New nail salon Polished Hamilton aims to be a toxin-free experience for patrons

The owner of Polished Hamilton says the nail salon is committed to offering guests clean beauty.

“Polished Hamilton is a non-toxic nail salon. It’s a modern take on a nail salon, so it has a clean environment with pretty bowls and chairs. All the products we use are non-toxics, so it means that they take out a lot of the harsh chemicals that are in most nail polishes, and the way we prep the nails, and do the application of the nail polish is in a healthy way to help grow your natural nails,” said Abby O’Neal, owner and nail technician at Polished Hamilton.

Specializing in nail art, manicures and pedicures, Polished Hamilton shares a space with Scripted Studio, a stationery and gift store. Scripted Studio is owned by Carrie O’Neal Brenner, Abby’s mother, so there’s an inspiring mother and daughter story here, too. Scripted Studio opened in 2019.

“My mom started O’Neal Designs, her own graphic design business, when I was a baby, and I had seen her run a business. I watched her all my life, and then, we opened Scripted in 2019. That was a big change, because mom had always been at home, so it was crazy that she wasn’t going to be at home. When we opened, I fell in love with it, and I loved helping run it,” O’Neal said.

O’Neal said she was further inspired to become a small business owner when she participated in a two-week camp at Miami University, studying interior design.

“After that experience, I said, ‘Maybe, I want to open my own business.’ So, I went to Miami Hamilton and studied small business management, and fell more in love with the idea,” she said.

Her freshman year of college, she had to create a “fake business,” and one of the businesses she created was a nail salon.

“At the time, I really loved the idea, and I thought it could be something bigger than just an idea. I knew if I was going to open the nail salon, I needed to know what I was doing, so I went to nail school in the middle of college. I finished my degree and started opening Polished Hamilton,” said O’Neal.

O’Neal graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in commerce from Miami University Hamilton. She completed her education at Cincinnati Institute of Esthetics and Nails in 2022. Polished Hamilton opened in July.

“The whole city has been so supportive, and everyone has come with a happy smile. It’s cool, because everyone that comes in says, ‘We really need something like this, and it’s so good that you opened.’ Everyone has kept me busy, and it’s been good,” O’Neal said.

More info

Polished Hamilton is kid-friendly. They also offer Kiddo Manis and Pedis. Polished Hamilton is located at 306 Main St., downtown. The hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays. Closed Mondays. Visit polishedhamilton.com or call (513) 478-5292.

Credit: Terri J. Calla

Credit: Terri J. Calla

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About the Author

Ginny McCabe

Ginny McCabe is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, media professional, speaker and teacher. She has covered news, lifestyles, and entertainment for the Journal-News for more than two decades. Ginny was named "Best Freelance Writer" in 2018, 2021, and 2022, and she is a Kiplinger Fellow, Class of 2019.