Spring Trends and Starting a Small Business

Starting a small business is scary.

So why did I do it?

At the time, my mental and physical health was declining. Every weekend I was working and my schedule was all over the place, I had been in the same industry for over a decade, and I was ready for something different. Then COVID hit and my priorities shifted. I didn’t want work to be my life and it wasn’t fulfilling me anymore. Time with loved ones and the small things that brought me joy became nonnegotiable.

Once I got a taste of that slower, more intentional life, I knew something had to change. That’s when I started thinking about an exit plan. What else could I do? I worked some odd jobs for a bit. Mostly temp work because I wasn’t ready for a huge commitment. Somewhere along the way, painting my nails became my saving grace and connecting with the community became a bright spot during some dark days. It was a little way of taking care of myself. I was already completely fascinated with color from working in the beauty industry for so long. Hearing brand stories and learning about formulas always intrigued me, and eventually I discovered indie polish.

No one really prepares you for what it takes to start a business. It’s long nights, constant research, endless trial and error. You become obsessive about every detail. Work-life balance? It doesn’t really exist. I’m still learning to set boundaries and remind myself that not everything needs to be answered immediately. It can wait until morning. And one of the hardest lessons: you can’t please everyone.

From the beginning, I knew I wanted to create wearable shades but with a little Monique flare. I have always been heavily inspired by vintage colors. I knew I wanted a brand with thoughtful undertones that flatter a wide range of people. I also knew I didn’t want to box myself into one polish finish either. Growth is part of the process. Range is important. Tastes change. I used to hate jelly polishes and now they’re some of my favorites and something we’ve become known for.

Our first launch? Total flop. We made way more product than we could sell and ended up giving away a ton of nail polish just to get our name out there. Looking back, I would have started way smaller. That first launch taught us a lot, including how quickly resources like bottles can become a limitation.

And the cost? Astronomical. Whatever you think you need to start a business you need more. Between minimum order quantities, customizations and marketing, the sticker shock is real. We took out loans, maxed out credit cards, and worked countless hours at our day jobs just to keep things afloat. We were in the red for a long time. But once we started gaining traction, I knew I couldn’t keep doing both. My husband continued working during the day to support the dream while I chased it. We stayed up until 2 or 3 in the morning constantly. We worked every weekend to keep things moving.

This all started in my tiny two-bedroom apartment. When we started there weren’t many resources on how to actually make nail polish, so I had to dig deep. I joined every Facebook group I could find, talked to other makers, reached out to suppliers, and slowly started experimenting.

Figuring out ratios, how to mix pigments, testing formulas, naming shades, branding, designing everything, it genuinely took over my life. But in the best way. I could feel the passion growing and for the first time, I thought “wait… I can actually do this.”

I couldn’t have done it without my support system. Friends and family showed up in the biggest ways. Folding boxes while watching TV at home, giving up weekends for packing orders, screwing on caps by hand in exchange for pizza and good company. Eventually, our apartment was overflowing with polish. Cabinets, shelves, everywhere. I needed my home back! That’s when I knew it had to become more than a hobby. It got to the point where we couldn’t keep up and I convinced my husband to quit his day job too.

Finding suppliers was its own nightmare. My biggest advice: always do your research, always test samples, and never assume consistency. We tested everything: bottles, brushes, pigments, bases. I’ve had logos fade off, pigments misbehave, glitters sink, brushes fall apart, and suppliers send completely different products than promised. You learn quickly to expect the unexpected and be ready to adjust quickly.

We found our first workspace in a random strip mall. It wasn’t glamorous. It was tiny, no natural light, needed a major deep clean, but it was ours. We unloaded shipments by hand in the middle of the street because there was no loading dock, no bay door, just road and sidewalk. It was chaos but we made it work.

And then… we grew. We reached a point where we were stacking inventory on top of other inventory. Renting a large storage unit didn't give us enough space. We needed help. We convinced some friends to take a chance and work for us but hiring people made it clear we needed more space. It made me want to work even harder.  Now, not only our own, but other people’s livelihoods depend on the success of this business. It’s a scary feeling. We ended up finding a new location not too far away, leased by a family-owned business that welcomed us with open arms. They even helped us build out a proper mixing room with real ventilation and filtering. Now, sometimes I just sit in the warehouse and take it all in. It’s wild to think about where we started.

As I write this, I’m in our office area with a team out front packing orders from our latest launch. That feeling never gets old. Looking back at everything it took to get here, the risks, the exhaustion, the uncertainty, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’m endlessly grateful. To our supporters, our community, our cronies you made this possible. You’ve given me the chance to live my dream and create something that truly fills my cup.

And we’re just getting started. Thank you for being here.

Affiliate Spotlight

@itsglosstheory

Spring Trends

Butter on everything and everyone! 

Pale yellow can be scary, I get it. This shade makes its way into rotation every year. But, here me out, sometimes white is too stark and you feel like you've just painted white-out on your nails. And bright sunshine yellow is hard to pull off when we aren't quite in summer days yet. Having the perfect muted Butter tone gives an elevated feel. Think of it like a delicious custard gracing you nails. It's fresh and fluffy.

Green is life, green is air, green is everywhere.

Your plants start to grow, your grass comes alive and something about visiting a local nursery brings you joy. Berried Juniper was inspired by plants and is the perfect soft, earthy, and refreshing green to wear this spring. We are seeing this shade all over the runway this season. From lightweight jackets to camo pants and flowy skirts even if you aren't into fashion like myself you can rock this modern green. 

Twiggy Blue is a soft, creamy tone makes it wearable while still feeling playful and fun. This is the perfect baby blue for a whimsical, youthful manicure this spring, When you are wanting something dreamy but not too loud. There is something refreshing about this hue.

Gentle purples for a more romantic vibe this spring. The cool kids on the internet are calling it cloud purple. Something about Lavender Chai is ethereal. It blends cool lavender hues with a whisper of chai-inspired warmth, this shade just brings you a splash of comfort to your nail game and its such an easy throw and go color you don't have to think about. 

Why use a top coat?

Top coat is a critical step in any polish application. It locks in your manicure. Helps prevent chipping and speeds up your drying time. Think of it as a little glossy shield for your nails. It smooths out any paint imperfection and helps keep your color from fading or yellowing. Overall it gives you a finished plump look. 

Our Quick Dry Top Coat was formulated to have high shine and dry quick without shrinkage. It is toluene free and great to use with your existing polishes. 

How to use: apply a generous amount with light pressure from cuticle to tip after your color has dried. Pro tip: cap the edge to help prevent moisture and dirt from entering, which causes lifting and premature chipping.