Business
Going for the Green: Eco-Conscious Salons
Salons have always been centered around a beauty philosophy — but what happens when salons extend that outlook to include Mother Earth? As green salons pop up all over the country, find out what this trend means to you.
by Sree Roy
What Women Want (and are buying)
Women want to be a better version of themselves. They’re looking for products that will transform them, but they’re also looking for a great deal. At a recent trade show, The Benchmarking Company’s Alisa Marie Beyer presented these findings, found via a survey conducted by her beauty marketing research firm. Read on to find out what else the study showed — and how you can use it to your advantage.
Start With the End in Mind
The secret to success is simple: Start with the end in mind and take daily steps to get there. Such is the case of Jonathan Khoi, a salon in Maumee, Ohio, that transformed from a salon of yesterday to a spa of the future.
Meet Fifi, Your New Best Friend
Fifi is a character we conjured up to introduce a new reader customer service program. Her name is an acronym for “Find It Fast Information.” (Cute, right?)
The Tipping Point
Tipping has always been a sticky subject in the beauty industry. With mixed messages on whom and how much to tip, consumer tipping behavior varies widely. To curb that variance, some spas instituting automatic gratuities and service charges.
Where Are They Now?
Flash back to the ‘90s to catch up with past AVAs winners. Six Salon of the Year and Nail Technician of the Year Award recipients share their professional and personal triumphs since winning.
Contest Winners Strut Into View
This entirely digital competition drew entrants from 19 states and five different countries.
Gim's Salon
I was recently back home in Peru for a friend’s wedding and decided to get my nails done in my own country.
California Adopts Emergency Footspa Cleaning Regulations
The California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology has implemented emergency footspa cleaning regulations.
Washington State Changes Rules About the Use of Lasers
Effective as of March, estheticians in the state of Washington can only use “prescriptive” lasers.
Texas Delays Issuing Autoclave Violations Until May
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) will delay issuing violations to salons that provide nail services but are using a method of sterilization other than an autoclave until the end of May.
Ask Me Anything
We paired techs with opposite career experiences and gave them the chance to interview each other. Each tech asked and answered questions about what it was like to be on her side of the table.
10 Annoying Things Clients Say...
...and how to respond tactfully to comments that make your hair stand on end.
Blueprint of a First Year
Opening your first salon can be the most exciting time of your life — but it can also be the most challenging. Robbie Schaeffer lets you in on the trials and tribulations of opening Rob|b: An OPI Concept Salon.
7 Rules for Building Client Relationship
Never underestimate the importance of building client relationships. Ultimately, it separates us from the guys down the street — which is critical in today's nail industry.
My Other Life: Pam Karousis, weapons instructor
Pam Karousis, salon owner. In her other life: NRA-certified weapons instructor
by Judy Lessin
7 New Nail Star Supernovas
Read about seven techs so new (with three years or less of nail experience) or so-recently brave (with one year or less in a new facet of their nail career), NAILS didn’t even know how luminous they were until reading their rave reviews. Keep your eyes peeled for what’s to come from these up-and-coming stars.