Every cosmetic chemist will assure you that your skin is a living, breathing organism. More industry experts agree that hair, too, could use a variety of nutrients to keep it looking healthy even at its long-dead ends. But now, one entrepreneur is convincing women that nails have needs, too.
 
New Air Gel Peel Off gel nail system from Adesse Global Cosmetics, New York, NY, is billed as a scientifically advanced formula that delivers a plump, flawless gel finish without damaging or weakening the nails.
 
“I view nails as an extension of the face; nail care products need anti-aging properties,” explained company co-founder Suzanne Roberta, who noted that frequent use of traditional nail polish and gels leaves nails yellow and brittle. “By not causing that damage, your nails look better and you look younger.”
 
How all that works is through a combination of a unique product formula and novel drying process.
 
“We created a formula which uses the same high density pigments, minerals and mica that are used in cosmetics to create lustrous color. And we infused the polish with bamboo extract, shea and argan oil to hydrate nails,” explained Roberta.
 
Air Gel Peel Off gel nail lacquers don’t contain parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals, phthalates, GMOs, formaldehyde or triclosan; not to mention the “5-free” list of dibutyl phthalate, toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin and camphor. What Air Gel Peel Off does contain is a special bonding technology that allows air to circulate between the nails and the polish, enabling the nails to breathe, strengthen and grow, according to the company.
 
The result is a formula that applies in one easy application, wears for two weeks and removes easily by peeling off, according to Roberta. It’s made possible by an LED system that dries nails in 30 seconds, compared to the two minutes it takes to dry conventional nail enamel under UV light—a vast improvement that’s been enabled by modern technology.
 
“Think about the mobile communications industry,” explained Roberta. “First we had flip phones and now there are smart phones.”
 
Whether they’re searching for apps or a better way to apply nail color, “consumers are demanding better products,” she noted.
 
All of this new nail technology isn’t cheap. An 8-piece starter kit retails for $125 and includes LED lamp, 2 bottles of nail enamel (Fifth Avenue Red and Hello Dahlia),wiping liquid to remove tack, sweet almond cuticle oil, nail file/buffer, cuticle stick and pads, as well as step-by-step instructions to get a professional grade manicure at home. Roberta and her team even spent six months designing a long, narrow and beveled applicator brush that makes it easier to lay the polish down without going off the nail. The collection includes 25 colors, each priced at $22. Sounds steep, but no one’s flinching at the price tag, according to Roberta.
 
“People are willing to pay for a better gel that doesn't cause damage,” she insisted, noting that most nail enamel bottles are 4.5-7.5ml, whereas the Air Gel formula comes in a 10ml bottle.
 
“You get 100 manicures out of one kit,” Roberta claimed.
 
There’s high demand for a quality manicure. Kline Group estimates the global professional nail market topped $1.2 billion in sales last year, driven, in part, by the success of gels and longwearing lacquer.
Unfortunately, less expensive formulas haven’t fared so well. According to Information Resources Inc., sales of nail color in food, drug and mass dipped 8.7% to $827.3 million in 2014.
 
A Wide Range
 
The Air Gel Peel Off gel nail system isjust the latest nail collection from Adesse, which includes the company’s signature brand, Adesse New York. The brand is billed as a prestige collection of organic-infused nail lacquer featuring Gel Effect, Liquid Chrome, Nail Treatment and Glitter. Within the Gel Effect line, color collections include Central Park, Flatiron, Broadway and Downtown, with shades like Luminous Water, Belvedere Castle and 14^th Street. All collection and shade names are selected by Roberta, who calls herself, “chief naming officer and description writer.”
 
“I get a huge kick out of it — it is one of the best parts of my job!,” she told Happi.
 
The Adesse team isn’t new to the sometimes rough and tumble world of cosmetics. Founded in 2011 by Roberta and her husband Donald Meyer, Adesse Global Cosmetics, LLC got its start while the duo was helping to get a variety of brands, including Lotus Pure Organics, up and running around the world.
 
“As we worked on that product line we received a lot of requests for nail polish,” Roberta recalled. “On a whim we took loose powder from Lotus Pure Organics eye shadow and mixed it with clear polish.”
 
Clearly, it wasn’t a sustainable business model, but it was enough for Roberta and Meyer to make the decision to strike out on their own.
 
Roberta knew what she was getting into; prior to getting her MBA in International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, she spent 12 years in the cosmetics industry working for a contract manufacturing company that churned out products for the likes of Revlon, Estée Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, Avon and Origins.
 
After graduating from Thunderbird, Roberta returned to the cosmetics industry as a consultant working for brands such as Emma New York, Katherine Cosmetics and the aforementioned Lotus Pure Organics, where she helped get the brand going in Canada, the UK, New Zealand, Middle East and Kenya.
 
“After my contract manufacturing experience, I got a feel for what works,” Roberta told Happi. “The most important thing that brand owners can do is to make sure that they find the right contract manufacturer.”
 
According to Roberta, that means ensuring that your brand isn’t the smallest or the biggest project for the contract manufacturer.
 
“It’s like a marriage; you can’t get into a relationship with the wrong contract manufacturer,” she asserted.
 
With 5,000 piece minimums, too often entrepreneurs must settle for a manufacturing partner’s private label formula, which doesn't give startups the opportunity to bring their ideas to market.
 
“There are brands that don’t fit the private label model, but aren’t at the contract manufacturing level yet,” observed Meyer. “There’s a huge gap in the market and a huge opportunity for a company to fill that.”
 
The beauty industry needs an incubator to help grow new brands, she asserted.
 
“Everybody wants proof of concept, but in order to do that, you need products.”
 
Today, Adesse Global Cosmetics has plenty of products and more in the works. Its nail color collections are available at the company website, adesseglobalcosmetics.com, as well as Amazon and Starshop.com. The company is talking to traditional retailers such as Ulta and Sephora, too.
 
More color collections are on the way and Roberta is confident that lip color will be added in the near future. Once again, the trick is finding the right manufacturing partner and creating an exceptional formula.
 
“Lipstick was my primary business, so I’m very picky,” conceded Roberta. “I haven’t found anything that I really like yet.”
 
And that’s because she knows what she wants. The formula will definitely contain cupuacu butter (INCI: Theobroma grandiflorum (Cupuacu) Butter), which is a member of thecocoa family of trees.
 
“Nobody’s using it yet; nobody’s even talking about it yet,” Roberta acknowledged. “But it’s a very rich moisturizing butter that protects and softens the lips. It’s an amazing ingredient to include in a lipstick, but it’s very expensive.”
 
 Whether an entrepreneur is making nail enamel or lipstick, she’s got to create something that she’s passionate about.
 
“You have to create the right product and you have to love it and sell it because it is all about educating buyers,” Roberta explained. “You have to be able to explain why someone should buy from you when there are more established brands.”
 
Luckily, for everyone, consumers crave new products and new brands.
 
“Just because you’re Estée Lauder doesn’t guarantee consumer loyalty,” Roberta explained. “We can move very quickly to develop new products. I remember working at big companies and it would take a year to do one lipstick color. A lot happens by committee.”
 
And not many committee meetings bear fruit.
 
“We are the only company with a product like Air Gel Peel Off,” asserted Roberta. “But it is concept that will see a lot of competition.”
 
And that’s okay for Roberta, who’s confident that Adesse can remain ahead of competitors and ahead of the curve when it comes to new product development.