On Tour or On Vacation, The Nail Suite is Like Home
Entrepreneur Lisa Logan shares how her hands help women from Beyonce to Queen Latifah keep their hands healthy.
Part 1: An Extended Living Room
Well, for me, The Nail Suite represents stability, and from the very beginning, when we opened in 2012, I had no doubt that Harlem, the neighborhood I grew up in, was the only suitable place for my salon. My core desire was that I wanted my salon to be a space where my community felt welcome. I don’t care if you’re nine or 99, because I didn't want people to feel like they had to leave their community to get their nails done.
Inside The Nail Suite, it’s a very personal experience. Once you sit down with someone who looks like you and reflects who you are, it’s like the language changes; it’s a different talk. You'll often hear choruses of laughter at the type of insider jokes that only a shared history would permit you to understand. It’s about building relationships beyond just a service. Many of my clients, like Renee, have been with me for years, following me from one location to the next. We know about each other's families, our kids. As my friend Courtney puts it, Lisa, your salon is an extension of your living room. My goal is that when I’m not here you still feel at home.
This feeling of home extends to people from outside Harlem too. We've had people travel from Jersey and South Carolina to the salon, because it became a place where so many nail techs really united and we connected and we stayed connected. My work appearing in magazines and traveling globally has also made me recognizable, so when people come to New York, they’re looking for me. Even though I'm not always in the room as much as I used to be, people are still happy to see me and feel that connection. I truly believe nails should be in a dictionary next to joy & happiness because clean, beautiful nails make you feel confident and better about yourself.
I’ve traveled internationally for nail artistry, including being flown to Japan specifically for nails. My experience in Japan was the most breathtaking moment because I met people who don't look like me but they know who I am, who we are, and they respect us. I remember receiving a full body bow as a sign of respect, which I initially didn't know how to receive, but my friend explained its significance. When people in Japan learned I was Lisa Logan and heard about my work, they responded with “Oh my god, respect! We love your work and and we love who you work with.” This recognition in a country where people didn't share me background was a profound experience for me.
Part 2: Pretty Hurts
I started out working at the Marriott in housekeeping when I was around 19 or 20 years old, simply because my sister told me I needed to get a job, and they were the first to call me back after I filled out applications. I was there for about a year, but I ended up leaving right as certain benefits were supposed to kick in because I became pregnant with my daughter.
My daughter was just six months old when I started doing nails. I was 22, and my sister had a friend named Rita who opened a salon and taught me the craft. That salon, though, closed suddenly within six months, but I had my acrylic brush ready. I then went to Michelle's shop on 8th Avenue for an interview, and I remember practicing on one finger. I was asked if I was carrying my brush, and I confidently replied, “Do you want this nail or not?”
My first week as an apprentice in a Black-owned salon in the '90s, I only made $38.50 after giving the owner 60% of my takings. It was almost a joke, given I had a 6-month-old, but I saw other women making money, and I thought that there was no way that I was gonna sit next to somebody, knowing that I had the opportunity to make as much and/or more than what they did. I'm like, “I could do it, and I had to get it.”
My career really took off unexpectedly. I had a connection with people from Rough Riders, which led to me doing nails for DMX’s videos. I had known Earl before he was famous, even clipped his nails once when they looked terrible! When he got signed, he remembered me and asked for me. From there, I became a mobile manicurist before they coined the name, traveling to offices like Roc-A-Fella, Ruff Ryders, and Murder Inc. to do executive and artist nails.
That led me to Jay-Z, who then introduced me to Beyoncé when they became a couple. I became her trusted nail person, on call for years, and my career truly exploded with the “Single Ladies” video – it was the boom heard around the world for my career.
I opened my first small salon, only 250 square feet, the same year Beyoncé’s self-titled album came out. It was a safety net because she was pregnant, and I needed something to fall back on, having saved money from working with her and Queen Latifah. Even though my agent suggested Midtown, I was adamant about opening my salon in Harlem because we didn't have places in Harlem that had faces that were people of color; not catered to us. I faced skepticism from management at the time, who chuckled and said, “Good luck with that.”
I proved them wrong.
Part 3: Healthy and Sustainable Practices
My philosophy is rooted in creating a beneficial environment for everyone. When I opened my salon, I purposely wanted it to not have acrylics and smells. So, when you walk into The Nail Suite, you won’t smell acrylics or fumes; instead, you'll likely smell essential oils. I also made a conscious decision to use LED lights instead of UV lights for curing nails, addressing concerns people have. My aim is to ensure that the environment is healthy for everybody in the room, not just our clients, but also for my technicians working alongside me.
Beyond the salon services, I've expanded into creating products. I have a skincare line called The BodySuite, which includes handmade soaps and butters that nourish and heal the skin. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I even pivoted to making more of these products, like soaps and creams. My belief is strong in creating products with natural benefits: I don’t believe in making colorful fragrant things if they don't grow naturally. I want to use ingredients that truly heal.
This passion for natural benefits extends to my personal life. I'm a lover of growing things and I've practiced with plants to the point where I now want to grow gardens. My goal is to dry these plants, turn them into oils, and then into products that are just better for mankind. It’s about being sustainable and recreating beautiful things from a natural standpoint.
You can schedule an appointment at The Nail Suite at 2388 Adam Clayton Powell of your next stroll through Harlem.