Global Beauty Expert Dana Caruso
Dana Caruso has built a beauty empire. She is the founder and chief of The Nail & Skin Institute, one of the top 5 schools in the country. She is also a Coty (OPI, Sally Hansen) global beauty expert. Because of this status, she has contributed to Marie Claire, Vogue, People, and Cosmopolitan among many others, giving her beauty expertise to thousands all over the world. She also assists fashion designers for New York Fashion week. But this New Yorker isn’t even finished building her beauty world.
emme: Tell me a little bit about your life and upbringing.
Dana Caruso: I was born and raised in New York. I grew up in Long Island. I come from a very large, warm, loving Italian family.
emme: How did you become interested in the beauty world?
Dana: At a very young age, my mother used to take me into Manhattan. She used to sell evening gowns and cocktail dresses. She rented space in a hair salon in the early 1970s. I was running around Manhattan with [my mom for a while.] She used to purchase very glamorous cocktail dresses and evening gowns. Whatever the must-have fashion was, my mother was purchasing it. So I was seeing fashion along with beauty, because I was in a hair salon everyday.
How did you found The Nail and Skin Institute?
It was the time of cutting edge licensing and education for nails. I then very quickly outgrew the position that I had, and I went to New York State Education Department to open my own school. I started the process in 1996.
How did the institute became so popular?
It became popular for three very specific reasons. I was a very active owner. [I was] very hands on. I have a phenomenal team. My team has been with me since I started. My admissions department, they’re all licensed beauty professionals. The third thing, I wanted to be a leader in the industry, and I really wanted to do things the right way. So I partnered with Coty, which is the conglomerate that is Sally Hansen and OPI. The list goes on and on. We own Philosophy, that makes all the fragrances for all the celebrities. So I partnered with a leader. That was 14 years ago, and I didn’t really even know what I was doing. I got involved with them knowing it was going to be a great thing, but I never knew it was going to launch the business to what it did.
So young entrepreneurs (such as myself!) should be hands on with their businesses starting out?
Yes. They should be.
You get to assist OPI and Sally Hansen as a beauty expert. How do you do that?
I’ve been with Sally Hansen and OPI for 14 years just as an expert. I educated the marketing team, the lab team, the research and development and helped them with all of their product launches and special events. It really grew into a position called the Coty Global Beauty Expert. I work on everything from formulation, to meeting with beauty editors and I do all of the training for corporate mass retail. I just came back from a trip with all of the Walgreen buyers. I’ve met with CVS, Walmart, DUANEreed, I do so much. So how did it all happen? It’s really hard to say. Whenever they asked me to do something, I never said no. I always felt the more that I did, the more I would be able to do. The more I do the more I can do.
A look by Caruso matching nails, bag, and cell phone cover
What is the number one secret to looking great?
A girl has gotta look good! You need to have 7-8 hours of rest every night. You need to live a “clean” life. You need to eat clean. You need to have clean recreation. If you want to enjoy wine that’s fine, but you can’t drink a bottle. (laughs) You need to really eat healthy and eat clean food that’s not over processed. And most importantly, you need to surround yourself with family, friends and happiness in your life.
Whenever they asked me to do something, I never said no. I always felt the more that I did, the more I would be able to do. The more I do the more I can do.
I’m 100% Italian as well, and going on a diet in an Italian family is close to impossible. How do you do it?
I don’t eat Italian bread anymore, and I limit my pasta, but I enjoy everything else. When I’m home, I do cook, but I just don’t cook the way that I used to. I try to make sure there’s a lot of green. I use a lot of vegetables, salads and soups. I cook my pasta separately and I give my kids the pasta.
You are big on matching purses, nails, and cell phone covers. What are the best looks?
We love the python. Python is so popular, it doesn’t really seem to go out of style. The cell phone case would be python, and then you can purchase the Sally Hansen strips that are rattle snake. And then you can find a purse that either has python accent on it or one of the colors. You don’t want to triple over load. You want a complimentary color. Tory Burch cell phone covers sell python. They have the same colors, if that makes sense.
People want to hit a button of an elevator to get the top floor in their industry. That’s not me. I took the staircase and took one step at a time.
Do you like leopard print and zebra print?
You have to be careful with it. Leopard and zebra print can be easy to over do. If you’re [wearing] that, make is subtle and tasteful.
What is your favorite nail polish look?
Right now, it hasn’t even launched yet. We’re working on it with Sally Hansen for our new collection, Salon Effects. It’s going to be a combination of matte nail color accented with a glossy accent (whether it be a stripe, or a dot, or a swirl.) Any look of a gloss and matte combination [will be popular.] I know it’s going to be a huge.
What are going to be the Fall beauty trends?
We’re going to see a lot of textures from both the fashion world and from nature. You’re going to see a tremendous amount of gemstones. If you look at the colors for fall, they’re going to be very rich looking. We’re going to see really gorgeous burgundies, browns. Blue is still going to be around but a very royal, elegant, rich looking blue.
Caruso's Fall 2012 Nail Trend
What was it like working with designers during New York fashion week?
Working with designers for me, is exciting. My goal was to at least have the opportunity to have a moment with the designer while everyone is trying to interview them. My work is usually before the show takes place. All the looks are done, and they come to Sally Hansen or OPI and ask them to create a look or color. It’s always close to the runway date, which is great because I work very well under pressure. And, we begin to create. Usually I have a day to create a look. Sometimes the designer will give me a little direction. Being backstage with them, it’s very exciting and gratifying because the designer and fashion world understands that nails are the completion. They are the final part of the fashion statement that is going to walk runway.
Even as a young girl, I never really saw myself as a person who worked 9-5.
You’re basically living every girl’s dream!
Yes, and I still don’t know how it happened! It’s really amazing. I don’t believe in luck. People want to hit a button of an elevator to get the top floor in their industry. That’s not me. I took the staircase and took one step at a time. My first employment position was in a nail salon in 1986 or ’87 so it’s been a long, long time coming.
Tell me about your family.
I have two children. My son is 16, his name is Michael. My daughter is 13 and her name is Gianna. I have a wonderful boyfriend whose name is Michael. We live in Long Island but we are in Manhattan weekly.
Dana's Beauty Advice
There’s no black and white in this industry, it’s a very creative place.
What did you do to assist Cosmopolitan Magazine?
Every April they do a men’s issue. I did a story on men and their pedicures and taking care of their feet. The editor will ask me to answer a list of questions, and I answer as they relate to women who are reading the magazine, not a professional nail technician. I try to give really real easy to obtain results for manicuring, hair removal, nail color, or writing about old boyfriends. Cosmo is a lot of fun because you never know what the questions will be. (Check out Caruso’s article in Cosmo giving readers tips and tricks to prevent nail-biting.)
What are your goals for the future?
They would be to bring the Nail and Skin Care Institute to women all over the world. I would like to bring training facilities in Russia, in the UK, and Australia. When you look at Europe, women are just finally understanding that it’s okay to spend money on taking care of yourself. I love this field. Even as a young girl, I never really saw myself as a person who worked 9-5.
Have you thought about doing a reality show?
We’re kind of kicking around concepts for a reality show. We’re trying to figure out what the best position would be. It would be very positive. It would be about myself directing thousands of women in this industry, and what’s involved. There’s no black and white in this industry, it’s a very creative place.
To learn more about Dana, visit:
http://www.linailskincare.com
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