NAILS

38 | NAILS MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2016Want to be educated and inspired? Want someperspective on our industry? It’s a good bet thatCatherine Baek Dambrosia, director of globaleducation for Orly and SpaRitual, can help. A 20-year industry veteran, Baek worked for ShiseidoCosmetics America, Kose America, and PurMineralsbefore arriving at Orly seven years ago. She recently took over thetesting development department for the brands as well.We wanted to learn more about her:``````You began your career in beauty as an esthetician with an interestin makeup. What drew you to nails?Baek Dambrosia: I actually began my career as a painting anddrawing student. When I was in college, I took a job at the Lancomecounter in a department store to earn some extra cash to purchasemy art supplies. At first, I was nervous about working at a makeupcounter, but since I had an in-depth knowledge of color, composition,shading, and 3-D, it was an easy transition. My stepmother was a nail technician and a nail salon owner,so I grew up with an understanding of nails and what clients werelooking for, but I never dreamed that I would be working in the sameindustry. I dabbled in makeup artistry for television, commercials,and fashion shows, then realized that I was happiest educatingpeople on how to make others genuinely feel good, rather than justmaking someone look beautiful. Then came the opportunity to work for Orly.  In the beginning Iwasn’t sure about nails, but I fell in love with Orly, nail technicians,and the industry. I soon realized that a 1cm x 1cm  nail surface canbe so exciting. It’s been very rewarding to work for Orly and to be apart of the nail industry.``````Once again, NAILS will be counting down to NewYears by giving away some incredible prizes duringthe month of December. Many of your favoritemanufacturers will be participating in this year’sGiveaways Until the Ball Drops event. So keep an eyeon your inbox or check out our Instagram, Twitter, andFacebook pages for links to enter to win the daily prize.``````NAILS’ Holiday GiveawaysAre Coming!{nails file}>>>BaekGet to Know Global Educator Catherine Baek DambrosiaHow does your fine arts degree come into play in your currentjob?Baek Dambrosia: I use my art knowledge in everything I do.  Forme, I see concept, balance, color, composition, and how everythingcan work well together or how it doesn’t.  I still love art in everyform — from canvas to face to nails to graffiti to digital. Companieslike Shiseido taught me not to look solely at the product. How weserve, presentation, and the connections we make with others arejust as important as what is inside the bottle. The art and grace ofserving are actually undervalued in our society. ``````You recently took over the testing development department.What are your goals as the brands develop new products? Baek Dambrosia: I’m always asking fundamental questions, like howis this easier or more beneficial for the professional techs.  WhenJeff Pink first started the business, he often asked techs for inputand listened to their needs.  This is still one of the most importantaspects of our product testing development. We need to know whatthe professionals are saying, then see how it also affects the endusers, our consumers. ``````How are you involved with the new Orly Breathable Treatment +Color line? Of course you know that nails don’t breathe. So whatdoes “breathable” refer to?Baek Dambrosia: I’ve been overseeing product testing andwriting educational material. Our message is that our formula isbreathable — meaning it allows` hydration to pass through as wellas excess hydration from the nails to escape. The permeabilityof this product has great benefits. It allows longer wear since itavoids water-logged nails, plus it allows other hydrating productsto permeate to the nail. The technology is similar to breathablecontact lenses and breathable clothing. Basically, the breathableformula is long-wearing and it’s healthy for the nails overall.