Fiabila: A French Success Story!

In December 2023, the Apheon investment fund began exclusive negotiations to acquire a majority stake in Fiabila. On March 1, 2024, Filippo Manucci (*) is appointed CEO of the French company by the CDMO cosmetics group specializing in nail care products. He succeeds Pierre Miasnik, who had held this position since the company’s founding and steered its growth for nearly 50 years. Under his leadership, Fiabila has become a global company specializing in the development, manufacturing, and packaging of nail polish and nail care products, with state-of-the-art production facilities in France, the United States, Brazil, India, Japan, and Poland, serving more than 440 clients, including most of the world’s leading traditional beauty brands. Over the past eight years, nearly 30 million euros have been invested to strengthen production and packaging capabilities worldwide. “We have accelerated our diversification,” explains Filippo Manucci, “particularly in the skincare segment, which now accounts for 28% of our business—twice the market average—with products featuring high perceived technological value and the ability to anticipate new trends, such as men’s care and hybrid skincare. And for 2026, our roadmap is clear: to continue this momentum by strengthening our scientific lead, developing hybrid innovations, and capitalizing on our global industrial model, which is both powerful and flexible. With the guiding principle of treating nails like skin. ” Note that Pierre Miasnik remains involved in the company, both as a minority shareholder and a member of the board of directors. Explanations….

Founded in 1977 by Pierre Miasnik, Fiabila has undeniably become, over the course of forty-seven years—thanks to him, but also to his wife, Estelle, and their teams—a leading player in the nail care sector. The numbers speak for themselves. The French firm now employs five hundred people worldwide, including fifty-five in research and development. It owns ten factories in Europe—including two in France and one in Poland—two in the United States, one in Brazil, three in Japan, and one in India, with an average production workforce of about 100 people on each continent, a global annual production capacity of approximately 500 million units, and a storage capacity of 22,000 m². It should be noted that the U.S. and Polish packaging sites feature high-speed lines capable of reaching a rate of 160 units per minute.

“We have operations in six countries, including the U.S.,” notes Filippo Manucci, “which allows us to manufacture locally for the American market. The crisis linked to the war is disrupting the entire supply chain for petroleum products. We are doing everything we can to minimize price increases and protect our customers.”

A model based on a comprehensive offering

The company now operates across all formulation technologies for retail and professional markets, from nail care to hybrid formulas, special effects, and nail polish removers, with an integrated approach made possible by its mastery of all manufacturing processes.

A model based on a comprehensive, reproducible offering, from product design to full service (consulting, manufacturing, and packaging) to support brands regardless of their positioning and needs, “without compromising on quality,” insist company officials, “or on personal safety and respect for the environment.” The company is a member of the Global Compact and holds an EcoVadis Platinum rating.

“This expertise is underpinned by in-house R&D,” explains Filippo Manucci, “in-depth scientific knowledge of the nail, and close consumer engagement, particularly through an exclusive test panel of 800 people. Fiabila has cemented its leadership position by strengthening a strategy grounded in science and evidence. In a market context marked by the rise of skin-focused and science-driven trends, we are fortunate to have a historical dataset from test panels established over several years to measure the efficacy of our formulas. And the validation process is in place to provide evidence for our claims. Of course, brands must themselves prove their claims, but our approach saves them a considerable amount of time. I would add that Professor Richert, a renowned dermatologist and nail specialist, has joined our scientific committee to support our R&D, in line with real-world conditions. At the same time, we have restructured our organization to meet this demand and continued our industrial investments.”

Over the past eight years, nearly 30 million euros have been invested to strengthen production and packaging capabilities on a global scale.

“These efforts and investments,” explains Filippo Manucci, “enable us today to be the only player capable of offering the full range of technologies—formulation, manufacturing, and packaging—on a global scale, with a production capacity of up to 500 million units per year. Varnish manufacturing is a complex industrial activity, highly regulated and financially demanding. This explains why many brands now choose to outsource to us, as we are able to manage these constraints and deliver a high level of quality and safety. Finally, we have accelerated our diversification, particularly in the skincare segment, which now accounts for 28% of our business—double the market average—with products featuring high perceived technological value and the ability to anticipate new trends, such as men’s care and hybrid skincare.”

Four “flagship” products

The latest Cosmoprof trade show in Bologna was the first major event of the year at which the company presented its first new collection.

Four “flagship” products stand out, which, according to company officials, “push the boundaries of nail color & care, from the reinvention of nail polish remover to UV protection integrated into the color, including a nail & hair serum and a gel pen.”

4IN1 Nail Care Remover is the first 4-in-1 “mochi” gel nail polish remover, designed as a skincare step. A hybrid product, it combines the functions of a remover, mask, scrub, and primer, transforming removal into a true skincare ritual. Its formula is 98.5% naturally derived.

Nail’N’Hair Milky Serum is a world first for the French company. “According to company officials, this is a unique dual-spectrum formula for both nails and hair that meets consumers’ expectations for simplicity and effectiveness.”

SPF50+ Color Shield Nail Polish is the first colored nail polish to incorporate SPF50+ sun protection, addressing a previously overlooked need: protecting nails from UV rays. “Thanks to UVA/UVB technology combined with antioxidant marine extracts,” the company’s executives explain, “the formula protects keratin against oxidation and structural damage. It combines aesthetic performance (shine, long-lasting wear) with scientifically proven skincare benefits.”

Finally, another world first for the French company, 2-Step Next Gen G.E.L is a UV gel in a twist-up pen format, which radically simplifies application. “This unique system,” they explain, “combines two layers of color and a ‘no-wipe’ top coat in just two steps, without a bottle or complex handling. Its technology ensures up to three weeks of wear, while guaranteeing precise and clean application. A true innovation in application, this pen-style gel redefines the manicure ritual by making it intuitive, portable, and ultra-high-performance.”

Environment: a major challenge!

“We have been rated EcoVadis Platinum,” insists Filippo Manucci, “placing us among the top 1% of over three million companies analyzed by EcoVadis. That’s already a strong signal! Furthermore, we are extremely attentive to the safety of our employees, nail salon professionals, and consumers in general, and this guides our selection of ingredients used in our formulas, with an immediate positive impact on the environment—beyond standard industrial manufacturing practices—and, once again, our ability to produce locally, which reduces our carbon footprint. For UV Gel formulas, for example, we use oligomers, which are smaller than monomers. They penetrate less easily and therefore reduce the risk of sensitization.”

The French company also offers an alternative to the production of conventional nail polish formulas by replacing up to 86% of responsibly sourced petrochemical ingredients with natural solvents and polymers derived from wheat, sugarcane, cassava, and corn. These exclusive formulas utilize a specific suspension system for pigments and pearlescent agents and contain ingredients compliant with ISO 16128 standards, which govern the measurement and transparency of ingredients’ natural origins.

The company also notes that it remains committed to ensuring its raw ingredients and processes align with green chemistry principles, to minimize the presence of hazardous substances and their release into the environment.

As for packaging, many of its products are packaged in glass bottles. “That said, explains Filippo Manucci, “packaging is definitely a key differentiator, in combination with formulas, colors, treatments, hybrids, and removers. It also supports new application methods, such as UV gel pens and treatments packaged with applicators. This leads us to consider other types of packaging, especially within the framework of our full-service approach, which accounts for over 50% of our business. That is why we have expanded our packaging design and sourcing team, whose mission is precisely to identify the best solutions. Glass remains a benchmark material. We have innovated by offering “enhanced” nail polish remover formulas in aluminum tubes. It’s important to keep in mind that the packaging for our sector consists of small formats.”

* Mr. Filippo Manucci has held key executive positions at several international B2B and B2C cosmetics companies. Before joining Fiabila, he was Senior Vice President of the Global Skin Care, Hair Care, Personal Care, and Fragrance divisions at Intercos, a world leader in cosmetics manufacturing. Previously, Mr. Manucci held management positions in sales and marketing at renowned beauty companies such as Shiseido, Estée Lauder, LVMH, Yves Saint Laurent Beauty, and L’Oréal.