Indie Dossier: Candied Apple Polish

 Alison from Candied Apple Polish is one busy lady, but I managed to steal some time away from her to sit down and be the subject of m first Indie Dossier!

 How did you get into polish mixology?

When my husband was deployed last year I started painting my nails. It was so relaxing for me and was a sort of "Deployment Therapy" for me. I had never really even painted my nails before this and I only owned (gasp) 4 bottles of polish. Starting to buy more polish and having so much fun with nail art really inspired me to want to create my own!

Did you know right away you wanted to open a shop?

I started mixing and creating with the idea that I would open a shop eventually! I experimented and let my family and friends test my products for several months. When I was happy with the end result I opened up my store.

 

What was the biggest challenge?

I would say that the biggest challenge for me was probably things that weren't even about the actual polish. Just figuring out the most efficient way to ship things and wanting to make sure that I had good quality labels, bottles, brushes. There are so many little things that go into it that I hadn't thought of at the very beginning when I was just mixing.

 

How did chose your brand's name?

My brand name came from a lot of brainstorming sessions with my sister. I am originally from Western New York where apples are very prevalent. I really wanted my brand to represent the core of me so I just knew I had to include "apple" in the name. When we came up with this, it just seemed right!

 

What's your process when designing a new polish? Do you just throw stuff together or start from an idea?

This is different every time. A lot of times color combinations come to me when I am laying in bed. I am constantly making notes to myself to try things out in the morning. Sometimes I am inspired by very specific things. For example- "Warm Georgia Breeze" This is a polish that is very special to me because it embodies everything that I love about Georgia. I am an Army wife so I move quite frequently. This makes for fantastic adventures but also means that I miss a lot of places that I once called home. I wanted to make a polish that was a tribute to Georgia. The warmth, the peaches, the ocean and sand. All of the good things I left behind. Some other polishes just come from colors I love together and then the name comes later.

 

Do you have a favorite polish you've ever made?

This is always a hard question for me. I love them all so much! It is always changing as well, because I create new things and then they are my favorite :) Some of my very favorites are- "Dreams of the Tamarin" "Dreams of the Lorikeet" "Midnight Sprinkles" "Burnt Raspberry" "Brightest Light" and "Lilac Fizz." I could list things all day though lol!

 

What are some of your other favorite indie brands?

I don't think that it is any secret that my all time favorite Indie is my duo partner in crime, Jessica of Drip Drop Nailpaint. Flawless formula and so much creativity. Things I would never think to combine. That is definitely one thing that I love so much about Indies, so much of our own unique personalities goes into what we create. It's amazing to see.

My other favorite indies are Polish by Jessica Jean (always craving more beautiful "frostings"), Shop Eighty4, and Noodles Nailpolish. All of these brands are created by wonderful, kind ladies who I am so happy to support.

I just love indies though so this list could also go on and on! So many talented, creative ladies out there!

 

Where do you see CAP in a year? 3? 5?

I just want to continue to have fun! I have been overwhelmed by the amazing outpouring of kindness and support I have received since my shop has been open. This was a journey I started not really knowing if anyone would even buy anything! It has exceeded my expectations and I am just so grateful for this. As long as I can keep sharing what I love with all of you, that is what I want to focus on for the future :) You all make it worth it and I am so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life!