Hi Goddesses
Today I am chatting to Carrie from Darling Diva Polish. DDP is a brand that has been around for a little while now, and has always impressed me with its value for money, gorgeous colours, and slightly naughty names!
You can find DDP on Etsy HERE, Llarowe, Mei Mei's Signatures, Edgy Polish, and Le Doux Nuages. Here's Carrie with her shipping department aka Mr Diva :)
Carrie (cos she's lovely) has also give all Crumpeteers a discount code you can use in her shop til the end of the month - just enter CRUMPET15 at checkout :)
What’s your earliest polish memory
That would be spilling it on my dad's new recliner. That didn't work out well for me;)
What was the polish that started it all for you
My first real polish love was I'm Not Really A Waitress Red. My bff jennifer and I used to call it sluttipants red lol
When did it go from enjoyment to full on polishaholic-ness / obsession
You know, I have no idea how I went from a nice little sewing basket full of nail polish to 9 Melmers and a Helmer.
How many polishes do you own
I stopped counting at 1000
If there was a fire and you could save only one polish, what would it be
My Elevation Polish "I <3 Yeti" because I craved it with a passion and Lu made up a bottle just for me:)
Regulus
Which is your favourite brand and why
Indie: Crowstoes, Elevation, ugh way too many to list. So many talented gals out there.
Otherwise I would say Hits, they are pretty diverse and seem to like to shake things up like I do.
Which brand do you own the most of
Indie: Elevation Polish and Crowstoes; otherwise SH and OPI
As a polish wearer, what’s the best tip you’ve picked up along the way
Definitely moisturize. My nails have never looked so good as since I started that.
Do you also have a day job
Yup i work in healthcare regulatory compliance.
Carrie
What prompted you to start making polishes
I wanted a hobby as well as something I could use to help make money for a charitable cause I am involved with.
How difficult is it to get started – what’s involved
I started out super small, just making polish for myself and friends. When I decided to sell it just took off on its own. In the beginning I did not do a lot of research or testing and it bit me in the bottom quick. Time and money are your biggest involvements.
How long did it take from the idea to the first saleable polish
Literally weeks. I made it for myself and showed a photo and people wanted to buy.
How did you decide your brand name
My 3 yo niece Zoey Jane, she is the biggest diva I know:)
What was your vision for your brand
Something for everyone but mostly stuff I would wear. I won't sell something I won't wear myself.
How do you decide where to sell eg Etsy v an e-tailer
Work keeps me super busy, Etsy is an easy venue. They do a lot of the work for you. That's a big plus for me.
Wicked Attraction - my personal fave
What was the first polish you made and did it ever make it to sale
Queen of Hearts, and yes it was a big seller for a while
What’s the proportion of prototypes to saleables – how many make it through the process
Given my stable you would think all my polishes make it to the end lol but they don't. I do have an art background so I am able to think up what I want and make it to completion. The problem is, it's not always as pretty as I wanted. Those come to work here and are given away. Sometimes I make something and right away the ingredients are either discontinued or changed. Those usually go right to 5/$25.
What defines whether a polish makes it through the process – why do some of them “not work”
My question is, would I wear this? if yes then it makes it to sale.
Which polish is your favourite child
I really dont have one.
How do you decide on polish names
music, tv, whatever catches my ear:)
How do you decide on themes for your collections
It's all about what i think might be interesting to the gals out there. I have to be interested as well.
the stunning BJ
How did you “get your name out there”
I have no clue. If you find out tell me?
Can you pinpoint moments where your brand has grown, and what triggered them
I think the relationships with the lovely bloggers has helped the most
What’s your most popular polish and why do you think that is
Ringer and Dangerous Driver by far. I think it's that awesome red to green pigment
Do you get tingles when you see other people post swatches of your polish?
It constantly amazes me.
How did you decide which bloggers to work with – how important is it to pick the “right” blogger, or has it been about getting the most exposure / using many bloggers to spread the word
At first it was about getting the word out. Now it's more about working with people who have similar styles as me and sense of humor goes a long way:)
How do you feel when you see people do nail art with your polish – does it give it a new life or ruin the aesthetics?
I love it! I am so nail art challenged that I am in awe of those that can.
Triple Dog Dare
Where do you see your brand a year from now
Hopefully still around and strong and coming up with new and inventive things!
Whose nails do you wish you had
A lovely customer of mine that I keep telling her she should blog
Whose blog do you wish you had
Honestly none, blogging seems to be a lot of work:)
Which blogger inspires you
As long as they are thoughtful and kind I find something to admire.
Cherubic
Which polish brand do you wish you owned – indie
IDK is it bad to say I'm fine with what I have?
If you were the CEO of one of the major brands, what changes would you make
I'd tell Suzi to knock it off with the names and stop renaming the same polish 20 different times to get us to keep buying:)
What are you proudest of that you’ve achieved as a blogger / polish maker / e-tailer
Honestly it's been my ability to help Basset Buddy Rescue in Wisconsin and the DAV (Disabled American Veterans). We have raised a lot of money for both organizations through polishes that have 100% of the proceeds donated.
So, you’ve been around longer than most indies, how have you seen the market change over the last year?
Just the massive growth in makers. It's been fun to watch.
Where do you create – describe your workspace
Because of some health issues I primarily create in a little space built around my recliner. Luckily I have a ton of space for glitters and pigments.
How do you stay original – how many polishes do you test and then find someone else is doing something similar
It happens all the time. It usually depends on how much I have invested in a color. If i have a gallon of it, its going to be released. If i just have 20 or so bottles, it gets added to the 5/$25 stock.
Let's face it, we all have a holo topcoat, we all have a black and white glitter, we all have (insert popular combination here). At some point it comes down to quality and customer service, both of which I pride myself on.
True Blue
Is there room for so many polish makers
I really think so. We all have something we bring to the table that make people happy.
One of the reasons I bought from you initially is that your prices were so reasonable, and they still are compared to most other indies – why is that?
I'm not going to lie. I do enjoy the money this has brought in BUT I am not going to inflate my prices. I try to buy in bulk to keep my prices down and I am not out to get rich or quit my day job for this. Also, i do run quite a few sales. It may sound odd but this is a really fun hobby for me and that brings satisfaction as well as money which is why I do it to begin with.
Material Girl
I also bought from you cos your polishes had slightly naughty names lol. Has that worked for you or against you?
Sometimes I get messages from people that don't like my names. It's unfortunate but I think they are funny. Apparently a lot of others do too:)
You’ve recently rebranded to gorgeous round bottles – why does that happen, and what is involved in making those sorts of changes
I like the classic round "indie" bottle. They fit well into the melmer/helmer and they aren't fragile.
Love Don't Live Here Anymore
I’ve always found you quite prolific as a polish maker – there always seems to be something new in your store – are you constantly creating / do you think you will move to more defined “collection cycles”
I do both, collections and one offs. I think collections are nice, but sometimes I make something that I think is gorgeous but really doesn't fit anything. I think there is room for both.
If you could only be remembered for one polish you’ve made, which would it be
Home Of The Brave to support the DAV. its not a huge seller but it's worth it.
If you could steal any other indie maker’s polish and claim it as your own, what would it be?
Lol no, as bad as that sounds. there isn't a polish I would suffer that kind of wrath for.
Same question, but for a non-indie brand
same:)
Thank you to Sheila from Pointless Cafe for the use of her photos.
Now, I don't know about you, but I have so much drool, I'm now off to shop!! Enjoy xx :)
