“There are always two technicians working on a client at one time, even if they are just getting a manicure,” says Hiroko Fujikawa, owner of Mars The Salon.
The polish exchange at Hey, Nice Nails! in Long Beach, Calif., is just what is sounds like — clients are free to drop off a polish they no longer care for and pick up one that sparks their fancy.
Clients of Ole Henriksen Face/Body Spa in Los Angeles won’t muss their manicures flipping through the pages of tattered old magazines. Instead they can read the latest digital editions on the spa’s iPads.
At Recess in Los Angeles, owner Nidhi Lal pays more than just lip service to the salon’s eco-conscious reputation. She’s made an offer to clients who might otherwise dispose of their half-empty polish bottles improperly: Bring them into the salon and for every 10 bottles, they will receive a free manicure. For every 15 bottles, they earn a free pedicure.