Savvy Salon: Finger Bang Portland

Finger Bang is a Portland, Oregon-based nail salon that serves up cutting edge nail art – and stays open until midnight.

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DISTINCTION

We have a distinctly different vibe at Finger Bang. I wanted the space to feel like a tattoo and/or barber shop, rather than a traditional nail salon.

THE LOOK

Finger Bang is in the Hollywood District of Northeast Portland. The area has a lot of new businesses coming in as well as new construction going up. The shop is located in the Zipper building, and the interior is decorated in a graffiti street art style, which includes my personal Star Wars collection. The art on the walls is from local artists (and is for sale), and we play a very curated movie list that includes Shaw Brothers Kung Fu, B movies and a lot of horror films.

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THE GOODS

For gel, we use Presto, Kiara Sky, LeChat Perfect Match and Gelish, and I often rotate new [brands] into the mix. As for lacquers, we love Floss Gloss, ManGlaze and Palate Polish. We also use Bio Seaweed Gel base coat and no-wipe top coat. We don’t have a retail area; there is literally no space for it! But, I want to open a second location and I’d like to add retail then.

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SOCIAL MEDIA

People really respond to our Instagram. While we do have a Facebook page, it doesn’t generate a lot of client interest.

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THE CLIENTELE

We want everyone to feel welcome, safe and comfortable when they are with us. When we opened, I thought our clients would be people who didn’t feel as though they fit into a traditional nail salon environment. As it turns out, we do get those clients, but we also serve suburban housewives, seniors and men. Our average client spends $40-$100 per visit, depending on the level of nail art, and appointments run from 30 minutes to three hours. We’re finding that a lot of our male clients are excited to get nail art, too. For example, we have a couple that comes in together; she gets a full set of nail art and he gets art on a single nail to compliment her look!

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PRAISE

People are overwhelmingly kind and positive about what we are doing at Finger Bang. It’s really flattering when someone says they didn’t know what to expect because of the salon’s name, but that they came in and loved it! Honestly, the greatest compliment is that when we open the doors at noon, people are waiting to walk in. What’s better than that?

ADVICE

I spent the majority of my life listening to people tell me I couldn’t do something. The day I decided to listen to myself, and believe that I could do it, was one of the most empowering and hopeful days of my life. My advice is to trust your gut, follow your intuition and believe in yourself.

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FINGER BANG FACTS:

Owner: Glynis Olson

Year Opened: 2015

Address: 2725 NE Sandy Blvd., Portland, OR 97232

Phone Number: 503.477.9814

Hours of Operation: Mon. – Fri., 12 p.m. – 12 a.m.


Website: fingerbangpdx.com

[Images: Courtesy of Finger Bang]

This article was first published in the May 2017 issue of NAILPRO

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