Professional Beauty chats to Tony Cuccio, CEO of Cuccio Naturale about tapping into the nail business why he thinks all salons will be turned into nail spas.
What is your experience within the beauty industry?
My experience in the beauty industry began on Venice Beach California in 1980. My wife Roberta and I started selling cosmetics and nail polish on a small card table. It was such an instant success; we turned it into a full service business. We have been manufacturing our own products and supplying them all over the world in one of our many brands and private label.
What sparked a passion for natural nail products?
When my competition blindly focused on the production of artificial products, I recognised a shift in the nail business before it even happened. There was a trending social change happening here in California. I knew that the future of the nail industry was going to be taking salons and converting them in to nail spas. It was a golden opportunity to create a global spa brand and really own that corner of the market. I closed the deal by using my own name as the Brand. And so, Cuccio Naturale began.
How did you get started?
I got started several years before the natural nail business even took off. I used to shock customers that attended my seminars by saying, “by the year 2000 there will be no more salons”. It was my way of peaking their interest. I would finish with, “there will be only nail spas”.
I just had the vision that artificial nails were not going to be popular forever. If you could take a global poll, there are more people interested in long, natural nails than long, artificial nails. Technicians just think artificial nails are more popular because that is what customers were coming in for. Now women are coming to the nail spa for natural treatments and sporting their own long, strong and natural nails.
Why did you decide to extend it to Australia?
I’ve been interested in Australia for a long time. I recognise that the nail business isn’t ‘new’ in Australia. It’s been around for a while… it just hasn’t grabbed hold of the market the way it could. Jai and Anthony at Absolute Spa are going to help get the Cuccio Brand out there in the professional market.
Why did you decide to create such a brand when the market is so saturated already?
Other brands have come along since I created Cuccio Naturale. But one thing they don’t have that I do is quality ingredients. Our Signature product is our Milk and Honey Butter with 24 hour time released hydration technology. Many companies have tried to reproduce it and failed.
I also offer every step of the service in matching scents. So if you are having a manicure, everything from the soak to the end massage smells the same. I understand that every woman different. So we have a choice of scents to choose from. Furthermore, I have the right mix of products for the professional to retail to their customers and increase their business.
Do you have anything exciting coming up in the future?
I ALWAYS have something exciting in the pipeline. Innovation is in my nature. We’ve only just released a new Detox product. It is already revolutionising the industry and adding a new niche service. The great thing about an entirely new service is it increases business with the same customer base.
We are also about to launch a new LED Sculpting Gel. I already see that an overlay alternative is necessary to help anyone that just can’t get their nails to ‘their’ desired length. And lastly, we are patenting a brand new polish delivery system that is going to completely change how consumers purchase polish. I can’t say any more about this one because it is top secret.
Any special promotions?
Currently we are launching with our MatchMaker deal – this is where you purchase the Cuccio Colour Veneer and receive the same colour of Cuccio Colour absolutely free – this is open to nail salons and the price is $18.95 each. We also have a class and opening kit for $99.95 on the Somatology DetoXSoak.
For more information on opening offers, contact Absolute Spa 1300 262 275.