dream elements
Story by Susan O'Connor, Photo by Dero Sanford

Tracy Duerr is a dreamer with the tenacity and work ethic necessary to turn dreams into realities. Her spa, Elements, is growing by leaps and bounds. This year marks the first anniversary of her business, and she plans to add two rooms and two more nail techs by the year’s end.

“When I was eight, my dad bought me a telescope,” the Batesville native said. “I always looked at the stars, and I always wanted to fly. I always knew I wanted to be a pilot and obtained my pilot’s license at 19. But my parents wanted me to go to college so I began taking business classes.”

She moved to Jonesboro in 2000 and began work as a pharmacy tech at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center. During that time, as she worked in close proximity to many women, she began to hear stories about infections contracted at nail salons. The dream of a true salon experience for women seeking custom manicures and pedicures began to form. Her husband, David, was supportive from the beginning.

Duerr attended cosmetology school in Tennessee, where she learned about Angel Love nails, an alternative to the much more harsh, acrylic nails offered in many Northeast Arkansas nail salons at the time.

“I wanted to offer an alternative to acrylic — a place where women in every budget range could get their nails done in a personal, one-on-one, spa setting and not worry about infections,” Duerr said.

Besides being the first salon in the Jonesboro market to offer Angel Love nails, Elements offers custom mixing of nail colors to coordinate with clothing, and manicures and pedicures that incorporate scented essential oils for an aromatherapy experience. The salon also offers massage therapy and airbrushed body art. Currently, Elements employs four nail artists and a licensed massage therapist.

But Duerr still dreams of flying. “I told David, ‘One day, when I have 20 nail techs, I’m going to start flying again — just to let you know.’

When you are flying, you are in control. You take off, and you are in a different world. There is a peaceful calm; a sense that everything is okay. To this day, when I hear an airplane, I want to fly.”

What are Angel Love nails and how are they different than traditional acrylic nails? Angel Love is a polycarbonate technology that is bonded to the nail using protein like what is found in your own nails. They have incredible strength, thinness and a shine that is second to none. Acrylic was introduced in the 1920s through the world of dentistry. It is bonded to the nail using acidic primers that can seep into your nail bed and cause soreness and damage to the future growth of your nail. Also, with Angel Love nails, clients can go four to six weeks between fills, and with acrylics, clients generally go about two weeks. The Angel Loves have a more natural look and feel than acrylics do.

What is the most unusual request you’ve ever gotten for nail design? I have done many designs in nail art from simple French to a beach scene complete with a margarita glass sitting under a beach umbrella. Most recently, I had a client bring in her Ed Hardy swimsuit and wanted her toes matched to it. That was fun!

What are some of the latest trends in nail fashion? Custom blending polish to create a unique color for your client. Also, Minx nails, which we first saw on the stars in our NAILS magazine. It is a pre-shaped film of polish that is applied to the nails using heat. It can be custom matched to anything, and can last up to two weeks — no chips! It is special because women get manis and pedis and the polish on pedis outlasts their mani by several weeks. We use our hands so much that it seems like the polish just doesn’t stay on them as well as it does our toes. Minx is special in the way it is applied, the longer wear time and that it is dry when you are done — no messing up polish while getting your keys!

What is most challenging about your work, and what is most rewarding? The most challenging thing for me is keeping up with being a wife, a mother and a business owner and trying to equally balance it all. Everything is constantly changing, and I try to keep up with the trends in the industry, my client’s lives, my co-worker’s lives and my family life. I have a saying, “I CAN: Improvement is Constant And Never- ending!” So many times we get busy doing what we do and do not realize who we affect and how we affect them. My work here has allowed me to do so many things for so many people and when I get a thank you in the mail or a text or a heartfelt hug, it makes me stop and realize how truly blessed I am and that is rewarding!