SWATCH OUT!!! An interview with an indie swatcher - TATTOOED NAIL GIRL/SHANEL

Hey there, it's your friendly interviewer once again.....
My head goes in several different directions. I presently can honestly admit, I have gotten way ahead of myself and I can't keep up with my ideas. That being said; I look at that fact in a positive light.

Here is my one of my recent brilliant ideas: what if I interview those lucky ladies we see modeling our favorite indies? I mean, to be totally honest - don't we secretly wish we ALL could be swatchers? Get the latest releases before anyone else and show them off? No? Just me? I'm betting I'm not alone.

So, no secret I love me some Liquid Sky Lacquer.
 (Thank you captain obvious!)

One of Carolyn's swatchers is Shanel (aka The Tattooed Nail Girl) - and well, what can I say? I love her claws dammit!
Shanel is awesome. I stalk her on FB too, and she's just darn cool, and I like cool people. So I asked and OF COURSE she agreed (didn't I mention she was cool?) and here is the result. Enjoy!

When/Why/How - did you become a swatcher?

Well I started my page last Oct. 2013 but I had already been "swatching" for about a year before that in a couple groups on Facebook that are no longer around and on my personal page. When I would buy an indie or a new polish in general I'd want to share it with everyone or the maker so I'd swatch it. I got a lot of compliments on my nails and everyone kept suggesting I start a blog. But to be honest I am horrible at writing. I didn't have enough things to say about each polish other than I think it's awesome you should buy it lol. So I decided to give in and start a Facebook page. So here I am!

If you don't mind saying what is your fav indie?

Favorite Indie is of course Liquid Sky Lacquer. I don't make it a secret that Carolyn is my favorite and I'm pretty sure she always will be.

Fav non indie?

Hmm that's a hard one. It's a tie between Zoya and O.P.I

What is your regular nail care routine?
I don't really have much of one I guess. Nightly I use California Mango, Mango Mend. Comes in this little container it's orange and smells amazing. It's a balm and I swear by it. In fact I have one in my purse and one in my room! I only use a glass file if I have to file or adjust my nails and I only file when I have polish on my nails that way I know they'll end up straight. And I only file one direction, that way I don't split my nails. I Also use California Mango Cuticle Remover once every other month. I buff my nails once every other month to remove ridges and I also use Nail Tek ll Intensive Therapy on my nails 3-4 times a week under my base coat. Nail Tek ll is for thin and split nails, it's really helped to strengthen up my nails and make them hard. I try to keep polish on them as often as I can and I keep my hands out of water as much as possible since water does tend to make them weak.

Any good advice for healthier nails?
Nail Tek ll Intensive Therapy 3-4 times a week under your base coat. Drink a TON of water!! Keep your hands out water. So if you have to do dishes, wear gloves!! Keeping polish on them will also help prevent them from splitting.
 

What do you do for fun?
For fun, I spent time with my Puggle Mika, I used to make jewelry for a living but sadly with the economy so slow, I had to close down my business. I read, I love to travel, love road trips (especially to Disney World), I love hiking, I love learning- Science and marine life is a big thing for me. I'm sure there is more, just can't think of it at the moment lol
 

Tell me about your Disney obsession? 

lol Not sure what there is to say about it. Disney is awesome!! Nuff said!! lol But seriously, my Boyfriend, Scott and I are HUGE and I mean H.U.G.E. Disney fans!! Like I mean our entire house when we move in together is already planned out to be Disneyified lol. Except his office, that's Galaxy and Star Wars lol. We love Disney because no matter your age, you get to be a kid. You get to be young and free. You get to believe the world is filled with magic, adventure, pirates, fairies, Princesses and that if you truly believe, than anything can happen.

Tell me about Alaska?!
Alaska is one of those places that you say "Someday I'd like to go there" And yet most people never do. Well I actually got to and it was AMAZING and breathtaking!! And a million other adjectives! I went for 9 days. We flew there and decided it was better than taking a cruise and being stuck at sea for days not doing anything but staying on the ship. We Did a day cruise for 6 hrs. Saw whales, Dall porpoises, Dall sheep, Puffins and glaciers. I got to be a co-pilot and fly around Mt. McKinley (Mt. Denali), Took a train all over a Alaska, took a bus tour through Denali National Park and saw a Mama Bear and her cub playing. Saw a Junior Bull Moose run up a ridge. I could go on and on with the things I go to see and experience but it would take up way too much space. I got to stay in some amazing lodges and meet people from all over the world. Alaska is a trip that everyone should experience and I truly mean that!! Don't just do a cruise, fly there and truly experience it!!! Heck I ate reindeer!! NOT some thing this city girl would normally do. lol.
 

Obviously you're tattooed, Pics? Which is your fav tattoo? Who does them?

My favorite tattoo is a matching one with my sister. It says You Are My Person and it's part of an Infinity symbol. It means that not matter what happens in this world, no matter what you do, where you go. I've got your back. I will always be there for you. I will always love you. I will always support you. You can count on me no matter what. I am your person for infinity!

How many do you have? Will there be more?
lol I currently have 16 and yes there are plans for at least 4 cover ups (tattoos done when I was young and stupid) and at least 15-20 new ones.

Favorite movie?  

Boondock Saints, The Notebook, Beauty and The Beast are my top 3
 

Future plans?
Move to Florida to be with Scott and become Annual Pass Holders to Disney World lol Hey don't judge. Long term for us is to buy property in Washington in the next 10 yrs or so. No kids, but have some dogs and a pygmy goat lol. I might try some nail art videos way down the road once I move to Florida and have my own nail room where I can have a better set up.
 

What do you hate?
I SERIOUSLY hate is people who neglect or abuse animals. I am extremely passionate and overly emotional when it comes to animals.

See? I told you she was cool. If you'd like to follow her, she is @tattooednailgirl on IG. I just love her nails and her nail art - she recently did a series of swatches using Zoya's latest releases and they are stunning!!! Check her out!

Thanks again for reading my blog, I will continue to brainstorm with new ideas to keep things interesting. xo Aprilaura

my pipe dreams have been answered !

I love the latest nail trends. Some of them more than others. Neons, well....I didn't really get super excited about those. Several different brands came out with their version and some were a bit of a temptation but I knew I wanted to interview April, and I knew she was coming out with neons so I decided THOSE were the ones I'd try.

a night in vegas collection...

wow

I like to think that my gradients look pretty cool - well with these polishes they popped like never before! I had so much fun that I just had to try every possible combination of gradient. Each one just stunning....

 Then maybe add my favorite holo top coat and viola!

















Then I had a little more fun with some nail art - stripes and polka-dots are about the best I can do..

 

 

....or maybe a glitter gradient accented with some

@teismom nailvinyls (I LOVE those things!!)

Everything I tried to do, this polish cooperated completely.

Just glided on my fingers - in some cases I probably even could have gone with one coat.

 

wow.

I've stated before that watermarble is my kryptonite. I totally gave up on it for a while, I was so frustrated. With these polishes, the formula was just so smooth and perfect, I just had to give it a try. Now try not to laugh this is actually a good job for me. I'm no Yasmeen (sloteazzy) but I was pretty darn proud of myself, I gotta tell ya.

Maybe it's become evident that I'm crazy about her polishes.
I tend to stay away from glitter polishes - don't really know why but it's just me. I do try to go out of my 'comfort zone' once in a while and give things like that a try. My first original order from pipedream was mas fina - and it's a stunner let me tell you. I knew I'd like it just because of the color combinations, but while I ordered that; I also threw in a mini of flip fantasia and I just kind of let that one sit untried. As I was preparing for this interview I pulled out these polishes to revisit my pipedream experience. I put on flip fantasia and flipped. Now I'm kicking myself left and right because I only have a mini. All jokes aside, if anyone knows where I can nab a full size of this polish I WANT IT!!! April cannot get the glitter she needs to recreate it so I'm SOL!! I have the perfect description of that polish - (start humming the "Happy" song by Ferrell) because it's HAPPY!!!.... It's bright, it's fun, the glitters lay perfectly, and it just plays that song to you all day long. I adore it and now I'm savoring each drop, saving it for emergency - when I need some happy.

I got this, it's called 'hanging on like a yo yo' because it reminds me of 'flip fantasia' but it just doesn't sing to me as nicely. I explain this one like this: Neony orange fun glittery to wrap up summer but pumpkin organgey to easily transcend into fall....as if that is an easy change - I go kicking and screaming into it while everyone else is like oooh pumpkin this and leaves and candles. I have 6 million acres of leaves around me....beautiful but....brrrr...it's coming....sigh.

So go buy these, and check out all the other lovelies I didn't even mention like cha-ching, and it's a mystery....and on and on....

www.pipedreampolish.com

An Interview with an Indie PIPE DREAM POLISH

 

When did you start pipe dream?

 pipe dream polish officially opened shop in March of 2013.

And WHY did you name it pipe dream?

I was bored with "basic" polishes and had developed a love for indie polishes. That love grew into wanting to create. At first I was just frankening with store bought polishes but eventually I bought some glitter and base and started making my own creations. I posted my creations on my personal FB and had a great response. When people asked about them, I would say "oh this is just a pipe dream." But the more I started playing, the more I knew I was going to go for it. I bought more glitter, more base, researched, and tested. Finally my "pipe dream" became reality. It can be scary to put yourself out there and hope people love what you are doing. Many people don't take the risk in fear of rejection, but you never know until you try. Life is too short not to follow your dreams.

How do you come up with your polish names?

I used to only use song lyrics but it gets harder to do as it's very time consuming searching for the perfect song and lyrics. I'm getting away from that for the most part but still do from time to time.

Who created your logo?

I created my logo. I also have a degree in graphic design.

What is your biggest challenge?
 Time is my biggest challenge. I worked fulltime as a dental assistant up until December. I decided to go back to school to be a nail tech and was in school fulltime up until a few weeks ago. Soon I will start work as a nail tech (I may be by the time of publication). I would love to do pipe dream fulltime but since it's self employment, you never know how steady the income is going to be. So trying to balance pipe dream, work, and family can be a huge challenge.

What inspires you?

Everything inspires me!

Any other collaborations in the future?

Maybe. Probably? I honestly never know myself...but I'm sure there will be something. The indie world is filled with many talented people.

How often do you paint your nails?

Unfortunately I don't get to paint my own nails as much as I'd like in between making polish and doing other people's nails, but I try to get to it at least once a week.

Favorite brand other than yours?

I love so many different polishes, I couldn't possibly choose a favorite.

Favorite color?

I tend to be drawn in by turquoises the most but I love to try all colors!

What did you want to be "when you grew up" when you were a child?

I wanted to be an actress or something flamboyant or creative - LOL - but all that got pushed aside when I had my son at a young age and was challenged with raising him by myself. He came first and with that I had to do something I knew would pay the bills.

Which of your OWN polishes is your favorite?

That's another hard choice! I don't create a polish that I wouldn't personally wear but I'm really loving 'cha-ching!' for the moment. It's just so fun and sparkly!

Congratulations on graduating Nail School, what's next for you?

I just want to be happy! I was a dental assistant for many years and was completely miserable doing that for way too long. I'm looking forward to finally being able to take my career into a positive direction...no matter what that may be.

Family? Pets? What does hubby think?

I have a son that's 18 and my chihuman mix, Harley. My husband is very supportive of everything I do but he would like more time with me. He helps me with pipe dream as much as he can, mostly labeling and packing.

We both share a somewhat unique name, I've never really had a nickname, have you? And if so, what was/is it?

I've never really had a nickname either!

How did hubby propose?

He proposed on a weekend trip to Atlanta. He made me pick the restaurant for dinner. I picked Thai - little did I know he was going to propose or I may have picked a different place! But it all worked out beautifully. The restaurant brought us champagne and took pics of us for their Facebook page. I was in a daze the rest of the night so it wouldn't have mattered where we were! :)


****PS - A fun fact you may want to include:
Many people don't know or haven't caught on but pipe dream polish and all the names of the polish are always lower case.

So there you have it, another interview, another amazing woman making her way in the world. I wish her so much continued success, she is a real sweetheart like ALL the indies I've interviewed. If you'd like to purchase her polishes please visit www.pipedreampolish.com

But then again....maybe someone is having a give away on IG and you could win them...?

 

Chasing beautiful polish......

If I haven't mentioned it before, I feel a bit privileged in that I get to ask questions of these Indie Polish Makers and in doing so, get the inside info before anyone else.

Sarah, what a genuine sweet girl. Brave. Yep, I said it - brave. After reading her story, I couldn't help but admire her undampened spirit. Thankful for her time with Audrey, and not afraid to keep moving forward. Brave. I sincerely hope that Audrey sends another angel to her and her husband.

Beyond her personal story she's a entrepreneur as well, venturing into the Indie Polish Making (shark infested?) waters..... ok maybe not quite that dramatic but hey, competition is out there with more Indies added every day. So here I go, putting in my two cents about her product - or at least the ones I bought.

First up, Orchid.....

I just adore girly colors, once shying away from overplayed pinks, I'm back to wearing them ten fold. And it's because of polishes like this one. Three coats to full opacity and what a SHINE. While applying coat one I thought, "This would be perfect for a french mani..." so I did one, on my toes. CUTEEEEEE and lasted and lasted and lasted.....

Next, Peony

 

 Now, moving on to my more favorite colors; here is a lovely delicate blue called Hydrangea. I wish I was able to do the pond effect mani for you but I'm afraid that would have been laughable.

I imagine this polish would make a great pond effect mani,

(insert little girl from Despicable Me voice:) 'IT'S SO SQUISHY!!!!'

 

The last polish I'll feature (for now) is Wisteria, again.. the word 'delicate' comes to mind with these polishes. Their shine is amazing as well. Seriously, they didn't need a topcoat.

 

 

You must be thinking, "April how about you stfu and tell me WHERE I can purchase these lovelies?" and I would reply right here: www.chasingrainbowslacquer.bigcartel.com

And then I would perhaps mention that you still have a few days to

enter my giveaway on IG(ends 7/31). 

IG@aprilaura

 

And PS. if you go to my giveaway picture and comment with your first name and your favorite color from this collection/blog - I'll give you an extra entry!!!!!

 

Good luck!!

 

 

Interview With An Indie - CHASING RAINBOWS LACQUER

Always on the lookout for "new meat" - I like to keep my eyes on the hashtag #nailpolish in general and also obviously #indiepolish, and although I'm still unsure on HOW she crossed my path;

I am very pleased to introduce you to Sarah, Chasing Rainbows Indie Polish Maker.

I wanted the perspective of a BRAND NEW INDIE POLISH MAKER, and here she is - I'll be able to say "I knew her when..." She's bound to be successful with the two major traits of any good indie polish maker, she's unbelievably sweet and very very customer service oriented.

I'll be voicing my opinions about her polish soon enough, first let's get to know this month's Indie Polish Maker:

How did you get into indie polish making? I was an indie fanatic way before I even thought about making my own. I've always not just loved, but also collected polish. I never thought I'd be capable of being a polish maker, but I decided to just give it a try!

How much research did you do prior to your decision? I went back and forth for months about whether or not I wanted to start making polish. As with everything else I do, I wanted to be sure I can give it 100% of my efforts. Once I decided to commit, I researched for a few weeks on how to start. I wanted to make sure that I knew the ins and outs of what I would need, where to find high quality materials, and where they can be obtained.

How long have you been actually making it for sale? I just started in May! I am brand new.

Who inspires you? Aside many other indie makers, my daughter inspires me. I named my first collection after her, Audrey. She was born in January 2013 with a severe congenital chromosomal disorder, Trisomy 13, and she was only with us for 4 months. However the joy and beauty I experienced through her short but courageous and strong fight for life gave me inspiration to do anything I set my mind to, with no limitations.

Out of what state do you operate? Do you have help? I operate out of California. My roommate helps with swatching and photography, but as far as the creation of the polishes itself it is all me :)

How old are you? Married? Family? I am 25 years old. I am married to my husband of almost 2 years, and we have one angel daughter, as discussed above :) Hopefully Audrey will become a big sister later on this year.

Is this something you do full time or do you expect to someday? I would love to create polish full time some day! It is something I thoroughly enjoy.

Why FIVE free instead of just 3? I wanted to be able to provide the BEST for consumers as possible. I love nail polish myself, and everything I create has to be something I would use myself and stand behind 100%. The least amount of unnecessary chemicals, the better.

How often do you expect to release new polishes? I would like to release new polishes at least every month. I can't make any promises though! haha.

How often do you paint your nails? Every single day. Sometimes more than once a day. I truly have an obsession.

Name of your brand? Where did you come up with it? Do you have a logo? if so, did you create it? My brand is called Chasing Rainbows. Among the infant and pregnancy loss community, the next baby to be born after the first loss is sometimes referred to as a "rainbow baby". So I liked the name Chasing Rainbows. Additionally, it also represents the incessant need to own any and every color of the rainbow in a polish bottle. I do have a logo, My husband's Navy coworker made it for me.

Where will you be in one year? Hopefully, raising a family, working on a nursing degree, and making polish.

Favorite song? It changes all the time. I do love anything by Bruno Mars. Katy Perry is my guilty pleasure. I also like EDM a bit. Right now I'm really loving "All of Me" by John Legend, and "Latch" by Sam Smith.

Biggest pet peeve? Grammar errors drive me nuts. You* You're* Your*!! Also when people use the phrase "that's so RETARDED". It gets under my skin when people use the word "retarded" in a way to offend someone or to berate an idea or an action. There are so many more inoffensive words that can be used instead.

 

 

 

My Not-So-Secret Love Affair

So, it may have become a bit apparent that I have begun a love affair with ShopEighty4 polishes, and I can seriously see myself easily being sucked into her skin/beauty products as well. Let me tell you my little story (I promise, it's little)....

I had purchased from ShopEighty4 in the past - 2 microglitters and a creme. To be completely honest, I'm just not good with microglitters! I buy them from everyone because c'mon - they're glittery, and beautiful...why WOULDN'T I buy them right? But every single one I buy is a disappointment, I make a clumpy mess and it makes me sad. So, I was disappointed as usual with the microglitters, but the creme...well, that was a different story. I loved the pigment and the coverage so I blogged. I know, shocker.

Enter Fefe, makes some nice comments prompting my request for an interview. Knowing I'd be doing the interview and wanting to purchase some lovelies for a giveaway (my normal practice), I placed an order. This and that and oh yeah that looks nice, and that one will be good for a give away and so on...honestly thinking one or two I'd keep and the others would just be give aways.
So they come...


And then I try Sea Goddess...

And I die.

And then Barbie Ride...and Say What? and Tropical Rain Forest....and Enchantment, and Barney on Drugs....

Instantly hooked. Done. Immediately placed reorder for everything (for the give away) PLUS her new beach collection...yes....even though I still haven't finished trying the ones I have already purchased I am just SO anxious to be getting more.

Normally, I'd feel some guilt because as we know, indie polish shopping CAN get pricey but seriously her prices are unbelievably reasonable. I can afford to go a little nuts and that makes me happy. My collection is growing fast.

So, there are a few of my new lovelies here - and you know I'll be bragging about the new ones when they arrive. Do yourself a favor and check her site out, and do ME a favor and read my INTERVIEW WITH AN INDIE SHOP EIGHTY4.

www.shopeighty4.com

SHOP EIGHTY4 INTERVIEW WITH AN INDIE

I'd like to take some time to tell you about my experiences so far. I've only done a few interviews so far, and it's been amazing. I have been turned down by someone for an interview which is ok, because it was a very gracious "thank you but no thank you" response. I'll admit I'm a bit disappointed because I'd love to know more about where my indies come from and who makes them but as I tell all of my interviewees; it's all for fun and always appreciated.

I'm glad I asked who you all thought would be my next indie interview - it gave me some insights as who you would like to hear from and I promise I will do my best to make that happen. Glad to hear any suggestions you may have - is there a question that I'm not asking that I should? PLEASE, leave feedback!!

So... without any further adieu; my next INTERVIEW WITH AN INDIE: SHOP EIGHTY4!!! And the ever-so-lovely Fefe!!! What an amazing young lady! Didn't even hesitate when asked for an interview, so so sweet. Her polishes aren't bad either hehehe - no not bad at ALL. I did a SMALL blog on a few of her polishes earlier but honestly, I like to try several polishes from an indie to give a good opinion of the product - which I am oh-so-anxiously-awaiting. Previously I tried two micro glitters and one crème - waiting on BODY PRODUCTS as well as her stunning POLISHES: neon holo multichrome .... oops sorry, I think I drooled a little there..... so I am SURE I'll be blogging more after I've had the opportunity to have the full Shop Eighty4 experience.

Meanwhile......

 

 

Why Eighty4?
Why the name?

 

My business partner Cara and I were both born in 1984. We initially started off making jewelry, and could not agree on a name. We visited “Eighty4” a few times and finally agreed on it. Needless to say, the jewelry thing became such a fad that we no longer thought it was original and/or unique so we stopped that.

How long have you been making polish?

We started testing the whole polish creation thing back in July of 2013. After relocating, I finally launched the site in September of 2013 but did not promote it until October as I was out of town for about 3 weeks so there was no way I would have been able to fulfill orders. 

Tell me about your "other products" - the non-polish products.

Before we launched the nail polish line, we knew we wanted to expand. We are very much so into cosmetics of all kinds along with bath and body products. We decided to try the bath and body products route first. We formulated a few different types of lotions (Goat’s Milk) and body butters (unreleased for now). My curiosity found me formulating bath bombs and cuticle products shortly after. Not everything is available for sale due to the extreme temperatures. However, the bath bombs should be available soon. They are one of my favorite products, EVER! Everything is handmade with love, what can I say? We are also working on developing our cosmetics line. More details will be announced within the next few months.
 

 

What is next for you? What new concoction/polish will you come up with?

Polish wise, we are looking to create some of the best crème polishes to ever touch a person’s paws. We also just started dipping into the wonderful world of Holo. More holo goodies are to come. We will also continue to develop of cosmetics started with lip products.

 

Is this a full time thing for you?

Yes, Eighty4 is a full time thing for me. It’s taken over a good amount of my house truth be told!

 

Where are you?

I am located in Atlanta, GA. Cara is in Norfolk, VA. All of the Eighty4 magic happens in Atlanta. From formulating, creating, processing orders to shipping.

 

What is your biggest challenge?

Staying ahead of the game. With this funding itself, it can be a bit challenging to try the latest trends. We do our best to bring new, fresh ideas to the table though.

 

Who is your biggest supporter?

Besides my Aunt who not only invests but tries to buy everything we make (stop that woman! Lol)… I am going to say a handful of Instagram ladies. Whenever we launch new colors, there are a few girls that will always support us. It’s like clockwork and we appreciate them. I make sure to stay in touch with many customers and especially our biggest supporters. I always ask what do they want to see next. Their input is very important to us as they are the reason why we are here.

 

Who do you admire/fellow indie maker?

I have a long list of favorites when it comes to the indie world. When I read this question, Annette from Disturbed Potions came to mind. We were able to connect when we helped a fellow indie polish supporter out and after chatting with her… I admire her! Her story is so touching and she really puts her all into her products. She not only does nail polish but also bath and body products along with a killer line of skincare items. She’s the sweetest gal ever.

 

Something from your "bucket list"?

To see Britney Spears perform “live”. Okay, I know… She lip-syncs but I love the girl nonetheless Lol.

 

Favorite food?

I am a sucker for Italian and Mexican. I love food. I can’t choose one thing!

OK, so I don't share her taste in music....but I do hope she makes her concert dream happen. The "sweetest gal ever" remark regarding Annette from Disturbed Potions - seems to be a common thread in these indie polish makers, or at least the ones I've had the honor of working with - all SMART young ladies with boatloads of drive. 29-year-old entrepreneur? I hope her Aunt is ready to be wealthy if she isn't already because with Fefe's just incredible attitude, her drive, her NEED to connect with her customers and make them happy and caring about what they want to see next....all of that inevitably will lead to grand success. Let me tell you this, working this hard and being this humble, she deserves that success.

 

http://shopeighty4.com/

Hugs and love to you Fefe, thank you for doing this!