MiniMoment: MiniLuxe’s 2019 Fall Collection

Confession: For years, I used to think taking the time to get my nails done was a waste of time.  Yep. True story.

Ask my best friend, Sarah.

To her, getting a mani/pedi was a way of treating herself.

To me, sitting still in a chair for 30 minutes to an hour when I could be doing something else was my mindset.

Obviously, this was during a time when I didn’t take self-care seriously. At all.

It wasn’t until 1 1/2 years ago when I hit my breaking point. I was mentally and physically burned out from everything that I did the unthinkable: I took a weekday off to have a self-care day and get my hair and nails done.

I did some research since I had never had my nails professionally done before (I know, I know! My first mani was during Spring 2018!) and wanted a reputable place. That’s when I remembered coming across MiniLuxe at a past event I attended.

I booked my first appointment and that was the beginning of my self-care journey. My experience was so lovely and relaxing that I thought, “You know, Sarah is right. This is a treat!”

Since then I’ve taken time to intentionally take care of myself. I’m definitely a workaholic so it’s hard for me to hit the pause button. But I’ve learned that when I start to feel the candle burning at both ends, that’s when I know I need ‘me time’ to decompress.

And MiniLuxe is my ‘me time’ place to give myself a MiniMoment.

WHAT IS MINILUXE?

If you’re never heard of MiniLuxe, allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite clean beauty places to get your self-care done!

ABOUT MINILUXE

Founded in 2008, MiniLuxe is a leading nail care and waxing services brand. Their foundation is based on self-care, responsible beauty, and crafted beauty services. Additionally, they use clean beauty products and adhere to hygienic methods of sterilization for nails and waxing.

MiniLuxe was founded by two biology majors from Harvard (how cool is that?!) who saw a need in the market place. So they decided to create a brand to focus on the highest standards of hygiene, clean beauty, and quality and accessible luxury services.

And here we are!

Speaking of, the fact that their founder, Tony Tjan, understands that we need to take time to take care of ourselves so we can take care of others speaks volumes to me!

MiniLuxe has 25 studios across the country in Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Rhode Island. They have also developed their own line of nail care products, including responsible luxury nail polishes, which you can now purchase online if you don’t have a MiniLuxe studio near you!

MY IN-PERSON EXPERIENCE

I had the absolute honor to meet and chat with the lovely Zoe Krislock, MiniLuxe’s CEO. We talked about everything, from her abstract art manicure (it was SO cute!) to what made her switch from the retail industry to the beauty world. She is extremely passionate about this company, its people, and clientele.

Meeting Zoe in-person was very telling to how hands-on she is with MiniLuxe. She is very approachable and is all about people. Keep an eye out for what she does with the Dallas marketplace!

If you’ve never been inside a MiniLuxe salon, their studios are B-E-A-utiful and are Insta-worthy! I go to the Northpark location a lot, but got to see this studio off of McKinney during this event.

MINIMOMENT

The way they run their business with integrity makes me feel good as a consumer. I learned from my former manicurist, Omolara, that each set of tools they use for every appointment is sterilized. So, every time I come in for an appointment, they use a newly cleaned package of tools, so you know they’re serious about hygiene.

And truth be told, stories of women having health issues due to unsanitary conditions at nail salons was a reason why I never went to get my nails done professionally.

Because of MiniLuxe’s hygienic practices, I feel safe and can relax when I take a self-care moment.

This is Cathy, my manicurist! I LOVE her! She has nearly two decades of experience and is so sweet! It was great chatting with her about life. Since my former manicurist left MiniLuxe, I hadn’t gone back because I’m pretty picky on who I want to work on my nails for me.

Obviously, after seeing my mani the next morning in natural lighting, I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say I’ll be seeing Cathy a lot in the future! Check out this image I shot of her work this past weekend!

And she’s at the Uptown location if you’re looking for a manicurist! ::cough cough:: I also got to meet Janelle (hoping I spelled her name right!), who is the district manager.

During the event, I also got to meet Tara Wilson (left) and Samantha Giordano Kim (right) of Tara Wilson Agency. We talked about abstract nail art, fitness (they’re runners too!), and why Tara struck out on her own to open her own firm. #GrlPwr, am I right?!

Thank you both for inviting me to celebrate MiniLuxe’s launch of their fall collection!

2019 FALL COLLECTION

Speaking of, check out MiniLuxe’s 2019 Fall collection, Abundance!

Top row: Lapis, Hematite
Middle row: Garnet, Citrine, Jade
Bottom row: Carnelian, Amethyst, Rose Quartz

The colors in this collection is inspired by gemstone shades, which what I love to wear for fall!

What I love about MiniLuxe is their dedication to responsible beauty. Their own branded polishes are cruelty-free and 8-free. 8-free means there is no Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP (Dibutyl Phthalate), Formaldehyde Resin, Camphor, TPHP (Triphenyl Phosphate), Ethyl Tosylamide, and Xylen in their formulas.

For the event, We The Birds, a Dallas-based French macaron bakery created some beautiful sweet treats with the collection in mind. You can order customized treats by appointment or shop online!

Cathy and I ended up changing our minds with my initial color choice. And considering I trust her and her expertise, I ended up going with a light pink, grey color called Don’t Bossa Nova Me Around by OPI (which I don’t think is a cruelty-free brand, but I haven’t researched them yet to know) and finished it with rose gold foil for my manicure.

And this shot by the talented Alberto is proof that I’m in love!!!

A big thank you to MiniLuxe for the gift card and these goodies! These polishes are definitely my kind of color palette and I love how it matched my macaron too!

One self-care thing I’ve learned to do for myself and actually enjoy is to get my nails done.

In the past, I used to do my own nails and sometimes I still do. However, if you know me, you know that one of my life mantras is, “If you have a problem and want it taken care of quickly, throw some money at it.”

And I’ve learned quickly that paying someone to do your nails is not a bad idea when you’re lazy, haha! Here’s another great shot by Alberto!

I took a close-up so you guys can see my manicure better. What do you think?

Thank you, MiniLuxe, for inviting me to have a MiniMoment and to celebrate your beautiful fall collection!

This post is NOT sponsored by MiniLuxe. A press experience was gifted. However, I was not asked to write this post in exchange for my MiniMoment experience. I genuinely love MiniLuxe and have used their services for 1 1/2 years. I stand behind their brand and their mission 100% which is why I wanted to share them with you guys!