Essie Sexy Divide, Jin Soon Debonair, OPI Purple With a Purpose
Create statement-making nails in shades of purple, like those found in designer Donatella Versace’s fall/winter 2014 Atelier Versace Paris collection. The Versace models donned deep purple, thigh-high slit gowns adorned with crystals and beads, and ball gowns in amethyst reminiscent of the ’80s. Consider polishes like rich, glistening Essie Sexy Divide; dark and vampy Jin Soon Debonair; and shimmery, bright OPI Purple with a Purpose. essie.com; jinsoon.com; opi.com —L.B.
STATE OF MIND
In May 2011, Holli Christensen opened Park Avenue Blow Dry Salon and Nail Bar in Phoenix, with a big dream that started in the Big Apple. “I was inspired after attending New York Fashion Week as a friend’s guest, where the first street I saw was Park Avenue,” she recalls. Services have New York-themed names, like the Hampton Blowout and the Chelsea Shape & Polish Mani. In response to client requests, Christensen added a nail bar in May 2013, where services like the SoHo Spa Pedicure and the Manhattan Deluxe Manicure are popular. Clients not only choose a polish color but also a service scent; this winter, coffee- and peppermint-accented scrubs and lotions are on the menu. Christensen also installed an industrial internal ventilation system to whisk away polish fumes for an enjoyable and safe environment. —D.C.
SHOW OF HANDS
Jan Arnold, CND co-founder and style director, says she remembers sitting in a Los Angeles bank in 1979 as her family impressed a banker with their passion for the nail industry. As a result, the banker granted them a loan to launch her father’s SolarNail product. Today, Arnold is a notable leader in the fashion and professional beauty circles, and most recently stars as a judge on Oxygen’s Nail’d It reality series. “My admiration for nail professionals is my guiding light to everything I do for CND,” she says. Nail’d It features top industry talent who compete in creative, timed challenges. The last episode airs December 9, and reveals the winner of the $100,000 prize. —D.C.
Photography: Lindsey Byrnes for Oxygen Media (SHOW OF HANDS); GREG MARINO (GRAPE CRUSH)