FOREWORD :
1. How did you first get into making polish?
-- Kind of accidentally really. quite a few years ago I was just playing with some of my existing polishes and I figured I like the idea of making all sort of different combos out of them.
I knew nothing of frankening by that time. I just really enjoyed playing and creating something new.
Sometimes late in 2011 I discovered the first nail polish blog. From there, the way to find out about everything was pretty quick. On March 2012 I started my own blog and met a lot more amazing people from the different nail polish communities on facebook. I also found out first about frankening and then about base and pigments and everything. After a little while I started sending those amazing people some of my little creations as gifts. With time they managed to convince me that my stuff was good enough to sell....
By March 2014 I opened my little shop and the rest is history...
2. What was the inspiration for the name "Superficially Colorful"? Is there a story behind the name?
Oh that was easy. Everyone has always made fun of me playing with nail polish as it was such a superficial hobby. Like, if you spend all your time on beauty, you are shallow and un-intelligent. right? Or that’s what I have been told. So I decided to play along. Nail polish was - is - and will always be my superficial personality side. so might as well make it big, right? Oh, and very colorful! ;-))
And since this was the name of my blog, I just stuck with it as my brand's name as well.
3. What inspires your collections (or where do you look for inspiration)? What inspired your latest collection? Any hints/ideas about upcoming collections?
I get inspiration everywhere! My main source is music. It might sound a little strange but when I listen to some music, I hear it in colors. Or something like that. Hard to explain... =D
But I actually get my inspiration from everything I see and everything I hear and everything I taste... Everything comes in different colors and different finishes...
What inspired my latest collection... hmm... that depends on what you refer to as 'latest'. The last one was Sham-rockin' - a St. Patrick's Day collection that was inspired by, well, St. Patrick's Day. Then there's the collection I am just about to release on April 26. That collection was inspired by some colorful alcoholic cocktails. I also have a collection inspired by one of my most favorite albums by one of my most favorite band - that will be released later this year, probably close to winter due to its colors being dark and pretty "winter-y". and another collection still at work inspired by one of my other hobbies... But I don't want to tell more about them just yet ;-) Mostly because I am not yet sure what I will be releasing when ;-))
4. Do you have a favorite indie maker(s)? Favorite mainstream brand?
-- The mainstream brand is easy. That would probably be China Glaze. But to be honest, I haven't purchased any main stream polish in a while... and I don't really plan on doing so any time soon. Ahhhh..... the indies... they are all just too amazing! I love them so much! There are such amazingly creative ladies out there and I am totally in love with too many indie brands to count! If I really had to just pick one.... it would have been real hard but I suppose it would have been either Elevation Polish or The Nail Junkie. But there really are way too many others that are equally amazing!
5. What are your go-to products for nail/cuticle care?
Easy question: The Nail Junkie's Cutie Balm. I keep a little jar of it in every place I stay! I have one at work, one in the bathroom, one at my bed side, one at my parent's house... everywhere!
Oh and I also really love Girly Bits Smooth Move (Ridge filling and base coat).
6. What are your favorite colors? In general? For summer? For fall?
-- Another easy question: Orange! Orange, orange and orange =D I also like purple and blue, but first of all is orange. It is just this happy color!
7. This may be hard--but which are your 3 favorite creations so far?
eh... yup, a hard question indeed! Well, quite a while ago I created (pretty accidentally really) a textured polish that was also thermal, that changed from red to orange. I called it Tequila Sunset and I think that one was definitely my favorite! However, I had difficulties finding the ingredients to make more of it... Later, one (or several) of my friends decided that the suitable name for it was actually Tequila Sunrise (like the cocktail) and then it became part of the new cocktails collection, but that original polish was / is my favorite.
Another polish that I really liked, but was un-able to recreate yet was actually the very first polish I made from scratch. I called it A Summer Night Attire and it was a medium blue base with several types of gold glitter. Hopefully I will be able to remake it again and then I might even release it... Who knows...?
A 3rd favorite... *sigh* It really is hard to pick... I really like all or at least most of my creations... ok maybe Picklefarts. Because it is somehow referring to a very special group of amazing ladies with a very special meaning to me :-)
8. Do you have any other hobbies? Are you involved with any other clubs, associations, or recreational activities?
Well, no clubs or associations but yet, I have other hobbies =D I love LEGO and I even have a LEGO room in my apartment where I keep tons of those crazy bricks.
I also like graphic designing. I learned it a while back but never got to actually do it professionally. But I enjoy it greatly and I always make myself some new projects. I designed and created my polish boxes and I am really proud of how they came out. Also, I used to have a small business a couple of years ago, for restoration of old photographs. I digitally restored some real treasures! But I had to close the business simply because I am too perfectionist to keep it... I spent about 5 times more time on pictures then I was actually paid for and it became impossible to keep :-(
There's another hobby that is also a bit related to beauty and everything, that I recently even started to learn more thoroughly and I am really hoping to be able to combine it with the nail polish very soon, but I would like to keep it just a little bit of a tease and not say anything more about it at the moment ;-)) Soon I will tell more about it.
9. What is your most favorite thing about being an indie maker? What are some of the challenges? What advice would you give to people considering starting their own brand? Overall, are you happy with your decision to get into the indie polish world?
Well, I get to meet some real amazing people from all over the world! Besides, it is just so much fun! I really enjoy it.
The challenges? well, the hardest thing really is running the shop. People can be very ridiculous at times, impossible even! Thankfully, I have only met some truly amazing and wonderful people so far! But the stories I hear from other makers... well, sometimes I am on the verge of panic on release days...
As for what I would say to anyone who thinks about starting their own brand... well, I think I would rather not say anything.
I have my share of experience and advice but then I see so many girls starting their own "Fund Me" campaigns to collect money to start their own brand and I get so angry that I just don't feel like sharing anything with them!
Many girls think that making nail polish is all about mixing several ingredients and then sell for a bunch of $$. Easy money. And in fact, this can't be farther from the truth!
So instead of bitching about it, I'll just take a step backwards and shut my mouth. :-)
10. Fun facts :
Astrological sign : Gemini. And a very typical one at it! Split personality and all
Favorite comfort food : Chocolate.
Favorite beauty item besides polish : I am not a big fan of beauty products really... I hardly wear any make-up and I hardly ever use anything aside for my shampoo (a local brand with Argan oil) or soap (hand made, cold process)
Favorite fragrance : Lavender and citrus flowers
Favorite vacation destination : ahh... way to many to count! But my vacation this summer is going to be to the US and yes, it is definitely very high on my list! =D
Favorite candy : ehh... too many. Well, maybe the most favorite one (especially since I can hardly get them as they are not common in my country!) would be cadbury eggs or Reeses cups
Favorite celebrity : another hard one. I am not big on celebrities and all that really... I think I would go with Christopher Eccleston who was the 9th Doctor in the Doctor Who's series. He was my most favorite Doctor even though he never really liked the part...
Favorite family member or friend : Favorite family member would be my brother (despite the fact that we are not very close, but he's amazing anyway!) or my aunt (mom's sister - who is also the wittiest, clever and crazy person I know!).
Most recent read : Bound By Flames by Jeaniene Frost. It's the 3rd book in her Night Prince series. If you like vampires fantasies - I would recommend the entire Night huntress series by Jeaniene Frost, which the Night Prince series is part of. But if you don't like that type of reading... well, just forget it! ;-))
Most recent movie you loved : I haven't seen a really good movie in a while... but I recently saw a norwegian mini-series called Øyevitne (eye witness). Although the way it ended was a bit lame and un-reliable, the entire flow was very good!
Favorite TV show and character : Either Game of Thrones with Daenerys Targaryen being my favorite character - or - The Originals with Elijah Mikaelson being my favorite.
If you won a million dollars, first thing you would buy is : *sigh* I would first pay my mortgage off! Only then will I go on a shopping spree... And then I would probably get a plane ticket to the Cosmoprof this year to several friends who won't be able to make it...
So there you have it, my darlings! A little glimpse into the world of Jin of Superficially Colorful!
Remember to get your last entries either through the blog HERE OR on my INSTAGRAM! You can check out some of Jin's creations swatched by me HERE.
As always, I'm thrilled to hear from you, so don't hesitate to leave me your thoughts in the comments section below!
Until next time,
<3
B
Remember to get your last entries either through the blog HERE OR on my INSTAGRAM! You can check out some of Jin's creations swatched by me HERE.
As always, I'm thrilled to hear from you, so don't hesitate to leave me your thoughts in the comments section below!
Until next time,
<3
B
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