Q&A with Lynda Glorioso
*Owner and Operator of Creations By Lynda
*Polish Maker
*Author
*Photographer
*So much more...
Read on to find out more.
Several months ago I came across Lynda's nail page, The Nail Files By Lynda. Shortly after I had seen a post asking for bloggers interested in being part of a group to review polishes from her then new line, Creations By Lynda. I was rather new to blogging, and still am, and figured I had nothing to lose by filling out the application to become a blogger for Lynda. Surprisingly, I was accepted. Since then I have been randomly review polishes from her and have gotten to know her pretty well just through chatting.
Lynda is an amazingly sweet person and is very talented in everything she does. A couple weeks ago I had asked if she would be interested in doing this Q&A, and sure enough she agreed. I finally got around to sending her the questions, and just like normal she was very quick to respond with her answers. Below is how it went.
Lets start off with telling a little about yourself.
I'm a Louisiana native and currently live about twenty minutes from New Orleans which is the city I was born in.
I am by most standards considered a "geek girl." I do enjoy Renaissance Faires, Comic Con, etc. I'm a bit of a mix between a tomboy and a girly girl I guess. I don't wear a lot of makeup although I do like it now and then. I don't like dresses (unless it's a costume) or heels but I do love nail polish. I think it's more about the color than anything. I love color and I've done my own nails since I was old enough to paint them.
I'm a creativity junkie. I'm always trying new things. For me creative expression is a necessity. It is a big part of who I am and it’s something that truly makes me happy.
Aside from my passion for creating things I am also an animal lover. Especially cats! I have two cats currently. Up until about three weeks ago I had three. I had to let my oldest cat Calypso go due to cancer. It was a very difficult thing for me to do, but I didn't want her to suffer any more than she already had. As part of a memorial to her I created my Kittae Trio which is three polishes including one inspired by and named after her. The other two were of course inspired by and named after my other cats. I couldn't do just one cat. I had to do all three. Also a more prominent memorial can be found in my new logo. I used one of Calypso's photos to create a silhouette. That is now the highlight of my new logo.
I have volunteered at a few no kill shelters and even went as far as to study vet assistant in school. I also studied business management and public relations. At least the last two of those is getting put to use. lol
If I ever have any free time I am also really into photography and writing. I have one novel published and others in the works. I’m also a big movie and music fan. Music has always been a big part of my life. Most people don't know this but for a few years I was even involved in doing PR for some indie bands. I love all sorts of movies but I'm especially fond of musicals, or anything related to fantasy, medieval times or mythology.
What was the very first item you started selling?
Photography art prints. I actually was selling those before I opened my shop. After I opened my shop up however that answer would be my soy candles. I actually got the idea by reading something on Pinterest about making your own candles for emergencies. I loved the thought of making my own candles so much that I started researching it more thoroughly. Eventually I started making them to sell. Over time I added in soaps, and other items including the polish.
(Haunted Arch)
Photo used with permission from Creations By Lynda site.
Where do you find inspiration when making your polishes?
Most of my polish sets have themes because they are inspired by something, or someone. I draw inspiration from music, movies, TV shows, my friends, books, animals/pets, nature, things I see around me. Pretty much everywhere! Fortunately I have no lack of inspiration or ideas. Sometimes more than I can handle. There are times when I have trouble sleeping due to ideas flooding my head. I have to get up and write them down before I’m able to sleep. lol
The above is so true that at one point she had a polish available called 4am, which has since been retired. The name came from joking about her being up until 4am making polishes.
Which item that you sell is your favorite to make?
That's really tough to answer because I enjoy it all for different reasons. I love making the polish because I get to come up with all sorts of new combinations. I also really like making soaps and candles because it makes the entire place smell amazing. lol I think if I had to pick though it would be the polish. It allows me to really utilize my creative skills.
(Fleur De Lis soap available in many scents.)
Photo used with permission from Creations By Lynda Facebook page.
I recently got to work with you on a custom polish. Can you explain the experience a customer would have when coming to you for a custom polish?
Whenever a customer contacts me for a custom polish I start off by asking them a few questions about what they would like the polish to be like. I ask about colors they want, if they want the polish to represent anything and also if they have any photos they feel represent what they want. I will also ask if they have a preference to type of polish. ie: Holographic, glitter, crelly, jelly, etc. If they want anything with glitter in it I'll find out if they have a preference to type or if there are any they don't want me to use. These questions may vary a bit depending on the person. Once all that is out of the way I'm able to visualize ideas on what I can do for them. I'll share photos of various glitters, pigment colors etc. as it relates to their polish. They get full say in it. So if I show them something and they hate it, I won't use it. If I show them two types of glitter for example and they like one better than the other then the one they pick is what gets used. I do however make suggestions with this. If I know something is not going to work in a polish I will mention it. For instance if they want dark glitter in a dark opaque polish I feel it's important to let them know that the glitter may not show up. So basically it's a process of a few questions, me giving them my ideas, their feedback and my suggestions and guidance. Once it's all sorted I mix up a tester, take a few photos and let them see it. If they like it I package it up and send it to them. If not I will try a different approach. However if I have to make several different testers a small fee may be added. This however has never happened. Everyone I've made a custom for so far has loved the first one because I take much care to ensure that they know everything that is going into it and all the details before I make the polish.
(A set of custom polishes Lynda recently did.)
Photo used with permission from Creations By Lynda Facebook page.
When working with Lynda on my custom polish, I had complete say in everything. I was sent pictures of different glitter and was able to choose exactly what I wanted. The polish turned out just how I wanted and pictured it. That polish will be its own post sometime soon. One of the above polishes is the one I helped create. You'll have to wait for that post to find out which one.
Anything exciting coming up with Creations By Lynda that you would care to share?
My holiday polish line will be out the first of next month, as well as my new mini cork glitter bottles. The glitter bottles feature glitters used in various polishes I sell. They are going to be sold as keyrings and necklaces and come with a little cat charm. You can also expect to see at least one limited edition polish released on Nov. 1st. I always have something new cooking! Even now I'm working on new releases for next year.
You will want to stay tuned to Creations By Lynda for upcoming releases. Lynda has a ton of cool things planned, even for the coming year. All of Lynda's links can be found below. I highly recommend following her everywhere that is available.
Where you can find Lynda:
