CREATIVE CUTICLES Interview with an Indie

I'm so happy to have come into this nail community. I'm ELATED that these lovely ladies agree to interview with me. My latest victim: Kayla from CREATIVE CUTICLES.

I have to apologize as I've been caught up in some personal stuff and this has taken me way too long to post.

Kayla isn't just awesome, ok? She's driven too.

You're a pretty new polish maker, when did you start and why?

I first THOUGHT about making polish when I found out about Indie Polish lol. However, I decided that I was going to take the plunge around September of 2013, although I didn't purchase anything until February of 2014!!! ;)

I spent those 5 months researching EVERYTHING.. from the best types of glitters, to pigments, to the difference of 3-free & 5-free, etc.. I wanted to know everything I could possibly learn without experience!! :)

I also planned 90% of my polishes that I have released, during that time. I wanted to, & still do want to produce the best quality, unique polishes & put a little of myself stamped into the Indie scene. I officially opened shop on February 28, 2014!!
 

Which was your first polish sold?

Well, seeing as how my very first, paying customer purchased ALL 4 of my first releases.. that would make "A Great Red'. "Nail Besties", "Gator Bait", & Duuuval!", all my first polish sold!! :)
 

Why 'Creative Cuticles'? and why a Penguin??

When I first started thinking of a name for my brand, I wanted to have "penguin" in the name somewhere.. but, there was already a brand called "Penguin Polish" & every other name I thought of just didn't feel "right".. So, I began to think about the relationships & reputation that I had already established in the Instagram community & decided it would be nice for someone to look at the brand name & immediately think of me!! :) (I don't know how well that works, but it was my thinking).. Although I wanted my IG handle to be represented, I didn't want it to be "Kayla's" anything, because I make the polishes for "you", so I just cut my name out & used Creative Cuticles (which is a great name for a polish company!! especially an indie lol.. It is a VERY creative business!!  
 

How did you and Amy (mcpolish) cross paths? 

Oh my gosh!!! <3

I had been following Amy for a while from my nail account & THEN when I was attempting to find "Jacksonville Nail Girls" for a meet, I discovered that she was a native, as well (JUST outside of Jax, but the way it is here, it is all basically the same lol).. Well, once I started purchasing supplies (or as I call it ingredients haha) I started thinkig about who I wanted to swatch.. SO, I sat down & just wrote down a few names & then I scrolled through my follow list & added a few more incase everyone said no.. After that I sorted them in order I would ask (most wanted to least).. She was the very first person I asked!!!

I was SO SO nervous after I hit the send button.. Then she was "typing" (I messaged her on Kik).. he response was "Hell yeah!"..... & I never turned back HAHAHA!!!
 

How do I not own every single Star Wars inspired polish? LOL I really want Icy Right Through You too!!! ARG!! 

I would assume, because maybe you didn't know about me yet? lol

it was only my 2nd set of releases :) I marketed the crap out of it, & then shortly after my release 3 bigger name indies released a Star Wars collab.. haha (that's the indie business, though.. tough, tight competition) That is why I strive to be as unique as possible, so that there is much less of a chance to have someone else competing with my particular polishes.

Also, "Icy Right Through You" was a VERY limited edition.. It was one of the 10% I didn't pre-plan.. One of my suppliers sent a bag of the glitter mix as an extra in my order, & I can't find it ANYWHERE!!! :(

Where did your first international sale go?

My first international sale went to an amazingly sweet lady, named Karen, in Northern Ireland!!! It was the coolest thing EVER, at the time!!! I called my Mema & had to tell her, immediatey!! She was the very first "War Among the Stars" order & she ordered the entire collection... I wish it would've gone smoother.. 45 days later, her package had STILL not arrived, so I sent her another collection and added 2 of my other polishes as an apology, although she was EXTREMELY understanding & offered to pay for a new collection (which I would have NEVER asked her to do!!)!! I then decided to ONLY ship International by Flat Rate.. her 2nd package arrived in 2 weeks (the first one is still MIA)!!!

Polish Pockets, tell me about them.

Ahhh.. Polish Pockets!!! Tammy (@homemademomsnails) is a little GENIUS!!! I had had my eyes on those for a while, & hadn't had a chance to purchase, yet.. Well, while I was trying to figure out the release dates & such for my Autumn collection I had a crazy idea.. There are so many people teaming up with vinyl ladies (myself included on my collab with KicKassBeauty), why not do it with Polish Pockets?!?!?! So, I messaged her & asked her how she would like to make some custom polish pockets for me, in bulk, so that I could include them with purchases.. She was over the moon excited & immediately agreed & got to work making prototypes!!! :)

I feel great about the decision!! I love the product SO much!!! & I was thrilled to get the chance & privilege to help out a friend's business!!! Hopefully, other brands will follow suit & join up with her!! <3

Why "Parker"?

Parker was such a beautiful accident!!! <3

I was making a custom polish for a customer, & it was just WAY too dark.. So I set that bottle aside & later that night I decided to paint my nails with it to see what it looked like on.. I FELL IN LOVE!!!!! <3

I wasn't going to release, at first.. Then I kinda talked myself into it, by thinking that EVERYONE NEEDED it!!! ;)

Then I had to think of a name.. (I am not good with choosing a name to go with a polish, I am a creating a polish AROUND the name kinda gal!! lol).. so as I sat there & stared at my nails ALL I could think was how much Ty (my son) would love it!! ...............,DUH!!! And it just so happened that his birthday was coming up (Sept 1st).. Ty didn't seem....... beautiful? enough lol.. His middle name is Parker.. PERFECT!! <3 
 

Why different bottles? I love them btw and the brushes are excellent!!!

The VERY first thing I looked for when planning where to buy supplies & planning what my investment should/would be, I knew I wanted a unique bottle.. I originally wanted a different bottle.. I showed my boyfriend & he said "that doesn't look like "you"".. I immediately began searching again lol........... Then I came across my flats & just KNEW those were the ONES!!! (at the time I had never seen anyone use them.. shortly after I opened, almost every new brand had them.. but most have since switched!!) ;)
 

Favorite movie?

My ALL TIME favorite movie is The Wedding Singer.. I am just a LITTLE obsessed with Adam Sandler!! <3

(he is the only person on my "exempt list" AHAHAHA)

Are you married? How old are you?

I am not married.. :(

I have been with my boyfriend for ALMOST 5 years (September 14th is our anniversary) <3

I plan on marrying him!!! Just waiting on 4 big words & a little shiny rock on my hand!! ;)
 

Does your mailman fear you? Does he/she know about your stalking technique?

I think my mailman USED to fear..... no, not fear.. that's not the right word.. hmmmm.. be weary?.. be cautious? (those are better).. I don't know if he is aware of how serious my "stalking" is, BUT he knows that I am ALWAYS alert & waiting when he has a package for me.. & since starting CCNP, he is also aware of outgoing packages & if it has been a couple of days he will mention that I haven't sent anything out in a while lol.
 

"Un Halloween"? Why? Where did you come up with it?

Hmmm.. I have NO idea how my brain works, sometimes!!! I was so stumped on Halloween.. It is SO hard to think of something COMPLETELY original for holiday polishes.. You could do movies or characters, but chances are someone has or will also do them.. I was flipping through my idea book & I had "Acid Rainbow" in my arsenal (from before I opened) & I thought to myself.. hmm.. that would be interesting for Halloween.. Then I tried to think of how I could tie it to Halloween.. I was like "well, acid rainbow is like the opposite of a regular rainbow, it is scary!".. Hence was born Un-Halloween.. then a glow zombie polish was a GIVEN!!! ;)

Favorite food?

My favorite food.......... Is Chinese an answer?!?!?! No? Ok...... eggrolls!!! <3
 

Polish? Favorite indie, and mainstream. How often do you polish your own nails?

I LOVE polish!!!! <3

I just recently recounted... Almost 400, now...... :/ I am NOT ashamed!!! :D

My FAVORITE indie brand has got to be Pipe Dream Polish and Loaded Lacquer!!

I am a die hard China Glaze girl.. that is my GO TO mainstream!!!!! <3

I paint my nails a lot less than I used to, before I started my line, BUT I RARELY have naked nails!!!

I will paint my nails once every couple of days, to 6 or 7 times a day, depending on my mood or free time lol.

I keep saying I need to start doing more art again.

 

So I think it's time you go check out Ms. Kayla don't you? 

You can go to www.ccnp.storenvy.com 

- she runs all kinds of cool promotions and prices her polishes so you won't break the bank. 

Check back with me soon, my review of her polishes will be coming soon!! 

Sprinkling Stardust Everywhere

My very first Indie Polish... and one that I will always go back to,

STARDUST POLISH

Not only because the formula is great and the colors are inventive and make me drool, but because of Drema. She fits perfectly the description of any of the Indie Polish Makers I've interviewed; she's sweet and goes out of her way to make sure her customers are satisfied.

But I've done the interview, so now let's swoon over these colors.

Snazzy:

Saw it, wrote down the name and just knew I had to have it. A green-blueish gem with gold glitters. Yep, I love it.

Golden Orchid:

Usually I don't choose pinks but as I do, had to try something I don't normally try - if I didn't my nail polish collection would be made up entirely of BLUES.
This was a nice option. Again, with gold glitter, a bubblegum pink. It's fun and flirty and I really like it. I tried to stamp a golden flower to highlight the gold glow but alas, my pictures just don't do this beauty justice.

 

 

Harlot:

Vampy vampy vampy. Black jelly with red glitter....gah!!!!!! Cleans up oh so nicely too - I have gotten pretty good at painting my nails with minimum clean up but whenever I use a dark polish I worry about my cuticles looking stained. Not with Harlot. She may be a vamp, but she she's a lady on your nails... wait, what? did that even make sense? Who cares.

 

My smister sent this to me - as usual, she has made another perfect choice! (Love you Ang!!)

Back Seat Bingo:

B to the I to the NG mutha-effin' OOOOOOOOOOO!!!  Blue blue blue!!! Did I mention how much I adore blue nail polish?! Well this is THE blue. Blue with blue glitter, yes please!!!

Yes Your Majesty:

Another color I avoid, but this is a red I couldn't pass up. When I first saw it, I thought, ' wow that's nice for a red', and (steams up nails and polishes them on lapel) I was right.....again.
Some of you LOVE your reds so don't miss this one!!! Another nice clean up. No staining...yes, very nice.

Royalty:

Now this isn't her latest Royalty 2.0, this is my year old original. The deep deep holo - that's what made it a MUST have when I saw it and converted to the dark side obsession that I now have. All the holo ALL for ME!!! It's easy to see why I converted.....what a stunner!!

Polar Ice:

I wasn't even going to bother talking about this polish, I had thought after a year of some heavy use, and it being a white...well it had to be no good after a year...right? WRONG!! I gave it a try and it surprised me pleasantly by just gliding onto my nails.....aaaaahhhhhh! You just can't go wrong with a delicate white nail polish - it suits any occasion, especially this one.

I'm giving away a bottle of Snazzy and a bottle of Giggle Water - Giggle Water was a tough one to part with because it's.....BLUE!!! But hey, gotta share the polish love right? It's not one I own, so whomever gets it better love it like I would!!! Go find my post on Instagram for rules on my giveaway - ending November 1st.

If you can't wait for a giveaway - go buy these lovelies !!www.stardustpolish.com

September INTERVIEW WITH AN INDIE - STARDUST POLISH

Going back in a time warp to my very FIRST indie polish purchase....

STARDUST POLISH

Stardust came into my life back in July of 2013. Royalty was just one I HAD to have, it was indeed, my breaking point. I still LOVE Royalty. She's reformulated it but my "old" bottle still serves me well. I also purchased Polar Ice - unfortunately I pretty much used that one to death.

When I began these blogs, I knew it was inevitable that I would be talking about STARDUST. When I began the interviews, Drema was definitely on my list! But that was before the arrival of adORable Logan. (My gosh, those cheeks!) So with everything a polish maker is already doing, planning new lines, ordering supplies, labeling, mailing, making, mixing.....how could I bother Drema?








Apparently not a bother. What a great girl Drema is - again, a common thread amongst successful indie polish makers. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

The question I always ask, but is a good one....why "Stardust"?
 

As all my friends know I am a HUGE science/space nerd & I love everything science/space related. It took me weeks to come up with my business name and I decided on Stardust while watching an episode of Nova on PBS and it was about space and I learned that 93% of the mass in our body is stardust. I found that fact so interesting and it seemed like a natural fit for a business name for me.

Royals was one of my first indie polishes, why have you decided to reformulate it and what is the difference?

Royalty 2.0 is made with a different color base than the original one, they are very similar but different enough where I can't say it is the same. 

How long have you been making polish?

I have been making polish now for a year & a half.

Tell me about your 'wifey' Rica, how did that marraige happen and when?

Hahaha I'm not quite sure how it happened, it just kind of did. She was the first blogger I used consistently (before she started Rica's Polish) and we started talking all the time & we are so much alike. I talk to her every single day...99% of the time it's all day! 
 

I love the G.N.O.M.E. boxes! Will those be monthly?

The G.N.O.M.E. boxes will indeed be monthly and always include a polish from me & one from Rica & a different extra thing every month.

How are you managing with new baby and polish? Do you find it hard to make time for polish now? (to make it and to wear?)

I am not going to lie, it is hard managing being a new mom, owning my own business & making time for my husband. I try my best, but my family will always come first. My husband is very supportive of my business so that makes it easier but sometimes he just wants to spend time with me (I am lucky to have a husband who still likes spending time with me :P) I rarely wear polish anymore, mostly I don't have the time to paint them and Logan likes to stick my hand in his mouth :)

 

Tell me about YOUR favorites? - favorite polishes, main stream and indie???

My favorite main stream is OPI, and the only main stream I will buy. My favorite indies are Rica's Polish, Powder Perfect (Aussie) and Black Cat Lacquer

 

How many tattoos do you have? Any great stories behind any of them? (pics?!)

I have 10 tattoos, the only story behind them is the one on my foot. 5 Years ago my husband bought me a star & named it after me. I got the coordinates tattooed on my foot, along with a Phoenix (that is what constellation my star is in) I do not have any pictures :(

(note from aprilaura: I found a few pics of her tattoos, and I'm using these with permission - I'm crafty like that! I particularly LOVE her Alice in Wonderland tatts, look at those colors!!!)

Football fan? Who is your team? Why?

Broncos! I was born in Colorado and that is who I grew up watching.  

Do you have "swatchers"? If so who?

I try to use many different swatchers & bloggers but I would have to say Cho @cherubim is my favorite, her swatches are always stunning, no matter what type of polish I send her.

What's the hardest part of being "mom"?

The hardest part of being a mom is there is never any down time or alone time which can be mentally exhausting always having worrying about everything.

Best date night?

My best date ever was actually my first date with my husband Mark. He wouldn't tell me where we were going so I had no idea what to wear so that was kind of strange. But, the date was a couples massage, he got me naked on the first date without anything sexual happening :P and then we went to a restaurant called Rock Bottom Brewery where I ordered BBQ chicken pizza and one of those small bottles of Korbel champagne. I clearly am not a salad on the first date type of lady.

Favorite CAUSE?

My favorite cause is the World Wildlife Fund. I think it is important to protect our environment and animals that we as humans are causing to go into extinction.

What does hubby do?

My husband works for an environmental company called Clean Harbors, he is currently is contracted through DOW Chemical. What he does is help companies dispose of their hazardous waste correctly and legally.

Will Logan have siblings someday?

As of right now we plan on Logan being our only child. When he is 1 we will be making the final decision if it's just him or maybe another...but I can say with 98% surety he will be an only child.

Where are you located?

I am located in Midland, MI. It is about 2 hours north of Detroit.

What does your future hold??

I honestly have no idea! I try not to make any plans because life happens & things don't always go as planned :)

 

I especially love that she allowed me to get personal with her, it's always an option to answer my questions and she obviously didn't hold back, and I appreciate that. While I too, am guilty of wanting MY polishes RIGHT NOW, we all need to realize that these indie polish makers have lives too - they have families, pets, sometimes they have day jobs, or all day all night jobs like Drema caring for little Logan.

 

Support your fellow polish lovers/makers - she has recently released a BUNCH of new polishes - and I'll be doing my usual giveaway on Instagram so keep your eyes open for that!!! If you can't wait and need her polishes sooner than later; visit www.stardustpolish.com or www.stardustpolish.etsy.com she can also be found at IG@stardustpolish and facebook: www.facebook.com/stardustpolishllc
 

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