EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Molly of SHINESPARK POLISH

FOREWORD : 

Hi there, my darlings! As part of the current indie featured giveaway with Shinespark Polish, I have already posted a review of some of the new brand's creations and from what I gather, you all loved them! Now it's time for an exclusive interview with the maker along side the super exciting giveaway, so people can get a little glimpse into the world of the face behind the brand! How can one get to know a brand without getting to know the maker a little, right? So, I present to you my interview with Molly of Shinespark Polish! Read on for a peek into the woman behind the brand!

1. How did you first get into making polish?
I got into making polish after I started following a thread of ladies who were also as polish-loving as I am. I've always liked nail art, and I can't ever quite seem to find polish in the colors I happen to want, or they're super expensive. In fact, I hadn't even known about indies until I met this group of ladies! After talking with them, I started wondering what exactly went into polish making (I'm a geek like that,) and started researching. Before I knew it, I was ordering supplies to "experiment" with, and even more quickly I had more ideas than I knew what to do with, so I decided to make them and share them!

2. What was the inspiration for the name "Shinespark Polish"?

Shinespark is a combination of things. I am, and have always been, a huge geek. I'm a bookworm, a gamer girl, and as such, I wanted my polish brand to be, at least in some part, a reflection of me and my interests. I love shiny things, I love sparkly things, and as luck would have it, an obscure maneuver in my favorite video game series (Metroid) is referred to as the "shinespark." I thought it was a perfect blend of me, my interest, and the tendency for polish to be glittery!

3. What inspires your collections (or where do you look for inspiration)? What inspired your latest collection? Any hints/ideas about upcoming collections?

My brain? I don't really know. Initially, I wanted bright. Neons seem to be big, but every time I see them, they appear a little muted. I wanted fluorescent neon colors. I started working on what will now actually be my second collection, the 80's Neons creme collection, but a few weeks before my planned launch, ran into a problem with one of the formula ingredients. Still wanting bright, I decided to fast forward a decade to Lisa Frank stuff. You know, those super bright stickers, folders, and such that have the adorable characters like Ballerina Bunnies, and Hollywood Bear! I started playing and ended up with my 90's Kids collection, a set of 6 neonish jelly polishes!

As for hints and ideas of upcoming collections, on April 1st, I released three beautiful multichromes, as well as introduced the Mystery Glitter Minis! I will also be releasing a large collection on April 29th in time for summer, that was made with the warm and the sun in mind! It's called, "The Light, the Heat," and consists of 5 photochromic (sun-changing) polishes that go from a muted color, to a much more vibrant, bright color in direct sun! I love these especially, as they are particularly suitable for those who have more conservative office workplaces that only allow muted colors: you can still express yourself in polish, and let it pop in the sun! The other 5 are, as the name suggests, thermochroic (thermals,) and will also be complimentary in color to the photochromes for those wishing to combine the two in interesting nail art! The collection will be available in full sets of 10, sets of 5 (one for each type), or individually, in both full size and minis. Full sets of 10 will be sold for $70 and $32.50 for minis, while the half-sets will be going for $37 and $17.25. I will also be releasing a glitter bomb called "Independence" which is a combination of two sizes of red metallic hex glitters, two sizes of navy blue holo hex glitters, and white star glitters in a clear base. This one is particularly special to me, as it was made in honor of my fiance, who served in the Marines, and who also named the polish!

4. Do you have a favorite indie maker(s)? Favorite mainstream brand? 

I can't say I have a favorite indie. There are a LOT of awesome indie makers, and there is a plethora of amazing options out there from the different lines! From mainstream, I really like Zoya the best. I like knowing that it started small and grew from there.

5. What are your go-to products for nail/cuticle care?

I actually just ordered some cuticle oil to try, but I can't remember what it is or where it came from at the moment! Sorry! Normally, I just use olive oil as a cuticle oil, and that's it.

6. What are your favorite colors? In general? For summer? For fall?

I love pretty much all colors except chartreuse and puce. I tend to gravitate to anything sparkly or shimmery though, polish-wise. I love pinks and greens, and metallics. In the summer, I tend to go for whatever happens to match my clothes, typically blues and purples. In the fall and winter, I go more for holiday and season-related colors: coppers, oranges, green, red, blue, white, silver, etc. I love the look of nontraditional french tips of me, as I have short, thick fingers, and the look tends to elongate them a bit.

7. This may be hard--but which are your 3 favorite creations so far? 

This is difficult! So far, I think my favorite creations are my 90's Kids collection (that counts as one, right?), Magento, and Silence Surprise. If the collection doesn't count as one, then I'd say the third would be my 80's Fun glitter bomb polish. It reminds me so much of my childhood in the colors: I remember I used to wear aqua and hot pink socks, cuffed so you saw both colors, and I had a white bike that was splatter painted in the pink, aqua and yellow scheme. So yeah, it's definitely a piece of my childhood memory in a bottle! Oh, and the blue holo because...well, because it's sparkly!

8. Do you have any other hobbies? Are you involved with any other clubs, associations, or recreational activities? 

Years ago, I used to do cosplay. Yes, I am that geek! Now though, I'm focused more on my family and those close to me. I'm somewhat of a homebody, and I'm working on my Master's degree in Educational Psychology, with the intent to teach college courses online. I like to create things, and I play video games, of course, including one MMORPG, MapleStory.

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? 

I love the creative freedom, and being able to decide how I want the business to run. I've run another person's business for them before, and while that was okay, it's really nice having the control over all the details. I'm very much a perfectionist, so I do a lot of testing before I just put something out there. Challenge-wise, is learning what translates from thought and paper, to reality. There are some combinations of colors, pigments, and materials that just don't work the way you'd hoped, and you have to figure out another way to do things. Sometimes, a great idea that you were totally psyched about, turns out to be nearly, if not totally, impossible, and needs to be abandoned, and you have to be flexible enough to realize that and accept it.

To those considering starting their own brand, ask yourself this: Do I have the capital for the initial investment? Am I organized enough for this? How am I going to store all the supplies (and they take more room than you'd think!) and completed bottles? How big do I want to start out? Who is going to swatch for me, and are they reputable? Most importantly, you need to ask yourself (both before and after you've played with making samples,): Is this something that I am going to still enjoy doing 5 years from now, if it turns out to be successful, and am I willing to devote the time and energy to put out regular collections every 2-3 months?

I am absolutely thrilled with my decision. I have always loved art, and I took every painting course I could in school. I love mixing the colors, seeing how things work together (or not!) and seeing what I can come up with next!

10. Fun facts :

Astrological sign :  Sagittarius

Favorite comfort food : Oh, difficult! I love lots of things but for "comfort food," probably chicken!

Favorite beauty item besides polish : I love eyeshadow and mascara. No idea why. Oh, and under-eye concealer, because I have permanent dark circles.  

Favorite fragrance : CK Obsession. I love the scent, and it's one of the only perfumes I'm not allergic to!

Favorite vacation destination : FLORIDA! I love Disney and Harry Potter World! (Okay, Universal, but who cares about the rest of it, except maybe the Minions?)

Favorite candy : Runts and Jolly Ranchers. I'm not a huge chocolate eater, unless it's either Reisens, Ferrero Rocher, or Lindt.

Favorite celebrity : I don't really think I have one!

Favorite family member or friend (you can pick one of each) : My brother and my fiance! The two most important (living) people in my life!

Most recent read : I'm currently reading The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey, for probably the millionth time. I love her Pern series!

Most recent movie you loved : Maleficent! It was amazing, and I loved seeing everything from Maleficent's point of view!

Favorite TV show and character : Dr. Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds! Soooo socially awkward, and I 100% relate!

If you won a million dollars, first thing you would buy is : After paying bills off? I'd probably pre-pay the rest of my education, so the rates were locked in! Wow, that's kinda boring, isn't it? LOL!

So there you have it, my darlings! A little glimpse into the world of Molly of Shinespark Polish!


Remember to get your last entries either through the blog HERE OR on my INSTAGRAM! You can check out all Molly's creations 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