Step into spring with five sparkling NEW nail glitters

Spring 2013 – CND expands its Additives collection with five NEW limited-edition ultrafine nail glitters, now available worldwide.  The CND Additives Springtime Sparkle Collection includes a FREE CND Logo Measuring Spatula and these delectable glitters:  Lemon Sunshine, for super sunny yellow shimmer; Sea Glass, a gorgeous green with blue undertones; Hot Pink, the sassiest pink CND could create; Raspberry Sizzle, a delicious shade that will compliment any skin tone; and Periwinkle Twinkle, a pretty purple with blue highlights.

“It’s easy to add subtle shimmer and shine to any manicure with the use of CND Additives,” says CND Co-founder, Jan Arnold.  “These ultrafine glitters create sophisticated, multidimensional sparkle, and can be used by Nail Professionals to create completely custom nail designs.”

CND Additives: Add. Blend. Create!

Nail Professionals can now add even more value and creativity to services by offering unique, completely customized signature colors, textures and finishes. Blend Additives glitter into any CND sculpting powder or gel, or layer over CND Shellac™ for the ultimate artistic freedom. CND Additives are a professional-only product and perfect for Nail Professionals with any level of experience.

For more information and worldwide availability contact a local distributor or visit cnd.com.

About CND

 New tagline solidifies CND’s leadership in the nail industry and role in making nails the ultimate fashion and beauty accessory

FEBRUARY 2013 – CND, the world leader in professional nail care, is proud to announce its new official tagline: Nails. Fashion. Beauty. The tagline was recently revealed at the 2013 CND World Summit in San Diego, California, which was attended by CND Education Ambassadors and international distributors from 65 countries. 

“Quite simply, our new tagline nails it,” says CND Co-founder, Jan Arnold.  “It speaks directly to our passion for nails and the Nail Professional, while highlighting CND’s pioneering role in making nails the ultimate fashion accessory.”

For over 15 years, CND has been breaking barriers at New York Fashion Week, partnering with top designers to create custom nail styles for the runway. The iconic beauty images CND captures each runway season helps set nail trends and provides Nail Professionals around the world with visual inspiration. Coupled with the company’s commitment to serving the Nail Professional with innovative products, class-leading education and salon support, CND truly strives to advance the state of the industry.

The new tagline, Nails. Fashion. Beauty., is now live online at cnd.com and is being phased in worldwide on all printed collateral material.  

About CND

Founded in 1979 and based in Vista, CA, CND (Creative Nail Design, Inc.) is the global leader in professional nail, hand and foot beauty. Deeply committed to advancing the nail care industry, CND devotes significant time and resources to product research and development, education, and customer support. CND is an industry-leading advocate for the role of nail care in personal beauty and fashion.

NEW Brisa™ Lite Removable Gels provide exceptional wear for three weeks with no filling of the natural nail

February 2013 – CND, the global authority on professional nail care and innovator of CND Shellac™, is proud to introduce its latest breakthrough for Nail Professionals: Brisa™ Lite Removable Gels. These revolutionary removable gels are EASY ON with no filing of the natural nail, EASY OFF with no soaking, and provide EXCEPTIONAL WEAR for three weeks. Brisa Lite Removable Gels are available now, worldwide.

“This first-of-its-kind system offers the best of both worlds for women who want the enhancement of gel and the convenience of CND Shellac”, says CND Co-founder, Jan Arnold.  “Brisa Lite combines the unsurpassed performance of Brisa Gel and the superior removability of CND Shellac to create superior new technology that advances the nail industry.”

The complete Brisa Lite Removable Gel System is comprised of: Removable Base Coat; Removable Smoothing Gel; Removable Sculpting Gel; and Removable Top Coat.

        *All Brisa Lite services begin with the Removable Base Coat, which is highly adhesive to the natural nail and doesn’t require filing the natural nail.

        *Removable Smoothing Gel is the ultimate CND Shellac™ Power Partner. Applied before CND Shellac, it perfects and smooths the surface of the natural nail, and extends the wear of the CND Shellac service to three flawless weeks.  Removable Smoothing Gel removes in 15 minutes with CND Remover Wraps and may also be worn alone for the ultimate natural manicure.

        *Brisa Lite Removable Sculpting Gel is the first truly removable sculpting gel for shape and length enhancement. Available in Clear, Neutral Pink and Pure White, Brisa Lite Removable Sculpting Gel easily removes in 30 minutes.

        *Brisa Lite Top Coat provides a high gloss finish, is scratch resistant, and seals and protects the Brisa Lite service.

Introductory Brisa Lite value packs shipped in a FREE CND Logo travel bag and open stock, are available now through local distributors worldwide. Please visit cnd.com for more information on Brisa Lite Removable Gels.

About CND

Founded in 1979 and based in Vista, CA, CND (Creative Nail Design, Inc.) is the global leader in professional nail, hand and foot beauty. Deeply committed to advancing the nail care industry, CND devotes significant time and resources to product research and development, education, and customer support. CND is an industry-leading advocate for the role of nail care in personal beauty and fashion.

Season's Greetings from Intercosmetics!

Thank you for your support this past year and we wish you Happy Holidays as well as great success in the New Year ahead.

Please note that we will be closed for the holidays starting Monday December 24^th through to January 1^st. Regular hours resume on January 2^nd.

Be sure to place your holiday orders early in the week of December 17^th, as the last day to pick up and place orders will be Friday December 21^st.

We look forward to working with you in the New Year and hope to see you at our OPI Launch Event and Open House – savings on everything in the store!

Mississauga – Monday January 7^th

Ottawa – Monday January 14^th

Waterloo – Monday January 21^st

 There’s no need to resort to email based daily deal coupons. These programs just suck your profit, and only bring you disloyal customers looking for the next deal. Instead, grow your business by offering your own promotions and deals, whether it’s through emails to your client-base, or just an old-fashioned sign at reception. Here are some ideas to get you started.

1. Offer free nail art on one finger or toe with a specialty manicure or pedicure service.

2. Encourage clients to try your deluxe facials by presenting discounts on packaged deals of multiple treatments – a facial “series” or “program”

3. Incorporate new services at an introductory low price on days when your spa isn’t busy.

4. Add on a 10 minute hand massage with any spa manicure

5. Offer a free polish change with any gift certificate purchased for $25 or more

6. Give a paraffin treatment to any client who brings you three new customers

7. Gift a miniature bottle of cuticle oil to clients who submit their email address. Think of all the newsletter and promotional opportunities once you have a solid database!

8. Reward your dedicated natural nail clients with a onetime upgrade to Shellac and allow your clients a chance to fall in love with it.

9. Give away a foot file to clients who post pictures of their nails on your Facebook page or Tweet about their service at your salon.

10. Create a frequent shopper program where clients are rewarded “spa bucks” redeemable for retail products, with every service they purchase.

11. Create reference card coupons for your customers to give to their friends. Write your customer’s name on the card, and for every coupon she refers, give her free “spa bucks” towards any service at your spa.

12. Offer a free makeup touch up to clients after a deluxe treatment. You’ll be surprised by the retail response!

 Starting July 21, athletes in the Olympic and Paralympic Villages will have the opportunity to receive complimentary 14 day , superior shine CND Shellac manicures and pedicures. CND Shellac is the original and only Power Polish service that will last as long as the Games, helping athletes reach the podium in style!

To celebrate this Olympic initiative, CND is unveiling its medal-worthy nail looks, Olympic Gold & Olympic Spirit.

"We are thrilled athletes from around the world will be treated to a CND Shellac service during the Olympics and wish them the very best in their remarkable journey,” says CND co-founder and style director Jan Arnold. “We look forward to seeing all the Olympic inspired nails which will be uploaded onto the CND Facebook and Sweet Squared Facebook fan pages, and thank Sweet Squared for its continued support and enthusiasm for the CND brand.”

CND Shellac in the Village

Athletes are welcome to the Leisure Lounge at the official Olympic Rowing & Canoe Village as well as the Sailing Village for a medal-worthy manicure, pedicure and hand / foot massage starting Saturday, July 21 and every Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday during the Games. These complimentary services will be offered at the Paralympics from August 29 to September 9. Athletes will have 36 gorgeous colors to choose from and the option to customize with Olympic themed designs.

Follow Live on Facebook and Twitter

Want to know what nail style your favorite athlete is sporting? Live tweeting with #OlympicShellac along with photos posted to the CND Facebook and Sweet Squared Facebook fan pages will give Olympic enthusiasts and nail buffs alike an insider look at the experience and perfectly manicured fingers and toes! Follow @CNDWorld and @SweetSquared.

UV Nail Lamp Safety Information 

• * According to Dr. Robert M. Sayre, Ph.D., of Rapid Precision Testing Laboratories one of the creators of the SPF rating system: “UV Nail Lamps are safer than natural sunlight or sunlamps.”  

• * Dr. David Valia, Director of Research and Development for CND, compares the exposure from a UV lamp to that of indoor fluorescent lighting. He explains, “The amount of energy from a UV lamp during a nail service would be roughly equivalent to the amount of UV exposure one would experience during a typical day of exposure in indoor fluorescent lighting.” 

• * According to Dr. Sayre:  “People who are indoors have little to no skin risk due to long term exposure to fluorescent lighting. People who sunbathe or work outdoors have real risks of excessive UV exposure, the cause of sunburn and skin cancer.” 

• * “The CND UV Nail Lamp bulb emits almost exclusively (more than 99%) UVA-1, the safest part of the ultraviolet spectrum,” says Dr. Sayre.    

• *The exposure from a bi-weekly UV manicure is equivalent to “an extra 1-2 minutes in daylight each day between salon visits,” says Doug Schoon, CND’s Chief Scientific Advisor and author of Nail Structure and Product Chemistry. 

• * Although hands are the most exposed, they’re also the least susceptible to UV sensitivity. According to Dr. Sayre, “It would take 6 – 10x more exposure to your hands to produce mild sunburn than it would to produce a burn on your face, abdomen or back. UV Nail Lamps are used on one of the least susceptible parts of your body.” 

• * Hands get more UV exposure holding the steering wheel of a car or talking on a cell phone outside than they do from the use of UV nail lamps. 

• * UV nail lamps have been on the market for over 30 years and there have been no proven reports linking them to premature aging or skin cancer.

• *Just like you put sunscreen on your face, we recommend putting sunscreen on your hands throughout the day, especially after washing them.  

For more information, visit http://www.schoonscientific.com/UV-Nail-Lamp-Facts.pdf

As the green movement has gained popularity, the terms behind it seem to have become little more than marketing buzzwords. How can the truly environmentally-concerned spa owner tell what is an authentically eco-friendly line?

No Heavy Metals

Environmental advocacy groups are now lobbying Health Canada to impose stricter regulations on heavy metals in cosmetics. Unfortunately, many cosmetics contain trace amounts of toxic heavy metals such as lead or mercury. Look for cosmetic lines that take extra care to ensure that the heavy metal content is low. For example, RVB cosmetics has developed a revolutionary heavy metal test that ensures heavy metal levels are below 0.0001 ppm – making it safe for the most sensitive skins and our water systems.

No Siloxanes

Siloxanes are some of the chemicals responsible for making our beauty products lather and foam, but they have been shown to contaminate our water sources and disrupt the delicate ecological balance. Avoid any products that use siloxanes for a truly eco-friendly line.

Sustainably-Sourced Products

To cite an ingredient as organic is often all consumers worry about, but even organic farming can have a devastating environmental effect if it is not done sustainably. Sustainable farming means that the product has been farmed in a way that respects the ecosystem around it and ensures that it will continue to grow in coming seasons.

Recyclable Packaging

What happens when you’ve finished the product? Is the jar going to end up in a landfill or can it be recycled? And if the packaging is plastic, is it food-grade plastic or will toxins seep into the environment?

Renewable Energy Manufacturing

Again, aside from organic ingredients, another important feature to investigate is the energy used for manufacturing. Does the manufacturer use solar energy, wind energy or some other renewable, green energy source?

Looking for a truly eco-friendly line that goes beyond organic may seem like a daunting task, but there are some authentic lines available on the market. RVB’s Holistic Beauty, for example, is an eco-conscious line that incorporates all of the above traits. For more information on RVB’s green practices, or the RVB heavy metal test, contact exclusive Canadian distributors Intercosmetics at 1-800-263-4333.