Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n- Gibson Tuttle\u2019s brand began as a nail salon with its flagship location in Beverly Hills.<\/li>\n
- The company rolled out its first product line in 2019 and partnered with Target. <\/li>\n
- The brand just dropped its newest offering for at-home use: the Dip Mani System.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
\u201c\u200aI\u2019ve been obsessed with nails since I was a kid,\u201d Sarah Gibson Tuttle, founder and CEO of Olive & June<\/a>, tells Entrepreneur<\/em>. \u201cMy dad didn\u2019t 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.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\nImage Credit: Olive & June. Sarah Gibson Tuttle. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\nGibson Tuttle left a decade-long career on Wall Street to bridge what she saw as a gap between very high-end nail salons and mom-and-pop shops, similar to the way Drybar came in with blowouts at a mid-level price point.<\/p>\n
In 2013, the founder opened her first nail salon, Olive & June, in Beverly Hills. However, as the salon continued to grow, expanding to additional locations in Pasadena and Santa Monica, Gibson Tuttle realized the category didn\u2019t just have an issue with affordability \u2014 but one with time and access.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aThere\u2019s a limitation on the number of manicurists in the country, and the demand far exceeds what that capacity is for those manicurists,\u201d Gibson Tuttle explains. \u201cAnd so you go to pockets of the country, and there isn\u2019t an offering like there is in LA or New York.\u201d<\/p>\n
Launching Olive & June\u2019s first product line in 2019<\/h2>\n
Nearly every other category on the beauty market had a meaningful at-home offering, but nails didn\u2019t, Gibson Tuttle says. So she set out to create one.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It took almost six years from Olive & June\u2019s first salon opening to the launch of its own product line. Gibson Tuttle never wanted the brand to be just another product on the shelf, so she led with innovation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Olive & June rolled out its patented polish brush handle The Poppy, featuring counterweighted rubber silicone for easier application, along with six shades of vegan nail polish free of seven common toxins, in 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/Olive-June-Dip-Powder-System_lifestyle-image.jpg?w=819\")
Image Credit: Olive & June<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe company collaborated with another competitive nail brand for an end cap at Target, selling out in just 10 days, then launched 14 SKUs at the retailer, which remained its exclusive distributor for four years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Following pandemic shutdowns, the brand\u2019s brick-and-mortar salons remained closed as it shifted focus to its own products. Ultimately, the company scaled to more than 15,000 retail doors, including Ulta and Walmart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Additionally, Olive & June\u2019s direct-to-consumer channel allowed the company to pair its offerings with education, a critical piece in driving product adoption.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Helen of Troy acquired Olive & June for $240 million<\/h2>\n
Olive & June continued to see success, but as much as Gibson Tuttle and the leadership team enjoyed running the business, it was also their first time scaling a brand at the national level. As the annual revenue milestones increased \u2014 $50 million, $75 million, closing in on $100 million \u2014 so did the appeal of belonging to a larger house of brands with more resources and support.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aWe didn\u2019t have to sell,\u201d Gibson Tuttle says. \u201cWe were profitable. It was really our choice to sell at that moment. And it was about if we could find the right partner that will continue to let us run the business, and run it the way we want.\u201d<\/p>\n
Global consumer products company Helen of Troy, which owns household name brands like Hydroflask and PUR, acquired Olive & June for $240 million in 2024. Gibson Tuttle stayed on as the company\u2019s CEO and grew revenue to approximately $125 million in 2025 \u2014 about 35% year-over-year growth.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe run standalone,\u201d Gibson Tuttle says. \u201cNothing has changed about anything. Other than we have a financial parent company, which helps me sleep better at night. \u200aI\u2019m working harder than I\u2019ve ever worked because we have more retailers than we\u2019ve ever had.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/archive_20260831_OJ_Dip_Editorial19869.png?w=1024\")
Image Credit: Olive & June<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nBalancing consumer feedback with a founder\u2019s intuition<\/h2>\n
In the early days of Olive & June, Gibson Tuttle relied a lot on gut instinct when it came to product development. But as the company grew and customer messages rolled in, Gibson Tuttle\u2019s approach started to shift. Now, the founder says Olive & June\u2019s product line is consumer feedback-based \u2014 \u201cwith a dash of gut.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aI truly believe that the consumer leads with their dollars,\u201d Gibson Tuttle says. \u201cThey show you what they care about, in every category.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gibson Tuttle cites a key example of how taking consumer feedback into account unlocked major sales: Olive & June\u2019s press-on nail collection.<\/p>\n
Initially, despite numerous DMs and emails expressing a desire for press-on nail products, Gibson Tuttle was wary. She considered Olive & June a polish-first brand and had grown up with \u201cyour mother\u2019s press-ons,\u201d typically lacking in quality and longevity. But she decided to listen.<\/p>\n
Once again, Gibson Tuttle put innovation at the heart of product development. Olive & June rolled out its 94% PCR (post-consumer recycled) press-on nail collection Super Stick Mani in 2021, offering twice as many sizes as others available on the market, the founder notes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aThey have been explosive for the business, \u201d Gibson Tuttle says. \u201cNow I\u2019m a press-on stan. I think what\u2019s important is that without giving up my voice, I really leaned into the consumers guiding us with their dollars and their voice.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/20260831_OJ_Dip_Editorial20008.png?w=1024\")
Image Credit: Olive & June<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nOlive & June\u2019s Dip Mani System launched October 22<\/h2>\n
Over the years, Olive & June has successfully launched salon-level formulations and categories, including gel and builder gel, and taught consumers how to use them. Now, the brand is delving into a highly requested offering, and \u201cone of the last frontiers of salon-focused products\u201d: dip powder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Olive & June\u2019s Dip Mani System launched on October 22. \u201c\u200aOther brands have done it in smaller scale and haven\u2019t been as successful,\u201d Gibson Tuttle says. \u201cThat\u2019s really where we thrive and shine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Traditionally, dip uses acrylic powder. Created from a man-made chemical called PMMA<\/a> (polymethyl methacrylate), acrylic has been known in some cases<\/a> to cause contact dermatitis, weaken nails and increase infection risk.\u00a0<\/p>\nGibson Tuttle was never interested in using acrylic for Olive & June\u2019s dip powder product. The brand would only do dip (an idea she had toyed with for half a decade) if the product could be plant-based.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aThat is a very hard thing to achieve,\u201d Gibson Tuttle says. \u201cIt is a slightly different texture, and it\u2019s a little fluffier, so you have to work with it a little bit differently. We really had to make sure that we could not only have the same efficacy, but hopefully better efficacy, than what we\u2019re seeing in the market.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/20260831_OJ_Dip_Editorial19888.png?w=1024\")
Image Credit: Olive & June<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAfter 127 iterations, a cost-effective dip powder product<\/h2>\n
After working with a chemist on 127 different iterations, Olive & June locked down its five-step Dip Mani System, with results lasting up to 21 days. An additional \u201cmini step\u201d in the process accounts for the fluffier texture.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And, as usual with new products, getting the color just right \u2014 \u200aa Pantone shade on a piece of paper doesn\u2019t read the same across different formulations \u2014 required patience and persistence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Although the plant-based formulation increases the cost of producing the Dip Mani System, which is priced between $75 and $100 depending on the number of polish colors, for the Olive & June consumer, that still works out to less than $3 per manicure, Gibson Tuttle notes.<\/p>\n
At U.S. salons, a dip powder manicure tends to range from $30 to $60<\/a>.<\/p>\nPost-acquisition, people often ask Gibson Tuttle about the terms of her contract: \u201cHow long do you have to be there?\u201d But stepping back from the company she built is the last thing on the founder\u2019s mind. She still looks forward to the product innovation and collaboration opportunities that come with each new year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aI love the fever and the excitement, and the enthusiasm that our community has,\u201d Gibson Tuttle says.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\nKey Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n- Gibson Tuttle\u2019s brand began as a nail salon with its flagship location in Beverly Hills.<\/li>\n
- The company rolled out its first product line in 2019 and partnered with Target. <\/li>\n
- The brand just dropped its newest offering for at-home use: the Dip Mani System.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
\u201c\u200aI\u2019ve been obsessed with nails since I was a kid,\u201d Sarah Gibson Tuttle, founder and CEO of Olive & June<\/a>, tells Entrepreneur<\/em>. \u201cMy dad didn\u2019t 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.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/Sarah_Gibson_Tuttle_Headshot.jpg?w=820\")
Image Credit: Olive & June. Sarah Gibson Tuttle. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\nGibson Tuttle left a decade-long career on Wall Street to bridge what she saw as a gap between very high-end nail salons and mom-and-pop shops, similar to the way Drybar came in with blowouts at a mid-level price point.<\/p>\n
In 2013, the founder opened her first nail salon, Olive & June, in Beverly Hills. However, as the salon continued to grow, expanding to additional locations in Pasadena and Santa Monica, Gibson Tuttle realized the category didn\u2019t just have an issue with affordability \u2014 but one with time and access.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201c\u200aI\u2019ve been obsessed with nails since I was a kid,\u201d Sarah Gibson Tuttle, founder and CEO of Olive & June<\/a>, tells Entrepreneur<\/em>. \u201cMy dad didn\u2019t 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.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Gibson Tuttle left a decade-long career on Wall Street to bridge what she saw as a gap between very high-end nail salons and mom-and-pop shops, similar to the way Drybar came in with blowouts at a mid-level price point.<\/p>\n In 2013, the founder opened her first nail salon, Olive & June, in Beverly Hills. However, as the salon continued to grow, expanding to additional locations in Pasadena and Santa Monica, Gibson Tuttle realized the category didn\u2019t just have an issue with affordability \u2014 but one with time and access.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aThere\u2019s a limitation on the number of manicurists in the country, and the demand far exceeds what that capacity is for those manicurists,\u201d Gibson Tuttle explains. \u201cAnd so you go to pockets of the country, and there isn\u2019t an offering like there is in LA or New York.\u201d<\/p>\n Nearly every other category on the beauty market had a meaningful at-home offering, but nails didn\u2019t, Gibson Tuttle says. So she set out to create one.\u00a0<\/p>\n It took almost six years from Olive & June\u2019s first salon opening to the launch of its own product line. Gibson Tuttle never wanted the brand to be just another product on the shelf, so she led with innovation.\u00a0<\/p>\n Olive & June rolled out its patented polish brush handle The Poppy, featuring counterweighted rubber silicone for easier application, along with six shades of vegan nail polish free of seven common toxins, in 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n The company collaborated with another competitive nail brand for an end cap at Target, selling out in just 10 days, then launched 14 SKUs at the retailer, which remained its exclusive distributor for four years.\u00a0<\/p>\n Following pandemic shutdowns, the brand\u2019s brick-and-mortar salons remained closed as it shifted focus to its own products. Ultimately, the company scaled to more than 15,000 retail doors, including Ulta and Walmart.\u00a0<\/p>\n Additionally, Olive & June\u2019s direct-to-consumer channel allowed the company to pair its offerings with education, a critical piece in driving product adoption.\u00a0<\/p>\n Olive & June continued to see success, but as much as Gibson Tuttle and the leadership team enjoyed running the business, it was also their first time scaling a brand at the national level. As the annual revenue milestones increased \u2014 $50 million, $75 million, closing in on $100 million \u2014 so did the appeal of belonging to a larger house of brands with more resources and support.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aWe didn\u2019t have to sell,\u201d Gibson Tuttle says. \u201cWe were profitable. It was really our choice to sell at that moment. And it was about if we could find the right partner that will continue to let us run the business, and run it the way we want.\u201d<\/p>\n Global consumer products company Helen of Troy, which owns household name brands like Hydroflask and PUR, acquired Olive & June for $240 million in 2024. Gibson Tuttle stayed on as the company\u2019s CEO and grew revenue to approximately $125 million in 2025 \u2014 about 35% year-over-year growth.<\/p>\n \u201cWe run standalone,\u201d Gibson Tuttle says. \u201cNothing has changed about anything. Other than we have a financial parent company, which helps me sleep better at night. \u200aI\u2019m working harder than I\u2019ve ever worked because we have more retailers than we\u2019ve ever had.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n In the early days of Olive & June, Gibson Tuttle relied a lot on gut instinct when it came to product development. But as the company grew and customer messages rolled in, Gibson Tuttle\u2019s approach started to shift. Now, the founder says Olive & June\u2019s product line is consumer feedback-based \u2014 \u201cwith a dash of gut.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aI truly believe that the consumer leads with their dollars,\u201d Gibson Tuttle says. \u201cThey show you what they care about, in every category.\u201d<\/p>\n Gibson Tuttle cites a key example of how taking consumer feedback into account unlocked major sales: Olive & June\u2019s press-on nail collection.<\/p>\n Initially, despite numerous DMs and emails expressing a desire for press-on nail products, Gibson Tuttle was wary. She considered Olive & June a polish-first brand and had grown up with \u201cyour mother\u2019s press-ons,\u201d typically lacking in quality and longevity. But she decided to listen.<\/p>\n Once again, Gibson Tuttle put innovation at the heart of product development. Olive & June rolled out its 94% PCR (post-consumer recycled) press-on nail collection Super Stick Mani in 2021, offering twice as many sizes as others available on the market, the founder notes.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aThey have been explosive for the business, \u201d Gibson Tuttle says. \u201cNow I\u2019m a press-on stan. I think what\u2019s important is that without giving up my voice, I really leaned into the consumers guiding us with their dollars and their voice.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Over the years, Olive & June has successfully launched salon-level formulations and categories, including gel and builder gel, and taught consumers how to use them. Now, the brand is delving into a highly requested offering, and \u201cone of the last frontiers of salon-focused products\u201d: dip powder.\u00a0<\/p>\n Olive & June\u2019s Dip Mani System launched on October 22. \u201c\u200aOther brands have done it in smaller scale and haven\u2019t been as successful,\u201d Gibson Tuttle says. \u201cThat\u2019s really where we thrive and shine.\u201d<\/p>\n Traditionally, dip uses acrylic powder. Created from a man-made chemical called PMMA<\/a> (polymethyl methacrylate), acrylic has been known in some cases<\/a> to cause contact dermatitis, weaken nails and increase infection risk.\u00a0<\/p>\n Gibson Tuttle was never interested in using acrylic for Olive & June\u2019s dip powder product. The brand would only do dip (an idea she had toyed with for half a decade) if the product could be plant-based.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aThat is a very hard thing to achieve,\u201d Gibson Tuttle says. \u201cIt is a slightly different texture, and it\u2019s a little fluffier, so you have to work with it a little bit differently. We really had to make sure that we could not only have the same efficacy, but hopefully better efficacy, than what we\u2019re seeing in the market.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n After working with a chemist on 127 different iterations, Olive & June locked down its five-step Dip Mani System, with results lasting up to 21 days. An additional \u201cmini step\u201d in the process accounts for the fluffier texture.\u00a0<\/p>\n And, as usual with new products, getting the color just right \u2014 \u200aa Pantone shade on a piece of paper doesn\u2019t read the same across different formulations \u2014 required patience and persistence.\u00a0<\/p>\n Although the plant-based formulation increases the cost of producing the Dip Mani System, which is priced between $75 and $100 depending on the number of polish colors, for the Olive & June consumer, that still works out to less than $3 per manicure, Gibson Tuttle notes.<\/p>\n At U.S. salons, a dip powder manicure tends to range from $30 to $60<\/a>.<\/p>\n Post-acquisition, people often ask Gibson Tuttle about the terms of her contract: \u201cHow long do you have to be there?\u201d But stepping back from the company she built is the last thing on the founder\u2019s mind. She still looks forward to the product innovation and collaboration opportunities that come with each new year.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aI love the fever and the excitement, and the enthusiasm that our community has,\u201d Gibson Tuttle says.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u201c\u200aI\u2019ve been obsessed with nails since I was a kid,\u201d Sarah Gibson Tuttle, founder and CEO of Olive & June<\/a>, tells Entrepreneur<\/em>. \u201cMy dad didn\u2019t 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.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Gibson Tuttle left a decade-long career on Wall Street to bridge what she saw as a gap between very high-end nail salons and mom-and-pop shops, similar to the way Drybar came in with blowouts at a mid-level price point.<\/p>\n In 2013, the founder opened her first nail salon, Olive & June, in Beverly Hills. However, as the salon continued to grow, expanding to additional locations in Pasadena and Santa Monica, Gibson Tuttle realized the category didn\u2019t just have an issue with affordability \u2014 but one with time and access.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nLaunching Olive & June\u2019s first product line in 2019<\/h2>\n
Helen of Troy acquired Olive & June for $240 million<\/h2>\n
Balancing consumer feedback with a founder\u2019s intuition<\/h2>\n
Olive & June\u2019s Dip Mani System launched October 22<\/h2>\n
After 127 iterations, a cost-effective dip powder product<\/h2>\n
Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n
\n