My second Indie Dossier features one of the companies I use literally everyday! Gem Glam Top Coat is the only top coat I've used since I discovered it! I asked Vanessa if I could feature her and she was kind enough to accept! Don't forget, you can win a Dream Polish gift set in my Naughty or Nice Giveaway!
How did you get into the polish business?
I have loved nail polish ever since I can remember! And I love all things crafty. When I found out people make their own nail polish, I was sold. I KNEW that somehow, some way I had to be involved. All my life, I have been searching for a job I can enjoy, and it was like a light bulb went off in my head. This was definitely it! Something I can use all of my skills and talents doing, from science to crafting to marketing to customer service. I get to express myself through all these outlets AND help others achieve a great manicure! It's the most amazing feeling ever!
Did you know right away you wanted to open a shop?
Dream Polish was kind of a happy accident. A little over a year ago, I really wanted to make my own polishes and colors. However, I was very intimidated by the hundreds of established indie brands out there. Like, what do I have to offer that they don't already? There were already so many awesome and beautiful choices. One day I stumbled on a how-to article for scented nail polish, and the idea snowballed from there! But instead of scented colors, I chose to do scented top and base coats so you could have the option for any color. Also you can combine scents to make your own fun and unique fragrance creations. Science and Chemistry have always been my best subjects. The nail care aspect went seamlessly with this idea, and I have a lot of experience in the natural body care industry as well. Both from purchasing for a HABA department of a health food co-operative, and creating my own products.
How long did it take you to organize?
I got the idea in January of 2014. I was a little overwhelmed at what I wanted to take on, but I spent a couple months on the sidelines. I interacted, observed and made friends in the indie nail world both locally her in Phoenix, and online. Then I spent a couple more months beta testing with a team of 8 nail lovers that I knew personally from all over the country. I trusted their opinions and results. A couple products never saw production but new ones were born and I opened shop on Summer Solstice, June 21, 2014. As you may already know, I'm a bit of a whimsical hippie inside! With a modern, funky twist.
What was the biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge always is formulation! Getting the products the perfect consistency. Constant and continuous beta testing and quality control. Making sure a scent is not too weak or strong. Whether it be for a product or scent, when you are working in small batches they can be very fickle! Or when I think of a scent that I think will be fabulous but when the ingredients arrive, it's a totally different story! That's another one, making mistakes. I had to be OK not just with making mistakes, but learning from them and making it a positive experience. Public failure is a hard lesson to share!
How did chose your brand's name?
I thought of a lot of cool names, but they all sounded more like polish colors then a company name. Then I thought about what I was offering, and what I wanted to do for my customers. Another light bulb went off! Dream Polish. I wanted to make using polish and doing manicures a dream. The top coats, base coats and cuticle care aspect was so boring to me. I was always so anxious to just get the color on my nail. What could I do to make that aspect more exciting? What don't most people like about regular polish manicures? They smell bad. Too many chemicals. Slow dry time. Sloppy results. Animal testing. The list goes on, but I wanted to communicate with my company name that we can change all that for you!
How do you formulate your product and chose which scents you'll offer?
In the beginning, I tested out dozens of bases and products available in the market. I found those that were closest to what I wanted, and manipulated them with individual ingredients to make the actual product base. As far as scents go, I have several suppliers that I use for the fragrances. Some are fragrance oils and some are essential oils. Sometimes a scent is made up of just one carefully selected ingredient, and others are custom blends that I have made myself. In the beginning, I chose scents I liked and that my beta testers approved of. My most recent collection, the Winter Treats Trio, was 100% based off of customer requests. I will continue to do a combination of both! Do you have a favorite scent? It depends on the product! To this date, I haven't released a scent I wouldn't wear myself. So in theory I like them all. But after a long day of custom scenting a couple dozen orders, I don't like any of them!!! For top coat, Pink Sugar is the most popular, followed by LE Candy Cane ant LE Hot Cocoa. I love Peach cuticle oil and base coats. And my favorite balm right now is LE Candy Cane.
What are some of your other favorite indie brands?
It's rare that I come across an indie that I don't like!!! Loaded Lacquer was really neat to watch evolve, and Heather inspired my dream of owning my own line. Some of my personal favorites are Candied Apple Polish, Heather's Hues, Nails Redesigned, and anything from Lacquer Chic Shop. Forever Polished has some really great products, and Mango Bunny Polish is a newbie that I am obsessed with! I have gotten great polishes from Digital Nails, KB Shimmer, and Polish My Life too. I am excited to try Lavish Polish and Beyond the Nail. I hear Santa might be dropping a few of those indies in my stocking!
Where do you see your brand in a year? 3? 5?
I just had my 5 month anniversary, and I can't believe how far I've come. In the next year, I definitely plan to continue offering more products and exclusive scents. I love collaborating with other indie nail and body care companies as well, so you can definitely expect to see more unique offerings of that sort. In 3 years or 5 years, I want to be available all over the world! I plan on staying in the forefront of the industry, and continue to enhance the overall manicure experience. For both home and salon manicures. I'm very excited to see where this journey takes us all!
