High-fashion looks for low cost raise sales
Nail polish continues to be the rock star of the beauty world, and it shows no signs of slowing. A recent report by Packaged Facts, titled “The Nail Care Market in the U.S.,” addresses the robust growth of the nail care market and suggests “several intertwined factors are driving the market.”
“A nail-centric fashion culture has transformed women’s nails into stylish accessories, even as a continuing flood of innovative, fashion-forward nail care products empower women to affordably imitate nail salon effects in their own homes. Therefore, a growing population of women make frequent use of DIY nail care products,” the report stated.
As the economy improves and more women return to salons for professional manicures and pedicures, the DIY nail care segment will continue to benefit. “The data strongly suggest that the reverse will be true,” stated David Sprinkle, the publisher of Packaged Facts. The more women go to salons for manicures, the more they buy and use DIY nail care products.
That’s all good news for mass market retailers and suppliers. As some retailers work to carve out special shelf space dedicated to at-home gel manicure products, manufacturers are increasingly heeding the call with new offerings.
Red Carpet Manicure has developed, just in time for award season, the “Your Fortune Awaits,” a limited-edition shade with four carats of genuine ruby dust in each bottle, exclusively for celebrities and their stylists. And for consumer at mass, there’s the new Draped in Rubies at-home gel polish, available at retail in October.
Nail brand Orly recently announced the launch of Orly SmartGels, an at-home gel manicure system. The SmartGels starter kit is priced at $59.50. The Orly LED lamp is $59.50. SmartGels lacquers, which are available in 12 shades, are $9.95 each.
The nail art craze is now hitting the at-home gel manicure systems. Red Carpet Manicure recently unveiled three new limited-edition nail art kits: Tips and Tricks, French Manicure, and Gems and Jewels. In addition, SensatioNail by Pacific World has developed the new SensatioNail Magnetic Gel Polish and the Glitter & Color Gel Polish duos.
Both Red Carpet Manicure and SensatioNail have developed new gel polish removal kits featuring foil wraps with pre-applied cotton pads for added convenience when removing polish. SensatioNail also has introduced a new Gel Polish Removal Tool, which is made of 100% stainless steel, features an easy-to-hold handle and an angled tip lift, and pushes gel polish away without any damage to the natural nails.
Meanwhile, such nail care brands as Sally Hansen and Kiss Products strutted their stuff on the runways of Spring 2013 New York Fashion Week. Sally Hansen created this season an exclusive gray shade of the brand’s Complete Salon Manicure polish for ICB, a collection for Prabal Gurung for Spring 2013.
Kiss Products tapped celebrity manicurist Gina Edwards to top off the hottest spring looks by applying imPRESS Press-On Manicure by Broadway Nails on the models for both the Clover Canyon and Betsey Johnson fashion shows.
The article above is part of the DSN Category Review Series. For the complete Nail Care Buy-In Report, including extensive charts, data and more analysis, click here.