Q's & Heys!- Llarowe and Colors by Llarowe

I believe that it's about time that I'll finally post this interview, that's been sitting in my inbox for a month [!!!] now. Today's interviewee is Leah Ann LaRowe and she's different then any other interviewees in this blog past. Why you ask? Well, A- She's not a blogger. B- She has her own line of polishes. C- She owns an e-trailer many brands of nail polish, indie and otherwise, from all around the world! Let's move on to the interview!

Tell us about yourself in general.
My name is Leah Ann LaRowe. I am married with a son who is 18 and another "adopted" son who is also 18 and now lives with us. I am an animal lover and have a virtual zoo at home. Any stray usually ends up living with us much to the aggravation of my husband who always ends up falling in love with them. I am an avid snowboarder, water skier and sports fanatic. I love my job and I love what I do! The next item on my bucket list is to skydive which I will be doing this summer!

Do you prefer a complex nail art or the simplicity of just the nail polish itself?
I love both. The color of polish, finishes, shimmers and complexity amaze me, I love to see nail art and hand painted art is just amazing, but stamping can be just as spectacular.

What came first- your nail polish brand or your store? How and why did you start each one?
The store cam first. I started the store when I realized that I could not find unique nail polish colors in the USA. I was browsing blogs and cam across Glitter Gal and at the time holographic polishes were very hard to come by in the USA. I fell instantly in love and knew I had to bring these polishes to women in the USA. Then A England was added and now, here we are.
As of our line, Colors by Llarowe, I ordered a few ingredients as I wanted a certain color of polish and couldn't find it. I thought it would would be quick and easy to make one. I had no idea. I found though that I loved making polish as it was very relaxing and a creative outlet. Two years later, Colors by Llarowe was launched.

Glitter Gal Crushed Ego. The hunt for holo started the store.

I imagine you get nail mail on a daily basis- How does it feel to only admire all this beauty and sparkle without actually using it?
I do use it! I get samples from polish makers on a daily basis who want us to consider their line. I always swatch each polish on a nail wheel and then wear each polish to check the formulation, wear time, etc. I usually have 10 different colors on my nails at any given time. Whole manicures are luxury!

Just for us to droll, how many polishes would you say you have at storage at any given time?
Llarowe usually has 20,000 to 40,000 polishes in stock on a daily basis.

One of thousands just waiting for you. Dance Legend 178.

How big is your personal stash?
My personal stash I have never counted, but my husband says way too many.

Do you own one of each polish you put up to sale?
No. I try to get at least one polish from every launch but they sell out so quickly that I do not want to withhold polishes from a customer who wants it. Colors by Llawore I do, as I keep all of the prorotype samples!

What is you favorite nail polish from Colors by Llarowe ever?
The Mighty Red Baron. I have worn it more than twice, and that is really unusual as I am always wearing and testing new polishes.

The Mighty Red Baron

How do you keep track with every nail polish you ever made?
I have a sample room with a bottle of each polish I have ever made with a nail wheel swatch above the samples. I have shelves for current inventory, past inventory and future possibilities.

Do you keep multiple bottles of each of your own nail polish, so you'll never lack them?
No, just one bottle for my personal use as I can always make another if needed.

Where do you get inspiration for your polishes  from?
Everywhere. Nature, flowers, songs, words. The possibilities are endless.

Songs are great inspiration. Black Gold, Texas Tea.

From 1 to 10- how much glitter sticks to your cloths while working on new polishes?
10. I look like a fairy at any given time. I am quite messy.

Is there a collaboration you wish to do, or a collection you've been thinking about for ever and haven't done yet?
Yes, and will surprise you guys with it in the future!

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Nail stickers tutorial

Today I have a tutorial on how to apply full nail stickers. I'll be using the stickers from Born Pretty store, and you can see more about them here. The finished look you can see below, and right after that- head over for the steps!

Step 1: Start with your bare nail. I didn't use base coat, and I believe you shouldn't use any nail polish under any sort of nail stickers.
Step 2: Pull off the sticker that fits your nail size using tweezers. Pull it from the straight part- this is the part you will file off, so it's fine if you mess i up during the pulling. Most nail stickers come with 14/16 stickers, so you can find the right size for you.

Step 3: Place the sticker on your nail, placing the round part as close as possible to your cuticle.
Step 4: Using an orange stick, cuticle stick or simply your fingers, press the sticker to your nail bed. I go with a straight line from my cuticle to my nail tip, and them from the middle toward the nail folds in both sides.

Step 5: Fold the extra part of the sticker down, and then file it off. Work along the line of your nail tip.
Step 6: Pull the excess scraps. Still have an extra sticker part? Repeat steps 5 and 6.

Step 7: Done! Enjoy your quick and easy manicure!

Here is a quick round up off the steps: (click to enlarge)

And a short version of the steps:
1. Bare nails.
2. Pick.
3. Place.
4. Press.
5. File.
6. Pull.
7. Done!

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Glow in the dark nail stickers review

Today what I have for you is a review for some awesome nail stickers from Born Pretty Store! Before I start talking, let's just look at these beauties and appreciate the little something extra they bring with them.

The stickers were quite sheer, and you can notice my nail line on my index finger, but I actually really liked that affect! Also, the stickers are covered with fine glitters, and seem as if you applied a coat of the well known China Glaze fairy dust :)

The stickers come packed in a cartoon like you see below, and this set up is inside an exrta plastic bag, so they make all the way to you nice and safely!

Inside the pack you have 14 stickers, so you can find the right size for you nail beds. Also- are you seeing the strong glow in the dark effect? Even in the dark the image is shown!

My next post will be a tutorial on how to apply those stickers, so stay tuned! In the mid-time, go shopping and make sure to use the coupon code below to get 10% off your order. Along with the free worldwide shipping- it's a sweet deal.

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The road so far

I'm afraid. I fear for my life, and I fear for my feelings even more. I just don't think I'm quite ready for season 9 finale. Season 9 of what? Supernatural, obviously! I'm just not mentally prepared for it, OK?!
My nails are, though!

As my friend put it- Instead of going literal and doing something like angel wings, the mark of Cain or the anti-possession tattoo, I went for- and I'm quoting her- "the deep motive of the show". And she's absolutely right! This show has always been about family, and the two genetically blessed brothers on a road trip, saving people and hunting things, you know, the family business.
Other than that, on my thumb I have yet another lame excuse of writing. "The road so far" is the title that along with "carry on my wayward son" in the background, will bring every fan to tears, thinking about the boy's history.

The base for Dean's baby are water decals* from born pretty store, you can get here. This work like any water decals out there, but since you are going for a full nail here, application can be a bit tricky. I'll suggest that you don't mind you cuticles in the process, and just clean them up later with Acetone or nail polish remover. Don't forget to use top coat on top of it, so it will stay put.

My base color for all of my nails is Wow 350. On my thumb I wrote using Wow 393. The 67' Chavy Impala was drawn using the two polishes above, as well as Life 269 and Chic Diamonds. If you noticed- I added a red dot on the map, using Life strawberry. Guess where the red dot is, just guess!

I'm off to find some salt, because I'm all alone at home and I heard the guitar playing. And I might use it on popcorn while the episode? That might be wise...

*Items were sent for an honest review.

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Q's & Heys!- Nailz Craze

Woohoo! Third time ice cream! And trust me, I have some for you down the line. Today's interviewee is no other then Natalie Bogachov from Nailz Craze blog, and stamping plates line! I originally knew this amazing lady from her Polymer clay and art blog , Plushable, and kinda lost track of her when it closed. About a half a year ago (maybe more?) when I mentioned to Misha (remember her?) I live in Israel, the first thing that came up was Natalie, and soon after my obsession to her art- on nails this time- renewed, and I've been obsessing over her blog ever since.
SO, after this long introduction, it's time for the interview!

To start things off, tell us a bit about yourself.
I'm a creative soul that lives a quiet and non-exciting life. I tend to be obsessed over things that I love like nail polish, cosmetics, food and TV series. Creativity is something that guides me throughout everything I do.

Ice cream nail art from my third interviewee

What is the one nail polish you can wear forever without getting bored of?
Since a classic red is my go-to color, I think it's safe to say I can never get bored with it.

What is your worst nail habit?
My worst nail habit would be using my nails as 'tools' for removing stickers from items or pry things open), which is basically a big no no. But since my nails are pretty hard and don't tend to break, I get away with this crime.

Sorry, didn't I mentioned great swatches? Glitter Gal Transfusion

You are very loyal to your long [amazing] square nails. Is there another shape you want to try? Is there any shape you will stay clear of?
It took me a while to realize exactly what I like and decided to stick with it. I don't really see myself change the shape of my nails drastically, although I've always wanted to try the pointy almond shape on my nails but I'm afraid it might be way too dangerous with this long nails lol. I actually tried it once with false nails and kind of liked it!

Fake almonds for a Lana Del Rey look.

How did you get into nail polish and nail art?
I was always into art and aesthetics, and I don't know how or why, but I suddenly became obsessed with everything mint, and somewhere along the way my pursue after the perfect mint nail color (which was clearly Essie Mind Candy Apple) led me to a crazy nail polish obsession that started about two years ago.

What lead you to start your blog?
I've always liked writing and blogging, sharing my knowledge and experience with others. I actually had an art & crafts blog at an Israeli platform for years, but when my new obsession came along I decided to start a new blog dedicated to nail polish and nail art.

You own a line of indie stamping plates. When, and why, did you decide on creating them?
Not so long ago the range and selection on nail stamping plates wasn't that large and mostly available from big companies like Konad etc. At the time the designs were limited and mostly way too small for girls with long nails such as myself, which was frustrating to use. Being a graphic designer, I started to work on my own stamping plates with unique designs that I thought would help the nail art lovers to create unique and interesting designs. I believe that my brand was one of the first indie nail stamping plates that were out there.

Some plates were just too small. Stamping nail art.

Your plates are very popular among many bloggers - What is your key of success?
I was certainly surprised by how quickly my small indie brand became successful! I think that it was mostly thanks to the unique designs of the plates, which no one offered before, At the time when I created the brand I was a beginner blogger, but the nail art community was so kind, welcoming and enthusiastic about my plates designs, so this just might be the main reason behind the success.

Did you create the plates based on what YOU want on your nails, or based on what others might like? Why?
This is actually something that was difficult for me to define at first, but I believe that eventually I created the designs based on things that I liked and thought would be interesting for others to use as well.

Blue nails art using a Nailz Craze plate

-While your blog is full with quality swatches, your beautiful nail art stand out in the crowd. Where do you get your inspiration from?

I can’t place a finger on a certain blog or style that inspired me, I guess it’s a combination of many things that I saw and liked. There are so many great blogs and sources of inspiration that inspired me along the way. I think that aspiring to something that you see and like is a great way to improve and evolve.

Origami nail art

Do you have a manicure or an achievement you are especially proud of?
That's a very interesting question! I think that my overall blogging skills improved quickly and I was pretty proud of it. I have to admit it's even a bit embarrassing looking at older nail art and swatch photos of mine, but this is also a great reminder that if you put your heart in something that you love you can achieve surprising results.

Tell me- Is this embarrassing? The nail polish that started it all.

What do you want to wish yourself for the future in terms of the nail polish world?
I've never seen myself as that person with high emission, so I just hope to keep on doing what I love and keep sharing my love with others. I would like to believe that this hobby of mine and my blog will be something that I will be keep on going for many more years, and hopefully my readers will keep on enjoying it.

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Mother's Day nail art

Happy Mother's Day everyone! Have you celebrated with your mother today? My mother and I had a movie night on Friday, so I hope it counts!

My mom really dislikes all things makeup and nail polish. She got used to my crazy nails, but you will never catch her with colorful nails. So on today's manicure I used the ONLY nail polish in my stash that my mother is willing to use- Ga-de Angelina. While she uses one coat of it, for a 'yours but better' sort of look, I used 3 coats here, and added some studs, to put a little bit of myself into this nail art.

This gorgeous pastel studs are from Born Pretty Store, and you can get them here (#4). In each wheel you get 3 colors of studs, in 4 different shapes- round, leaf, and small and big squares. While I got the soft pastel, there are also neon wheels, they I might get myself right in time for summer!

The studs held really well, and I applied them with clear polish on the nail, and then stuck them down. I haven't used topcoat on top of it, and it lasted a whole two days before I got it caught in something, and they fell. If you want to buy them, or anything else, you are welcome to use the coupon code below to get 10% off your order.

How about you? Does your mother like nail polish? To you treat her with some nail art?

*Items were sent for an honest review.

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Mother's Day nail art

Happy Mother's Day everyone! Have you celebrated with your mother today? My mother and I had a movie night on Friday, so I hope it counts!

My mom really dislikes all things makeup and nail polish. She got used to my crazy nails, but you will never catch her with colorful nails. So on today's manicure I used the ONLY nail polish in my stash that my mother is willing to use- Ga-de Angelina. While she uses one coat of it, for a 'yours but better' sort of look, I used 3 coats here, and added some studs, to put a little bit of myself into this nail art.

This gorgeous pastel studs are from Born Pretty Store, and you can get them here (#4). In each wheel you get 3 colors of studs, in 4 different shapes- round, leaf, and small and big squares. While I got the soft pastel, there are also neon wheels, they I might get myself right in time for summer!

The studs held really well, and I applied them with clear polish on the nail, and then stuck them down. I haven't used topcoat on top of it, and it lasted a whole two days before I got it caught in something, and they fell. If you want to buy them, or anything else, you are welcome to use the coupon code below to get 10% off your order.

How about you? Does your mother like nail polish? To you treat her with some nail art?

*Items were sent for an honest review.

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The Lacquer Legion: Glam

So, I know I've been a bad blogger lately. Trust me, it hurts me more then it hurts you. But I have managed to get the Lacquer Legion post up in time for you guys, and I have some stuff up my sleeve for very soon [AKA when I'll have the time to sit down and edit the photos.], including a review of some awesome Born Pretty store items!

Anyhow, When I thought of the subject of GLAM, I knew I'm going o do something with glitters and gem shades. So I decided to go with a bright turquoise, and a 3D cube pattern using gold and silver holographic glequins.

My base color is Ga-de Dramatic teal, and the reason that the two accent nails are o bubbly is because I used my thick top coat to smoth out the glequins. I need to find another solution for that!

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Q's and Heys!- Accio Lacquer

The second person to take the interviewee chair and let me dig deep into their soul is Mishka Gillies from Accio Lacquer! Read on to see why her rare nail art is to be way more appreciated, how the two of us connect, and what are some sentimental polishes in her growing stash!

-First of, tell us a bit about yourself, aside from the nail polish.

I'm pretty much the same person in real life that you see on the blog...but more boring. I make really, REALLY bad jokes, I read a lot, get far too emotionally invested in TV shows and films. Pretty average, I suppose.

-How did you get into nail polish?
I started getting into lacquer after my dad passed away, but it real took over when I found out that China Glaze had a Hunger Games collection. I have been obsessed with the books since day one, and the thought of owning polishes inspired by the series got me hotter than Hades!

-What was the first nail polish bottle you've ever owned?
Oh, I represented with my Tinkerbell peel-off polish! My five-year-old self ROCKED that pink magic!

-What is you most precious bottle of polish, the one you'll save in the apocalypse? Why?
A bottle of Sally Hansen Mint Sorbet that my dad bought me when we were in California.

-What is you worst nail-habit?
It's a scary truth. I don't know if I should tell you about the reality that is my right hand. My non-swatch hand rocks nubs so hardcore that, to see it, you would NEVER believe I was a nail blogger. Even when I go out, I don't paint it. Seriously, caveman status. [my remark- That's just me! Minus the nubs...]

-Which nail shape will you never try, and which one you are just building up the courage to change to?
I'm not sure that there's anything I will never try, I just doubt I'll ever stray from my squares. But I LOVE me some almonds!

-Why and when did you start your blog?
I started blogging back in December of 2012. My stash was getting out of control, so I really felt like I needed to start doing something to compensate for how much polish I owned at the time. "See, you can't shame me, nameless friend. I'm a nail blogger. It's totally normal for me to own hundreds of bottles of polish."

From Mishka's first post EVER

-Where do you get inspiration from?
I mainly draw inspiration from all of the books I read, and films and TV shows I watch. I'm a very media-driven person, it would seem.

-Share with us some of your favorite bloggers.
Sooooooo many!!!! I know I'm going to forget some, but my mainstays are:
4Boys1Mom, Adventures and Mishaps in the Land of Polish, Flails & Nails, The Nailasaurus, Chalkboard Nails, Lace & Lacquer, Claw of Cthulhu, Royal Milk Tea, Oh Three Oh Four, The Lacquerologist, Kimber's Lacquer Korner, Paint Those Piggies, The Crumpet, Kat Stays Polished, Globe & Nail

And OF COURSE The Lazy Nail! 

I'm all about humor, great swatches, and nail art. The blogs up above give me all of those things and more. 

-What is your favorite manicure of yours?
I feel like my favorite manicure always changes, but my favorite for right now has to be the one I created using Delena from Fandom Cosmetics.

Delena by Fandom Cosmetics

-Your blogs is flooding with indie brands. Which brand is your favorite?
Oh my glob, you might as well ask me what my favorite thing about George R. R. Martin is!!!! I have a handful of absolute loves, but I don't know that I could name one favorite.

Squire of Trelaine by Incidental Twin

-And here is an even harder choice to make- what is your one and only fandom?
TIMING! I answered the above question without looking at the one below. There's some relevancy happening here. As much as Harry Potter, Doctor Who and all of the others mean to me, A Song of Ice and Fire is at the top of my pyramid. Those books changed me in a way I cannot even describe.

Mishka's collaboration polish inspired by Game of Thrones

-What is your all time favorite gif [or gif set]?
Now there's one that I really don't think I can answer. I am very, very partial to any gif with Dr. Steve Brule, though.

Dr. Steve Brule

-You are well known in the nail art community for your wit, your puns, and your gifs. How does it feel to know that so many people look up to you as a blogger?
Honestly, that part still blows me away. It's incredibly humbling to realize that so many people care. It has absolutely changed my outlook on life. <3

-You take part in many giveaways, and it seems you are quite addicted to them. Why do you love them so much?
That really connects to the above question. The amount of love that I get from my Readers makes me want to share my happiness. I know it sounds completely cheesers, but it's the truth. <3

-Is there a goal in the nail art world that you want to achieve that you haven't already?
Oh lawdy, there will always be goals. Without them, life would be stagnant and boring. My current nail art goal is to become better with my fine paint work. My left hand is my swatch hand, and I'm actually left handed. So training my non-dominant hand to get things done can be tricky at times.

Tartan nail art

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