Essie and OPI, a rival nail company, were among several nail polish brands to present their spring color collections to professional technicians. Essie delved into a pastel palette of taupes, lavenders and pinks, while Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, executive vice president and artistic director of OPI, explained that runway looks inspired OPI to highlight bright hues for spring.

"Blue seems to be a big hit, pink from pale to almost Day-Glo and yellow is a big color," said Weiss-Fischmann. She added that grays are moving into the mainstream and stressed that dark lacquers will have surprising staying power in the warmer months, including a brown with gold color the firm created called Royal Rajah Ruby.

OPI was proof that not all brands fared poorly at ISSE. Weiss-Fischmann estimated sales at ISSE were up 5 percent from last year and suggested that OPI's history and name recognition helped its business at the show. "If the economy is good and you have a lot of expendable income, you may spend on three or four or five brands," she said. "But if you can only spend on one or two brands, you go to brands that are reliable."

RevitaLash had a strong performance at ISSE, as well. Hannah Murray, the eyelash conditioner brand's vice president of marketing, called sales "record-breaking" and 20 percent higher than RevitaLash's second best show. "We had a lot of people who came to us and said, 'All my clients keep asking for this product. I need to buy it,'" she said. RevitaLash wholesales for $90 a bottle.

Exhibitors encouraged stylists and spa and salon owners to spend by selling products as service add-ons. Thinning hair product leader Nioxin, for example, told salon owners they could pay $50 for the new Scalp Renew aging remedy to use on six different clients for $50 to $70 each. At American International Industries-owned Ardell, professional sales manager Kathleen Armstrong touted that salons could charge $25 to apply Ardell's fake eyelashes and purchase six-pack refills for $15.

"Their business has been down, so therefore they have less to spend, but they are looking for more creative ways to spend money," said Armstrong. "That is why we are looking to do more cross-promotions and offer more services."