These days, it’s wise to watch your expenses and to maximize the value of products and services you invest in. A great investment that’s sure to pay off is a visit to the upcoming America’s Beauty Show at McCormick Place in downtown Chicago March 27-29. Admission is free if you’re a member of America’s Beauty Network.

Hundreds of the world’s top manufacturers and distributors will be present, and many opportunities for education will be available to attendees. Some highlights of the show include the 3rd Annual Salon Sustainability Summit, backed by ABS’ commitment to continued economic development, social progress to protect communities and an active concern for the environment. Master classes, manufacturer product knowledge classes and exclusive America’s Beauty Network-sponsored Continuing Education seminars will be offered, and six salon professionals will be guests of Cosmetologists Chicago for a master class with Nick Arrojo, Damien and Sue Pemberton, Scott Cole or Ruth Roche.

Additionally, the 2010 L.E.O. Awards will be presented to five salon industry leaders: Robert Aubin, CEO, Pivot Point Australia and New Zealand; Ann Bray, The Masters, Huntsville, Alabama; Michael “Rhani” Flowers, creator and proprietor of Van Cleef Hair Salon, Chicago; Gretchen “Gretta” Monahan, beauty and fashion entrepreneur, Boston; and Diana Schmidtke, men’s grooming, style and haircare specialist, Los Angeles. The L.E.O. Awards represent leadership in the salon industry, excellence in designer education and outstanding Pivot Point alumni, while also honoring the founder and chairman of Pivot Point, Leo Passage.

The exhibition floor hours are Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Monday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information on America’s Beauty Show 2010, to register online and find details about special events, visit AmericasBeautyShow.com or call 800.883.7808 or 312.494.3040.

See you soon,
Shelley

Budgets are still tight, which may be the reason for all of the natural beauty draping the runways this season. So—if they aren’t already—customers will be hitting beauty stores to stock up on all of the tools and palettes that will help them re-create the ethereal looks accompanying this season’s runway fashions. One beauty retailer, ULTA, is already prepped and ready to meet customers’ beauty-trends needs, even luring them into its confines with a dangling blush brush and rosy check color.

The prestige-, masstige- and salon-products and services beauty retailer has launched an advertising campaign in the form of video makeup tutorials now available at ulta.com as well as via its Facebook page. It gives viewers both before—sans makeup—and after—all done up—images of the model. Lasting just under four minutes, it takes the viewer through each step in the creation of the final look, from primer to dressed lips. Did I mention that the looks are created using a bevy of fine beauty brands? Certainly, beauty junkies will appreciate the company’s effort to meet their needs without force-feeding them a single brand image. And they can print out step-by-step instructions and a shopping list.

Clearly, ULTA has hit the nail on the head with this one, honing in on the season’s trends, meeting customers on their turf (the Internet) and giving them useful do-it-yourself information—all while priding itself in its brand image of approachability and commitment to attainable beauty.

The ads can be found in this month’s issues of Vanity Fair, InStyle and Allure magazines, with April and May issues to follow in various national publications. Each new look will be paired with a how-to video that can be found at ulta.com or on ULTA’s Facebook page. And, the advertisements will offer a coupon for $5 off any purchase of $10 or more, redeemable both in-store and online. Certainly, ULTA should expect to win over a few more regulars with this one.

—Manyesha

The 16th Annual Sally Beauty Best Tressed Survey, which takes a look back at 2009’s best and worst celebrity hairstyles, came out last month.

Commissioned by Sally Beauty Supply and conducted by MarketTools, the survey polled 1,000 American women during two days in mid-December.

The best hairstyles? Jennifer Aniston and George Clooney. The worst? Lady Gaga and Lil’ Wayne.

Participants were also asked about their own styling habits, and among the fascinating results:

Forty-five percent have more than 10 beauty products in their bathrooms.

Thirty-two percent spend an average of 10 minutes on their hair every day.

Thirty-one percent wash their hair every other day.

More than 55% work out without makeup.

FYI, we’ll be rotating our Wednesday Update, and each of our three Beauty Store Business editors will take a turn—just as we now do in print with our Viewpoint. (My blog streak ends here at 120 consecutive Wednesdays … move over, Cal Ripken Jr.!) Look for Manyesha Batist next Wednesday to be followed by Shelley Moench-Kelly March 10.

See you March 17,
Marc

Where can you find innovative and emerging beauty products to make your high-end inventory distinctive? Owners and managers of leading beauty stores will tell you at the semiannual EX•TRACTS shows, a division of the New York International Gift Fair, in New York City.

The most recent edition took place Jan. 30-Feb. 4. (The next edition will take place Aug. 15-19.) And, if you weren’t at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center for it, you need to check out these award-winning items selected by a panel of trade and consumer editors from more than 100 entries:

BEST OF SHOW: Shades of Dusk from Joya. It’s a natural, solid perfume that captures romance and rituals throughout the ages in mythic amulets containing fragrances reminiscent of classical aphrodisiacs.

BATH & BODY: Botanika Body Essence Buffer from DayNa Decker. It has fine pumice lava crystals that gently remove dead skin cells while rejuvenating skin regeneration, and meadowfoam seed oil to prevent moisture loss.

BEAUTY ACCESSORY: Life’s A Beach Travel Kit from J.R. Watkins Naturals. It features aloe and green tea shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion, and a signature wash cloth in a zippered travel pouch.

COSMETIC & FRAGRANCE: Decorative Diffuser Set from Fruits & Passion. It’s a perfumed oil diffuser featuring a birchwood flower design with a ceramic base.

NATURAL/ORGANIC: Season Sampler from Sapothecary. It’s a handmade, Nepalese box with four soaps made with essential rosemary, barley grass oil, lavender peppermint oil, spruce oil and orange cinnamon clove oil representing the four seasons.

PACKAGING: The black, cut-glass tube with embossed Votivo seal featured in the two-piece Dalian Collection from Votivo.

See you next Wednesday,
Marc

Lake Forest, California-based Pacific World Corp.—with its Nailene and Fing’rs brands—has announced the acquisition of Aliso Viejo, California-based Woodward Laboratories—with its Mycocide NS antifungal brand, HandClens brand, and Dr. G’s nail and skin treatments.

Woodward Laboratories manufactures leading antimicrobial germ-killing skincare products that provide a healthier way of living, and uses its patented proprietary delivery systems in its footcare, nailcare and handcare products.

Specifically, Dr. G’s has a strong heritage in the professional beauty channel, and it will continue to provide additional future opportunities for growth, say Pacific World officials.

HandClens is a patented, alcohol-free, instant hand-sanitizing foam that’s sold to institutional outlets, including schools, correctional institutions and food-service establishments.

Mycocide NS antifungal brand is a big seller in foot care that’s sold at independent pharmacies and mass, drug and retail chains nationwide.

“We are confident that this acquisition will continue to enable us to move toward our goal of being the market leader in total nail care, while additionally giving us a strong entry-level product into the footcare section of our retailers,” says Joe Fracassi, Pacific World president. “With the strong consumer insights and category management available through Pacific World, we look forward to bringing this process forward with the new products available to us through this acquisition.”

Ken Gerenraich, DPM, founder and former CEO of Woodward Laboratories, will remain involved as chief science officer at Pacific World, and will continue to provide his expert medical insights in the areas of scientific affairs and product development.

“After devoting 18 years of my life to building Woodward Laboratories, it gives me great pleasure to know that our brands and technologies will continue to thrive under the professional management of Pacific World,” states Dr. Gerenraich.

In addition to its Nailene and Fing’rs brands, Pacific World offers artificial nails and artificial eyelashes under license from Revlon, and is the exclusive U.S. business partner with Union Swiss for the Bio Oil Skin Care brand.

Four footnotes here from me:

As a Type 2 diabetic with many diabetic friends, there’s another great line here in the deal too: the Diabetic Basics brand.

This is a great move for Pacific World. It further increases the supplier’s value to retailers.

The two companies aren’t too far away from each other.

And this announcement was made on the Thursday before the start of the International Salon & Spa Expo in Long Beach, California. I have never been to a major salon trade show where so many people have approached me talking about a beauty-products company they want to buy or sell. We’ll see a lot more M&A activity in 2010.

See you next Wednesday,
Marc