FASHION Magazine
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They said/We said: Do nail salons have Starbucks-like potential?
Whether you’re pro-Starbucks or not, it’s hard to deny the appeal of the coffee corporation’s branding: no matter where you are in the world, you can expect the same quality, taste, design and products.
That consistency and standard of service is exactly what one Boston-based CEO is expecting to do with MiniLuxe, her six-location nail salon chain. In fact, in Sue Thirlwall’s words, she wants to “Starbucks the nail salon” and expand nationally.
One thing is for certain: if there was ever a time to strike when the iron’s hot, it would be now. The nail salon industry has developed into a booming $7.3 billion industry, and now widely offers everything from shellac manicures to nail art in salons across North America.
Also, as Thirlwall pointed out, nail polish and nail grooming still managed to do well during the recession, perhaps because of their lower price points. While the makeup industry is still recovering from the economic slump and only beginning to thrive again as of late, people like Thirlwall were able to begin their companies during the recession and still do relatively well.
“We’ve kept the price down. Our luxe 30-minute manicure is $19, and we guarantee it for three days. I believe the time is right because it is definitely affordable but also hygienic . . . we know we could charge more, but we choose not to,” Thirlwall said.
One catch with the industry is that despite what seems to be a constant crop-up of new nail salons, the demand for affordable and reliable manis is still high, and it can be hard to find a place that offers them.
If Thirlwall and other nail industry entrepreneurs like her can get the business formula right, then there will undoubtedly be thousands of girls (and guys) flocking to these salon chains.
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Nail Corner: Do like Alexa Chung and Sally Singer! Here’s 2 takes on the all-seeing eye manicure
This week, all eyes are on Nail Corner—or actually, Nail Corner is all over the eyes. Ever since Sophy Robson did Egyptian all-seeing eyes for Topshop’s Spring 2012 show, painted eyeballs have been popping up in the most curious places. Alexa Chung showed off an evil eye manicure while front row at Jason Wu‘s Fall 2012 show—and has since tweeted other variations of the design. Just last week Emily Weiss from Into the Gloss shared a look at Sally Singer‘s nails, complete with pretty lashes and glittered tips. While it may seem like an unusual design, we promise: once you paint an eyeball or two on your nails, you’ll never want to do a regular manicure again.
Become all-seeing with two different versions of the eyeball manicure! »
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Nail Corner: Try Fall’s burgundy lipstick trend today… by painting tiny lips on your nails!
From lips to nails, shades of burgundy were all over the Fall 2012 runways—and, because stars are always the first to embrace a trend, the deep red lip has now dominated red carpets. Camilla Belle and Lana Del Rey both wore the colour at the Met Gala, Katy Perry can’t stop matching her just-dyed indigo hair with her lipstick, and even Jennifer Lopez is a fan of the vampy look. Of course, Nail Corner wanted to take the trend a step further: why just paint your lips and nails a shade of burgundy when you can actually paint tiny lips on your nails?
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Beauty Fix: How to do your own wedding hair and makeup, the best nail polish for brides and a clever way to add “something blue” to your beauty routine on the big day!
While tales of six figure wedding costs can make any bride-to-be nervous, a little resourcefulness can go a long way to keep a budget under control. For instance: doing your own makeup on your wedding day! (And, as a way of getting in extra practice, for all the related events leading up to your big day!) Consider that even Kate Middleton DIY’d her bridal look—and who can argue that they’ll be more scrutinized than a Queen-to-be? After all, while we all dream of looking like a princess, there’s nothing better than looking like a super-pretty version of yourself. From bridal hair tips to wedding-ready looks that can go from day to night, this week’s Beauty Fix has all the answers.
Read on for all the answers! »
In need of a beauty fix? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com.
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Christian Louboutin is launching a makeup collection! Want to guess which products it will include?
If you’re obsessed with Christian Louboutin‘s red-soled shoes, you may have heard that he just announced plans for a luxury beauty line. While we’re privy to his inspiration (the statue of ancient Egyptian queen Nefertiti) and the launch date (late 2013), we’ll have to wait to see what products the collection will offer. Louboutin admitted that the popularity of “Louboutin manicures” (which Adele did so well at the Grammys) were part of what prompted him to make the move into beauty—and we’ll take that as a hint that polish will be included. But what else? Instead of blindly guessing, we’re turning to the shoes for the answer!
Play along! What are the shoes trying to tell us about the forthcoming makeup collection? »
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Nail Corner: A Chloé-inspired graphic black and white manicure
Considering how long it’s been popular, can black nail polish now be considered classic? Lauren Conrad brought it to the masses on many an episode of The Hills, it’s a common colour for starlets to wear on the red carpet, and almost every polish brand has one—or more!—black shades. While a dark manicure still stands out, a graphic design can give it even more power. This week, inspiration came from Chloé‘s Spring 2012 collection. I mixed stripes of black and white polish to create a slim design and left a sliver bare in the middle—just like the deep V-neck of the Chloé button-down.
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Nail Corner: A tribal manicure inspired by Burberry Prorsum’s zig-zaggy prints
Our spring trend guide continues to be a source of inspiration for Nail Corner, and this week Burberry Prorsum’s tribal prints have been transformed into a manicure. For this design, mushroom-grey and deep-blue stripes are brought to life with alternating rows of neon orange, creating a zigzag pattern that almost pulses off the nail. And just like Burberry’s pattern, this manicure is asymmetrical—which adds even more movement and fun to the design.
Grab some nail art brushes and find out how to do this mani! »
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Nail Corner: A Louis Vuitton-inspired sugary pastel and lace manicure
Cotton candy colours and oversized lace flowers were all over Louis Vuitton’s Spring 2012 collection, as well as many a trend report. But unlike other delicate prints, Louis Vuitton’s take on femininity seems almost animated: pale shades of saccharine colours get a bit of bounce with large lace eyelets. As inspiration for Nail Corner, the pastels were right in line with many new nail polish shades—it was definitely hard to choose just five colours to use!
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10 beauty products that are as good for the planet as they are for your body
The notion that small changes can make a huge impact couldn’t be truer for your beauty routine. With Earth Day right around the corner, now’s the time to make a switch to products that are just as good for your body as they are for the planet. From biodegradable nail polish remover to paraben-free moisturizers and makeup, we’ve rounded up 10 planet and people-friendly products that can easily take the place of something you’re already using.
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Miley Cyrus debuts a ghost-like manicure and we have the scoop on how to get the look!
Miley Cyrus has been keeping a low profile lately—the salacious headlines that used to follow her every move have disappeared and instead we’ve been treated with some pretty spectacular style moments. (She was beyond flawless at the Vanity Fair Oscar party, as pictured above.) And now it seems Cyrus is getting into our favourite trend: the nail art game. She’s been twitpic-ing her polish picks for a while, but yesterday she debuted a manicure that’s definitely next level.
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Nail Corner: All 5 vibrant Thakoon for Nars nail polish colours in one manicure!
Sometimes the colours in a nail polish collection are so perfect together that it’s hard to pick just one to use in a manicure. (A #firstworldproblem that’s also common when shopping for clothes—it’s much more satisfying to buy the whole look, not one standalone item!) While each shade from the upcoming Thakoon for Nars nail collaboration (available May 1) stands out on its own, together they encapsulate the vibrancy of Thakoon’s Spring 2012 collection. They also share a source of inspiration: Indian spice markets influenced the highly saturated colours, which range from cyan blue to orchid purple. As for Nail Corner’s inspiration, this design was all about bringing Thakoon’s cowboy-meets-Bollywood prints to life.
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