Meet Gina Farran, Co-Founder and CEO and Nail Care Brand: Glaize

We built Glaize (literally in the middle of a global pandemic and against all odds) because we think it’s BS that getting a quality manicure has to take so much time and effort (regardless of whether you’re doing it yourself or at the salon).

We exist to give you an alternative that’s easier, faster and better for your nails and the environment while still giving you the durability and salon quality of a gel manicure. Call it a first world problem but who doesn’t love a great mani?

Tell us about Glaize, how did it start?

 
I used to work in investment banking and my hours were very long and very unpredictable. Most of the time, I would have to cancel my nail salon appointments and I absolutely hated having to paint my nails myself.

This inspired me to create Glaize. I was frustrated with the traditional ways of getting a quality manicure and I wanted to come up with a better way for both consumers and the environment.

How are you different from other companies on the market?

 
At Glaize, we’re building a challenger brand by focusing on four key pillars.

We’re simplifying the manicure process through our patent-pending technology. We spent almost two years building this technology and it makes application a lot easier compared to other products on the market.

We’re also reformulating products in a more sustainable way by eliminating plastics. Most nail care products on the market today are oil-based and we’re replacing as much as we can with bio-based ingredients.

I want Glaize to be a fun brand that stands out and attracts a strong, engaged community. Most nail care companies sell directly to salons and wholesalers so they don’t have a relationship with their users. We’re trying to change that by putting the customer first.

Last but not least, we’re creating a nail art platform where nail artists and creators can monetise their designs at scale. This allows nail artists to expand their customer base beyond geographical and capacity constraints. I hope the end result will be the expansion and growing popularity of the nail art market.

Have you faced any challenges?

 
I started building Glaize in the middle of the pandemic when laboratories were closed. Given the lack of available options for R&D, we took the decision to initially make samples at home. A decision which, looking back, was slightly insane.

Supply chains have been very tricky to manage over the last two years. We deal with various large raw material manufacturers and it’s hard to get attention when you’re one of their smallest customers. We’ve had to navigate a world of material shortages, increasing costs and extremely uncertain lead times. This was a steep learning curve and taught us a lot about the importance of establishing strong relationships with key suppliers.

Finally, fundraising as an Arab female founder in the UK has been a significant challenge.

What can we hope to see from the business in the future?

 
We will be focusing on scaling operations and expanding our current product offering. I really want Glaize to become a beauty giant that identifies less crowded segments within the industry which are ripe for disruption. Hopefully nail care is just the start for us and we will be transforming other products where the offering and experience is suboptimal. Watch this space!
 
 

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