THE QUEEN OF PERFECT NAILS
By Laura Jackson

0
Thursday June 4,2009

Featuring names like actress Julia Roberts, singer Madonna and even
former First Lady Nancy Regan, Jessica Vartoughian’s client list reads
like an American who’s who. Her company Jessica Nails started life as
the first nail bar in LA in 1969. Today she has a flagship store on
Sunset Boulevard while her products are stocked in 35 countries. From
Cape Town to Cardiff, walk into any beauty salon and you are likely
to find Jessica Nails products.

Jessica’s success is the result of a simple philosophy: make the most
of your natural nails. Jessica, who is in her early 60s, advocates
working with the nails you have – analysing their condition and
treating problems sensitively – rather than resorting to damaging
acrylics.

Although she is an internationally successful businesswoman Jessica’s
life wasn’t always like this. "My family were from Armenia but I was
born in Romania," she says.

"My family were reasonably wealthy and we had a beautiful home. My
father was a shoe designer and had his own factory.

"However, my parents didn’t have citizenship in Romania and they were
asked to leave in 1958. We emigrated to Beirut for nine months until
papers were signed for us to go to the US.

"We had to leave the family diamonds and gold behind. My grandmother
hid it in the attic. I’ve been back to try to find the treasure but the
house is no longer there. We left Romania with nothing," says Jessica.

She says her father’s work ethic inspired her to build up her business.

"He would work 20 hours a day; I see many similarities between us."

Once she arrived in America Jessica found work as a manicurist. "At
school my ambition was to be a psychologist. I found out by chance I
had a gift for doing nails," she adds. "I started out doing manicures
by day and in the evenings I attended a beauty course.

"I was lucky I worked at a salon that all the celebrities came
to. After a while people would come in and ask for me specifically,"
recalls Jessica.

It was her husband who suggested she start her own salon. It was the
first stand-alone nail salon in the US and opened in 1969.

Over the next 10 years Jessica looked at the different nail-care ranges
available to buy. "There were huge differences in formulations. I
bought Estée Lauder and Christian Dior and saw different products
react to different nails. I came up with the idea of having specific
products for different nail types. At the time it was revolutionary."

Jessica believes having their nails done at the salon provides her
clients with much-needed "me" time. "I increasingl y see men and
women taking care of their nails.

"The trend is growing in the UK where nail bars haven’t been as
popular as they are in the US.

"Nails are very important. We express ourselves with our hands and
they are an indication of who we are," she adds.

For more information call 0845 217 1360 or visit jessicacosmetics.co.uk

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress