Coty which owns Sally Hansen and Rimmel among its brands is also a worldwide leader in fragrances. The information below is from their website:

Today, Coty is the world’s largest fragrance company, and a global leader in the beauty industry. After more than one hundred years in the business, Coty continues to draw on the creative, entrepreneurial and visionary legacy of its founder and, more recently Bernd Beetz, Chief Executive Officer of Coty Inc. Both visionaries have dramatically shaped and re-shaped the future of the company and the beauty industry itself.

Less than a week of acquiring OPI, they also bought Philosophy, known for their holiday lotions and potions. Plus they announced they are making yet another acquisition. WOW is all I can say.

But in the meantime, OPI is the story of the year. In a press release sent by Coty and George Schaeffer, the common thread was “that if isn’t broken, then there is nothing to fix.” With that said, OPI will continue to be the industry leader in the pro nail category and the entire management team is staying on including George.

This is good news indeed. Coty already owns the majority of the nail business in mass retail and now they have the dominant position in professional salons and spas. They have the vision and celebrity names to make OPI even a bigger player and surely they paid a premium knowing what an asset they bought.

The bottom line is that it’s business as usual. With George and the management team staying on, we know the integrity and brand proposition will remain intact and Coty’s influence will only enhance it.

I’m excited and await the new opportunities. In the meantime, congratulations to George, Suzi and Miriam from taking a dental supply company into a global giant and selling to a company that understands their vision and will take it to the next level.

Happy Wednesday!

It’s also nice to be back to work today since all the family members left yesterday. They devoured virtually everything in sight and then made a total mess throughout the house. You would not believe the places I found candy wrappers and pistachio nut shells.

OPI is in the news once again. The Wall St. Journal is stating that Coty is the buyer and the price is near $1 Billion. With OPI and Sally Hansen, Coty will own the nail market.

I also heard over the weekend Essie is hitting Walgreen’s the first of the year with a retail price of $8. At this point, any difference in Walgreen’s, Target or even Wal-Mart selling the brand if Ulta does?

MSU 11-1, beats Penn State at Penn State for the first time since 1965 AND is the only team to beat Wisconsin. Our reward? Thumbs down for the BCS games. Enough Mickey Mouse for the Spartan’s.

I was at Somerset Mall on Black Friday (most people don’t know why it’s called that but they know to wake up early to shop) and it was busy but not crazy busy. Except for the Apple store where there was standing room only.

If someone gave you $500 to spend, what would you buy? Girls would opt in for clothes and shoes while boys would opt in for electronics. Unisex choices include designer jeans and fragrance.

Question: If you were at work and your daughter or son called and said they needed you to bring home a red pencil for their homework assignment, would take one from the office or stop at Staples? More than 90% stated they would take one from the office in a major study.

Happy Monday!

OPI is the second largest and is on the auction block. Looks like Coty is a lead bidder and a few private equity firms such as Bain are tagging along. Ultimately the selling price could be $1 billion.

That’s a lot of money. We all know Essie sold to L’Oreal earlier this year but that was a $28 million company compared to the mammoth $300 million company OPI is. I wouldn’t be surprised if L’Oreal doesn’t step in later, they know there isn’t another brand like OPI around.

I’ve written my fair share about OPI, George Schaeffer, Suzi-Weiss Fleishmann and for good reason. They created a phenomenon from nothing. They took risks and spent millions in consumer publications. They took risks and put in state-of-the-art filling machines when most people were outsourcing. They took risks in naming lacquers with strange names.

Now the risks are going to pay off and pay off big. They deserve it. But once the deal is over, the bigger questions remain: Will OPI go retail to pay off the investment and will George and Suzi stay on?

Of course there is a small chance that all this talk from today’s Wall St. Journal is gibberish and only rumors. Wouldn’t that be nice. But in today’s global economy and with companies and equity firms flush with cash, this sounds like an opportunity that won’t be passed up.

WOW. What else is there to say?

Happy Wednesday!

The things you learn in business. Solarnail was the rage and invented by Dr. Nordstrom who was Jan Arnold’s (co-founder) and Jim Nordstrom’s (co-founder) father. Nordstrom was a dentist and figured out dental products could be used on nails. And voila, acrylics and Creative Nail Design were born.

This new category was hot, hot, hot. This spawned new companies overnight including the now infamous Odontorium Products, Inc. known as OPI started by George Schaeffer in 1981. Schaeffer’s family was in the dental supply business and coincidentally, discovered the same thing about dental products being able to be used on nails.

Everyone wanted in. Larry Gaertner went from collecting guns to making No Lift Primer. Jack Sperling rode the wave with Alpha 9 and his trade show had no less than 100 acrylic companies hawking powders and liquids.

Then came odorless acrylics. Frank and Laura DeSantis’s Aqua Nails was the rage. Both CND and OPI came out with their formulas but the stickiness and application issues were too much to overcome.

Fast forward to 2010 and CND has once again invented a new category: Gel polish. President John Heffner claims CND spent over 4 years on product development and wanted it just right. Prior to introduction they did a dog and pony show with their top USA distributors to get opening order ideas and launched internationally.

Based on their data they came up with a plan and then tripled it. Little did they know what was in store. “It totally blindsided us,” quips Jacquie Johnson, VP of Sales. “Not even Larry could predict this overnight sensation.”

OK, I will admit I was hesitant due to the economy, price and prior launches. But in 26 years, I have never seen anything like Shellac.

Now that we have the new category, here is what I don’t get. How did so many companies come up with their own version in less than a couple months when it took CND over 4 years? How does Danny Hale’s Gelish have 48 colors with zero R&D and how does Jessica have 36 colors overnight?

Rick Slack, President of NSI, gave me a call and told me his new line coming out in October has been in R&D for quite a while. At least NSI has R&D. NSI’s line will sport 24 colors in 1/2 oz. bottles for a great price.

American International’s IBD and China Glaze are coming out as well this fall and they certainly have the resources behind them. But I’m seeing companies come out of the woodwork with 24, 36, 48 and even more colors. The question is, none of these companies have a chemist on staff, none have a working lab and all are outsourcing. How can they all be doing this at the same time?

Ah, the acrylic days are back. When Kym Lee, a nail tech in Southern California can launch a line called Galaxy while doing nails at her salon, you know anything is possible. Kym was a great gal and was in the right place at the right time. But now?

I wonder. Shellac has the name, the PR, the formulation. What they don’t have is stock. I was told we will receive some early next week and most orders will be fully caught up by late September. CND’s arch rivals are salivating. But in the end who will survive?

And what will the fate of the nail polish industry be?Women who have been accustomed to choosing from among 300 colors are tickled pink to find any Shellac color and wear it.

But the biggest question is what is George Schaeffer coming up with? OPI owns the color category and the one thing I know about George is this: Not only will he come out with a winning product, he will have plenty of inventory.

Game on. In the end, it will just like 1985 again, CND and OPI.

Happy Thursday!

Founded by and still going strong, the affable George Schaeffer appears in his signature suspenders, never wearing a tie. His teddy bear face is for show, he can be a bear when needed. But today, he takes me to his office which hasn’t changed much since my last visit 10 years ago. The peanut M&M’s are still plentiful (we share many things in common).

I’m most excited to see his new filling lines, he’s most excited to show me his Toto electronic toilet. I’ve seen a lot of things in my life, but not this. George always has a step on technology, he loves his gadgets. When you step up to this toilet, the lid automatically opens and if you press another button, the seat lifts up too. There is a master control pad if you can believe and if you sit down, you can have virtually anything done (use your imagination) and when you are done, it self cleans itself and the seats lower. I can only think about that toilet in the middle of the night.

Like Disneyland, OPI consists of several “lands” or buildings. There are buildings for storage, formulation, filling polish, filling lotions, filling liquids, marketing, PR, and shipping. The best of course is watching bottles being filled. There is something fascinating to humans to watch automatic assembly lines. Some 200,000 bottles are filled each day of lacquer and who knows how many more bottles and jars of gels, lotions and potions.

I asked George if he made enough Shrek polish since we sold out of Alice in Wonderland in two days. George assured me yes and thinks it will outsell Alice. I’m not so sure but come next month, we will both find out quickly.

As we stroll from building to building, we pass the hundreds of OPI employees each trained for a specific job function. Some I meet have been with OPI for 20 years or longer. Many have eaten too many M&M’s.

George is proud of his company and the size it has become. He shared with me he no longer remembers “building” the company and now is focused on keeping the stores that depend on him in stock. Today it seems to be no problem, but with no more land to build on, the future could be interesting.

OPI World ended with a OPI tote filled with what else but OPI stuff. Alas I wasn’t checking luggage so I had to leave it behind, but one thing I can say about George, he is always handing out gifts. Now about that toilet. . .

Happy Monday!

I wanted to give him something to take home to earn some bonus points. I gave him the new mini collections from both Essie and OPI.

The phone call I received the next day was such that you would have thought I gave him a couple sets of Tiffany studs. That’s how happy they were.

Last week I interviewed a candidate wanting to work at TNG. He came in from NY and I learned that he too had a daughter and wife. On his way back to NY, I have him the OPI mini collection to earn some bonus points.

He gave the collection to his soon to be 13 year old daughter and she was giddy with excitement. She soon envisioned her father bringing home boxes of TNG goodies. And his wife wants 50 of them for a big birthday party.

The thing is, we are around beauty products all day long and to many of us, they are as utilitarian and exciting as a cup of morning coffee. We are so used to the products that they don’t excite us and we take them for granted. But when the same products are given or made available to those not around them, they jump up and down with excitement.

I doubt the owners wife of a florist gets excited when her husband brings home flowers. I doubt the owners wife of a jewelry store gets excited when her husband brings home another trinket. We all get jaded.

But I’m telling you. These mini collections are priceless and hot. If you own a salon or spa, put a dozen of them at the cash wrap and see what happens. It’s time to get excited about what others get excited about.

Happy Tuesday!

Welcome to Mardi’s Gras or Fat Tuesday. It’s also the day of eating 500 calorie fat bombs known in the Polish community as Paczki’s.

Recently I strolled through ULTA to see what their latest signature brands were. As I walked through the store (there was one other customer), I noticed that a good 25% of the items  were out of stock. ULTA is no Sephora when it comes to merchandising.

Pro hair care represented more than half the store which makes ULTA the biggest threat to salons. Their signature brands were all L’Oreal especially REDKEN and MATRIX adorned on the back wall. They had more hair dryers and flat irons than some of the manufacturers we buy from. Signature brands were Helen of Troy and Revlon.

OPI was certainly the signature brand when it came to nail care. The Hong Kong collection was displayed at the entrance and at the polish section. OPI itself was larger than all the other nail brands combined. Essie had many colors available but  mostly out of stock. CND color was not sold but their treatments were.

Skin care was a hodge podge and they are certainly weak in this area. DDF and Dermologica was the signature brands but neither stood out well. Make up also seems to be a work in process but certainly Bare Essentual’s was their signature brand.

Most surprising was their private label. In all categories, it was scattered and not well stocked or merchandised. I wonder what percent of their business is in this category.

Oddly, they are also carry many Target and Wal-Mart beauty brands and these too are not well stocked. What is odd is that prestige brands have allowed themselves to be sold with mass brands. Perhaps desperate times call for desperate measures but long term, I wonder.

No doubt women walking into ULTA are looking for salon wet goods, nail color and appliances. This is where they shine. Salons have the ability to compete by offering bi-monthly deals and having a nice, tight retail area. ULTA pricing on open stock items is the same as salons so salons can’t complain in that area. The complaint is the constant promotions ULTA offers. We offer plenty of the same promotions ULTA does so the resources are available.

ULTA is a work in progress. More importantly, ULTA is a wake up call to our industry. It’s time that we respond.

Happy Tuesday!

Finally, 2010 is here. Memories of the previous year and decade will linger for far too long but at least it’s over. We can now focus on the next decade and especially this new year.

This is the year that we need to move our outer lips in the up direction instead of the down direction. This is the year in which we can’t wait for something to happen, we have to make it happen.

This is the year of renewed optimism. Consumers see the first half as still difficult but see the second half with bright eyes and the sun finally breaking through the clouds. If you were ever in Florida on vacation and all it did was rain, then you know the feeling the first day the sun shone bright.

thebeautybook Spring 2010 is filled with renewed optimism. We reinvented the book and the look. Early responses have been terrific. There are new lines such as Spa Ritual and Ceripil, perennials like OPI (new Hong Kong collection), CND and FPO. And there is a brand new product called Forever Natural that’s bound to be a major hit.

More importantly, thebeautybook Spring 2010 brings the arrival of a new year, new decade and new inspiration. This week I’ll write about more stuff we are doing to help make 2010 the year to remember on the "happy" side.

Happy Monday and welcome back!

Don’t ask why but OPI Holiday is the hottest salon gift item of the season. We sold out open stock and collections twice and were lucky enough to get yet another shipment for next week. We will have both 12-pc collections in limited numbers (120 each) so with the biggest month of the year fast approaching, call today to reserve.

But OPI isn’t letting the rush of Christmas spoil its debut of 2010. Of all their "off season" collections that they have introduced, perhaps the most exciting is their much anticipated Alice in Wonderland collection coming in January.

The collection is only four shades, but what fun four shades they are:

I have no idea how OPI connected with Disney or how they are going to spend more than $1 Million promoting this but I do have an idea that this collection will be ultra hot. We doubled our allocation and we’re not even sure that’s enough.

We are going to open pre-sell to Nailco Gold customers in December (visit our website for more info then). With everyone Mad as a Hatter this collection brings much needed fun and frivolity.

Thanks So Muchness OPI.

Happy Tuesday!

Welcome to OPIville, the official town of OPI. In this unique community of OPI lovers, for over a quarter of a cent-cherry, residents live, breathe and treasure OPI.

The main road in town where the restaurants, shops and nail salons are located is Collins Ave. All the homes are done out in deco from the likes of conga-like coral to Miami beet. Dutch tulips line the roadways like you were in Holland.

The residents never get older either, they keep celebrating 20 years over and over again. Girls are referred to as babes and guys are referred to as sweet hearts because who needs a prince, it only makes men blush? But like every other town in America, princesses rule.

Everyone loves to eat out at OPIville’s famous restaurants. The cafes feature espresso your style, dulce de leche, or if you just want coffee, people lean towards java mauva-a with just the right amount of California raspberry syrup. Lunch at the Delhi specializes in cajun shrimp, spicy Cheyenne peppers with wild rice, and their homemade Malaga wine.

For dinner, Mrs. O’Leary’s BBQ serves up the best strawberry daiquiri’s, tropical punch and who would of ever thought, vodka and caviar? Their signature dessert Coney Island cotton candy looks just like fresh, alpine snow and tastes just like a koala beary-y.

Unusual for such a hot restaurant town, all food is served buffet style. When asked why, the overwhelming reply was "I’m not really a waitress."

The town folk drive around in Red Mustangs, type away at on Pompeii purple Dell laptops and sit under the apple tree dreaming of Romeo and Juliet or watching Ellen.

Visitors are allowed only in the early afternoon since all the residents are clubbing til sunrise. The sweet hearts are always asking the babes to party in my cabana especially the ones that make their heart throb and feelin’ hot-hot-hot! But no matter the passion, the princes only end up with a kiss on the chic. Oh so glam!

Happy Monday!