My 5th interview series highlights a woman of many talents! A former beauty publicist in New York City, Patricia Dente Haimes established herself as a beauty guru working with brands such as Chanel, Estee Lauder and Smashbox Cosmetics. After venturing to the trendsetting UK, Patricia became the founder of Little Bu, non-toxic nail polish for sophisticated girls, and has literally Nailed it!
My exclusive shipment of Little Bu arrived a few days ago, and I can't wait to experiment with the newest addition, the "paint on, peel off" polish! Inspired and named after spirited little girls who embody the brand, it is consistent and rich in an array of colors, washes off easily, making it versatile and mess free, perfect for the gal on the go. Little Bu is ahead of the curve with its kid safe & eco-friendly formula, has no smell, is non toxic and has gotten the seal of approval from expectant mothers, tweens and teens.
My exclusive shipment of Little Bu arrived a few days ago, and I can't wait to experiment with the newest addition, the "paint on, peel off" polish! Inspired and named after spirited little girls who embody the brand, it is consistent and rich in an array of colors, washes off easily, making it versatile and mess free, perfect for the gal on the go. Little Bu is ahead of the curve with its kid safe & eco-friendly formula, has no smell, is non toxic and has gotten the seal of approval from expectant mothers, tweens and teens.
Tune in below and get to know the leading lady behind the lacquer and hear what she had to say about what inspires her muses, her journey, and the excitement over at the Little Bu brand!
Think of your favorite color as your new best friend, and Which hue's your Bu?
Think of your favorite color as your new best friend, and Which hue's your Bu?
KYMBERLY MARCIANO: Who are your customers, and who do
you want to appeal to?
PATRICIA DENTE HAIMES: Our customers are sweetly sophisticated little girls who like to
play with nail color. We are fortunate to have a client base of parents that
believe in non-toxic products for their children.
KM: What is the inspiration behind the
brand?
PDH: As a true city girl in New York, manis and pedis were always a
weekly ritual to relax and catch up with friends. On one occasion I
started to realize there was an influx of sweet girls having their nails
painted with traditional nail salon polishes. Their faces would light up when
their color was applied, and I thought I could replicate this experience with
a safe, non-toxic alternative that also offered them fun and trendy
colors.
KM: Why did you choose to create a
vegan nail polish?
PDH: Our Little BU nail polishes are not only non-toxic but vegan
friendly. We wanted our products to be free of any animal by-products or
derivatives in order to offer the safest formula possible.
KM: What makes you different?
PDH: Little BU stands a part as we believe in style without harsh
solvents. I’ve honed into my beauty industry experience working with the top players
over the past 15 years to create formulas that deliver a glossy finish with
sweetly sophisticated shades that mothers event want to wear!
KM: Will we see more of BU in the
states? If you could collaborate with any kids fashion brand, who would it be?
PDH: Since our launch in 2011 and our participation in the Petite Parade
NYC kids fashion weekend, we have grown a large fan base that is ready for us.
We are looking to move into the U.S. market by mid-2014.
In the U.K. we have collaborated with Ralph Lauren Kids, SuperTrash
Girls, Juicy Couture and Ruff & Huddle to create exciting events for kids.
It would be a dream to work with Stella McCartney Kids or Little Marcy by Marc
Jacobs. Both labels have such a free-spirited, whimsical approach to kids
fashion that it would be fun to collaborate on designing clothes for our BU
girl and playful nail colors.
KM: How do you find your muses? Ho
often do you showcase a muse?
PDH: Our muses are girls that inspire us with their spirited
personalities. They are international girls from LA, NY, London, Paris and we
hope to continue to find more girls that represent the brand in different
geographical locations. When a muse is selected, her profile and photo go up on
our blog and she’s invited to host some of our events with her friends. She
becomes a part of the BU world!
KM: What colors are Little BU's
favorite for fall/Winter this year?
PDH: Our favorite Autumn/Winter colors for this season include vibrant
pigmented combinations of orange, pink and reds. Our new paint on, peel off
polishes come in these popping color combinations and can also be seen in the
new collections by Stella McCartney Kids, SuperTrash Girls and I Love Gorgeous.
KM: What colors inspire you for Spring
Summer 2014?
PDH: Our new Spring/Summer 2014 collection will be a mix of our wash-off
and peel off polishes with a fresh take on cool toned colors.
KM: Why did you choose to make a
wash off nail polish? What is the wash off process? How long does it last?
PDH: I created a wash-off nail polish because I noticed there was a need
in the market for a polish that did not linger on kids nails and was safe,
non-toxic and odorless. You can use
Little BU alone or with our Top Coat. The Top Coat will extend the polish
longevity for a day or two. To remove, you just wash your hands with warm water
and soap!
KM: What color is perfect for a
little girl's busy day of school, play dates and a daddy daughter date night?
PDH: Some schools do not permit nail polished fingertips, so I would
suggest our best seller, Cecilia for a busy day of school. It’s a pale pink
with a touch of shimmer. On a play date,
have fun and go bold with Little BU in Alexi, an intense deep pink with shimmer
or Olivia, a creamy Tiffany blue. Our polishes wash-off so it’s okay to keep
changing!
