Beauty Spot: Kali's a hands-down winner

Nadine Kam photos
Kali's Nail Supply stocks a wide array of nail products, including China Glaze polish, which she says has just surpassed OPI in popularity.



One of the under-the-radar beauty spots in town is Kali's Nail Supply. Kali Gregory has been an industry wholesaler for 24, going on 25 years in 2011, but lesser known, she's also open to retail clients.

While certain products are only available to licensed salon professionals—such as Calgel, due to training and safety issues—she stocks an array of polishes, bath and body products that anyone can purchase.

Although she's just around the corner from our office at Restaurant Row, I didn't find out about Kali's until she announced her series of First Sunday sales, the next one to take place Feb. 6., and she's adding a First Monday sale as well, for those who can't make it on the weekend.

Kali Gregory looks out for her customers. She said her accountant thinks she's crazy to offer her First Sunday and Monday discounts, when the profit margins on a bottle of nail polish are already small.

She calls herself a crazy Greek for wanting to save money and wanting to help others do so too, such that on higher end products, she'll try to stop people from buying, encouraging them to wait for First Sunday and Monday, when she offers 20 percent off a $20 minimum in product purchases.

I wouldn't call her crazy, but effervescent. She has a lot of enthusiasm for her products, and can explain the obvious and not-so-obvious uses of each one, such as using Be Natural Dry Heel Eliminator on her face. Billed as being good for cracked skin, she points to some wrinkles around her eyes and says, "These are cracks!"

I looked at the ingredient list, which is typical of any face moisturizer. The ingredients don't distinguish between your face or feet.

If you have any concerns at all about nail products, salon practices, fungal solutions, Kali's always willing to share her knowledge about the various product lines.

Drop by and take a look, or mark your calendar for First Sunday (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and Monday (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) On First Sundays, she also presents Calgel demonstrations from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays and Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. She's at 547 Halekauwila St., in the one-story building in back of the circuit court building. The building has a paid lot, but parking is free in the spaces marked Kali's.

Call 585-8788; neighbor islands call toll-free 1-888-883-KALI (5254), or find more information online at www.kalisnailsupply.com.

Zoya is one of the most popular brands for health-conscious buyers and expectant mothers. The nail enamels are vegan friendly, formulated without formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and camphor.

For those who like a bit of dazzle, Nubar Nail Jewels are among the products that can do the trick.