• January 17, 2017
• NAILS Magazine

Another great question we get asked a lot is, “How can I get [myself, my salon, my nail art, my story, my services, my demos] to be featured in NAILS Magazine?” We are always (ALWAYS!) looking

Read more

• December 28, 2016
• Beth Livesay

The past few years I haven’t done anything for New Year’s Eve, but thanks to Black File Nail Social, I’ve been inspired to hit the town.

Read more

• June 1, 2015
• Beth Livesay

Offer free services to cancer survivors on Tuesday, June 2.

Read more

• September 25, 2014
• Sigourney Nuñez

Nail art and video games collide when a gaming company teams up with two nail salons.

Read more

• March 19, 2014
• Brittni Rubin

Queen Bee Salon and Spa has a creative spunk matching that of the salon’s employees. 

Read more

• July 19, 2013
• NAILS Magazine

Gaybonics: "GUUURRRLLLL...CHILE...YES GAWD, YES JESUS...HUNTY, FIERCE...WERK...SHADE...REEEEAAAD…" Look, I’m  always down for  a good ol' kiki (butch queens raised me, it’s in my blood), but let’s just get this fashion show done, Anthony!It’s like everything he touches

Read more

• July 11, 2013
• NAILS Magazine

How many times have you met a stranger and been introduced as, “This is blank ______ (Naja in my case). She does nails.” The stranger immediately pulls her hands back in a hiding position and says,

Read more

• June 24, 2013
• NAILS Magazine

Two Charlotte, N.C.-based salon owners have joined forces to form QC Nail Squad where they’ll be hosting “Nailathons” every other month. Kianna Baskerville, owner of Siditty Kitty, and Wanda Belk, owner of Zoe Nails at Ayrsley,

Read more

• April 18, 2013
• NAILS Magazine

While working on a story for our June issue about caring for nail clients with cancer, I reached out to nonprofit Beauty Bus for a sidebar about volunteer organizations serving this demographic. The Beauty Bus Foundation

Read more

• March 1, 2013
• NAILS Magazine

Women in households with children are more likely to use more nail care products than those without children in their homes, reports market intelligence firm Mintel. According to a Mintel report, this is particularly notable with

Read more

• January 22, 2013
• NAILS Magazine

UPDATED APRIL 2013: Here's the full step-by-step tutorial on Minx Underwear we promised you!When I first heard that Minx Nails was launching a new product called “Minx Underwear,” my first thought was, “I know the company

Read more

• December 12, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

“UV nail lamps do not appear to significantly increase the lifetime risk of KC [keratinocyte carcinoma]” in consumers, reports a study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. Authors Alina Markova of Massachusetts General Hospital, the

Read more

• August 29, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

A market segment within the U.S. day spa and nail salon industry likely to experience growth in the next five years is the male consumer, according to a recent report by market research firm IBISWorld. The

Read more

• August 24, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

I remember nodding my head in agreement as I read nail tech and blogger Maggie’s rant about how the phrase celebrity manicurist doesn’t refer to a manicurist who’s a celebrity herself but to a manicurist who

Read more

• August 22, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

Many of us get inspired by YouTube videos these days, and new online series SuperStyled plays that up with short (the first one is under 4 minutes) episodes that showcase total makeovers — nails, makeup, and

Read more

• August 9, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

In this age of nail art, I’m excited to see manufacturers launch products in other categories that also let clients showcase their individually. It’s so great to make a bold (and reassuringly temporary) fashion statement, such

Read more

• July 24, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

Gulfstream showcased two especially neat pedicure spa improvements at Cosmoprof North America.One is this convenient pull-out storage area on its La Lili 5. Handy, right?The other is this upgraded footrest style, which allows you to elevate

Read more

• July 23, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

Ciate is one of those "overnight" sensations that was almost a decade in the making. Founded in 2002 by a professional nail tech, the company is now big buzz in the nail industry for its "Caviar

Read more

• July 6, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

Breanne Trammell, an artist from Wassaic, N.Y., has set her sights on the nails industry. She took a 16 week nail specialty course and graduated from TW Nail Technology with a Nail Specialty Certificate on June

Read more

• June 12, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

Manicures and pedicures can be the perfect pamper gift to give a great dad on Father’s Day. Is your salon prepared with enticing services for all the fathers out there? Here are some salons that we

Read more

• June 3, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONE/* Style Definitions */table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle

Read more

• June 3, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONE/* Style Definitions */table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle

Read more

• May 2, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

Between 2012 and 2017, nail salons will increasingly expand into full-service salons, which will allow industry operators to diversify their customer base and mitigate revenue fluctuations, according to a recent report by market research firm IBIS

Read more

• April 24, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

If you care about the beauty industry and can be in Washington D.C. on May 9, then I highly encourage you to volunteer your skills at the annual Welcome to Our World event on Capitol Hill.Welcome

Read more

• April 6, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

Color blocking, a trendy technique where blocks of solid colors are placed next to each other to add visual interest, works so well for nail art.Yesterday, I attended the Alice and Olivia color denim preview party,

Read more

• March 29, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

Remember when we told you about “Tangerine Tango” and how it was declared “color of the year” by the Pantone Color Institute?At the time, I said I’d totally rock tangerine nails. Well, Pantone and beauty retailer

Read more

• March 14, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

While backstage at the CND Shellac Couture event at America’s Beauty Show, I was thrilled to meet Ashley Crowe, better known as Astrowifey (who runs a nail art blog by the same name), a phenomenal nail

Read more

• March 4, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

There’s a new entry into the gel-polish market: Lac It! by EnVogue.  So far, there are 18 colors, plus top and base, available. Starter kits at the show run from $90 to $385. Booth #3828. --Sree

Read more

• February 17, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

My interest is piqued by this trend of super expensive manicures. I love that clients are putting this much worth on having stunning nails (well, some clients, celebrities and such — but, hey that’s where many

Read more

• January 30, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

Yay for more magnetic polish options! China Glaze distinguishes itself with a horseshoe-shaped magnet that houses three designs. The six magnetic polish shades are launching in stores now. (Sadly you can’t buy it at the company’s

Read more

• January 30, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

There’s a special part in our hearts for nail tech-made products, so we were excited to see a launch from nail tech Rhonda Tooker and her daughter Natalie deWitte that expands the glitter focus of Sparkleyez

Read more

• January 30, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

There’s a new professional-only nail polish option on the floor called Venique. I’m intrigued by this entry into the field because this polish features Siltek, an ingredient that expands when wet and contracts when dry, meaning

Read more

• January 29, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

I recently uploaded this video to NAILStv that demoed a new towel warmer to enter the U.S. market, and it was even cooler to see it in person at ISSE. Beauty Pro’s warmer is so small. It’s

Read more

• January 24, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

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,

Read more

• January 20, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

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

Read more

• January 17, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

On Friday, Young Nails visited the NAILS’ office to tell us more about ManiQ Color, its brush-on gel-polish.When president Greg Salo mentioned that some Young Nails-educated nail techs were doing three Mani Q Color clients an

Read more

• January 5, 2012
• NAILS Magazine

As a 232-page hardcover book published by Standard Press (the publishing imprint of The Standard Hotels), Nailed: The History of Nail Culture and Dzine is a photo-heavy look at nails through the ages with a focus

Read more

• November 18, 2011
• NAILS Magazine

L to R: manager Esther Ton, owner Fawn Ton, and nail tech Mia YangKi Nail Bar in downtown Los Angeles is the girly Japanese sister of Chi Nail Bar in Beverly Hills. Earlier this week, I

Read more

• October 12, 2011
• NAILS Magazine

You know that cheese of the month club you got as a Christmas present that kept on giving? Well, we just learned of something similar available for salon professionals: The “Luxe Bag” from The Spa Buzz,

Read more

• September 7, 2011
• NAILS Magazine

Thanks to Nubar, my nails are now polished a lovely Fire Sparkle red. I got the mini-manicure at the Urban Sanctuary “Jetsetter Luxe Lounge” retail suite at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., yesterday. (Fancy!)Nubar,

Read more

• August 17, 2011
• NAILS Magazine

Beauty retailer Sephora is infatuated with nail art. Through a partnership with XpresSpa, it now offers in-store Sephora Nail Studio Art + Lacquer Services at select stores in New York and California. The retailer’s blog states,

Read more

• May 23, 2011
• NAILS Magazine

I didn’t exactly expect to find any bargains as I was browsing the nail service menu at the upscale Spa Gregorie’s, a small chain of day spas in Southern California, but I was a little surprised

Read more

• April 14, 2011
• NAILS Magazine

Seven days ago, the NAILS staff tried out Tammy Taylor’s new Miracle Manicure. It’s a light-cured base coat that increases the wear time of regular nail polish. As promised, today I’m reporting on the wear.All of

Read more

• April 8, 2011
• NAILS Magazine

I hope everyone has had a busy week at your salons and that pedicure clients are coming out of winter hibernation. (If not, this Hot Lava Pedicure might coax them out.)Here are some of the most

Read more

• April 7, 2011
• NAILS Magazine

I’m so stoked because today I got to A) meet Tammy Taylor in person B) try out her new Miracle Manicure Base Coat, which is such a unique product that when I originally read about it

Read more

• March 31, 2011
• NAILS Magazine

Jacqueline Oliphant, a freelance manicurist, makeup artist, cosmetologist, barber, and contributing author for Milady’s Standard Nail Technology, shares her “top 10” for how to get more brides in your salon. Summer wedding season will be here

Read more

• March 13, 2011
• NAILS Magazine

The Nail Superstore has released an ingenious pedicure spa. The Red Dragon Turbo Sauna Pedicure uses a cup of water to create a pore-opening steam -- no plumbing or tedious spa cleaning involved. The client simply

Read more

• January 29, 2011
• NAILS Magazine

Do you carry NSI's new Polish Pro line at your salon? If so, be sure to grab a window decal to announce your new product to the masses! Available on www.nsinails.com (and you can likely also

Read more

• November 11, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

OPI’s Suzi Weiss-Fischmann gets polished by a Marinello student in the new color OPI Marinello On the G.L.O.W. There’s a brand new shimmery red OPI polish out, but to get it you’ll have to visit a Marinello

Read more

• November 9, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

The girl-treprenuers of NailEZEE — Ryan, Jordan, and Erin Wolf — recently launched a trio of purple polishes to help fight Alzheimer’s. The colors — (from lightest to darkest) Lovie Dovie, Pamper Me Purple, and Power to

Read more

• November 4, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

Welcome to Assignment #5! Are you getting antsy to put your notebook out in the salon reception area? How about we create a mini menu for the notebook today and do just that! Then in the

Read more

• September 30, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

Many of us, myself included, were in an uproar over the recent case of a Georgia woman being charged more for a pedicure because, according to the salon, the client was overweight and so could potentially

Read more

• August 27, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

Props to U.K.-based celebrity manicurist Leighton Denny for giving away a manicure and £100 (about $154) of products from his eponymous line of nail products to one lucky donor who donates to the children’s charity Jeans

Read more

• August 24, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

A Georgian woman was recently charged more for her pedicure because, get this, she was overweight.  Michelle Fonville told WSBtv.com that the owners of Natural Nails in DeKalb County, Georgia charged her $5 extra, claiming that

Read more

• August 23, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

Even if you work in a salon in a big city, where the stars are blocked out by the city lights, you can still create the illusion of a relaxing outdoor retreat within your pedicure room.

Read more

• August 16, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

Massages, facials, body scrubs — clients can’t get enough. And that’s great. But did you know these standard treatments barely scrape the spa surface? New technology, reinvented techniques, and pop culture all shape the way consumers

Read more

• August 13, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

With the release of Eat, Pray, Love today — the movie adaptation of the memoir of the same name, in which a newly divorced Elizabeth Gilbert travels through Italy, India, and Indonesia on a journey of

Read more

• June 24, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

Hand & Nail Harmony (the makers of Gelish) founder Danny Haile (second from right) visited the NAILS office with nail techs Yuki Morooka and Mie Asada. I’m showing off my sparkly red Gelish manicure.Gelish applies like

Read more

• May 19, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

Congratulations to the students at the London College of Beauty Therapy (LCBT) for setting The Guinness World Record for “most nails filed and varnished in eight hours”! In setting the record, the students filed and polished

Read more

• May 4, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

On May 13, students at the London College of Beauty Therapy (LCBT) will attempt to set The Guinness World Record for “most nails filed and varnished in eight hours.” Sara Wilcox, a PR and marketing assistant

Read more

• April 28, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

Congratulations to celebrity manicurist and new salon owner Elizabeth Ashton for opening Elizabeth Ashton Ayurvedic Nail Spa earlier this month! I attended the grand opening party for the Long Beach, Calif., salon, and I wanted to

Read more

• April 22, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

The beauty industry is known for contributing to worthy causes, whether its donating flip flops (and many other items) to earthquake relief efforts in Haiti or developing and purchasing pink products whose proceeds help fight breast

Read more

• March 19, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

When I attended ISSE, I noticed a lot of nail techs frantically trying to find the Minx booth. (The company was a last-minute addition to the show floor, so its booth number wasn’t published in the

Read more

• March 18, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

OPI is hosting a free evening demo and salon tour event in Studio City, Calif., on Monday, May 17. Dubbed, “An Evening with OPI,” the event will allow nail techs to watch demos and work hands-on

Read more

• March 16, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

I love salons in houses…there’s just something quaint and comfortable about them. Owners and estheticians Juliana Rodrigues (left) and Tara Manna (right) opened Be Beauty a year ago in San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood. Nail tech

Read more

• February 24, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

The Glamour Spot co-owner Debra “DJ” Jessie (right) and esthetician Michelle Rhem-Collins pose by a “Celebrate Black History Month” contest board set up for the salon’s Black History Marketplace & Spa Day. The board asked clients

Read more

• February 5, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

For years women have been taking care of their faces with top-quality products laced with the latest technologies in anti-aging skin care. But only in recent years have women begun to look at their hands as

Read more

• February 2, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

In conjunction with ISSE Long Beach, Minx (the fun, sassy, fashion-forward nail coating that has been gracing the hands of celebrities like Beyonce, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and Fergie) had VIP parties both Saturday and

Read more

• January 22, 2010
• NAILS Magazine

In the aftermath of the 7.0 earthquake that shook Haiti on January 12, the beauty industry is living up to its reputation of helping people feel better by organizing a variety of relief efforts. If you

Read more

• December 22, 2009
• NAILS Magazine

Dashing Diva nail tech and educator Pattie Yankee just sent me over links to these cool new videos she shot witih the beauty editor at Seventeen Magazine. In addition to showing clients the proper way to do manicures

Read more

• December 14, 2009
• NAILS Magazine

In journalism school, one of the oft-repeated maxims we learned about “what is news?” went as follows: “If the story is ‘dog bites man,’ it’s not news. If the story is ‘man bites dog,’ it is.”

Read more

• November 17, 2009
• NAILS Magazine

With the holiday season swiftly approaching, it’s great timing that I received an ecstatic e-mail from a salon owner who just threw her first successful holiday theme party: the “Bewitching Bash” in honor of Halloween. “In

Read more

• October 22, 2009
• NAILS Magazine

Have you heard about Milady’s Blog Talk Radio Show? The next topic that airs on Monday, October 26th is: “What Would You Rather Do: Work More or Make More?” Here’s the description from the website:  “If you are

Read more

• June 10, 2009
• NAILS Magazine

NAILS ran an article in 2001 asking “Is Nail Art Dead?” At the time, nail art seemed to be on the wane and the percentage of salons offering nail art and airbrushing had dropped several points

Read more

• June 1, 2009
• NAILS Magazine

Ah, pedicure season. Or is it AAAHHHH, pedicure season? For the most part, I’m sure all of you look forward to the summer months for the natural boost to your pedicure business, but I’m also curious

Read more

• May 4, 2009
• NAILS Magazine

With Mother’s Day at the end of the week, your schedule is probably full of mother-daughter appointments. Why not bring in a little more revenue by upselling some themed nail art for the occasion? I found

Read more

• March 23, 2009
• NAILS Magazine

I got an e-mail from ROB|B, an OPI Concept Salon, this morning. The salon (which had its official grand opening party last Thursday…more on that in a future post) is offering a new promotion that I

Read more

• February 19, 2009
• NAILS Magazine

Have you ever wondered how the French manicure got its name? I did a quick Internet search to see if I could find a definitive answer. It seems that the exact origins on how the classic pink-and-white-look

Read more

• February 13, 2009
• NAILS Magazine

There was a cool assortment of happenings — from new products to live demonstrations to plenty of friendly nail techs — at the ISSE (International Salon & Spa Expo) in Long Beach over Jan. 31 to Feb. 2. Here are some of the interesting things I saw.NailTek master educators Jan White, Saverne Smith, and Marianne Hunter chatted with me about the industry.

Read more

• February 10, 2009
• NAILS Magazine

I ran across this piece in the Washington Post on Sunday, “On a Base in Iraq, The Pedi-Cure.” At Forward Operating Base Marez in still-volatile Mosul, some soldiers have found a place to rest their weary…feet.

Read more

• January 22, 2009
• NAILS Magazine

A friend forwarded me an interesting Associated Press article today about church volunteers who offer mini-pedicures (including a soak, pumice, nail trim, scrub, ointment, massage, and polish) to a city’s homeless, in order to both head

Read more

• December 16, 2008
• NAILS Magazine

Pumpkin spice pedis. Oatmeal apricot scrubs. Food-based spa treatments have been front and center these past few years, but not everybody thinks that’s a great idea. A recent article in Newsweek discussing the financial health of high-end

Read more

• November 17, 2008
• NAILS Magazine

I’m really on a roll with finding cute, clean, shining examples of the perfect neighborhood nail salon. Last week, I visited The Nail Bar in Hermosa Beach, Calif., a natural nails-focused salon that I learned about

Read more

• November 7, 2008
• NAILS Magazine

Hi everyone! Sorry I’ve been missing in action for the last few weeks. I’ve been buried under a stack of directory listings, all-new industry statistics, and an awesome new NAILS Cookbook chock full of service recipes!

Read more

• November 6, 2008
• NAILS Magazine

I recently heard about the “Beautiful Bride” program that The Medical Spa at Nova in Ashburn, Va. added to its service menu. The beauty of the program is that it gives brides-to-be the ease of having

Read more

• October 14, 2008
• NAILS Magazine

So have any of your tried Minx nail coatings yet? We used the brand new product on our February anniversary cover. (Tom Bachik did the nails.) It’s kind of like shrink-wrapping your client’s nails. The colors

Read more

• October 1, 2008
• NAILS Magazine

I’m sure most of you have heard the buzz by now about the first ever OPI Concept Salon. The soon-to-open Studio City, Calif.-salon is co-owned by Robbie Schaeffer (son of OPI founder George Schaeffer) and his

Read more

• September 8, 2008
• NAILS Magazine

Nails are your bread and butter. And whether your specialty is painstakingly perfect pink-and-whites, gorgeous gels, or pampering pedicures, you’re making your living doing nails. If you’re like many other readers, you may have already added

Read more

• September 2, 2008
• NAILS Magazine

Hello out there in the NAILS blogosphere. Hope everyone had a nice Labor Day weekend (hopefully you didn’t have to work all weekend and everyone stayed away from Hurricane Gustav). We’ve been busy over here at

Read more

• August 4, 2008
• NAILS Magazine

As a relatively new resident of the fabulous Belmont Shore neighborhood in bustling Long Beach, Calif., I’ve been asked quite a few times in the past few months for a nail salon I’d recommend in the city.

Read more

• August 1, 2008
• NAILS Magazine

Back in March, I commented on an article that ran in The New York Times about girls getting pedicures at an ever-younger age. A few months later, features editor Judy Lessin posted about a new mobile

Read more

• July 22, 2008
• NAILS Magazine

By now, I’m sure you’ve all seen the AP reports going around about the Fish Pedicure. (Click here and here for videos.) A salon in Alexandria, Va., is using so-called “doctor fish” to nibble away at

Read more

• May 30, 2008
• NAILS Magazine

As the editor in charge of NAILS two monthly nail art departments (Nail Art Studio and Reader Nail Art), I'm frequently searching for talented nail artists. I was thrilled when I found Wendy Causey on BeautyTech.com about

Read more

• April 22, 2008
• NAILS Magazine

As a nod to Earth Day, I decided to check out a cool new eco-chic nail salon in Los Angeles: Recess. Only five weeks old, the environmentally-friendly salon boasts that it’s in the process of LEED

Read more

• March 14, 2008
• NAILS Magazine

I came to work a few days ago and found a new computer on my desk. What should have been a happy surprise instead induced a mild case of panic. I’m very much a creature of

Read more

• March 7, 2008
• NAILS Magazine

Last week The New York Times published an article (“Never Too Young for That First Pedicure”) about young girls growing up too fast. Writer Camille Sweeney describes a 7-year-old’s birthday party at a Dashing Diva salon.

Read more

• January 24, 2008
• NAILS Magazine

My favorite part of being an editor at NAILS Magazine is that I’m expected to visit a salon every month and get a nail service. By my count, I’ve been to 25 salons in the year

Read more