Olive & June: Revolutionizing Nail Care from Beverly Hills to Your Home
Sarah Gibson Tuttle’s passion for nails began in childhood, a personal anecdote she shared with Entrepreneur: “My dad didn’t let me paint my nails, so I had a box of nail polish under my bed, and I would sneak manicures, especially red. That was his least favorite color.” This early fascination fueled the creation of Olive & June, a brand that has transformed the nail care industry by blending luxury with accessibility.
After a decade on Wall Street, Gibson Tuttle identified a clear gap in the nail salon market—between ultra-premium salons and smaller, local shops. Inspired by how Drybar democratized blowouts, she envisioned a similar mid-level approach for manicures. In 2013, she opened Olive & June’s flagship salon in Beverly Hills, later expanding to Pasadena and Santa Monica. However, Gibson Tuttle soon realized the challenges extended beyond price: limited manicurist availability and uneven access across the country posed significant barriers for consumers.
Launching Olive & June’s First Product Line in 2019
Recognizing that most beauty categories offered meaningful at-home solutions but nail care lagged behind, Gibson Tuttle set out to innovate. It took nearly six years from the salon’s debut to the launch of Olive & June’s first product line. The company introduced The Poppy, a patented polish brush handle featuring counterweighted rubber silicone designed to make application easier and more precise. Alongside this, the brand released six vegan nail polish shades, free from seven common toxins, setting a new standard for quality and safety in nail products.
The brand’s initial collaboration with Target was a resounding success—an exclusive end cap sold out in just 10 days. Over four years, Olive & June expanded its retail presence significantly, entering over 15,000 stores including major retailers like Ulta and Walmart. This growth was complemented by a strong direct-to-consumer channel, which paired product offerings with educational content, helping customers adopt new nail care routines confidently.
Helen of Troy Acquisition and Continued Growth
By 2024, Olive & June had achieved remarkable milestones, with annual revenues nearing $100 million. Although the company was profitable and successful independently, Gibson Tuttle saw the value in partnering with a larger entity that could provide additional resources and support for national scaling. In a strategic move, global consumer products company Helen of Troy—owner of brands such as Hydroflask and PUR—acquired Olive & June for $240 million.
Gibson Tuttle remained CEO post-acquisition, leading the company to approximately $125 million in revenue in 2025, reflecting around 35% year-over-year growth. She emphasized that Olive & June operates as a standalone brand within Helen of Troy’s portfolio, maintaining its unique vision and operational independence while benefiting from the financial backing of its parent company.
Balancing Consumer Feedback with Founder Intuition
Early product development at Olive & June heavily relied on Gibson Tuttle’s intuition. However, as the brand expanded and customer engagement increased, consumer feedback became a critical guide. The brand’s approach evolved to prioritize data-driven insights “with a dash of gut,” acknowledging that consumers express their preferences not only through words but also through purchasing behavior.
A pivotal example of this adaptive strategy was the launch of Olive & June’s press-on nail collection, Super Stick Mani, in 2021. Initially hesitant due to the stigmatization of press-ons as low-quality, Gibson Tuttle embraced consumer demand and innovated accordingly. The collection uses 94% post-consumer recycled materials and offers twice as many sizes as competitors, addressing both sustainability and fit. The product’s success validated the brand’s responsiveness to its community’s voice.
Introducing the Dip Mani System: A Plant-Based Innovation
Building on its product innovation legacy, Olive & June launched the Dip Mani System on October 22, marking its entry into the dip powder nail category—a segment traditionally dominated by acrylic-based products. Acrylic, composed of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), has been associated with potential health concerns such as contact dermatitis, nail weakening, and infection risks.
Committed to healthier alternatives, Gibson Tuttle insisted on a plant-based formulation for the Dip Mani System, a challenging endeavor that took 127 iterations to perfect. The final five-step system offers salon-quality results lasting up to 21 days, with a specialized “mini step” to accommodate the fluffier texture of the plant-based powder. Despite higher production costs, the system’s price point—between $75 and $100 depending on polish colors—translates to under $3 per manicure, significantly more affordable than typical U.S. salon dip powder services, which range from $30 to $60.
Post-acquisition, Gibson Tuttle remains deeply involved, driven by the excitement of innovation and community engagement. “I love the fever and the excitement, and the enthusiasm that our community has,” she shares, underscoring her commitment to leading Olive & June toward continued success and product breakthroughs.
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