Photo by J. Ronald Lee.
Independent nail polish manufacturing has seen a huge rise in popularity over the past number of years. Indie makers have freedom to make unique, inexpensive products, free of most chemicals and preservatives, unlike larger, more established companies. Luckily, nail polish is much easier to make than other cosmetics, and plenty of local nail art aficionados have given it a shot. Here are four Alberta-based nail polish companies that make gorgeous varnishes or nail art, as well as one recipe for DIY polish that you can make at home:
Located in: Calgary
Shop Owner: Brianne
Seven Sins specialized in fun, unique glitter polishes like the one pictured above. The shop is 5-free (meaning the polishes are free from the top five harmful chemicals often included in commercial polishes) as well as cruelty free. They are also all mixed entirely by hand. Seven Sins is the newest shop of the bunch, but their offerings look promising!
Diamonds in the Rough polish.
Location: Edmonton
Owner: Bree
Mrs. P’s nail polishes are a definite hit on Etsy. Her unique polishes (including the colour-changing thermal polish pictured above) are all hand-mixed and 3-free. Some of her colour changing polishes show up to three separate colours, depending on temperature, and she also makes scented topcoats. The name “potion” is appropriate – these nail polishes work like magic.
Angel Food polish.
Location: Delburne
Owners: Sue and Sharie
Sue and her daughter Sharie started making soaps, nail polishes, and other beauty products back in 2007 – the company takes its name from Sue’s grandmother. The polishes are all 5-free, and are a beautiful array of different gel pastels, like the one pictured above.
Adventure Time nail set.
Shop Location: Calgary
Owner: Kelly
Rather than making hand-made polishes, Forbidden District makes it a little easier for nail lovers to get a more complex look by jumping on the nail art bandwagon. The shop sells a variety of hand painted acrylic sets, that can be applied with a touch of nail glue just like any other set of fake nails. They range from simple paint splatters, to geeky, pop culture collections such as Adventure Time, Harry Potter, and Star Wars.
Bonus: DIY polish!
If these local nail polish artists have piqued your interest, but you’re not quite ready to pull the trigger on buying a polish, it’s super easy to make your own polish. It won’t be as nice as one of the blends made by these lovely ladies, but do-it-yourself polish is a great way to get exactly the colour you’re looking for at a low price. All you’ll need are clear nail polish, an eyeshadow of your choosing, and some ball bearings. First, take your selected eyeshadow – if it’s a loose powder, you’re good to go, but if it’s solid, you’ll need to crush it to a fine powder before proceeding. Loose glitters are the easiest to start with for beginners. Next, make a small funnel with some wax paper and pour the loose powdered shadow into the open bottle of clear polish. Toss in a couple of ball bearings, and shake well to mix. Bonus points if the nail polish and eyeshadow come from a local indie cosmetics company. Have fun making your own colour combinations!