Americas Beauty Show Day 1

     Young nails was rocking as usual. I got a quick hot tip from Melissa DeLaCruz.  Purchase Young Nails buffers. At the end of your gel service, with a soft gel topcoat go ahead and buff to a higher shine, retail to the client and encourage her to buff the shine back into her nails in between her nail appointment.  She becomes a walking advertisement for your work with her super shiny nails and you have a new retail client adding extra dollars to your bottom line.

     Who says people aren’t talking about Nail Talk Radio. Our long time listener Traci Wilcox shared a funny story with me. One of her guests got a gift certificate at another salon from a friend and during her visit she was talking to the nail tech all about Nail Talk Radio and all the other products on the market besides the one brand she was using. Sad her client seems to know more about the industry than this tech did. Happy Traci is sharing the nail talk radio love. Hillary Fry a regional Educator for LaPalm Spa Products was named  2014 International Nail Technician of the year 2014 stars winner so a big shout out to her.

 

I also chatted with Gel II owner Michael Le about their brand new easy soak off formulation. Gel II is great for any sensitive clients that may have allergies. All gel polishes are not created equal. There are no solvents in Gel II it is pure gel, that stays put with no running.  The new easy soak off formula soaks off in under 6 minutes and wrapping the hands in a warm towel speeds it up even further. He also gave me a sample of a prototype no cleanse Top coat, same quick soak off. Their Polish II professional polish is also great for stamping.  He sampled me a few so I’ll be sure to post photos.

We spent some time at the Famous Names booth with our friends Jim and Linda Nordstrom where Linda was demoing their amazing new IBX treatment. She shared this exciting new technology and how IBX is truly revolutionary because it does not bond to the keratin in the nail, it bonds to itself forming a protective shield within the natural nail. Understanding the clients nail health should be our number one concern, this product truly is a game changer.

 

     Then it was off to Cuccio and our friend Elaine Watson. Their new pastels were already sold out, she definitely underestimated the popularity. Tony’s motto for 2014 is nail techs should not have to buy polish so whenever you buy a Cuccio Veneer you get the polish for free. I like the way they think. She also shared their new liquid art Nail Sugar with the super cool lighted wand. No more sprinkles everywhere this all in one glitter party just takes one stroke for super blingy nails.

 

     At the end of the day Braden and I sat in on the ABS trend panel to listen to CND’s Jan Arnold. Excited to be a part of the panel Jan shared nails are now the hottest fashion accessory. Nail techs are not just grooming nails anymore they are now adorning nails. Fashion forward nail design brings out a womans alter ego and put a punctuation mark on the total look. She showed a highlight reel of their runway work over the years and their summer collection.

 

More America's Beauty Show

 

      Braden and I were lucky enough to be invited to the CND trend release Sunday where Jan Arnold and Kristina Estabrooks shared the spring trend and a sneak peek at the summer trend release. I shared a few pictures on my Facebook page and each release will be included on their CND pro page along with tutorial videos. Jan shared the story of the open road collection about a female executive that kicks off her heels and throws on her jeans and hits the open road heading to the desert sunset. The colors of this collection are a reflection of the story. Every collection will now come with its own story, its own set of additives and its own designs. They are also doing a nationwide Shellac certification for qualified salons. Kristina added now that there are so many gel polishes on the market Shellac has become like Kleenex. Many salons say they do Shellac meaning gel polish just like many ask for a Kleenex instead of a tissue. It is about branding. The certification requires each tech to bring all of their own CND equipment to be 100% certified. So no sharing lamps or tools allowed. Kristina said this is the only way to guarantee each tech is using the complete system, only fair right?

 

 

      We also spent some time at the Dashing Diva booth. They sure have been busy with so many new products. Their no blend glitter tips were a hot item. This fast full set is perfect for the upcoming spring dances, weddings and special occasions. We also got a chance to see up close and personal their new Get the look, Nail tattoos, Accents and 3 d jewels. 

 

     My head was spinning with all the possibilities. With their virtual nails you can easily create high fashion custom nails and sell for high profits. Easy on off tabs make these nail jewels a hot fashion accessory for Spring and Summer.

 

 

 

  

    What’s old is new again. I stopped at the Emma JeanCosmetics booth to check out her Vegan, cruelty-free 3 free scented nail polish. Creator Marsha Campbell a massage therapist started this line during some down time with an injury and the polish world opened up for her. She shared with me that she has formed some really amazing relationships with her chemists and manufacturer and it has really taken off. With all the boutique polishes on the market I’m glad to see there is room for hers. Most of her scents are around comfort smells like apple pie, cotton candy and mint chocolate to name a few. I asked her about her connection with aromatherapy oils and inducing certain emotions from the scents and she said that’s in the works. She wanted to originals to be light and fun with comfort scents. Our brave Braden took one for the ntr team and his finger did smell Blueberryish. 

 

  We spent some time with Gina Sylvestro at the Akzentz booth rocking out a full set for her Instagram winner Heidi Meier. Their new LED hard gel was a hot item and of course her Crystals were flying. 

 

 

     The Crystal Culture education team is growing, check out their page for a list of current educators, so many of our NTR friends are listed. All in all it was a whirlwind of new trends and new friends. Thanks one more time to Linda and Jim Nordstrom for hosting the 2^nd Nail Talk Radio ABS meet and greet. 

 

 Last but not least I caught up with Carla Collier who will be judging the NailPro competitions in the smokies at the Nail Tech event in Gatlinburg. Nail Tech Event of the Smokies

     So take one or more of these new trends and add them to your spring line up cuz that’s smart marketing.

ABS 2014

 

Young nails was rocking as usual. I got a quick hot tip from Melissa DeLaCruz.  Purchase Young Nails buffers. At the end of your gel service, with a soft gel topcoat go ahead and buff to a higher shine, retail to the client and encourage her to buff the shine back into her nails in between her nail appointment.  She becomes a walking advertisement for your work with her super shiny nails and you have a new retail client adding extra dollars to your bottom line. 

 

      Who says people aren’t talking about Nail Talk Radio. Our long time listener Traci Wilcox shared a funny story with me. One of her guests got a gift certificate at another salon from a friend and during her visit she was talking to the nail tech all about Nail Talk Radio and all the other products on the market besides the one brand she was using. Sad her client seems to know more about the industry than this tech did. Happy Traci is sharing the nail talk radio love. Hillary Fry a regional Educator for LaPalm Spa Products was named  2014 International Nail Technician of the year 2014 stars winner so a big shout out to her.

Tracy Wilcox

     I also chatted with Gel II owner Michael Le about their brand new easy soak off formulation. Gel II is great for any sensitive clients that may have allergies. All gel polishes are not created equal. There are no solvents in Gel II it is pure gel, that stays put with no running.  The new easy soak off formula soaks off in under 6 minutes and wrapping the hands in a warm towel speeds it up even further. He also gave me a sample of a prototype no cleanse Top coat, same quick soak off. Their Polish II professional polish is also great for stamping.  He sampled me a few so I’ll be sure to post photos.

 

     We spent some time at the Famous Names booth with our friends Jim and Linda Nordstrom where Linda was demoing their amazing new IBX treatment. She shared this exciting new technology and how IBX is truly revolutionary because it does not bond to the keratin in the nail, it bonds to itself forming a protective shield within the natural nail. Understanding the clients nail health should be our number one concern, this product truly is a game changer.

 

Then it was off to Cuccio and our friend Elaine Watson. Their new pastels were already sold out, she definitely underestimated the popularity. Tony’s motto for 2014 is nail techs should not have to buy polish so whenever you buy a Cuccio Veneer you get the polish for free. I like the way they think. She also shared their new liquid art Nail Sugar with the super cool lighted wand. No more sprinkles everywhere this all in one glitter party just takes one stroke for super blingy nails. 

Jan Arnold

     At the end of the day Braden and I sat in on the ABS trend panel to listen to CND’s Jan Arnold. Excited to be a part of the panel Jan shared nails are now the hottest fashion accessory. Nail techs are not just grooming nails anymore they are now adorning nails. Fashion forward nail design brings out a woman's alter ego and put a punctuation mark on the total look. She showed a highlight reel of their runway work over the years and their summer collection.

Jane's statement nails

ISSE Midwest 2012

     One of the biggest stories of the show has got to be Bloom.com . This new social beauty website is kind of like Pinterest, but for just beauty enthusiasts. I spoke with Carrie Chambers as a coincidence at another booth and she shared all the up to the minute news about this brand new marketing vehicle. It is right up my alley. Professionals can sign up with a free Bloom beauty pro account to display your contact info, services and social media links. You can add your head shot or logo, create your online portfolio by uploading photos of your work and organizing them in virtual "Look Books".  You can tag trends and products you've used and get featured on their Be Inspired pages.

 Just like Google the more your photos get rated, the more exposure your photos gain. Share your work instantly with your own credit and direct links with your photos, no worries about someone else taking credit for your work. Go viral on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. Blooms new Iphone app connects consumers with local beauty pros. Every time a user clicks  'looks good' on your photos it increases their popularity on their Be Inspired page and moves them up in the Beauty Pro Directory. Users can even click on your phone number and book appointments from the Bloom Beauty Trends App. With over two hundred thousand beauty enthusiasts and growing this looks to be a huge advantage for your marketing efforts. Check them out at www.Bloom.com. I'm looking to have the founder Julie Mahloch on Nail Talk Radio some time in the future. I did an interview for them as well and look forward to sharing that soon.

     I caught up with longtime friend Lynn Long at the Seche booth raving about the new Seche Fast Dry One Coat polish. This high intensity polish is rich,  long lasting, and can cover even glitter in one coat. With high durability and high shine, mine is still shiney without even a topcoat and with the quick dry time, it's sure to be another winner from the Seche family. Check it out here Fast Dry One Coat

 

 

     Had the opportunity to spend time with one of my mentors Geno Stampora. He spoke with some future professionals and shared his valuable life coaching wisdom. I always get re-motivated myself spending time with this amazing man.

     CND released their new Holiday additives with all new glitter and shine. They were kind enough to donate free samples for my nail art Fabulous finishes hands on work shop and we loved the effects. I also got to play with the LCN Nail Candy packaged in easy to use application bottles for easy breezy caviar effects.

   I also received free samples from LCN, Soft Landings, Dashing Diva, Dazzle Dry and Bella Finito so a big shout out to them for adding such value to the class.
   I also held two classes on Social Media and Blogging that were awesome and I did record both. So hopefully I will have some dvd's available soon so be on the lookout for those. One of my nail traveling buddies Gina Malson took Simmy's efile certification class and really enjoyed all the knowledge Simmy packs into her training classes. Spent some time at the Nail Pro competition area catching up with friends. Anna Maria Paty has joined the judging team and was joined by Rachel Mouritsen and guest judge Pauline Lina Feinauer. Anna Maria shared with me how impressed she is with the way the competitions are run and the attention to every last detail to make sure they get things right. Looks like they are really putting together a winning team behind the scenes. Make sure to check out our NTR page for the winners. All in all, the show was a bit smaller than the norm but packed full of amazing classes and vendors. Everyone commented about the quality of the show. Hopefully it continues to grow and gain the loyal following it deserves.

Beauty Classic 2012

      Today's segment is a show report from Premiere Columbus. First stop was the Dashing Diva Booth to speak with Mary Jo Zwirowski about their new fall products. We got a look at the new wrap designs that were beautiful as well as the base and top gel system. Her clients are getting two week wear with the Design fx topped off with their base and top gel. It has superior flexibility and can be used with any other system, it also cures in both UV or LED lights. You can also layer other fx before the final top coat. Patti@Fashion week Their new colors fx are available November 1st. I posted a link on our Facebook page that features Patty Yankee and these awesome new appliqués she used at Fashion Week. Check out more here Dashing Diva

     Next I visited the OPI booth and talked to Kelly Hettesheimer a guest artist from Charleston South Carolina. She showed me the new Skyfall 007 Bond colors featuring The Man with the Golden Gun 18karat top coat. It has actual flakes of 18karat gold in it. They also have a Sky fall 007 Magnetic Lacquer and magnetizer for 3 different designs in IS that Silva? self explanatory, Bond James Bond gold obviously, and Morning money Penny, a rich burgundy red. To round out the promotion they are offering 4 new pure lacquer nail apps, which is their nail appliqué. And last but not least the 6 piece limited edition "Bond" gel color kit. Check out more here OPI

      I ran into Jaime Schrabeck at the Light Elegance booth who was teaching 5 classes at the show. She was thrilled her classes were standing room only. I did mention we were talking about feet all this month and asked her if she would like to come on and talk about her waterless pedicure, so hopefully we can make that happen. Check out her website here Precision Nails

      Darcy Olin educator extraordinaire from Orwell New York shared all the new and exciting things going on at Light Elegance. They have launched their new Poppy paints, small pots of highly pigmented gel that take your nail art to a whole new level. They have a slight 3 d effect and this introductory line is now available in 8 spectacular metallic colors. They also launched Pretties, loose powdered pigments to enhance any nail design that can be added to both gels and acrylics for one of a kind works of art. They have two packs, Primary Pretties with shimmers and mattes and Effect Pretties with out there shimmer and sparkles. Very cool stuff. They also launched their nail art brush collection with 6 new brushed and 4 new bling brushes. Check out more here Light Elegance

 

      I spoke with Gina Cella from CND for a few minutes before her sold out Flavor of the season class. I got to see up close and personal their new fall shades and a sneak peek at the two holiday shades Ruby Ritz and Tinsel toast , both shimmers. Check out more here CND

 

      I stopped at the Venique booth to see what that was about. It offers the newest technology called Sil-tek. It actually integrates silicone into the top coat allowing the polish to expand and contract, almost like saran wrap. It Their top coat also boasts added diamond dust for enhanced strength and superior shine. Their nail lacquer flexes with the nail for longer lasting wear. The base begins the process with a tacky film creating an anchor for polish preventing chips and peeling. Check out more here Venique Nails We also sat in on MaeLing Parrish's gelish class. Who knew in Ohio we would have the honor of a cover girl in our class, but MaeLing is actually from Columbus. She is getting ready to head out to Brea California for a national educator training. She shared her new House of Gelish colors, and don't you all be Gelish when I start posting these fabulous colors. Her class was jam packed with top tips from a true gel master.

      We also got to see how she created those fabulous cover nails. She is on this month's NAILS magazine and she will be on December too. Check it out here NAILS

She also said they are launching new colors at Premiere that are so fabulous she couldn't even talk about them...well she told me but I'm sworn to secrecy..just kidding, I told her I was going to say that. So that's it for the Premiere Beauty Classic.