GETTING TO KNOW.....VAMPY VARNISH

Wow, it's been a long time since I have done one of these, huh?! Today I bring to you Kelly from Vampy Varnish. Kelly's website is really great about bring swatches of brand new collections for us all to ohhh and ahhh over. She is also good about bringing otherwise unknown (at least to me) brands to my attention.

1. How or why did you start your blog?

I started Vampy Varnish because I needed a creative outlet outside of work. I love writing, taking photos and nail polish so I combined the three and came up with Vampy Varnish!

2. How did you come up with the name for your blog?

Well I have always loved the so called "vampy" colors (dark ones) the best and I love the word varnish because it's so British sounding, so I put them together. I also love that they both start with the same letter so I can use "VV". Yes, I am a word nerd :)

3. How many bottles of NP do you own?

Currently I am at around 900!

4. How do you store you NP?

I have large 4 drawer rolling plastic carts from Target that I use. I have 3 of them almost completely full now and they are kept in the hubbie's closet ;-)

5. What’s the most you have ever paid for a bottle of NP and was it worth it?

Oh man I am sickened to say this but...$36 bucks (not including shipping) for a bottle of OPI Rainforest Green on eBay. What can I say, I just needed to possess it!


6. How much would you say you spend on NP a month?

I think I probably spend about $100 bucks on average.


7. How do you feel about fake nails?

Not a fan. I can say this with authority because I was sucked into acrylic nails for probably 8 years or so back in my 20's. The main reason I got them was because polish would NOT stay on my nails longer than a day without chipping unless I had acrylic. My main problem with acrylics (and gels, silk wraps, etc.) is that they ALWAYS look fake. No matter how short or thin they may be, they just look like fake nails and that's just not flattering on anyone.


8. If you had to get rid of all your NP and could only keep 5 bottles, which ones would you choose? (It has to NP you already own)

China Glaze Wagon Trail, OPI Ink, OPI Who Are You Wearing?, LA Girl Rockstar and OPI You Don't Know Jacques!


9. Do you Franken your own NP?

You know I never have but I really would like to try! I need some empty bottles first, I don't think I have ever gone through a whole bottle before!


10. What is your favorite brand of NP and why?

This is the hardest question here! I am going to go with OPI and here is why: They have a huge range of colors, the formula on most of them is pretty great, they are easy to find and are relatively inexpensive. I love that they are venturing into edgier colors now and away from the constant flow of reds pinks and nudes. Some of my fav polishes ever are OPI's so I guess that makes them #1 in my book.


11. What is the best NP advice/tip/trick you have ever gotten?

I once read that it's easier to file and shape your nails when you already have nail polish on because you can see the tip and shape better. It's SO true. I always file my nails now with color on. Also I only use glass nail files, they totally rock because they are less harsh on the nail, you get less snags and (unless you break them) they last forever!

12. Where do you live?

Bay Area, CA


13. What do you do for a living?

I'm an Executive Assistant at a large Biotech company


14. Do you have a significant other and/or any kids?

I am married with an 11 year old step-daughter, 3 furry cats and 1 sweet old dog


15. What other hobbies do you have?

I read a ton, whether it's books (Kindle or paper), magazines or blogs. I am a TV freak (fav shows include 30 Rock, The Office, Better Off Ted, Rescue Me, True Blood, The Tudors, Damages, CSI, Law & Order, Gossip Girl, I could go on forever...) I love taking photos and am getting really into photography lately. Also I'm not only into nail polish, I'm a makeup freak in general since I started wearing it at age 13. I have a pretty large collection of MAC and other brands. Oh I also love baking and am especially a HUGE cupcake fanatic!


16. What is your favorite food?

Italian food gets me every time. Deep down I'm an old woman from Sicily :)


17. What is your best memory?

I would have to say my wedding day. I got married just over two years ago on the beach at sunset in Hawaii. It was a long time coming and it was fabulous!


18. What is your best and worst quality?

Best quality is I have an eagle eye for spelling errors all over the place; books, menus, signs, websites, etc. Worst quality is I tend to get caught up in smaller details sometimes not seeing the larger picture


19. If you could spend a day with anyone, who would it be and why?

Heather Armstrong from Dooce.com. I totally love her! She is an amazingly talented (and hugely successful) blogger/writer and photographer. I would love to pick her brain and find out what makes her tick. Oh and I would also love to meet her dog Chuck :)


20. What is something about you that most people don’t know?

When I was ages 10-13 I ice skated a lot. I'm talking I took classes 3-4 days a week from various different types of skating teachers. I didn't even have to taken PE in school because I skated so much! I wanted to be in the Olympics, but then I turned into a teenager and gave it all up

Thank you so much Kelly for taking the time to answer all these questions!