Health and customer service: This was the focus for Reece Gutierrez when she founded and opened Holy Chic Nail Bar and Beauty Lounge in Fredericksburg in May. She wanted a place that customers would view as an experience, not just a pop-in, get polished and leave type of place. And with her past habitats of LA and Las Vegas, she also wanted to bring something trendy to the Fredericksburg area.
Holy Chic fits the bill. With a minimalist, Scandinavian design (white walls and floors, light wood bar and stations, bench swings with black cushions and faux fur rugs) and a laid-back staff to match, Holy Chic is like hanging out with your friends while you “do nails.”
The salon is marketed as a waterless, toxin-free beauty hub that provides nail, facial and waxing services and offers product lines such as Deborah Lippmann, NCLA, Mischo and Trust Fund Beauty—all 7-free and vegan—and the scrubs, lotions and essential oils are all made in-house. And this focus on health is noticeable as soon as you walk in: no typical nail-salon smell. “I wanted to be different and have a reason why people wanted to come to Holy Chic,” Gutierrez says. “I was pregnant when all of this happened, then the article about conditions of nail salons came out in The New York Times … so that was something that was really important to me, not just [for] the clients who are breathing all the fumes but your employees who are there.”
Though the salon is still in its first year, Gutierrez already has plans to make it better. She’s working on bringing in eyelash extension services—but the healthy route (read: sans formaldehyde)—an alcohol service package (beer, wine and mixed drinks to go along with the already served coffee, tea and water) and a mini boutique selling dainty, minimalistic bangles, earrings and necklaces from Etsy artists Virginia Wynne and Aidan Concept (eventually getting into local makers), Deborah Lippmann merchandise and products formulated just for Holy Chic such as cuticle oil and the lotions used in the salon. // 1004 Caroline St., Fredericksburg
