As we emerge from the dark of winter, see what’s bright and new in nail polish for spring and summer.

Retailers may be thinking ‘nail polish, schmail polish’ since not long ago only basic colors in shades of red, pink or coral were available. All were neutral and paired well with fashion. But customers are a fickle bunch. And to keep up with them, the industry has had to invent shades that meet today’s consumer demands for colors ranging from midnight blue and aubergine to copper and pearlescent opal. Today’s polish options don’t follow fashion, they keep pace with it. And so should you. Here are some of the hot new colors for spring and summer 2009.

CHINA GLAZE

Amy MacGregor, associate brand manager for China Glaze at American International Industries, changes her nail polish every few days. MacGregor knows what she wants and she pays attention to what others say they want in lacquer colors and textures. The Romantique collection offers 12 shades with a chrome finish, while the Summer Days collection features a glass-flecked finish.

ROMANTIQUE
With color names like Passion, Magical and Harmony, this spring collection is designed to inspire romance. The chrome finish draws attention to a manicure while setting Cupid in motion.

Warm Palette
Passion—soft gold
Magical—soft peach
Poetic—peach
Delight—medium brown
Emotion—rose
Joy—soft burgundy

Cool Palette
Awaken—charcoal
Adore—teal
Cherish—soft green
Harmony—purple
Admire—light pink
Devotion—soft purple
Suggested retail price: $6.50

Displays
The Romantique collection comes in a six-piece box containing either the warm palette or the cool palette. The 12-piece display contains two of each shade. A 36-piece rack is also available.

Selling Points
What better way to emerge from the dark days of winter to the fresh and bright days of spring and summer than with fun, subdued metallics? China Glaze lacquers are free of dibutyl phthalates, toluene and formaldehyde.

Suggestive Selling
Both palettes are available in gift collections and the counter displays have more than one bottle of each shade so customers can have options. MacGregor says that applying lacquers with chrome finishes can be difficult and using a ridge-filling base, like the China Glaze Ridge Filler Base Coat, helps.

SUMMER DAYS
With summer come sundresses, strappy sandals and picnics at the park. And lush, juicy lacquer shades blended with liquid glass bring to mind lazy, sun-filled days.

Orange Marmalade—orange
Cherry Pie—orange-pink
Raspberry Festival—dark pink
Strawberry Fields—pink
Grape Juice—purple
Watermelon Rind—teal
SRP: $6.50

Displays
Summer Days is available in a six-piece box collection, a six-piece counter display with a six-piece backup or a 12-piece display with a 12-piece backup.

Selling Points
The China Glaze formula contains a special balance of polymers and resins that create a long-lasting, durable and chip-resistant nail lacquer. It never thickens in the bottle.

Suggestive Selling
“A lot of people are layering polishes, and this gives the nails a unique look,” says MacGregor. When selling to the consumer, you can suggest colors that would layer well together or even names of colors that might go together, such as Awaken and Joy or Adore and Strawberry Fields.

China Glaze is based in Los Angeles. For more information, call 800.621.9585 or visit www.chinaglaze.com.

COLOR CLUB

Color Club is just one of the many brands from the Forsythe Cosmetic Group. The company manufactures its own products. Trends for the coming season include eco-friendly packaging and neo neons to brighten even the dreariest of April showers.

One & Done
With color names like Planet Crunch, Earthy Mama and Make Love Not War, Color Club has created its own ‘green’ nail lacquer collection. Although this collection was first introduced last fall, its eco-chic concept has been expanded with smaller displays, ecofriendly packaging and additional treatments for spring. The collection is available year-round.

No Granola—white sheer
Tree Hugger—cool white sheer
It’s Only Natural—light pink sheer
Summer of Love—pink sheer (transparent)
Make Love Not War—light pink sheer (opalescent)
Crunchy—pink crème
Skin Deep—medium pink sheer (opalescent)
Kumba Ya-Ya-Ya—pink crème
Save the Whales—medium pink crème
Green Is the New Pink—pinkish mauve crème
Hippie Chick—satin pink shimmer
Inner Beauty—clear pink sheer
Ride a Bike—pinkish coral crème
Peace Out—dark pink crème
Planet Crunch—dark pink-red crème
I Can’t Believe It’s Tofu—dark fuchsia crème
hink Green, Wear Red—red crème
Recycle This!—campfire red shimmer
Nature Rocks—dark red crème
Sign My Petition—dark fuchsia red shimmer
Earthy Mama—dark brown shimmer
I Am Not A Plastic Bottle—wineburgundy shimmer
Nature Goddess—deep brownwine shimmer
The Eternal Optimist—iridescent dark gray-black
SRP: $3.20

Displays
One & Done comes in a 24-piece display with one of each of the 24 colors plus 48 pieces of back stock packaged in a reusable flowerpot for a total of 72 pieces.

Selling Points
Color Club nail lacquers don’t contain any DBP, toluene or formaldehyde. Plus, each One & Done lacquer comes in a mini bottle that clients can take home to touch up their manicures.

Suggestive Selling
Manicures last the longest and look the best when Stuck On You Base Coat is used before applying the nail lacquer and then finished with Color Club’s 0-60 Speedy Top Coat. Applying Vivid Intensifying Top Coat two to three days after the initial manicure renews and refreshes fading polish. “Nail art is in and trendy for 2009,” says Erika Bosley, public relations coordinator for Color Club, so you can suggest stickers in patterns, stripes, black and white and neon designs to make any manicure bolder and more chic.

Neons
Inspired by pop culture and fashion trends, Color Club offers saucy neons for summer.

Pink Lust—pink neon
Electric Sunset—orange neon
Screamin Fuchsia—fuchsia neon
Power Play—purple neon
Electric Coral—coral neon
Amp’d Up—dark orange neon
220 Volts—medium blue neon
Explosive—light orange neon
Limelight—lime neon
Wild Child—dark green neon
Yell-Oh!—yellow neon
On Fire—red-orange neon
Blue Light—light blue neon
Pink Rush—pink neon
Pink Flame—pink-orange neon
Orange Revenge—bright orange neon
Bizerk Turq—bright turquoise neon
Jeweltone Blue—deep blue neon
Lazer Pink—extreme neon pink
SRP: $3.20

Displays
The Neons are available in seven-piece salon packs, which include six polish colors and one treatment, or 27-piece or 54-piece displays.

Selling Points
Each Color Club display adds to the store’s ambiance with bright colors and bold designs. The company’s nail lacquer offers lasting, great color at a very affordable price.

Suggestive Selling
Color Club treatments like Cuticle Soothe conditioning cuticle oil and Vitabase nutrient nail strengthener should also find their way into the shopping bag with the Neon collection.

Color Club is based in Lawrence, New York. For more information, call 800.221.8080 or visit www.cosmeticgroup.com.

SPARITUAL

SpaRitual offers vegan nail lacquers that are free of DBP, toluene and formaldehyde. The unique, short brush length offers greater control in application, and the lacquer bottle is crafted from reusable glass with up to 50% recycled materials.

CHERISH

Available for spring 2009, Cherish offers shades ranging from light pink to a bright, shimmering orange that may just bring back fond memories of carefree, youthful times.

Love—bright pink crème
Adore—bright pink shimmer
Marvel—lavender pink shimmer
Delight—aqua crème
Treasure—orange gold shimmer
Revere—bright orange shimmer
SRP: $9

Displays
SpaRitual’s Cherish collection display includes an eco-friendly, reusable wooden tray. It doesn’t contain glue and can be composted or recycled with paper products, although the manufacturer would really like nail techs to use it at their stations even after they’ve finished using the product. The other display option is a compact six-piece kit in a clear, jeweled box.

Selling Points
SpaRitual’s lacquers and elixirs are completely vegan and devoid of DBP, toluene and formaldehyde. Each bottle comes with the patented ergoluxe Plum Cap, which is specially textured and rubberized to make opening the bottles easy time after time.

Suggestive Selling
All seasonal collections, including Cherish, come displayed on a 12-piece lacquered wooden tray with a removable seasonal header card. Keeping with its eco-friendly philosophy, SpaRitual also offers eco-refills. This refill option consists of two bottles of each shade and the header card. After the Cherish collection is sold, SpaRitual hopes nail techs will incorporate the tray into their spa decor.

SpaRitual is based in Los Angeles. For more information, call 877.772.7488 or visit www.sparitual.com.

ORLY INTERNATIONAL

With a permanent collection of more than 105 shades, Orly features seasonal collections with a kick, featuring sophisticated, yet fun colors that are free of DBP, toluene and formaldehyde. The lacquers feature an award-winning, ergonomic Gripper Cap that makes application fast and easy.

CARNIVÀLE
The Carnivàle collection conjures up visions of Brazil’s colorful festival. These six flirtatious shades were designed to be flaunted.

Samba—deep fuchsia crème
Rio Nights—vibrant purple crème
Chica Boom—hot orange crème
Festival Lights—creamy peach crème
Confetti—sweet pink crème
Bongo Beat—iridescent pink shimmer
SRP: $7.50

Displays
The collection is available in an 18-piece countertop display containing three each of the six lacquers. The display includes a layout for good lacquer visibility and comes with a free promotional poster while supplies last. A compact six-piece lacquer pack containing one of each shade in the collection is also available.

Selling Points
The free 16-inch by 20-inch poster boosts product visibility and increases sales while making a stylish addition to any store.

Suggestive Selling
To make nail color last up to 10 days, start with a basecoat of Orly Bonder and finish with an Orly topcoat like Won’t Chip.

PREPSTER
Available in April, this collection gives Ivy League fashion an overhaul where class meets attitude.

Prim & Proper—lilac shimmer
Country Club Khaki—taupe crème
OMG!—hot red crème, just this side of pink
Tennis Anyone?—nude crème
Cashmere Cardigan—periwinkle crème
Polo Princess—pastel pink punch crème
SRP: $7.50

Displays
This collection has a unique 18-piece countertop display with three each of the six lacquers and a free promotional poster while supplies last. Orly promises that its displays truly connect with consumers by providing an instantly recognizable representation of the overall collection concept and of the Orly brand. The collection is also available in a six-piece lacquer pack.

Selling Points
Besides being free of DBP, toluene and formaldehyde, Orly products use the company’s ergonomic and patented Gripper Cap. This award-winning cap makes opening the bottle easier and offers stressfree use for the nail tech.

Suggestive Selling
Smudge Fixer restores smudged or nicked wet polish without removing it or requiring polish reapplication. Stores and salons shouldn’t be caught without Orly’s 3-Way Buffer, a polisher that gives nails a high-gloss shine.

Orly International is based in Los Angeles. For more information, call 800.275.1111 or visit www.orlybeauty.com.