Nail Trend: Caviar Manicures, Doug Gets One!

MIA Caviar beads, just after a few hours.

Here at Pure Spa, we are are always looking into new trends in the Salon,Nail,Massage and Day Spa markets. We are constantly seeking out new lines that can offer your business services and merchandise to help keep you on trend with what clients are looking for. Whether it's an awesome new pedicure, facial or Massage, we know that staying current is an important aspect to retaining and attracting clients. So we were very intrigued to learn about the Caviar Manicure craze this summer and were considering bringing it on board to Pure Spa.

When our Caviar nail beads showed up for beta testing we ran into a glitch. All of our usual test subjects just had Shellac manicures, so the only person with a clean nail was Doug Dema in our Marketing department...poor Doug, I had to send an apology note to his wife. We were all so eager to try out the process, Doug allowed me to test out a few of his nails to evaluate the application process and the quality of the wear.

So the Caviar Bead Manicure process begins like any other manicure:

1) Clean and prep nail
2) Base coat
3) 2 Polish coats - one nail at a time
4) Now sprinkle on Caviar beads while nail by nail while polish is wet.
5) Pat beads carefully into nail, taking care to make sure the edges are fully covered.
6) After 10-15 drying (we did not use a lamp or dryer), Apply a clear top coat.

Doug Does Caviar - And Not Very Well.

Without the top coat, the beads are not going to stay on for more than a few hours.

After applying a thick top coat, it took about 30-40 minutes for the nail to fully dry and the beads to feel "locked in" - again, we did not use a lamp or dryer.

After all this drying time, the manicure and the Caviar beads did hold up through several hand washings and Doug's daily routine of banging stuff around, but after a few hours, beads starting falling off.

So what was the verdict? This is a cute trend but we felt it was a service that was too long to perform in light of it's temporary results. It is on trend for the younger age groups, and with the time involved in doing it well, and doing it right - the price point for this manicure would need to be in the $45 range, which we feel may be too much. And at that price point, clients will want a manicure that lasts longer than a few days.

Alternatively, I have heard from some salons that are just adding the Caviar to one nail, like the ring finger. That sounds a bit more practical.

Shellac and Gelish manicures are still the number one trend of choice for our salon and spa shoppers!