often.

 

— Judy

 

Beauty for Good spotlights beauty products, services, and events that benefit a good cause. To be considered for this column, leave a comment below or e-mail details to features editor Judy at Judy.Lessin[at]bobit.com.

posted @ Monday, January 23, 2012 2:01 PM | Comment (0)

New at the Spa: Color Therapy

Aura-Soma Color Therapy Series / Courtesy of Caesars Palace

 

Do you believe color has the power to affect the body, mind, and spirit?

 

Qua Baths and Spa at Caesars Palace  in Las Vegas is one of the first spas in the country to offer Aura-Soma therapy, a combination of massage and aromatherapy with the natural healing powers of color and light. The theory goes that color and light are used to balance a person’s energy wherever it is lacking, whether on the physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental level. Two treatments — Aura-Soma Synergy (135 minutes; $400) and Aura-Soma Color Quest (75 minutes; $210) — are designed to bring balance and support to both the client’s physical and emotional well-being leading to enhanced awareness and self-discovery.

 

The treatments feature 109 beautiful Equilibrium bottles filled with colors, aromas, crystals, and light. These colorful blends contain 100% organic essential oils, herbs, and flower essences. Treatments begin with the client’s selection of duo-colored bottles and a color consultation to explain the meaning of each color and how it applies to each area of the person’s life. Each color combination and the order in which it is selected symbolizes a different area of the individual’s life including personality, gifts and talents, present state, and potential. Clients choose one color to focus on throughout the treatment and that color is incorporated into a multi-sensory experience, using sight, smell, and touch.

 

Says Shannon Stringert, spa manager at Qua: “Research has shown that color has profound effects on an individual’s mood and emotions. We created this series to help individuals interpret the way the subconscious experiences certain hues while incorporating traditional elements of massage.”

 

— Judy

posted @ Friday, January 20, 2012 2:13 PM | Comment (1)

Literature-Inspired Nail Art Gallery

We found this cool online gallery at Flavorpill. It's a photo gallery called "15 Great Works of Literature-Inspired Nail Art." Our own Robin Moses has a photo in there. I'm partial to the one above from "The Hunger Games" because I couldn't put those books down last year when I read them and I can't wait for the movie to come out in a few months. Go take a look at the gallery and then come back to tell us which one is your favorite.

— Hannah

posted @ Friday, January 20, 2012 9:13 AM | Comment (0)

Walgreens Opens Nail Salon Inside Chicago Store

First, Sephora opened in-store nail salons, now Walgreens has set itself apart in the drugstore arena with one. At its just-opened two-story flagship store in Chicago's Loop (which marks a return to the landmark location of 151 N. State St. for Walgreens, which operated a store at this corner from 1926 to 2005), the Nail Bar offers professional manicures with the latest colors from Essie and OPI.

"This unique urban retailing concept raises the bar for drugstore retailing and sets us apart in our industry,” said Joe Magnacca, Walgreens president of daily living products and solutions, in a press release. “As we transform from a traditional drugstore to a retail health and daily living destination, this store demonstrates how we are a central part of life for many who live and work in this dynamic and thriving community. We look forward to serving them with this new shopping and wellness experience for years to come."

The nail bar is part of an overall LOOK Boutique beauty department featuring dozens of cosmetic, skincare, and hair care brands not typically found in drugstores. Specially trained beauty advisors are on hand to offer guidance for finding the best solutions for individual customers. Expert shaping and grooming services are available at the Eyebrow Bar. In addition, customers can try new cosmetic shades and styles at the innovative Virtual Makeover kiosk.

If this trend catches on, then I have to say it will certainly distinguish Walgreens from its competition. Currently, I'm constantly calling the Walgreens next to my home "Rite Aid" and vice versa. But I won't be getting it confused if I'm set on getting my eyebrows done while I wait for a prescription. I do wonder about the in-"salon" experience though. I can't imagine that it's good competition for a high-end nail salon that offers a "getaway" sort of experience or that caters to groups and parties, but it could be steep competition for salons that thrive on the convenience factor (located in high walk-in traffic areas).

--Sree

posted @ Thursday, January 19, 2012 11:43 AM | Comment (4)

UK Beauty College Students Christmas Nail Art

Chesterfield College in the U.K. held a competition for its students to craft Christmas-themed nail art. The students were level 3, working on the N10 unit requiring nail images for a competition. Working on an avant-garde theme, involving a photographer, competition judge, and client. The students worked extremely hard to create some stunning images based on a Winter Wonderland theme.

Chesterfield College is in Derbyshire, England. The college has a hair and beauty department with students working towards City and Guilds and BTEC Beauty Qualifications.

The students completed their level 2 qualification in June 2011, and started level 3 in September 2011, and will complete the course in May 2012. The students work in UV gel, acrylic, and silk wraps. Part of their qualification is to create nail images based on a theme.

The overall winner was Theresa Bateson who created the outstanding 3-D design at the top.

— Tim

posted @ Wednesday, January 18, 2012 11:25 AM | Comment (5)

Are You a Star? Enter Nail Photo Competition

Do you know about the Stars Photo Competition? It’s an opportunity for you to showcase your best nails — on film. Basically you have to create a set of nails using extensions, nail art, colored acrylic or gel to get your desired look. The photo must be of the hands only. And you have to submit three different images of the same set of nails (Two styled shots and one close up so the judges can see the nail details).
You can download the rules and regulations here. Entries are due no later than Friday, January 27 (so you have a little less than two weeks to get your entry done). The winner will receive $500 cash award, a trophy, and international recognition at America’s Beauty Show on March 4 in Chicago. It's only $35 to enter if you're a member of INTA or CC. And it's only $50 for non-members. CND’s Jan Arnold is this year’s celebrity judge.
What are you waiting for? Start creating and be a STAR!
(Photo by 2011 Nail STARS winner Michelle Sproat of Inspirations Salon, Ontario Canada)
— Hannah

posted @ Tuesday, January 17, 2012 2:05 PM | Comment (4)
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