
America’s Beauty and Wellness Industry Under Threat from Proposed Regulations Now Being Considered by U.S. Department of Education
A new report criticizes the regulations' impact against students and entrepreneurs.
Are you looking for the right nail products to start your career? We've compiled this handy list of convenient kits to help you get started off on the right foot.


The ibd Just Gel Polish Starter Kit comes complete with a base coat, top coat, six shades of Just Gel Polish, a cuticle pusher, tent card, appointment cards, and an instructional DVD. The collection offers 30 sensational shades, with 24 creams, shimmers, and glitters, plus six glowing neons, to provide a wide range of color choices. The Just Gel system is LED and UV light curable, saving application time. Each layer of Just Gel Polish is cured in 30 seconds under the new exclusive ibd Jet LED Cure Lamp or in two minutes with the ibd Jet UV Light.

EzFlow’s TruGel Starter Kit comes complete with TruGel Base Coat, TruGel Top Coat, six Gel Colors, Cuticle Pusher, tent card, TruGel How-To DVD, and appointment cards (20 pack). The brush-on gel-polish goes on easily, cures quickly, and soaks off fast to keep clients in ever-changing nail colors.

SuperNail’s ProGel Starter Kit comes complete with six ProGel Polish Colors, ProGel Base Coat, ProGel Top Coat, 20 appointment cards, tent card, and instructional DVD. This kit has everything you need to start offering gel-polish services in your salon right away.

This stylish Beautiful Nails Starter Kit comes with everything you need to apply acrylic nails including a how-to DVD, Liquid Mojo EMA and Odorless liquids, Peace Prep, Love Primer, and Harmony Cuticle Oil. The easy-to-apply, fine-grade Poly Mojo Natural, Pink, and White powders work great with the included, tips, forms, and sculpting brushes. This starter kit has enough product to apply over 25 sets of acrylic nails.

LeChat’s Perfect Match Personal Kit features everything you need to start offering Perfect Match Soak-Off Gel-Polish services. The Kit includes three Perfect Match LED and UV Soak Off Gel-Polish colors, a High-Gloss Top Gel Sealer, Ultra-Thin Varnish Base Gel, tutorial DVD, a Gel Curing Light, six pre-soaked remover pads, and aluminum foil.

Backscratchers’ Glass Glaze Fiberglass & Silk Try Me Sample Kit will show you the strength and beauty of fiberglass and silk wrap nails. The kit includes Kikr Spray, Stikr Brush-On, Fiberglass Strip, Silk Strip, Hygienic Elegance Antibacterial Cleanser Wash, Neat & Tidy Sample, Nail Tip Sample (20 count), a 3-Way Mini File & Buffer, Orange Wood Stick Cuticle Pusher, and instructions.

The NSI Balance UV Gel Professional Kit features every tool a student needs to grow into the professional level. The kit includes many different gel options such as sculpting, body builder, builder, and color gels. These options allow students to become familiar with all of NSI’s gel products and decide which gels best fit their needs. An instructional “Beyond the Basics” DVD is also included. The Kit has everything you need to perform the perfect gel service from start to finish.

OPI’s GelColor Intro Kit gives clients weeks of glossy OPI color in a service only your salon can deliver. GelColor is fully cured from foundation to finish in four minutes per set. The Intro Kit includes six bestselling GelColor shades, as well as everything needed to start services. (LED light available separately or with Intro Kit in the Must-Have Starter Deal.)

Young Nails’ CORE Professional Acrylic Kit is equipped with enough Young Nails products to create 50 sets of acrylic nails. The Kit includes two Protein Bonds, Pink, Clear, White, Natural, and XXX White powders, Rose Oil, Y-UV, 100/100 File, 180/180 File, 240/240 Combo, 180/180 Combo, 180/180 Gray Sponge, Glass Dappen Dish, Manicure Brush, Eyedropper, Swipe, Brush on Glue, 100 Artistic Forms, 50 pack of Natural, Clear and White Tips in assorted sizes, and an Artistic Sculptor Brush.
Next page: More great products for students
[PAGEBREAK]

Nadene Bruders has helped hundreds of men and women pass the California Cosmetology, Esthetician, and Manicurist State Board Exams with her three comprehensive Guide Books for the practical part of the exam as well as the written. “Score” is packed with illustrations to help students visually see the techniques required to pass the California State Board Exams. Also included with the guide book is a CD to prepare students for the written portion of the exam.

Naturally Clean by Essie is a complete nail care system that safely cleanses hands and nails while restoring hydration with essential oils and natural botanical ingredients. The system includes Purifying Hand Wash, Nail Cleanser, Manicure Revitalizer, and Purifying Polish Remover.



Light Elegance’s Pedi-Cure Kit is a great kit for techs who want to get into gel pedicures. It comes with everything needed to get started including a Pedi-Cure Lamp, Bonder, Super-Shiny, Cleanser, Gel Polishes, Dry Glitters, Perfect Files, an Oval Application Brush, and an application guide.

Orly’s Instant Artist Starter Kit makes intricate nail designs easy for nail techs. The kit includes five polish colors with striper brushes for precise artistic applications, as well as a Dotter Duo Tool to take your designs to the next level. The colors are Jet Black, Fiery Red, Sunshine, True Blue, and Crisp White.

A new report criticizes the regulations' impact against students and entrepreneurs.

Looking for a healthy salon job? Watch for these red flags in listings, interviews, and salon culture to avoid a toxic environment and find the right fit.
The 2024 The Professional Beauty Association (PBA) announces its Beacon Class recognizing top emerging talent in the beauty industry.

Do you often forget names? Here are some tips from global beauty educator Carlos Valenzuela to remember your clients.

Our cosmetology schools are at risk as proposed legislation would prevent many of them from participating in student federal loan programs. The American Association of Cosmetology Schools is asking for your help today!

Get the complete guide to navigating the world of professional beauty careers.

An affordable option for starting your beauty education, this post talks about taking those first steps to launching a successful career in the beauty industry.

Paul DiGrigoli began his four-decade long career, opening his first salon in 1986 in Massachusetts. The DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology has recently added new nails and esthetics programs.

While everyone's experience is unique, here is what it was like for me to take my state board exam, with details on the actual examination experience, from the moment I entered the building.

The Cosmetology Board Examination … the event that many, if not all, cosmetology students both anticipate and dread. Here is my story.

For those for whom I am just a hazy pre-pandemic memory, allow me to briefly introduce myself and summarize where I left off my story with this blog. And in future installments, I will cover more about practicing for the state board exam and the actual examination experience.

Getting employees to appreciate the importance of THE FUTURE with a 401K plan is the goal of Arik Efros, co-owner of the Eva Scrivo Salon. Efros outlines the importance of this perk and explains why many of the people in their NYC salon have already a nice bundle waiting for them upon retirement.

Julie Kandalec has fantastic personal style! Learn more about the manicurist to the stars.

Learn more about celebrity nail artist, editorial artist, NYFW regular and salon owner Joanne Sorbello.

Get the five tips to winning NAHA's nail category from Reiko Omae. She entered just once and won.

"That first set of nails I did in the salon sucked but that client still comes back to me, three years later, because of the connection we made that day." Hear from the winners of these scholarships on how beauty helps them change lives and how it has changed their own.

Keeping it all in the family, this Dad and daughter keep each other inspired as they train to become beauty professionals.