Professional Beauty talk to Elmien Scholtz from Bio Sculpture about working in the nail industry.
What is your role?
My role is to drive and direct the Bio Sculpture to be successful as a Brand and to be a viable proposition for Importers, Educators and Clients alike.
What brought you to this role?
I think the fact that I have been involved hands-on in every area of the development and growth of Bio Sculpture, from the initial chemistry that makes up our product, to training and marketing, packaging, advertising, stock control, communication and even appointing of importers, buyers and suppliers, to the personal attention of staff matters, brought me to a place where I feel comfortable in this role.
What does your role involve on a daily basis?
During the last year my role has changed somewhat. I try to stand away from the daily running of the business because the "big picture" is much clearer from a distance. I am in a position now where I have skilled assistance doing the day-to-day business that is so important, but that used to eat away the opportunity of valuable overall insight. I try to see and give the outline of the complete circle, whether it be the contents of an advert or a suggestion to improvement in a certain area, but I try not to do it all myself anymore. The company has become too big to allow that. Formulating new colours is the only area where I am still in full control.
What is it that inspires you about the brand?
The fact that we are not pressurised to look at anyone else but our own. We listen and try our best to keep the Bio Sculpture end-user happy and satisfied and when we are successful, it is very inspiring to know that we are able to build the industry, not only to accommodate our own clients in every area of Mani-care, but to the benefit of all. So much of what goes on in the Gel industry was initiated by Bio Sculpture. The mere word "GEL" was looked down at but we held our ground because we had the security of the truth. I don't know if so many systems would have entered so soon into the gel-game if it was not for the popularity of the soakable option that Bio Sculpture introduced. But it was when Bio Sculpture had so much success with Colour Gels that everyone sat up. Rumours had it that permanent colour would never become popular. Who would ever want to be stuck with the same colour for so long. Once again we believed in our mission and drove forward. It inspires me to know that because we are not "chasing" another system, but have confidence in our own research, we have lead the industry into an entirely new direction – it is so rewarding and we are so grateful to know that Bio Sculpture will be the leaders forever.
Where do you take your inspiration from for colours and nail polish names?
During the early days it was easy and the obvious lay open. From the time of Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn till today, women wore basic reds, pinks, oranges or browns, so those were the first colours with names like Pillarbox Red and Dusty Rose. With these steadfast "old faithful" colours in place, we are in a position to move on and keep up with fashion trends even if we know that they will be short lived. It is vital to keep a wide client choice in mind due to variations of lighter and darker complexions. Some have blue undertones and others more yellow. With so many colour combinations and more than 250 colours that have been on our range, it takes a little more research to formulate the perfect choice. It is interesting to know that the original colours are still the most popular but to keep up with fashion I study beauty magazines and Catwalks. The name of a colour normally pops into my mind while I'm formulating but Bio Sculpture has a few young dames who are more than eager to give their input. With this awesome new generation of fresh young blood in the company in most of the importing countries, nothing inspires me like the passionate youth that are excited about the brand, the colours, the new open horizon of hope and future lying ahead of them.
What sets the brand apart from its competitors?
First and foremost the fact that we will always be the leaders because Bio Sculpture was there first, which puts us and our competitors in a mental position of who holds the gold. Secondly, we are not trying to be in competition with others but with ourselves. We have to grow each year with new inventions, new products and new methods to ensure greater client satisfaction, which automatically separates us from our competitors. We look at every type of nail, every kind of personality, all levels of financial situations and try to accommodate everyone without compensating on quality.
Of course when one has such a wide variety of fields to cover, the nail technician needs to keep her finger on the fast track to stay in line with the fast growth and flexibility of the range to be equipped to give the full benefit of the wide option range, especially in Treatment Gels for each individual nail type.
What's new?
We are extremely excited about 2011. There are more than three areas of huge development and new horizons. But I will tell you more once the cards are on the table.
What challenges do you expect the professional nails industry to face over the next few years?
The nails industry is no longer inferior to the beauty and hair industry. Laws and regulations are becoming more strict which in turn is becoming very challenging for smaller companies who are not working closely with authorities, health organizations and GMP standards. Like hair products, all artificial nail products involve chemistry to apply as well as to remove. Tight control is needed to keep the industry safe along with health and safety regulations. Though these new rules and regulations from authorities, which I believe will become even tighter, are making it increasingly more difficult to sustain, I believe that it is vital for the longevity of the industry.
I love the nails industry. Our oldest slogan says "Your hands are your calling card in life your nails their focal point" This is so true about a woman, which does not mean that she needs to have long red nails. But what is more beautiful than well manicured nails, even if they are short and clear. It tells so much about the individual.
Visit www.biosculpture.com.au to find out more.