Nails Magazine

AUG 2013

Magazine for the professional nail industry.

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1 2 nestled among a street of juice bars, cafes, and yoga studios. "Everyone's into surfing and paddleboarding," Reeder says. "Except for summer and spring break, we have mostly locals." Locals make up a majority of Beachy Toes' business and are the audience that Reeder had in mind when opening the salon. Known for being a "baby boomer" destination — where pregnant women abound — as well as a center for all things organic and active, Solana Beach was the ideal spot to open a salon dedicated to natural nails, says Reeder, who oversees operations. Eschewing gels and acrylics, Beachy Toes opts to make its own sugar scrubs every morning and offers treatments using a range of organic-based ingredients and "five-free" Zoya polish. "Our basic pedicure ($35) and manicure ($25) is the Summer Lemonade, in which we slice fresh lemons and put them in the water," Reeder says. "Then we use the lemon sugar scrub that we make." In addition to the Summer Lemonade pedicure, the salon offers three other specialty treatments with organic ingredients (manicure: $30/pedicure: $40). The Hawaiian Lei features jasmine fragrance and coconut oil from Tahiti and a coconut foot mask, while the Blue Crush offers a touch of fresh mint and a bath bomb with a real seashell that emerges when dissolved. The most popular of the three, the California Dreaming treatment uses mango and orange slices, finished with a homemade orange scrub and papaya foot mask. "It's been really fun putting it all together," Reeder says. "We've changed our specialty pedicures a couple of times, but we've got it down now that these are the perfect ones." For $5 per nail, Beachy Toes also offers custom nail art designs. While starfish, flowers, and beachscapes are the most-requested artwork, Reeder says Oropez can freehand any client request. Between natural nail treatments and the demand for custom nail art, business is up this year for the salon, despite the recent popularity of gel-polish. "Our clients don't even want UV lights. We're very granola down here," she says. 1. Some of the amenities ofered at the sunny salon include beach-inspired drinks and reggae music to keep the atmosphere fun and light. 2. Girlfriends and wedding parties are two types of clientele that frequent Beachy Toes. COASTAL CUES Aside from the promise of a natural experience, the appeal of the salon has a lot to do with its location, Reeder explains. The crisp white interior of Beachy Toes is inspired from top to bottom by the pristine, sandy beaches found across the street. Brightly colored resin tubs and striped throw pillows accent the white wood floors, open beam ceilings, and manicure stations in the 375-sq.-ft. salon. The five raised pedicure stations, constructed with the help of Reeder's nephew, offer views of passing pedestrians and cyclists enjoying the warm beach weather. "We had to get pretty creative because we were on a tight budget," Reeder says. "A lot of stuff is from Ikea and Pottery Barn." Reeder also has a small space set up where she offers an array of beach-inspired products for clients to peruse, including Hawaiian jewelry, lip balms, and light scarves, though retail makes up less than 5% of gross revenue. Appropriately, flip-flops are a top-selling item, with options ranging from embellished leather straps to patterned soles. The flip-flop is also incorporated into the salon's new VIP membership program — if clients show the Beachy Toes flipflop keychain during a visit, they receive complimentary gifts like an add-on hot stone massage or a bottle of nail polish to take home. The centerpiece of Beachy Toes' decor, however, is an oversized chalkboard menu in the middle of a surfboard, just one of many hanging on the walls of the salon. Out front, a table, chairs, and beach umbrella are a draw for walk-in business. UP FOR THE CHALLENGE Even the salon's employees fall in line with the beach theme, though this is more of a happy coincidence. "Our other full-time nail tech is actually a guy AUGUST 2013 | >>> NAILS MAGAZINE | 145

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