“Happy accident” is the phrase that best describes Nadine Abramcyk’s takeover of the downtown nail scene. Her professional life began in marketing, at American Express, followed by a P.R. gig at Time magazine. She then ventured into retail with her first business venture, Mick Margo, a clothing store in NYC’s West Village that largely represented European and emerging womenswear designers. But it was in December 2010 when she “plunged head first and completely naively” into the beauty realm with Tenoverten, a succession of nail salons which are now located across Manhattan, and in the nail guru’s hometown of Austin, Texas. Whether the mother of two is dropping her kids at school in the morning or spending her afternoons evolving the rapidly expanding 32-color Tenoverten nail-polish line—which is eight- and cruelty free and totally vegan—she feels overwhelmingly fortunate. “I would like to think Tenoverten was all planned out, but in fact I never thought I would end up in the beauty world. I have always been interested in business, and the industry didn’t matter so much to me as much as seeing something through with a passion.” —Jennifer Henderson
Name: Nadine Abramcyk
Occupation: Founder of Tenoverten salons and nail-care products.
“We have a strong connection to creating the safest salon environment possible for both our customers and our employee family. So many places will follow a nail trend to benefit the bottom line, however we are committed to being the best at giving as natural a manicure as possible. We’ve never offered gels and never will. We choose our polishes, table-top products, sanitation equipment, ventilation system, and even our collection of tea offerings very carefully so that it’s a feel-good experience from start to finish.”
Beauty schooled : “I remember desperately wanting a perm when I was 12 and my mom was adamant that I couldn’t get one. That was a tough moment for me because it was the first time I was aware of using beauty as self-expression and being told I couldn’t see it through. It consumed so many conversations between my mom and I, which I think ultimately shaped my outlook on beauty. She is such a naturalist, so she focuses on accentuating her natural beauty in subtle ways rather than going for the ‘wow’ factor. I think that lesson has probably saved me from a lot of disastrous beauty moments throughout my life.”
Her work ethic: “I definitely enjoy working but I balance that with a lot of quality time with the people I love. The one thing I’ve found is that I really can’t turn it off. I’m always looking for inspiration and, in New York, I feel inspired constantly so the workflow grows constantly.”
Her secret to success: “You have to be fearless. I’ve had many failures in my career that have been stepping-stones to get me to where I am today. I think the biggest contributor to my success is my ability to make decisions quickly; it’s propelled me to get a lot done and be hyper productive. Also, while I think it’s amazing to be entrepreneurial, working for other people for 10 years prior to starting my own business and learning from those who have more work experience was a tremendous help.”
Her shade of choice: “My go-to color is Tenoverten’s Fulton. To me it is the perfect nude.”
Her personal style: “I prefer wearing tailored clothing and will go for any high-waisted item I can get my hands on. I mix a lot of vintage in my closet, as I think the pieces are really interesting and have a depth that not all newer items have. I don’t take getting dressed too seriously because my outfits have to take me from work to playing with my kids, so never anything too precious.”
Her uniform: “I am obsessed with my Jesse Kamm pants and The Great T-shirts for hang time, and for work, a pair of vintage Levi’s and a blazer with heels are my staples.”
Her must-haves: “The Hourglass arch brow sculpting pencil and Shu Uemura eyelash curler. I’m religious about reading Into the Gloss. Spending Saturday mornings at the Whitney for the kids’ hands-on art sessions. Tiny’s and the Bar Upstairs for brunch. Strolling through The Apartment by The Line for gifts.”
Beauty is: “Someone who is confident in her own skin.”
Inspired by: “My father is an incredible bon vivant, even at the age of 81, and someone I have always leaned on to nurture my business ideas. My husband, Matt, who is in hospitality, is another major influence for me. He’s got such an incredible eye and this ability to create an experience that is unique to each of his brands, that it pushes me to do the same in each of our salons. He challenges me daily and we live in the same house, so I can’t escape it.”
Her happy place: “Home.”
Going social: “I’m a newbie to Snapchat but love it. Otherwise, I only use Instagram and I love the following feeds: , , , and of course, , to see what nail-art genius Madeline Poole is up to.”
Currently obsessed with: “The Class with Taryn Toomey. She is my wellness bomb. She provides me with a mental and physical workout that I take two to three times a week and keeps me sane.”
Her wisdom: “Stay present. Be curious.”
What’s next: “We are opening Tenoverten in L.A. this fall, which is rather exciting and that means I get to spend some time there this summer with my business partner and sister, Jaclyn. Life doesn’t get much better than that!”