M Mentality Nail Polish [Indie Guide Project]

Hi Girls & Boys!

I'm so happy to be back with another Indie Brand !
Today I'm presenting you Hillary and Danny, the makers of Mentality Polishes !

Olá meninas & Meninos !!

Estou super feliz por hoje vos trazer mais uma marca Indie !
Hoje Apresento-vos a Hillary e o Danny, o casal por detras dos Mentality!

* * *

For those who don't know what I am talking about (Follow me through Facebook to know a lot more!) I am making an Indie Guide A-Z! This will be a huge project and a enormous pleasure to do! So .. what am I going to do? Everyday, I'm going to show you a different brand of Indie Nail Polishes (and some of their major stockists too!! )

* * *

Your Name: Hillary and Danny (husband and wife team, Danny does most of the product development and mixing, Hillary does most of the PR, advertising and swatching, though we collaborate frequently on all aspects of Mentality)

Brand Name: Mentality Nail Polish

Where are you from? Currently located in Modesto, California, just on the other side of the mountains from San Francisco

When have you started? We opened our shop for business in October 2012, but have been in the research, development, and testing phase for many months leading up to our opening.

Is there a story behind the name of your brand? Mentality is a state of mind. We wanted the name of our company to be something special and the name that we came up with matched with who we are as people. Each of our polishes are named after some part of the human experience.

How many polishes/collections have you created? We currently stock 42 different colors in 6 collections, ranging from pigmented metallic and holographic polishes to microglitters, as well as top coats to enhance the rest of our line. We have created many more than that, but only a selection have passed all tests and been themed into a collection.

Swatches (l to r): Prim, Proper, Refined, Dapper, Demure

Is there a special polish/collection? Why? My husband creates most of our polishes. All of our collections began as a particular request for a certain color and effect combination. Danny developed full collections themed to go along with the original color. I have my favorites from each collection, but I would not say that any particular collection is special. They are all special. And because they began as requested colors, each collection has been extensively tested for quality, wear, application, and longevity before it is released to the store.

Where you a polish addicted before starting making polishes? Absolutely. I spend my childhood and juvenile years as an avid nail biter. The only thing that would make me stop was painting my nails. As long as I had a layer of polish on, I wouldn't bite. After I graduated high school, I was able to grow my nails out and ventured more into nail art. Almost a year ago, a good friend of mine (Jamie at Nails Adored) introduced me to the nail polish community. I never knew there were so many polishes out there! I was intrigued by the indie community, but rarely bought because of irregular restocks, cart jacking, and high prices. I learned how to make nail polish and my husband showed interest in the process. He began creating colors for me. We decided to start our own line to share our creations, and set out to create a store that would always have product in stock at affordable prices so that everyone could have a chance at enjoying our polish without having to fight for it.

Did you have a blog before making polishes or have you started one after? Mentality Nail Polish does have a blog, though we do not update it regularly. Our Facebook page is the best way to keep up with swatches, nail art, updates, and new releases for Mentality.

The mattes (clockwise L to R) - Cantankerous, Splenetic, Malevolent, Antisocial, Agitated, Irritable, Belligerent, Surly, Intense, Ornery, and Moody.

Whats your favorite thing about making polishes? For this question, I partially defer to my husband Danny, who does a majority of the manufacturing and development of the polishes:

“Making nail polish is special to me, because it is a reflection of the love that I have for my wife. I make all of these colors for her, long before we are able to make them available for our friends. They are a reflection of the profound happiness that I have found with her and our family. I have an unbelievable opportunity to make pretty things for my wife and that, in turn, has fostered a brand. No words could adequately describe the joy that this brings me.”

My own favorite thing about creating is watching the ideas in our heads come to life in a bottle of polish. The most intriguing thing is having an idea in our head, pull out the materials for it, and have it turn into something completely different because of how the materials responded to the polish base. We both love creating, sharing, and hearing the responses to our line. Nothing makes us happier than getting a message from a customer about how much they love our polish, and especially love hearing about half full bottles because they have been used so much. It brings us so much joy to know that other people are getting as much pleasure out of our polishes as Danny does making them and as I do wearing them.

The sparkles (clockwise L to R) - Jubilant, Lively, Gregarious, Social,

Playful, Ecstatic, Revelry, Blithe, Melodious, and Exuberant.

Can you tell us a curious thing that has happened to you with some client or something funny?

I personally wear Mentality polishes 100% of the time. When I go out in public, I usually get at least one comment on my nails. Their reaction always interests me, as they are usually surprised that it is something that can be produced in a small business setting, and usually leads to more questions about nail care and how to do certain nail art techniques.

Complete Collection Swatches

The precious holo-collection

The Metallics Collection

The Brilliant Collection

Contacts

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MentalityPolish

Store: www.mentalitynailpolish.bigcartel.com

and www.etsy.com/shop/MentalityNailPolish

Instagram - mentalitynailpolish

Email - mentalitynailpolish@gmail.com

Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/mentalitypolish/

* * *

Personal Notes from Betty:

Thank you so much Hillary and Danny for doing this!

Once again I show my total support for Indie Makers and my full respect for their work.

I will not translate the interviews because words and meanings get lost in translation. I hope you understand. Please pm me or comment bellow if you have any doubts.

If you are an Indie Maker and wont to participate in the project, please contact me through Facebook or email (blog.bettynails@gmail.com). You are still in time!

Don't Forget to come tomorrow !

* * *

I hope you loved today's Post!

What was your favorite part? Let me know all in the comment section bellow!

Please do comment, follow and share if you liked, your feedback is very important to me and to all the girls that invested in this project!

Kisses & See you tomorrow !