Nail products for public available at the chemist UK vs USA

[ollieninh]

Just wanting to get some comparisions here. Because a post mentioned that little use at home 8oz, bottles of acetone seem to be UNcommon at the chemists in the UK.
We have large chains of them. Like CVS may have 4,000 stores and Eckerds may have 7,000 stores and Walgreens may have 5,000 stores ect ect you get the idea. And yes the centerpiece of their business is the profit from dispensing prescription medicines, HOW EVER that part of the business rarely occupies more than 500 square feet AND these stores are usually at least 4,000 square feet in size. They sell everything from fresh milk to hosiey to canned peanuts and anything in between.
Including lots and lots of nail stuff.
Nippers, implements, polish, acetone, press on fake nails, small do it yourself acrylic nail kits, nail tattoos, THE LIST IS EXTENSIVE.
And of course these are ONLY the chemist stores, add in thousands of Walmarts, Targets, Belks, Kmarts ect ect ALL selling nail products to the public.
SO I'M ASKING. I somehow have assumed from things that I have read here and there on postings THAT in the UK you do not YET have that problem.
Am I correct?

 

[Glorsclaws]

I somehow have assumed from things that I have read here and there on postings THAT in the UK you do not YET have that problem

Oh but we do!!!
Most of our chemists sell nail 'bits and bobs'. The bigger stores like Boots sell 'do it yourself enhancement kits'
We have a countrywide store called Argos that sells 'Uv nail kit' (includes a lamp), stick-ons, nail art kit... with 'how to' video, nail jewellery, paraffin wax bath .... theres pages of nails DIY stuff !!!!!!!!

 

[ollieninh]

Ok just want to make comparisions.
We like in a Podunk. Podunk is slang word for areas of the USA where true real country people are still native to the land.
We are 25 miles from downtown Charlotte a city of approx 600.000.
And our little town of Indian Trail is like population 2,500
BUT everything here is expanding at an unbeleivable rate.
THINKING. It is a bit like to motor from London to BATH. As you near the town of Bath, notice the farmlands. Well 10 years ago, we were surrounded by farmlands, BUT now half our farmlands have been purchased by developers and homes built for the city folk in Charlotte.
OK
What do I have in a half mile city of me.
I have 8 NNS nail shops. I have 5 hair salons that also offer nails. I have 7 huge food stores that each have thousands of beauty and nail items. I have 6 drugstores(chemists) that each have thousands of beauty and nail items.
When we say you walk into the local public store and can buy small inexpensive acrylic systems we mean the store has like 10 to 15 different packages available from more that one manufacturer.
Lets keep comparing, I'm learning.
Wow
got me thinking about Bath. I totally thought that was one of the neatest places I had ever visited. The streets and the shops were totally like from a Dickens book but the people were totally real and modern day...... I enjoyed Bath quite a bit.

 

[Mrs Geek]

Bath is a great city!! Sam and I recently had the pleasure of doing a salon opening there!! Going off topic slightly but did you know that Van 'the man' Morrison lives in Bath, so does Peter Gabriel, Tears for Fears and ex-Adam and the Ants!! Seems to be a throwback area for ex 80's pop stars!! :shock:

Anyway, I know a lot of the stores you mention because I used to live in the states for almost 4yrs...and I used to go to Eckards etc. I guess the main problem we don't have anymore is space (well I guess having no space is a problem but you know what I mean) !! When something goes up in the states, it's huge :fro: where as in the UK, and especially bearing in mind certain areas, buildings can only be so big!! The main stores that have the products you mention but not in as much bulk, are as Glorsclaws says - Boots, Superdrug, certain supermarkets BUT maybe the big difference is that the perception in the UK is that those products are a cheap and inferior alternative :? !! Women over here like people tp know that they can afford to have their nails done by a professional - it makes them feel superior I guess but it means great business for individual salons. It is mainly teenages who buy stick-ons etc and even now, most of them seem to be able to afford nail enhancements!! Hope that sheds some light!! 8)

 

[*Glynis*]

Just wanting to get some comparisions here. Because a post mentioned that little use at home 8oz, bottles of acetone seem to be UNcommon at the chemists in the UK.

I don't know if this has been mentioned elsewhere, but as far as I understand, Acetone is not widely sold in UK chemists because of its links with Heroin use. Larger chemists, like Boots, used to stock small bottles but now tell you that they are no longer allowed to.

 

[Nailsinlondon1]

You can buy acetone from Boots, in London......but it is behind the prescription counter........and if you want to buy larger amounts of the small bottles, you will be asked along list of questions.....I had to show my credentials before I could purchase 4 small bottles.............

But saying that pure almond oil is behind the prescription counter too........

Boots and other Chemists play it safe............Superdrug and drugstore, not a prescription outlets , will not stock it.................

just a little input
love Ruth xxxx

 

[Funky Fingers]

I had quite a shock when I went to the local town last week. Sally have opened a shop to the public in the high street. They sell everything to anybody who walks in. Full range of Star Nails products including 5 litre tubs of acetone. As well as being able to buy all you need to set up as a nail technician from your spare bedroom you could go into beauty and ear piercing as well!! They sell the lot from wax to ear piercing guns and you don't need a single certificate to buy any of it. Is it legal?

Katy

 

[stanleyann]

the first place i make for when i holiday in the usa is walmart........i could spend a full day in there just browsing, especially the nail related stuff.......i have bought sooooooo much nail art stuff from there over the last few years, i have lots of boxes of different nail tips, just collecting dust in a cupboard.......hawk curve.....eagle claw curve........you name it, i dont know what posessed me to buy them, just something different that caught my eye i suppose and i was curious to see what they were like...lol

a few years back i had bought a home gel kit to do my mums nails while we were there, that was probably just for curiosity to see what it was like too, it was either a revlon kit or a pro 10 kit if i remember right......anyway i also bought a small bottle of acetone and at the checkout i had to fill out a form with my name, date of birth and also the address that i was staying at while on holiday.....i was also told that i really should have shown my passport as proof of identity and age as you have to be over 18 to buy it.....i found that quite amusing as i was 28 years young at the time...lol

ps/ i forgot to add that the day after i applied the nails(which looked ok but had no strength to the overlay at all), my mum shut her hand in a toilet door in the magic kingdom and broke one full hand completely off, so later that night the acetone came in very handy (no pun intended...lol)

stanleyann

 

[scratchmyback]

my mum shut her hand in a toilet door in the magic kingdom and broke one full hand completely off, so later that night the acetone came in very handy (no pun intended...lol)

LOL Stanley Ann....I know you were talking about your mum's nails but it reads like she lost her hand AND you used acetone on the wound....OW !

 

[stanleyann]

lol...so it does

just as well you all know what i meant...lol

stanleyann