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When Tran Wills first opened Base Coat Nail Salon in Berkeley in 2013, she was motivated by her own adverse reaction to the harsh smells and chemicals she’d experienced at a salon. She wanted to create a non-toxic environment where her clients could truly relax—instead of worrying about their health.
Now she’s letting you create that same sense of bliss at home, with a line of organic bath and body products that will launch this weekend. While Wills already sells her own nail polish line out of her boutique salon (now located in LoHi, with a second location opening in the Stanley Marketplace this year), she’s debuting seven new plant-based products, including a cuticle serum with rosehip seed oil, lemongrass, and coconut oil; a soy nail polish remover scented with lavender essential oil; and a hand sanitizer that uses witch hazel instead of alcohol. “I think people worry about what they eat all the time,” Wills says. “But people forget about the things they put on their body, and 60 percent of that soaks right into the skin.” Six of the seven new items are also made in the Centennial State, a fact that Wills—a native Coloradan—is very proud of.
You can get 10 percent off the line on February 11 and 12, and a tarot reader and henna artist will also be available for appointments at the salon on those days. Plus, book any service for February 10–14, and you’ll get complimentary chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne—the ultimate exercise in self-care.
Follow assistant editor Mary Clare Fischer on Twitter at @mc_fischer.