I put my nails on phone cases and make them for different holidays and seasons. It’s a great way to advertise outside of the salon as well because people are always asking to look at it while I’m out. When I’m done using them I put them on shelves to display in my salon!

Lexi Martone, Finger Painted, Dix Hills, N.Y.

I keep my nail art close at hand for my clients to see detail and colors in every swatch.

Lynn Martinez, Serendipity Salon and Spa, Clovis, Calif.

I use a few techniques to show off my work. I have a nail album with all of my work. Clients can browse through it while they are waiting or if they haven’t chosen a design of their own. I also use display nails and boards. I like the display nails because clients can really see the details on top of and underneath my sculpted nails. I change out these designs every week so clients can see new designs and techniques.

Eva Jenkins, Extraordinary Nails by Eva, Bellevue, Neb.

In keeping with the minimalist décor of the spa I work at, there isn’t room to display nail art. Digital and social media is the easiest way, as time is limited and all services are a la carte. I can pull my Android phone from my apron quickly to show clients examples of what I can do.

Valerie Ann Williams, Spa Sydell at Park Place, Atlanta

I use a digital frame in the salon. I update it regularly with new and stylish art. My clients love sitting and watching the pics as they shuffle through. I also use Facebook and Instagram. My clients love seeing the new tiny masterpieces on a regular basis.

Danalynn Stockwood, FunFancyNails, Fitchburg, Mass.

We do sample nail art on plastic tips and put them in a vase right by our nail stations. This way our clients can peruse them, pull out ones they like and “try them on” to see what it would look like on their own nails. It also allows us to do special designs around a specific holiday or season and we can switch them out as often as necessary. In addition to these samples, we also have a booming Instagram page and our clients often come in with ideas of what they want from nails we’ve done for other clients. We can all pull up Instagram on our phones or one of the iPads in the salon so clients can scroll through our pictures.

Cammy Nguyen, Blossom Beauty Lounge, Redondo Beach, Calif.

Besides actively posting to social media, I display nail art in a variety of ways. I have a collage scrapbook that has nail art in it as far back as the 80’s. Older clients as well as my younger ones love getting the vintage looks. I display different covers of the magazines I subscribe to on a wall, showing off the latest trends in the industry. The best way I introduce the vast variety of nail art available to my clients is with a digital frame. You can easily download images from your computer to the screen. Always make sure there’s a watermark or tag on the photos, and give credit if you use a design as inspiration.

Victoria Zegarelli, Nail Bar Lounge, Long Island, N.Y.

I’ve found that nail wheels work very well for me. There is just something especially satisfying about finishing an entire wheel. The salon that I work at doesn’t have assigned stations for techs; instead we use carts to hold our supplies. I always have at least one wheel on my cart of “dollar designs,” i.e., more simple, understated nail art for the client who is a nail-art newbie. I’ll use additional wheels to showcase accent nails, seasonal nail art, and more detailed techniques that I want to practice. This way, I’m becoming a better artist and my clients leave happy!

Sarah Kane, Sugarcoat Nails, Austin, Texas

We use digital photo frames at our desks to display our nail art. We just keep them running as a slideshow, and people can watch and get ideas as we are working on them. We also always take pictures of our nail art as we do it and keep it on our phones so we can show people our art at any time.

Kathy Dent, Salon Glow, Reno, Nev.

 

NAIL ART HODGEPODGE

Take all those Instagram photos of your nail art and turn them into something tangible from these cool companies:

> Magnets from Sticky9

Perfect for a metal display board in a salon or as a gift your favorite clients can take home to stick on their fridge, Stickygram offers a set of nine little photo magnets of your favorite images.

> Tiles from ImageSnap 

These ceramic tiles bearing your nail art (or any image you want) come in a variety of sizes. Install a few above a salon basin just like regular tiles, or use them as coasters — the possibilities are endless.

> Stickers from Artflakes 

Login to your Instagram account, choose from all your pictures, and this company will turn them into easily removable vinyl stickers you can place on any smooth surface. Great for sticking on mirrors and windows.

> Phone cases from Casetagram )

Choose an individual image or create a collage of nail art to turn into a customized case for your smartphone or tablet.

> Buttons, business cards, and more from Printstagram 

Versatility is the name of this company’s game when it comes to turning your favorite Instagram images into display/ marketing tools. You can purchase 20-by-40-inch posters, buttons, photostrips, business cards, and calendars.

 

You might also like: Show [Us] Your Clever Workstation Lamps.

 

 

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