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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
-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.
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.
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.
