tephanie Campbell had a proclivity for nail art back in high school, when she worked the front desk at a nail salon and practiced on her own nails. Clients took note and started asking if she could paint designs on their nails. Once she got her cosmetology license, she was off and running.
Now, she owns Obsidian Nail Studio, 360 Castle Shannon Boulevard, Unit 2.
Housed in what was once the basement of the old Ivy Inn, Obsidian is a nail studio known primarily for its custom freehand nail artistry, especially around Halloween. “I’ve done intricate portraits of the horror characters in all the Halloween movies. I think that’s fun,” Campbell said.
One of her nail designs recently went viral. “I had a client attending a Taco Bell-themed wedding in Vegas, so we ended up doing Taco Bell-themed nails, complete with the little Baja Blast on them,” she said.
In addition to specialty designs, Obsidian Nail Studio offers acrylics, manicures, pedicures, gels, dips and repairs. “People like the day-to-day stuff, but then we also have our fun stuff, as well,” Campbell said.
Obsidian Nail Studio moved from South Park to Mt. Lebanon in March. The studio has seven stylists and one support person. Hours are by appointment only. 412-848-6417.
Campbell developed an interest in the Castle Shannon Boulevard location when Jessica Lowry, a longtime client of hers, asked if she was interested in joining the Ivy Collective, a collection of four women-owned small businesses designed to complement each other and provide a one-stop shop for clients.
At first, Campbell was a little skeptical about Lowry’s vision for the old Ivy Inn, but trusted her judgment. “She just has such an eye for design, so I’m like, OK, we’re doing this and a couple of months later, here we are,” she said.
Lowry has been in the beauty industry since 2005 and set a goal to own her own space one day. When the Ivy Inn went up for sale, it all came to fruition. “I saw this was a busy intersection. I really, really value parking and having a separate space for my clients,” Lowry pointed out.
But the former Ivy Inn needed a lot of work. “The roof was coming down in spots,” Lowry said. “It definitely needed a second life. And, there’s just so many interesting little spots and nooks in this property that I didn’t even realize.”
The possibility of another Ivy Collective is definitely on Lowry’s radar. “I would love to create more cohesive collaborative spaces like this throughout the city,” she said.
In addition to Obsidian Nail Studio and Lowry’s Lab Salon & Brow Studio, specializing in hand-tied hair extensions and color, as well as lash and brow services, the building also houses the Brow Studio by Lab, creating natural-looking permanent makeup and Saint Ember Ink, for fine line tattoos.