LACQUER

What LACQUER does

LACQUER is a privately held, woman-owned nail studio operating a single flagship location at 210 Guadalupe Street in Austin's 2nd Street District. Founded by Carla Hatler, a former advertising executive, the business opened its downtown location in March 2015 and consolidated operations there after closing the North Austin location on December 1, 2025. LACQUER's core offering is soakless (waterless) manicures and pedicures, a methodology using steamed hot towels instead of water basins, nitrile gloves for every service, medical-grade autoclave sterilization for metal implements, and single-use files and buffers — protocols that position the studio as Austin's only Certified Safe Salon and that passed a US Department of Labor audit with no action taken.

The service menu spans Essential and Signature tier manicures and pedicures (priced $30–$80), Gel-X soft gel nail extensions ($95–$195), Gel Overlay and IBX strengthening treatments ($50–$90), custom nail art, and soak-off removals. Retail products (Dadi' Oil, Footlogix, CND RescueRx, Londontown, OPI Nature Strong, and other polish brands) are sold in-store and via a Shopify e-commerce site. Two monthly membership tiers — Perfectly Polished ($110/month) and Obviously Obsessed ($150/month) — provide recurring revenue alongside standard service revenue, physical and printable gift cards, and retail sales. The customer base is individual Austin-area consumers, predominantly women, prioritizing non-toxic products, hygiene, and ethical employer practices; no B2B or enterprise channel exists.

Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer only: appointments book through the Zenoti platform or by phone, marketing runs on organic social (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest), an ethical-beauty blog, a $15-bilateral referral program, and earned media from features in Austin Monthly, Glamour, InStyle, The Zoe Report, and Waterways. Pricing was reduced by up to 15% in August 2025 alongside the launch of new membership tiers offering up to 35% savings versus standalone services, indicating a deliberate volume-and-frequency strategy.

Name

LACQUER

Legal name

LACQUER

Website

https://ilovelacquer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LACQUER is a woman-owned, single-location nail studio in downtown Austin, Texas offering soakless manicures and pedicures, Gel-X extensions, nail art, and retail beauty products through a Certified Safe Salon model targeting Austin-area consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nail Salon Services

NAICS

Nail Salons (812113), Beauty Salons (812112)

SIC

Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)

akta.pro primary industry

Basic Manicures & Pedicures (HSALACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nail Removal Services (Gel/Acrylic/Dip) (HSALACAG), Nail Salon Products (Polish, Gel, Acrylic, Supplies) (CRABALAE)

Keywords

• Nail salon services
• Manicure and pedicure
• Natural nail care
• Nail enhancement services
• Nail care products

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Nail Salon Services: In-person nail care services including manicures, pedicures, nail extensions, overlays, and nail art. Services are priced per appointment and include essential, signature, and extension service tiers. No recurring revenue from services alone.
2. Nail Products Retail: Sale of nail care products including cuticle oils, foot care products, nail treatments, and polish. Products are sold both in-store and online through the e-commerce platform.
3. Membership Subscriptions: Monthly membership programs offering discounted services: 'Obviously Obsessed' (2 manicures + 2 pedicures per month for $150) and 'Perfectly Polished' (2 manicures + 1 pedicure per month for $110). Creates recurring revenue through subscription model.
4. Gift Cards: Sale of gift cards and gift certificates for services and products. Physical cards available in-store, printable certificates available online.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LACQUER operates a Certified Safe nail salon offering soakless manicures and pedicures (Essential and Signature tiers), Gel-X soft gel nail extensions, Gel Overlay and IBX treatments, nail art, and soak-off removals at its downtown Austin flagship. The salon also sells retail nail care products (cuticle oils, foot care, nail treatments) and offers monthly membership subscriptions and gift cards. All services use a proprietary waterless methodology pioneered in Austin in 2018.

Product overview

LACQUER is a nail salon service business offering manicure and pedicure services with a focus on natural nail health in an acrylic-free, Certified Safe Salon environment. The core service offering consists of Essential and Signature tier manicures and pedicures (available in gel, ultra polish, regular polish, or naked formats), supplemented by nail enhancement services including Gel-X soft gel extensions, Gel Overlay, and IBX treatments. The company also offers nail art services, soak-off removals, and retail products including Dadi' Oil, Footlogix products, CND treatments, and various polish brands (CND Shellac, OPI, Dazzle Dry, Londontown, and OPI Nature Strong). Membership options provide recurring manicure and pedicure services at discounted rates. All services are soakless (using hot towels instead of water), and the company positions itself on safety, ethical employment practices, and non-toxic products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Essential Manicure Basic soakless manicure with warm towel cleanse, cuticle care, and massage using hydrating lotion with organic olive, avocado, and jojoba oils. Available in gel/ultra polish ($55, 45 min), regular polish ($40, 35 min), or naked ($30, 20 min).
• Essential Pedicure Basic soakless pedicure with warm towel cleanse, cuticle and callus care, and massage. Available in gel/ultra polish ($70, 50 min), regular polish ($55, 40 min), or naked ($45, 30 min).
• Signature Manicure Upgraded soakless manicure with sugar and salt scrub and ultra hydrating lotion containing avocado oil, allantoin, and hyaluronic acid. Available in gel/ultra polish ($65, 50 min), regular polish ($50, 40 min), or naked ($40, 25 min).
• Signature Pedicure Upgraded soakless pedicure with sugar and salt scrub and ultra hydrating lotion containing avocado oil, allantoin, and hyaluronic acid. Available in gel/ultra polish ($80, 55 min), regular polish ($65, 45 min), or naked ($55, 35 min).
• Gel-X Soft Gel Nail Extensions Soft gel nail extensions applied to natural nails. Full set options from $95 (gel polish, 89 min) up to $195 (1.5-hour custom nail art, 175 min). Includes French, multi-French, and tiered nail art versions.
• Gel Overlay and IBX Manicures Nail strengthening services using CND PlexiGel builder gel and IBX treatments for natural nails. Includes gel overlay with polish ($80, 60 min), maintenance ($90, 70 min), and IBX treatments ($50-$75).
• Nail Art Services Custom nail art including French/Half Moon designs (starting at $70+ for gel), foil transfers (starting at $70), and Custom Design nail art (starting at $140 for natural nail gel manicure plus one hour of nail art).
• Soak-Off Removal Services Removal of existing polish and enhancements: gel ($10 add-on), builder gel ($15), Gel-X ($25), and dip powder ($30).
• Obviously Obsessed Membership Monthly subscription providing 2 manicures and 2 pedicures per month for $150. Members save up to 35% versus standalone service pricing.
• Perfectly Polished Membership Monthly subscription providing 2 manicures and 1 pedicure per month for $110. Members save up to 35% versus standalone service pricing.
• Gift Cards Physical gift cards available in-store and printable gift certificates available online. Non-refundable and may be used toward the purchase of services and products.
• Dadi' Oil Organic Cuticle Oil Organic cuticle oil (0.5 oz) for at-home nail care maintenance, sold online and in-store.
• Footlogix Anti-Microbial Toe Tincture Anti-microbial foot care product for toe treatment, sold online and in-store.
• Footlogix Double Sided Foot File Professional-grade double-sided foot file for at-home foot care, sold online and in-store.
• CND RescueRx Daily Keratin Treatment Daily keratin treatment for nail strengthening and repair, sold online and in-store.
• CND Cuticle Eraser Cuticle care product for at-home nail maintenance, sold online and in-store.
• Londontown Conceal + Go Duo Nail concealer and treatment duo product, sold online and in-store.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7-day no-chip guarantee on all gel and ultra polish finishes and GelX extensions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Female Founder CollectiveminorOthersLACQUER is a proud member of the Female Founder Collective, a network of businesses led by women, supporting women in positively impacting communities both socially and economically. This is a membership/association rather than a commercial partnership.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• MiniLuxe: Multi-location nail care studio chain offering manicures, pedicures, and nail enhancements with a focus on clean, non-toxic products and standardized service quality — directly comparable to LACQUER's premium, hygienic nail salon positioning.
• tenoverten: New York-based boutique nail salons emphasizing clean, non-toxic products and a curated, design-forward experience, closely matching LACQUER's premium positioning and natural nail care focus.
• Paintbox: Modern nail studio known for nail art-forward services and a tech-enabled booking experience, sharing LACQUER's specialty-service orientation and direct-to-consumer salon model.
• Olive & June: Nail care brand operating both a product line and brick-and-mortar 'studio' locations offering press-on and in-salon services; comparable to LACQUER's combination of retail nail products and in-person salon services.
• Bellacures: Multi-unit nail salon chain focused on clean beauty and a polished customer experience, similar to LACQUER's premium service tiers and emphasis on safer, non-toxic nail products.
• Vanity Projects: High-end nail art studio offering custom design services, comparable to LACQUER's specialty nail art offerings and premium pricing for skilled technicians.
• The Nail Bar: Nail salon concept offering express and premium services with membership options, comparable to LACQUER's tiered service menu and subscription programs.

Emerging players

• Glamsquad: On-demand beauty services platform including manicures, providing an alternative delivery model for nail services that overlaps with LACQUER's target consumer segment in major US cities.

Others

• Zenoti: SaaS booking and salon management platform used by LACQUER for online appointments, memberships, and gift cards; an ecosystem enabler and comparable to similar software providers serving nail salons.
• CND (Creative Nail Design): Professional nail products brand whose Shellac and PlexiGel lines LACQUER uses and retails; relevant supplier/ecosystem peer in the professional nail care space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ilovelacquer
• Instagraminstagram.com/ilovelacquer
• Pinterestpinterest.com/ilovelacquer
• Xx.com/ilovelacquer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lacquer

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LACQUER