In case you were wondering about Vinylux by CND, we received 13 colors and a portion of wall racks. The wall racks are sold out and we hope to get another 100 in a couple of weeks. We are still waiting the status of the open stock shipment. I did open up one of the wall racks and was quite surprised to see how nice of a job CND did with these. Each rack (there are two) is pre-formed and has a unique beveled spot for each bottle. There are nice graphics on each shelf and it comes with an attractive header and polish tip discs. Those that didn’t pre-order this will be sorry. The first weekly polish is on its way to being a home run, but first, we need our order.

Speaking of polish, the new Cuccio Matchmaker’s are a match made in heaven. For only $7.99 salon price, you receive a matching Veneer and Polish, $16.00 value. The Matchmaker’s are available in 30 shades and have a very limited quantity. We already sold out our first shipment but will be back in stock early May.

Our first warehouse sale in a long time takes place Sunday, June 2 from 10AM to 2PM. It will feature lots of equipment, nail polish, hair tools, Ginger Lily Farms 8 oz. and other assorted goods. Savings up to 90% make it especially fun to shop.

Our Brazilian Blowout launch event is this Monday at our Academy in Farmington Hills and is oversold. With Mike Brady at the helm, the brand has re-invented itself and is the #1 straightening system going right now.

Are men getting more manicures?

With all the buzz about nail polish, wouldn’t it be great if we could color hair just like nails and make it EasyPeasy?

I hate to brag but our new The Industry Source magazine is one of our best yet. Love the cover featuring CND’s Vinylux model although leave it to Jan Arnold not to do a normal set of nails on the model. Jan has an entire feature inside the magazine.

Spring is officially coming to Michigan today after a brutal winter and extended lousy wintery spring period. Finally warmth and sunshine.

I’m starting to watch Dexter on demand. Are there guys like Dexter running around and we don’t know it?

Is it me or haven’t there been any trendy things going on in a while?

I’m off to Madrid for the big Colomer hairdresser award event. Never been to Spain but I heard the event draws thousands from across Europe and is quite the spectacle. I will take photos and share.

Happy Friday!

It’s official.

CND launches Vinylux later this month, April 22 to be exact will be our first shipment to customers.

The question begs itself, is Vinylux a game changer or another polish in a very crowded category?

But first, what is Vinylux? In a nutshell, its’ CND’s launch of the first nail lacquer with three memorable attributes:

• Lasts up to one week without chipping
• No base coat needed; It’s included in the formula.
• Patent-pending topcoat is air-cured, no UV or LED light needed. And according to those who know, the curing process is such that it makes the nail lacquer stronger over time, hence the one week durability.

Other attributes that you want to know:

• The first wave will feature nearly 60 shades. Half of those match to the top 30 Shellac colors. Mani with Shellac, pedi with Vinylux.
• Five new fall shades will premier after the initial launch.
• Summer shades ship immediately.
• Price point is $4.95 per bottle
• You must use Vinylux top coat to make the system work; $4.95 per bottle.
• Jan Arnold will be all over the media featuring Vinylux just as she was all over the media when Shellac hit. Consumer awareness will be huge. Already the May issue of Elle features Jan and Vinylux.
• Vinylux removes with polish remover, no soaking required.
• You can use Vinylux to fill with Shellac manicures.
• To get all the colors, buy the wall rack for $299 and get the wall rack and a few other goodies included.
• To get the top 30 colors and one for retail, buy the spinner rack for $299. But hurry, both are available in very limited quantities and The Industry Source is one of the few distributors you can buy these from.

Below is some of the fun stuff. To order and see more, visit theindustrysource.com/cnd-vinylux.

If CND delivers on everything it says Vinylux is, it will surely be a game changer. One thing for sure, you do not want to miss out on this launch, quantities are very limited.

Happy Tuesday!

Lo and behold, my favorite lunch is a turkey sandwich. Making a good sandwich is a pain in the ass, especially when you are only making one or two. It’s sort of like making a salad.

Besides needing to have all the ingredients on hand, you then have to slice tomatoes, onions, lettuce. Open up the turkey slices (who invented that packaging?) and if I am splurging, the Sorento 40 calorie Swiss cheese slices.

Then you need the condiments, I like horseradish sauce and mustard. Then you need the bread. Whole wheat of course. Then the art of putting the sandwich together, slicing it in half (do you slice it diagonally or across?), plating it and then deciding on the crucial element: Do I want a side?

The making and cleanup of the sandwich takes more time than the eating of the sandwich. But a good turkey sandwich is worth the effort.

But as I was doing this routine the other day, I thought about why we eat sandwiches and where the concept came from. Then I thought about as a kid what kind of sandwiches I ate the most of. You got that right: Wonder bread with Jif peanut butter (I liked crunchy best but most like smooth). I liked mine on one slice with a little grape jelly (jam was too expensive) and folded over. Three bites and it was gone. After about four of those, I was ready to go. My side was a quart of milk. My second fav was Wonder bread with Eckrich bologna, slice of American processed cheese and Miracle Whip. No veggies. For this, I liked a top slice of bread. And for sure, two sandwiches and some chips.

Sorry but I said the “chips” word.

And that got me to thinking that life is a sandwich. Just think of the supermarket. Upon inspection, more than half the supermarket is devoted to sandwiches.

• The bread aisle. Who would have thought that from Wonder bread we would have 1,349 varieties of bread. Not to mention bread substitutes such as bagels, English muffins, rolls, buns, subs, pita, yadda, yadda, yadda. At Meijer and Wal Mart the bread aisle is a football field long.
• The bakery. OK, not enough bread to select from, every store now has its own bakery to select even more bread at even higher prices.
• The deli. Even Wal Mart has a deli counter. Here you encounter long waits and a selection of processed meats that all taste the same but offer more than 100 different selections. Any why do why buy this by the pound? And why does everyone always order a pound? Oh, how do you want that sliced? Should I talk about cheeses?
• The deli refrigerated section. Another football field in length, every kind of processed meat and cheese is beautifully displayed along with pickles and other sandwich fixings that we cannot live without.
• The condiment aisle. Literally, how many mustards are now available? Pickles, peppers, sauces, ketchups, yadda, yadda, yadda. Another football field long.
• The chips aisle. OK, we all grew up on Lay’s except those in Michigan who grew up on Better Made and Jay’s. Original and ripple chips were it and regular and barbeque. But when Doritos Nacho Cheese came out, OMG. Is there anything more addicting? Today, you need a good half hour to peruse the chip aisle. Kettle cooked chips are so good but too bad for you. Baked are tasteless. Best to skip this aisle but what makes a better side for sandwiches?
• The side bar. Now every supermarket has their own salad (side) bar in which virtually every concoction of sides is available. Much healthier but not as tasty as chips.
• The produce section. C’mon, the produce section isn’t for salads, it’s for sandwiches. Fruit? OK for a side or dessert.
• YIKES, I said the “dessert” word. Why do we want dessert after a sandwich? Because we ate the sandwich too fast. Personally, I grew up on Hostess pies, snowballs and Suzie-Q’s. More YUM! One a day was my motto. Seriously. That was well before nutrition info on the packages. Needless to say, no Hostess for me, even if they are out of business. But a good cookie or two, or perhaps even the entire row of Oreos . And Chips Ahoy were good too. Which brings me to the:
• Cookie aisle. Another football field long in honor of the ultimate sandwich dessert. Ginger snaps are quite satisfying and low fat if you want something different. But why eat Nilla Wafers?
• Bakery. Another must have section in each store, if the cookie selection wasn’t enough, here you can buy more cookies, cakes, donuts and other high calorie treats.
• The paper aisle. Think about it, the paper aisle is really for sandwiches. Paper plates, paper towels, ziploc bags and everything else to make, pack and serve sandwiches.

If you think about what’s left in the supermarket, then you might be thinking about breakfast or dinner.

No worries however, if you can’t hit the supermarket, you can buy sandwiches almost anywhere. Subway, Jimmy John’s, Pot Belly if you want cold. Think of all the burger places that serve hamburgers, the ubiquitous hot sandwich of choice (don’t even get me started on hot dogs, especially coneys). And if you must know, pizza really is a sandwich, but open face (calzones are handy). And you know how we love our pizza. I know some of you fold over your slices to make a pizza sandwich.

All ethnic groups have their own sandwiches if you want more selection. Think Mexican. Love quesadillas and shrimp tacos. Think La Marsa. What is better than fresh pita and hummus with chicken? Think Greek. Pita with chicken and Tzatziki sauce. Think Chinese. Eggrolls and spring rolls. P.F. Chang’s best seller is lettuce wraps. Think Jewish. Is there anything better than a good Rueben? With extra Russian dressing?

Life truly is a sandwich. And with all the selection, I still love a good turkey sandwich best. Hold the chips.

Happy Thursday!

Remember when things were cool?

Back in school, Schwinn Stingray bikes were cool. PF Flyers in the right color were cool. Driving your own jalopy at 16 was cool. Dating a cheerleader was cool. Smoking in the bathroom was cool. Bell bottom jeans were cool.

In college, skipping class and getting stoned was cool. So were attending midnight porn movies. Double-deck pinnacle was totally cool. Standing in line for two days for basketball tickets was cool. Being the dorm leader was cool.

Certain musicians were cool. Hendrix, Morrison, Clapton, Frampton, Elvis. Certain groups were cool. The Who, Stones, Zeppelin, Aerosmith.

TV shows, movies, and then current media was cool as well. What was cooler than Lost in Space? NOT! James Bond? Super Cool!

Today, is anything cool? Things come and go so fast, there is no time for things to be cool.

Worse, we are so quickly bored with even the best innovation. After all, what was cooler than the iPod? Certainly not the Sony Discman. But then we got “used” to the iPod and expected its functionality.

Then came the iPhone. What was cooler than that? Certainly not the Motorola Flip. But then came Samsung and its Galaxy series and that became cool. Or did it? Their newest version didn’t even pass muster, it was a yawn.

Nike has to keep reinventing itself to sell cool shoes. Sure the Michael Jordan’s are a perennial best seller, but what about the more than 1000 other models? Can you name a cool Nike shoe?

Coors was cool because it was out of state. Starbucks was cool before it came to your home state. Who buys Coors anymore?

Hair feathers was cool for a moment. Extreme nail art has its cool moment. Ponytails were once cool. But today, mostly we want mani’s, pedi’s, and haircuts. Guys are happy with razor cuts and no maintenance and women are happy with no gray showing and a decent style. But cool? American Crew tried to be cool and for a while, they succeeded. But without millions to spend in advertising, it’s tough to stay cool.

And even with millions and billions, money doesn’t assure being cool. With Twitter, You Tube, Pinterest and other social networks, people can be cool for a moment, a day, perhaps even a week. But then it’s someone else’s turn.

In 2013, we need some cool. Ronald Reagan was cool and although Clinton tried, you can’t be cool eating doughnuts. We need cool politicians. We need cool leaders. Not many, just a few. And we need cool products. Cool is fun,  young and hip.

Wouldn’t it be cool to be cool again?

Happy Thursday!

How many times do you talk to someone about a subject that you know the answer and the other person disagrees? Years ago I got fed up with it and challenged people with a simple proposition: Let’s bet $1.00 on who is right. And the loser has to sign and date the dollar bill. I have won more than 200 of these bets (alas, I have lost about 5). And most recently, there was a bet on how many cans of 3 oz. hairspray in a case of black 15in1. The letter is from Deborah Carver dated 2002!

ULTA sales are up 25% and their stock is down 18% due to lower forecasts. There is no beauty retailer growing faster than ULTA but when it comes to Wall Street, expectations are everything.

I was the ABS show last weekend held at McCormick Place. The show ranks in the top 3 pro shows in the USA. The days of salon owners walking around looking to open new locations and check out the latest and greatest are long gone. The outlet centers were packed and women commanded the show floor by at least a 12 to 1 ratio. In Europe, the ratio is more 50/50. Believe me, I love women but as I have mentioned before, we have to do something to get more men involved in our industry. Perhaps ABS and Paul D. can come up with something.

April 16 is the day I can make a HUGE announcement of a new polish line coming out. You will want to be sure to stop by on that day and learn all there is to know and place an order. This stuff is going to be sizzling hot.

St. Patty’s day is Sunday and that means another excuse to drink the entire weekend. If you think about it, Mardis Gras is a month long excuse to drink. Just think if there was no alcohol or drugs in our world.

Who is going to win the B10 championship? MSU or Indiana? I love the one and out concept. So much better than consecutive best of 7 series.

OK, this is really big news. After almost 10 years of college, my son Mark got his first choice for residency. He will be moving to Baltimore and enjoying crabs, Orioles and the Inner Harbor. Congrats Mark!

Jimmy Buffett is coming back to Comerica Park July 20 and is releasing his newest album shortly. Cheeseburger anyone?

I’m telling you that optometrists operate one of the biggest rackets in the medical industry. Once your eyes need their attention, they have a way of making you wear stronger and stronger glasses so you must wear glasses at all times and be a victim of theirs for life. I’m now at the point that I have to squint (the new buzzword for baby boomers) for almost everything since I refuse to wear glasses full time. I think the new iPhone 5S should have a squinter app so all the numbers, texts and email numbers and letters are BIG.

Speaking of the medical industry, no one really knows what the heck is going to happen once Obama Care starts up next year. We have already gone to a couple seminars and the costs are riveting and shocking.

Now that you must bowl without smoking, can one bowl without drinking beer?

This one is funny. We are sourcing a cotton item from China. The supplier’s price is a bit high and their response is that their quality is much better than the other company. The other company is located in Pakistan.

Rick Goldberg passed away at the age of 57. I met him once when he got involved with the BBSI after selling his Aveda distributorship. When someone dies at your age, you have to ponder a moment.

Why does losing one hour of sleep make such a difference? But loving the extra hour at night!

BREAKING NEWS! Michigan loses to Wisconsin in the B10 Tournament, 68-59. Such a pity and waste of talent.

Happy Friday!

You got to love a good Michigan winter. Snowy icy roads, cold wind chills, gloomy skies and people sniffling and coughing all day long. The best part is the view from my office.

One of my friends shared with me the latest in technology: 3D printing both for commercial and personal use. Pretty amazing, see more info here.

Did you know one of the top reasons for a house fire is the dryer vent? Don’t learn the hard way and get it cleaned out annually. YIKES!

Friday is March 1 and the big SEQUESTER budget squabble deadline. Has any other President in the history of the U.S.A. every confronted the American public with more false deadlines and crisis than Obama? Seriously, why is it if we owe the IRS any money they come after us with vengeance and charge us interest and penalties but it’s OK for the government to keep borrowing without penalty? Wouldn’t it be nice not to have pay debt back and keep borrowing more forever?

Why did the government buy 1.6 billion bullets last month?

I was listening to Howard Stern wanting a good laugh and instead he had on a guest, Alex Jones. Have you ever heard about him? This was my first and after listening to him for a few minutes. . .the conspiracy theory is alive and well.

I am now on season 4 of ALIAS, and forgot how much I loved the show the first time around. There hasn’t been another Sidney Bistro since.

The Chicago ABS show is coming up and I am wondering who will be attending and how many 21” roller bags will be lined up to buy the close-outs vs. those coming to learn and get inspired. I would love to also find out the percentage of guys to girls on the show floor.

I have already have many people tell me how much they love STYLIST WATER. A dance team loved it not only for their hair but they put it in the refrigerator and used it to cool off after dancing. Another person uses it on their face as an instant moisturizer. Leave it to consumers to find out alternate ways to use a product.

be PRO cosmetics was featured in seven pages in the March Styleline magazine. WOW!

Cheesecake Factory is finally opening in Michigan at the Twelve Oaks Mall Novi. With 77% of Americans overweight, will their opening make the number climb to 78%?

Happy Wednesday!

Did you celebrate Valentine’s Day? OMG, I remember when I was a kid in elementary and even junior high and would buy little boxes of candy hearts and pass them out. That was a nerve wracking experience. And that was when it was the most fun.

CND finally announced it’s long awaited triumphant return to the nail polish market with the introduction of its new line debuting soon. However the rest of the news is on hold for a little bit longer. All I can say is that this could be the home run CND has been looking for in the polish business.

How did gas get back to $4 a gallon so fast?

Ouch, Walmart just announced the worst February start in their last 7 years. Ironically the beauty industry is soft as well and it appears the tax increases and higher prices for gas are taking a hit on consumer spending.

We were on vacation last week and the highlight of the trip was the ice cream man on the beach every afternoon at 2PM.

Stylist Water is in stock and shipping now. It’s a hit and both stylists and consumers love it.

MSU clobbered Michigan at the Breslin Center. Never count Izzo out and in fact, if they beat Indiana this weekend, they will be a #1 seed in the tournament.

Read a couple of good fiction books and had no idea that human trafficking in the USA was such a big thing and getting bigger. Drugs, weapons and sex. Power and greed. Has anything changed over the course of time?

Also in stock is the new black 15in1 packaging. The new packaging is elegant, sleek and the products are still the best in class. Visit black15in1.com for more information.

Spring will certainly be welcome this year. And I’m really getting tired of having to wash my car so often.

Happy Friday!

It’s 5:00AM and I pull out of my side street onto the main road and within 15 seconds, a deer scatters across the road right in front of me. The road is slippery from the ice storm and my car doesn’t stop as it should. Luckily the deer crosses the road within a second of me hitting it. What was the most amazing thing of this experience is how the human body reacts in mille-seconds to events. I went from shock to relief to feeling weak all over in a matter of seconds. Drug companies make some awfully strong drugs, but so far, nothing like the natural drugs the body creates.

Is it coincidence that manners have gone out the window with the rise of social media? Whatever happened to the words “thank you” and “please?”

There is a new app available for massage studios with ratings and comes from one of the characters on the Howard Stern show. Hmmm.

Please don’t say January only has one more day. Speaking of time, I just tuned into Alias Season 3. Two things that are eventful about this. One, Alias is more than 10 years old and that seems impossible. The second item is that Alias is the first show that I streamed on Comcast since I’ve had it for nearly a year. How cool is it to watch shows without commercials?

But when I fast forward, it only gives me two arrows and not up to five. Is that normal?

Michigan is #1 in the AP ratings in basketball for the first time since the 80’s (1992-1993 doesn’t count). Who says that patience isn’t a virtue?

The BUB and I went to Chicago and YIKES, speaking of time yet again, our grandson Carter turned one. At one, they still don’t remember faces but they sure know how to eat and have fun. And it is so nice to go home after our visits.

Massage chains are opening at breakneck speed and offering hour massages for $29 and up. I wonder where all the massage therapists are coming from. And at that price, massage becomes a true affordable indulgence.

Another one of our long-time talent is off with his family on a one-week all-expense paid Caribbean cruise. They sailed on one of those huge ships that seem to be a big as Disney World. One week of pure bliss and all Jesse could think about prior to his vacation was not getting sick. And he didn’t!

And speaking of getting sick, is this the worst year or what? Hospitals are making a killing.

What’s new in trends so far in 2013? So far it’s been kind of quiet.

Ford posts record sales, record earnings, gives $8600 bonuses out to its hourly workforce and the stock gets killed. Is it because they own the Detroit Lions? Oh I am sure Dan Gilbert has made Bill Ford Jr. an offer already but no way Jose. My prediction is once Bill Ford Jr. takes over the team we will see a winning team.

Let’s hope the groundhog see his shadow, six more weeks of winter is coming regardless but myth is myth.

Happy Thursday!

I always wondered what it would be like to take a month off, 3 months off and even 6 months off. You know, how some people have to find themselves and they do all sorts of stuff like tour Europe, volunteer in Africa and write books.

Alas, it’s not something I’m going to find out anytime soon. In fact, I just got back from taking five days off and that seemed like an eternity with everything going on. While I have succumbed to the iPad and company email on vacation, I have not succumbed to being held prisoner to it. Unlike most on the beach texting and doing whatever one can do with a smartphone for hours upon hours, what I still like best is reading hardcover books. Read three books, David Baldacci’s Zero Day was the best of the lot. I love his new character, John Puller.

With the first half of January in the history book, it appears 2013 is going to be a decent year. While we are not out of the woods yet, the clearing is looking better. What I am most excited about is the bevvy of new products that we have launched and yet to launch. An update on some of them include:

• be PRO airbrush: This is the best airbrush makeup bar none and in stock. The first classes take place next Monday and Tuesday. Airbrush makeup will continue to be a growth category for service-oriented salons and spas.
• be PRO cosmetics: The line has been updated to include some of the coolest makeup items and accessories. Love, love, love the new retail displays. They are innovative, dust and fingerprint safe and will add retail sales immediately.
• black 15in1 Miracle Finishing Hair Spray: The first salon hairspray that protects hair color from fading, offers 100% UV protection, humidity-proof and smells wonderful. Oh, satin soft touch and max shine too. In stock.
• STYLIST WATER: This is going to be the hit new product category of the year. All I can say is that everyone wants it and manufacturing issues have put the launch back two more weeks towards the end of January.
• Slippers, slippers and more slippers. Too many to list but a slipper for anyone and everyone.
• Kemon coloringreen. This demi color line features only 22 shades along with clear, but it mind-blowing and technologically innovative as heck. April launch.
• CND’s new polish line. I have been sworn to secrecy and can only say that it will change your thoughts on polish. We certainly hope so. April launch.
• OPI OZ collection. No one makes selling nail polish fun like OPI. Pre-orders are now being accepted at theindustrysource.com. February launch, movie premiers March 8.

It’s good to be excited again and while the year is young, let’s hope it’s a good one.

Happy Wednesday!

Last Saturday was our Annual Meeting and it was held at our New Hudson World Headquarters and what better place than in the middle of the distribution center. It was very cool to sit in an aisle surrounded by pallet racks and merchandise. Other than a few technical difficulties with our lead tech (I will not mention his name although he has an affinity for white and cameras), it went smooth as ice.

2013 is going to be an amazing year for TNG. We have so many new products and services, our customers are going to have a field day. Now that the meeting is over and THE BEAUTY BOOK Spring 2013 edition is in the mail, I can share my favorite items:

• be PRO Airbrush makeup. This is going to be a huge hit. be PRO is the first company to feature both water-based and silicone-based airbrush makeup. be PRO is also the first airbrush makeup to feature the primer built in to the foundation. And the compressor is state of the art along with the airbrush and accessories. First classes are being held January 21 and January 22. The Creative Director behind the brand is Andrea Duchesneau, a brilliant makeup artist with vision.
• be PRO traditional makeup. Completely overhauled with new displays (stunning), new products and new shades. Another feather in the cap for Andrea.
• black 15in1 Miracle Finishing Hair Spray. This will be the go to hair spray for both professionals and consumers. It’s that good.
• STYLIST WATER. More on this later.
• New pricing on disposables. Forget Costco, Walmart and Gordon’s, everything our customers need in disposables is now available at the best prices.

Below are some photos of the meeting (untouched). It was a super fun day and we are all very excited about 2013.

TNG talent meet and greet. What is your 2013 personal motto?

Larry with Megan from the American Cancer Society. We presented our check to them for $100,000 and we got a group photo shot in return.

Andrea live on stage demonstrating the new be PRO airbrush makeup. Our very own Nadine is the lovely model.

Our TNG Cheer Squad showing of the contents of this year’s Winter Survival Kit.

I would like to personally thank all my readers of my blog and I hope to continue with it in 2013. Have a great holiday season and most importantly, a healthy and happy new year in 2013. I still can’t believe it’s 2013, wasn’t it just Y2K?

Happy Thursday!