Taking care of nails can be tricky, especially with all the tools and products scattered around. Barbara Lampugnale from Avon, Connecticut, noticed this issue. She created Nail Pak to fix it. It’s a system that combines nail polish, a nail file, and pre-soaked remover pads in one compact bottle. Her goal was to make nail care easier and more convenient.
Barbara went on Shark Tank asking for $50,000 in exchange for 20% of her company. She believed her product could change the way people take care of their nails. Would the Sharks see the potential in Nail Pak and decide to invest?
Nail Pak Shark Tank Update
The company is no longer running. It changed its name to Grace Nail Company but eventually closed down. Keep reading to find out what happened next with Nail Pak!
Robert started by saying he couldn’t help the business much. His choice to leave showed he didn’t have the right skills. Mark also decided to step out with Robert. He thought he wasn’t the best person to help Barbara’s business. Lori saw promise in the business and offered $50,000 in exchange for 51% of the company.
Kevin made a counteroffer, suggesting $50,000 for 40% of the company. Barbara asked Lori to lower her demand from 51% to 40%. Lori agreed, and they made a deal for $50,000 for a 40% stake.
What happened to Nail Pak on Shark Tank?
Barbara Lampugnale made a fair request to the Sharks: $50,000 for 20% equity in Duality Cosmetics. With each bottle selling for $14.99 and costing only $3 to make, the Sharks were pleased with her numbers.
Nail Pak’s convenience was convincing, but the challenge of building the company’s team and manufacturing systems seemed difficult. Because of this, Rob Herjavec and Mark Cuban were the first Sharks to leave.
While Kevin “Mr. Wonderful” O’Leary wasn’t sure about investing alone, he looked to QVC star Lori Greiner as a possible partner. Before “Shark Tank,” Greiner had created her own beauty empire and understood the challenges Lampugnale faced as a female entrepreneur.
However, she didn’t think partnering with O’Leary was necessary, saying she had her own connections and could sell millions of Nail Paks without him. She made Lampugnale an offer on her own: $50,000 for 51% of the company.
This large stake came with benefits. Greiner explained, “I can do millions of this for you, on QVC and everywhere else. I’ll get that on my show, we will launch it, we will be a huge success.”
O’Leary made his own offer: $50,000 for 40% equity. Caught between two strong offers, Lampugnale countered Lori with 40% instead. Lori agreed, and they made a deal, leaving O’Leary disappointed.
Nail Pak after Shark Tank
While teaming up with a Shark might seem like a guaranteed success, not all deals work out after the show airs — just look at the woman-led beauty brand, Glow Recipe.
However, Barbara Lampugnale made a smart choice by partnering with shopping expert Lori Greiner. In the months after their deal, Greiner kept her word. Nail Pak was featured on QVC the weekend after their “Shark Tank” episode aired and quickly sold out.
Along with TV exposure, Lampugnale’s angel investor helped get the product into Ulta Beauty stores nationwide. With Nail Pak selling fast in over 500 stores, the company’s success was highlighted in a special “Shark Tank” segment during Season 4.
In the update, it was shared that almost 50,000 Nail Paks had been sold, and the two had already earned $750,000 before the Ulta Beauty deal.
Lampugnale later renamed her cosmetics line Grace Nail Company. While the company’s website is still online, showing the rebranded Nail Pak product, the product shop is no longer available. The Nail Pak is no longer sold in stores or online, and the company’s Instagram page has been inactive since 2019.
Challenges faced by Nail Pak
Competition in the beauty industry
The beauty industry is very competitive, with many well-established brands and new startups trying to grab the attention of consumers. While Nail Pak had a unique selling point, it still had to compete with large companies in the nail care sector.
Supply chain issues
Keeping a steady supply of quality products is important in any industry. Nail Pak faced problems with managing its supply chain, which led to issues with product availability and delivery times. This affected customer satisfaction and trust in the brand.
Changing consumer trends
The beauty industry is greatly influenced by changing trends and what consumers prefer. What is popular one year could be out of fashion the next. Nail Pak had difficulty adjusting to these changes, which led to a decrease in demand.
Marketing and branding
While the exposure from Shark Tank was a huge boost, keeping that momentum going needed strong marketing and branding strategies. Nail Pak struggled with maintaining a consistent brand image and message.
These challenges were significant hurdles for Nail Pak as it tried to become a leading brand in the nail care market.
The Nail Pak Story After Shark Tank
During Season 4 of “Shark Tank,” Lori Greiner partnered with Barbara Lampugnale for a pitch to Ulta Beauty. After Nail Pak quickly sold out on QVC following its appearance on Shark Tank, it was easy to get the product into Ulta stores.
As a result, Nail Pak became available online and in 500 Ulta locations. Greiner and Lampugnale celebrated this achievement by visiting a store to see the display in person.
At first, things looked promising for Duality Cosmetics and Nail Pak. However, by 2016, Nail Pak’s website had disappeared, and the product was no longer sold at Ulta or Amazon.
Lampugnale began selling the same product through a new company, Grace Nail Company, under the name Grace to the Rescue in 2015, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Lampugnale’s LinkedIn shows she was the executive director of Duality Cosmetics from 2005 to 2014. In 2016, the brand teased “Exciting news for you all soon” on Facebook, but no updates were shared after that.
Some people discussed the change to a new nail company in the comments. Nail Pak is no longer sold online or in stores.
It seems Lampugnale ended Duality Cosmetics to sell the same product under a new brand. The Grace Nail Company website even has a banner saying, “As seen on ‘Shark Tank.’”
Now, both Nail Pak and the company behind it are no longer in business. This situation shows that even products that seem promising on “Shark Tank” can fail after early success.
In 2016, Lampugnale moved from Duality Cosmetics to start Grace Nail Company, hoping to continue selling Nail Pak under a new name.
However, Grace Nail Company seems inactive now. The last update on its Facebook page was in 2018, and the website’s product links now lead to error pages.
The abandoned Instagram page has left followers wondering about Lampugnale’s future. There’s been some talk about whether Lori Greiner treated the Shark Tank participants poorly, as she briefly profited before leaving them behind.
The true story of Nail Pak is unclear without Lampugnale’s explanation. Our research shows that Nail Pak is out of business, with a net worth of $0.
[Updated: 04/02/2025]
