Maggie Rants [and Raves] : a Nails Magazine's Blog

OK People, It's Time to Do Something About "Solar Nails!"

Nails Magazine — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:40:43 GMT

One of the many many (too many) obligations I have volunteered for is being an "expert" on AllExperts.com. I ran across the site just over a year ago on one my Google-fests. Yes, occasionally I sit down with Google — or any number of other popular search engines — and start typing in words and phrases pertaining to the nail biz, just to see what's out there. Awhile back a question came up on Yahoo Answers about nails that about sent me into an old fashioned conniption. Who thought that premise up anyway? Yahoo Answers — and other similar question/answer sites — is like asking strangers on the street how to build a space ship. And what gets me is that the asker gets to choose, not the best, but their favorite answer. In this case some gal was asking about "solar nails" and despite receiving a reply from a professional and qualified nail tech, she chose a totally bimbo-headed response as her "best" answer.

So after that I start cruising the Internet looking for how many other sites were out there where nail advice was being given by unqualified persons. The blind leading the blind, I tell ya.

Aside from many forums that made me want to beat people over the heads with nail files, I came across the AllExperts site. And I ended up applying as an expert. I was impressed with them because they actually seemed to require some level of expertise from their volunteers. I had to fill out a form and tell them why I was qualified to give advice. That was cool. Then it took three months for them to approve me. Probably they are just busy people and didn't get around to it till then, but I like to think it was because they took the time to research my application and verify my claims. At any rate, I volunteer as an expert at Allexperts.com …

Where I get a lot of people from all over the place asking me questions about nails. And many of these questions make me want to cry. All these people, all over the place, getting their nails done and having horrible horrible experiences. It's like adopting a puppy from the pound — you go in there and your heart breaks because you can't save them all. And that's what I want to do — I want to save them ALL. I wish every one of these girls could come to me. But they can't. And I don't have references to give them for every area. (Would you please add your name and contact info to the salon locator service at Beautytech.info or get a Yelp.com review?)

I am just so over this whole "solar nail" nonsense. I know it's been discussed at length in the professional industry. I expect we all know what I'm talking about. I'm not talking about Solar Nail, the registered trademark and product manufactured by CND. I'm talking about the almost-universal term for pink-and-white nails that is most commonly used by salons of a less than exemplary caliber.

The problem is that the consumer market has come to believe that "solar nails" is the correct term for pink-and-white nails. And guess what? They don't know about white product. They don't know about sculptured nails. They don't know about backfills.

I say it's time to take back the industry!

I wrote an entry on my personal blog about "solar nails," which originally was posted to my MySpace page (I have since changed where I do my personal blogging) and it received much support. I think I'm going to post it to Craigslist. I think we should all write up a little something and post it to Craigslist. Or wherever else we can get the information in front of the masses. We talk a big talk about educating our clients, I say it's time we start educating everyone else's clients too.

Now, About This Gel Madness …

Nails Magazine — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:49:31 GMT

How can so many people manage to muddy up the simple concept of gel products? If anything, gel has got to be the most simply named product used for nail enhancements.

Gel is called gel because it's a gel.

"Gel" doesn't refer to the chemistry of the product. It doesn't refer to any chemical properties, or manufacturer, company, or brand name. It simply refers to the physical characteristics of the product. It's a gel. Like hair gel is a gel. Like some candles are gel. Like some air fresheners are gel. Like those insoles for shoes.

Except, most people do realize that all those products are not the same types of gel, right? So how can so many people in the trade argue over types of gel nail products?

I don't care if you call it "polycrylic," or "polygel," or even "liquid plastic" — gel is gel is gel. It came out of the container as a gel. It went on the nail as a gel. It went under the UV light as a gel. And it came out as a nail enhancement.

I have all sorts of issues about the way manufacturers have marketed gels over the years. I have all sorts of questions about why some manufacturers used to say that "gels" were chemically identical to acrylics and therefore not a good alternative to acrylics, but who now manufacture gels themselves and insist that the chemistry is all different from acrylic and bill their gel products as "hypoallergenic."

WHICH IS IT, MAN?

Nevertheless, no matter what the answers to those questions end up being, the fact is that your product is gel if it's a gel.

And here's something: All nail enhancement products are "poly"-somethings! Because "poly" is a prefix from the Greek word "polys" which means "many."

I don't care what your sales rep tells you. I don't care what the company's marketing materials say. Your polycrylic/polygel/rolypoly whatchacallit is just another plastic polymer.

Go ahead and call it "polycrylic" or "polygel" or "gel" or "liquid plastic" or "crystal nails" or "laser nails" — just remember, the more words you come up with, the more you confuse your clientele. But don't get all offended when someone calls your precious poly-majigger "gel." Especially when it walks like a gel and quacks like a gel.

Probably because it's a gel.

Polycrylic, Polygel, Polly Wanna Cracker?

Nails Magazine — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:14:40 GMT

You know what drives me nuts? The average American's ignorance of simple science. In this particular instance: chemistry.

Most people I encounter don't know much about chemistry, and aren't interested in learning. Mostly what they know is they either never took it in high school or they passed with a grade that meant they didn't have to take it again, but didn't get their report card pinned to the refrigerator. And when someone asks me something like, "What is the best way to dry polish anyway?" I find myself having to mentally disconnect the gears in my head in order to find the absolute simplest explanation for why dipping your fingers in ice water is the exact opposite of what you want to do. Even in "designed-for-8-year-olds, Bill-Nye-the-Science-Guy" terminology, I still risk losing my audience as I watch their eyes cloud over.

On one hand it's funny. On the other, it's frustrating. The average American should have a firm enough grasp of simple chemistry to understand movement of electrons.

But what gets really irritating is that the average grasp of simple chemistry does not get better among nail techs. Seriously, if you want to call yourself a "nail technician" maybe you need to step up and wrap your brain around the technical side of the biz. Of course, it's not like our various licensing agencies and schools are helping any. When I went through the California manicuring course in 1992, I was required to have five hours of chemistry. FIVE. Out of 350. You know what I did to "earn" those five hours? I watched a video on hair color. Seriously.

So it's no wonder that nearly 20 years later I find myself regularly having to push my chair away from my computer, or excuse myself from conversations with my colleagues, because their ignorance of simple chemistry is so nauseating that I end up feeling like I just rode the teacups at Disneyland for three hours straight.

But aside from feeling frustrated and just plain embarrassed by how many of us don't get it, over the years I have seen many instances of how this ignorance is potentially harmful and I just haven't been able to get this through anybody's head.

First, it makes it very easy for us to fall prey to marketing on the part of our product manufacturers. About 14 years ago a major manufacturer came out with a new line. It was, actually, a quality product, and it gained popularity quite fast. Unfortunately, the manufacturer insisted on referring to this product as "organic."

Well. It is. All acrylic is. Even MMA is organic. The problem is that "organic" in chemistry isn't the same thing as "organic" in agriculture. In chemistry, "organic" refers to carbon-based compounds, which includes acrylic polymer resins. Problem is that most people, nail techs included, think the word "organic" means that anything thus labeled must be "healthy" and — I particularly love this one — doesn't have any chemicals in it. And don't tell me that the product manufacturer wasn't aware of this.

So what happened was that a lot of salons started using this product and ended up hurting a lot of clients. This is because clients would call up and say, "I'm allergic to acrylic. Is there anything you can do?" and the tech would say, "Oh that's not a problem! I don't use acrylic. My products are all organic."

Yes. It's true. It happened. I ended up with a few of those clients in my chair, having to explain organic chemistry to them. And I encountered that same ignorance more than once while job-hunting. I found multiple salons that were convinced the acrylic product line they used wasn't acrylic.

Space ... The Final Frontier

Nails Magazine — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:35:58 GMT

The good news is, I think I've found a viable answer to my glitter and bling storage dilemma. The bad news is, I still don't have enough space!

When I did the "tech swap" article with Lois a couple of years ago, I fell in love with the little shelves her hubby had made for her to store all her colored acrylic and glitter. So I came home and dragged the BF to Lowe's for wood and glue, then brought it all home and proceeded to build my own version. I was so excited with my results I took them to work and hung them up without even painting them! The BF was quite surprised I would hang anything at my station that had not been properly decorated, but it was just so great to have all that stuff out in the open where people could see it. And I didn't have to dig through three drawers and six cabinets to find something!

Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that my small room at the salon does not offer me enough wall space to adequately hold my growing collection. I have a grand scheme where two of the hairstylists relinquish their room and I get to move into their space — but they ain't goin' for it. So I have spent the last few months staring at my room, silently redecorating in my mind.

Turns out, I just don't have enough space. If I didn't actually need room to do nails, I might have enough room to store all my stuff for doing nails. It's an ancient conundrum. I'm pretty sure Buddhist monks have been pondering the answer for centuries.

I realized quite some time ago that I am not going to be able to keep all my beloved little jars of glitter and mylar and confetti proudly displayed on shelves where everyone can see them. So I invested in a gob of those little "Insyst Discs" and started the painstaking process of coating the tips on the disks with glitters and other assorted bling for display purposes. Well, never mind the tangent I could go off on about what a horrifying project that has turned out to be! Not to mention that some six months later I have exactly four of those discs covered with glitter — each disc has 20 tips on it, so that's 80 glitters that can easily be studied up close and personal while sitting at my desk.

Eighty sounds like a lot, doesn't it? Well it's not. If I ever find the time to finish the project, I estimate that I will have about 20 of those discs done. And that only includes the glitters, mylars, and confettis that are in stock, as in, the way I buy them. It does not include any of my custom-blended creations that I keep on hand.

So I had a brilliant idea: I would find stackable boxes of some sort that would be just the right size to hold exactly 20 of these little jars that I keep my glitters in. That way, each disc would have it's own box and when someone picked a color from a disc it would be easy for me to find the corresponding little jar.

So I was at the local Big Lots the other day (because it's still the cheapest place to buy cotton pads, and it's next to my bank) and I came across these adorable little drawer sets made by Sterilite. They are the same little plastic drawers that I keep my printer paper in here at home, but a miniature version. So I nabbed one, took it over to the tool aisle, and measured it with a tape measure. EUREKA! The drawers were just the right size I needed for my glitter storage! But, just in case I was wrong, I only bought one little set of drawers. I took it back to the salon, filled it with little jars of glitter and admired my genius.

Except, not only do I need a gazillion more of these little drawers sets, I don't have anywhere to put them.

The trunk of my car is now filled with an additional 12 little sets of small, plastic drawers. I will take them to the salon with me tomorrow and fill them with glitter. Hmmm, 12 times three (three drawers in each set) equals 36 Insyst Discs. Plus the original drawer set, for a total of 39 Insyst Discs’ worth of bling to display and store. I think that might actually hold me over till at least the end of the year. Now I guess I have to start buying some shelves to keep my drawers on.

Wait! Did I just hear myself correctly? I'm going to replace my shelves with shelves? Good grief! I think this it. This is rock bottom. It's time to join Angela's glitter addicts group.

The Ice Caps Aren't Going to Melt Before I Do

Nails Magazine — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:17:59 GMT

Have I ever mentioned that I hate the heat? And I'm not talking that "anything over 100" range — I'm talking more like anything over 80. Frankly, 80 is pushing it. I really like 56-65. Fahrenheit, of course.

Since the age of 12 it has been my intention to move to Alaska. Somehow that keeps not working out for me though, and 27 years later I find I am still giving out my hometown zip code at those stores that collect it "for marketing purposes." And for those of you who are not familiar with California, I am here to testify that it is not all beaches and mountains. I live in the middle of the state, which is quite nicely positioned if you have a few days off and can't decide: mountains, ocean, or desert? City or country? Because within a couple of hours and a single tank of gas, you can get to any of them. However, when you live here and have to go through life on a daily basis, our triple-digit summers can really do a number on your morale.

Especially when you don't like heat.

The BF doesn't really notice it. He falls into that "well, once it's over 90 or so, it's all hot, but whatever" category. He swears he would prefer a car without air conditioning. He's obviously not right in the head.

Now, as for myself, I'm certainly not going to claim to be all anti-environmental. And I'm not really opposed to this "going green" movement that's so popular (although I have to admit, when it comes to some things, you really want to make sure your bandwagon has all its wheels before you jump on it). But I definitely do believe in treating Ma Nature with a healthy respect and try to live an environmentally responsible lifestyle — unless it means giving up my air conditioning! That is not an option. Unless I get to move to Alaska. Then maybe we can talk.

And so it was that when I owned a salon, the thermostat was set to "snow." Everyone knew they needed to bring a sweater to their appointments, and if they forgot, I had a loaner. I never once griped about my electric bill, even though the a/c unit my measly 600-square-foot salon was originally equipped with was over 30 years old, and by no means "energy efficient."

I no longer own a salon. I no longer have the final say over the salon's thermostat. Today, I really miss owning my own salon.

The BF's dad works in refrigeration. I have an excellent source to go to for advice on all things pertaining to mechanical refrigeration. Which is how it has come to my attention that, contrary to popular belief, it is not necessary for a residential air conditioning unit to cycle on and off. Yes, it’s going to make your electric meter spin like the teacups at Disneyland, but as long as the unit is in good running condition, it shouldn't damage it.

Also. That is what programmable thermostats are for. Get the dang a/c to cycle on at 6 a.m. and bring the interior temperature down to 72 degrees while it is still only 85 degrees outside! That way, by the time everyone gets to work — and the hairstylists start heating the place up with hair dryers and curling irons — it will take less work on the part of the AC unit to maintain a reasonable room temperature. It'll also take longer for the interior temperature to climb.

It just doesn't strike me as requiring a degree in computational fluid dynamics.

Meanwhile. Yeah, 80 degrees does feel like you walked into a cold storage unit when you come in from 108 degrees outside. And given that I pretty much just sit in a chair all day, it's not entirely uncomfortable. But I work with products that are crazy temperature sensitive. If the temperature climbs over 76, I experience a significant difference in the way my acrylics set up. I'm not just whining about how hot it is, I'm legitimately trying to do my job.

But like I said, it's not my say anymore. And today is hot. And I'm grumpy.

If I Had a Million Dollars ...

Nails Magazine — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:48:07 GMT

Never mind that I picked up a copy of the latest issue of NAILS while I was at the IBS Vegas show. I didn't have a chance to start reading it until I received my regularly scheduled issue in the mail just the other day. So I've been reading through my shiny new — oh wait, they aren't shiny anymore (I still haven't decided if I like that or not) — issue of NAILS and Hannah's column made me think.

Of course, the "would you keep working if you won the lottery" question isn't a new one. I've thought about it many times and every so often it comes up in conversation among clients or coworkers.

Of course I would keep working! LOL! DUH! But assuming we're talking about winning enough money to do these things (because a million dollars just doesn't go that far anymore), I would scale back the time I spend actually sitting at the desk doing nails. I would have to, because I would be so busy with all the other industry-related projects I'd be involved in.

First, I'd open up my own salon again. (sigh) Yeah, it's true, I would. Then I'd open a school — one that took actual pride in providing not just the training required for licensure, but also the training and education required to be successful beyond licensure. And if that means spending time and money to get laws changed, well, we are pretending I have a LOT of money, right?

I'd also embark on a national marketing campaign to reach consumers and educate the masses about nail products and services. For about ever, I have thought it ridiculously short-sighted that our industry spends so much time marketing to itself; Honey, it's called "preaching to the choir" and it's not advancing our cause! You don't have to tell me that you don't use MMA in your products, or that gel is the product of the future, or that those hideous colors in your new polish collection are the "new thing this season" — you have to tell THE CONSUMERS. Some companies are already spending money to advertise in major fashion magazines. Hey! I’ve got an idea! While you're busy selling polish, why don't you mention your professional certification program and steer consumers toward educating themselves about professional services?

Oh sorry, did I go off on a tangent? … So I would dump massive amounts of money into a marketing plan to spotlight the industry in a way that no one else seems to want to try.

And then there's the competition circuit. After sitting through the awards ceremony at IBS Vegas, even the BF won't shut up about how he’d re-invent the U.S. competition circuit if he won the lottery. Now, granted, I don't personally think the current system is all that out of whack. It seems to run pretty well and have relatively few hiccups, despite dealing with an industry that is rife with drama queens and divas (including myself. Let's face it, we are artists and artists are passionate people. Yeah passionate — that's it!) Nevertheless, I have long envisioned a competition circuit for the U.S. that would be just a little different.

Oh. If I had the money I would be so busy! I would also work on that consumer-oriented magazine I was talking about! Good grief! I still can't believe I can't find one of those!

Equity Isn't Just for Houses

Nails Magazine — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:20:21 GMT

When we find ourselves in the position of having to end a relationship with a client, we usually say we have to "fire" a client. I'm not sure if we actually "fire" clients or if we "quit" clients. After all, they pay us for our services — maybe we work for them. But any way you figure it, sometimes you just have to send one packing.

I'm currently in this spot myself. Remember a few posts ago I talked about "the rule of 2?" Well, those two have to hit the bricks. Looks like I finally gave one of 'em enough rope, and sure ‘nuff, she seems to have hung herself with it. Making it very easy for me to laugh out loud at her if she ever calls again! The other one … Well, this one's tougher.

It's like a long-term relationship coming to an end. It's a little sad. But not sad enough to keep putting up with the crap. And now I have to figure out how to tell this woman that I won't be doing her nails anymore. Nothing has happened that really crossed a line, but after a decade or so we've come to the point where I'm not feeling appreciated and every time she misses an appointment, somehow it's my fault. I understand the importance of letting my clients be right, but I can only take it on the chin and take the blame so many times before I develop a bad attitude. About this many times, as it turns out.

So I'm just feeling taken for granted and underappreciated. And here's the deal — she hasn't built any equity in this relationship. In nearly a decade of being her nail tech, she has missed few appointments. But when she does miss one, I call and get the voicemail and never get a return call. Eventually I get a call from her, making it seem like she's the one who took the initiative to call me. Then she blithely offers her excuse without apology. She never offers to compensate me for my missed time. Since she only misses about one appointment a year, and usually does have a legitimate reason, I don't generally quibble or remind her to read the "fee for missed appointments" sign. I let it go. Yes, this puts that fault on my shoulders, but that's not my point. My point is that after so many years, she has never offered to compensate me of her own free will. Which means she hasn't banked any "brownie points" to save her @$$ when I'm weighing her value as a client.

She has never brought me a beverage. She has never tipped me. And, although rarely, she has blatantly ignored my "grown-ups only" rule and arrived with her child in tow — without so much as calling first to give me a heads up.

These are all little things. Small annoyances and inconveniences that, taken on a case-by-case basis over the years, haven't been worth haggling over. But these last few months have found me feeling beaten down, and even my coworkers dread seeing this woman. In fact, when their schedules allow, they actually hide in the break room to avoid her! A recent missed appointment has left me struggling for the words for the phone call to let her know that it's time for her to find a new nail tech.

My problem is not a fear of confrontation. My problem is finding just the right words. Refraining from an emotional outburst, resorting to "Oh yeah! Well nobody likes you anyway!" Which is what I was just rehearsing in my mind while making my lunch before coming to write this. It comes down to equity.

People build equity in their relationships. Marriages, friendships, as well as professional relationships like we have with our clients. In this case, I find that the length of the relationship is actually working against this client. Because she has not built equity. Never tipped me, never brought me Starbucks, never given me a birthday card. When it comes down to deciding to end our relationship after so many years, when I weigh the pros and cons, she has very little in the "pros" category to outweigh the "cons."

So that's where I'm left. A little sad that I have no attachment to someone who has been part of my life for so many years, and a little angry because I expect that's going to come as a complete surprise to her.

Few Things Are Certain

Nails Magazine — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:32:01 GMT

I know no one who's slow right now wants to hear this, but the thing about a slow economy is that it really tends to weed out the weaker businesses.

When things are really singing along and money is flowing fast and easy, it's easy for small businesses to pop up everywhere. When the real estate market was hot, I saw a LOT of people become real estate agents and contractors, or take up decorating, landscaping, painting, you name it. If it was a product or service you could buy for a home or property, there were at least 20 businesses open to provide it.

Of course, now the real estate market has slowed considerably and there are a lot of tender new businesses struggling to make it because there's considerably less demand to fuel the supply.

The nail biz is no different really. Supply and demand. If the number of consumers wanting their nails done starts to dwindle, then the number of nail techs will be affected shortly after.

Now, we work in the beauty industry, and the beauty industry has historically done a weird thing when the economy slows down — we get busier. I think women seek solace in beauty products and services (sort of an "if I have to stand in the bread line at least I'm gonna look good doing it" mentality).

Of course, that's fine with me. Seeing as how even as I'm typing I have had to let three calls go to voicemail because I'm just plain frazzled from trying to find space in my schedule to get people in!

Everywhere I go these days people ask me, in a hushed and concerned tone, how my business is going. Well it's feakin’ great. So great, in fact, that I am two months behind on that e-newsletter I promised I was going to start doing, and I don't even want to think about how many photos I need to get printed out for my nail art album. I think the last time I logged in to Myspace I was still 38. (Which changed back in April, btw.)

But I also know some colleagues who might fall by the wayside soon, finding more secure jobs as cashiers and receptionists as their phones ring less and less.

The sad, and sometimes hard-to-swallow truth is: Just because you love something, doesn't mean you're good at it. Other factors that I see affecting some of us is an unwillingness to compromise.

Motivational speakers have done American entrepreneurs the disservice over the last few decades of convincing us that "compromise" is a dirty word. So when times call for it, we're aren't willing. And that, my friends, is why palm trees grow in hurricane country instead of oaks.

If you really want to stay in the nail biz through tough times, you might have to take a long hard look at what's going to be required to do that. People are still getting their nails done. If they aren't getting them done by you, you need to find out why. Do they want nails but can't budget for your prices? Are clients who've been laid off now working part-time or temp jobs with uncertain schedules that make it hard for them to keep a standing appointment?

Is it possible that your skills aren't quite sharp enough to command your share of a shrinking market? What can you do to overcome that? Tradeshow? Workshop? Competition? Networking?

Economic Darwinism strikes superfluous businesses down based on more than just skill level. You're bound to see older, stable businesses closing their doors around town — in the salon business as well as other industries — because they may be secure enough financially that they just decide to retire, or because they have rested on their laurels too long and haven't remained fresh and innovative so now find their market share wondering off.

Some talented techs will find other work because they don't have the marketing skills to command the attention they need to build their clientele. And many of us will simply opt out out of fear, choosing to find "secure" jobs so we can sleep at night without worrying about next month's rent.

I'm eager to see how the nail industry will be affected by the current economy. I'm interested in seeing how it will affect me. Hopefully, when all is said and done, I'll be one of the ones still sitting behind the nail desk, not at it, talking about how "I used to do nails." But if it's not meant to be, I guess I can always do taxes. I'm pretty sure those aren't going anywhere!

I'll Scratch Yours If You'll Scratch Mine (and Yes, They Were There!)

Nails Magazine — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:50:20 GMT

Somehow I managed to come home with a sore throat and a stuffed up nose. I'm blaming allergies, since I refuse to believe it's possible to get a cold in the middle of June — unless you live in the southern hemisphere. Otherwise they wouldn't be called "colds."

The good news is that I finally got to meet my competition team captain, Lynn Lammers, as well as several other Team Pink mates! The even better news is that I like them! I finally have a sense of camaraderie. Everyone is swell and I actually think I might (eventually) get the hang of this competition stuff.

I have so many stories, it's going to be hard to condense today's post into a single, coherent, piece of writing. Especially without making you scroll down. And I'd be so much more eager to try if I didn't feel so gosh-darn crappy.

I suppose it's possible that sleep deprivation, 54-oz. pina coladas, smoke-filled casinos, and touching the same escalator handrail as 30,000 other people before me might combine for a small risk of taking home some sort of bug that will keep me from feeling too enthusiastic about telling anyone my stories for a few days.

Now, this blog is not supposed to be a personal journal of Maggie's Adventures in Manicuring; it's called "Maggie Rants [and Raves]." So instead of telling everyone all about competitions and teammates and hanging out with the girls from Nubar, let me just for a moment hop up and down and demand an explanation from the industry.

Why aren't you exhibiting at tradeshows? Yes you. You, dear manufacturers and distributors whom we purchase our products from. Whom we turn to for support in the ways of products and education. Especially those companies that spend so much of their time and marketing budget telling us how important continuing education is and how important it is to stay current and involved in the industry. Why aren't you at the shows?

Or worse, why have you forsaken your U.S. customers for events overseas?

Don't get me wrong, I understand that the European market is currently booming. I also hear that the shows across the pond are phenomenal, with more energy and a greater appreciation of the nail industry, but that's no excuse to abandon the U.S. market.

Not to mention many of the companies that were present at the show were completely apathetic. Or unprepared. I can't believe you would exhibit at a tradeshow and not be stocked with NAIL FILES. That is, of course, providing you actually carry a line of nail files. I certainly don't expect those companies that don't sell files to have them.

When I talk to people in The Biz about why they don't exhibit, they usually point out the cost of exhibiting. Now I looked up the exhibitor info for IBS Vegas, and I'm not saying the rent isn't pricey, but then again, I spent almost as much money just to be there as an attendee and competitor as it would have cost to rent a booth there! So I'm gonna have to call "B***S****" and take offense that you don't think I’m worth your time and money.

You can't honestly expect me to listen to your pep talks and marketing advice for staying competitive as a nail tech when you don't apply that same advice to staying competitive as a manufacturer.

I have learned that you can’t rest on your laurels in this business. This is a fast-paced industry that is in constant motion. That goes for product manufacturers as well. If you sit out too many games, no one is going to ask you to play anymore.

In fact. Maybe that's just what I'll do. If you can't be bothered to write a few checks and make a showing at the shows, maybe I can't be bothered to write a few checks to buy your product.

What Am I Forgetting?

Nails Magazine — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:21:28 GMT

Monomer — check.

Polymer — check.

Sculpting brushes — check.

Towels — check. Paper towels — check. Dappen dishes, acetone, nippers, pushers, files, buffers … Check, check, check, check …

You know there's something that isn't in there! Something. Something that I am sure not to realize I forgot until I open up my kit at the competition and expect it to be there.

I promised Ashley (my model) that I'd bring her a blanket and pillow, and possibly some Tylenol. I should really try to remember those things.

I can't believe I've agreed to participate in something that requires my presence at 7 a.m. Why would I do that?

So if you hear any screams followed by uncontrollable sobbing from the vicinity of Las Vegas over the weekend, it might be me.

Meanwhile, if you happen to be at the IBS Las Vegas tradeshow this weekend feel free to say "Hi" and remind me that in a hundred years, no one will care. Wait. Don't. That line always reminds me of the beginning of the first “Terminator” movie. I don’t want to be Sarah Connor. Just pat my shoulder and smile sympathetically. Maybe bring me chocolate. Or coffee. Or chocolate-flavored coffee. Yeah, that'll make everything better.

I also promised my model that every time I snap at her she can count it as one more $12 daiquiri I owe her at the Rain Forest Cafe. Oh wait, maybe those daiquiris are $18. Never mind the chocolate-flavored coffee, just donate cash.

And no excuses about how you couldn't find me because you never saw the pink hair. It isn't pink anymore — despite the fact that I'll be competing on Team Pink. My hairstylist (and salon owner where I work) hates putting pink in my hair. She says I'm too old to have pink hair.

Well, it's time to get going. At least the BF didn't drag me out of bed at the crack of dawn this morning insisting that we were already running late. Oh yeah, the BF is tagging along this weekend.

I am going to need a vacation after this.