So I was lurking around the internet (as I am wont to do) and found this, "Blogging from A to Z". Being that just about everything interesting I own is all packed away and on its way to a new state, I thought it sounded like a fun way to start the new Lucky 13 blog! However, since I have a very short attention span I'm going to do sort of an abridged version and just lay out 26 Lucky 13 related things all in one post.
Ready? Let's do it.
Ready? Let's do it.
A
Addicting. You guys don't even understand how addicting it is, having an idea in mind and being able to turn it into a physical thing right then and there. Except right now, when all of my supplies are packed away and inaccessible, then I just write down descriptions of everything that comes to mind and hope they turn out right once my supplies and I are reunited...
B
Break-the-ice. The cool thing about nail polish is that any time you meet another lacquer-lover you automatically have something to talk about! It's fun talking about current lacquer trends, favorite brands, whatever!
C
Creative outlet. I definitely got my creativity from my mom, and I have so many ideas for potential polishes I wonder if I'll ever get the chance to mix and release all of them. I currently have 120 different polish ideas in mind to mix and release. Yes, I said 120. And considering I have over 120 different glitters (and growing) and a variety of pigments in my current collection there's a good chance I'll be able to make all of them at some point.
D
Difference. I've toyed with the idea of having limited-edition polishes where a portion of the cost goes to charities, and in the past there's been some interest in it. In the future I hope to have a different polish every month and make a monthly donation to a related charity, so that even your nail polish can make a difference in the world! If you have suggestions just leave a comment linking to the charity's site and I'll look into it.
E

Expensive. Supplies for nail polish are surprisingly pricey, especially when buying in bulk quantities! $1 for an empty bottle may not seem like a lot, but when you have to buy 500 of them at once it really starts to add up! The fun involved in filling said bottles makes it all worth it, though :-) Over there you'll see my "supervisor" inspecting my first bulk purchase! My next one is going to be even bigger than that...I'm definitely going to have to make sure my new apartment is super tidy and everything's where it belongs before I re-order bottles or else I might have nowhere to put them all!
F
Fun. Designing and creating nail polish is one of the most fun things I do on a regular basis. It's especially fun collaborating with someone to make a specific polish they have in mind. It's also frustrating when I can't find quite the right recipe for the idea I have in mind, and even more frustrating when a supplier discontinues one of my ingredients!
G

Glitter! Not all Lucky 13s have glitter in them, but it's a big part of the vast majority of the polishes. Lucky 13 wouldn't exist if not for glitter!!
H

Hard. Sometimes finding juuuuust the right recipe is harder than you'd think! So many times I've been trying to make a particular shade for a polish base and it goes WAY off course. The original idea for Bitchy Trampoline was actually to be a creme with just a hint of shimmer, not the super-shimmery nude it turned into. My first attempt ended up looking like this. Far too bland and not nearly the shade I was hoping for! Failed polishes are never wasted, though, I give them away as gifts or list them in my shop as flops, they truly are one-of-a-kind polishes!
I
Inspiration. I find inspiration in everything. Cartoons, TV shows, video games, life itself! Inspiration strikes so often that I'll be half-asleep, imagine a color, and I'll have to wake myself up enough to take notes before I'll be able to relax again.
J
Jelly. Jelly bases are probably my favorite! As much as I like cremes, shimmers, and glitter-toppers, there's just so much satisfaction in being able to use just one polish and getting such depth out of it.
K

Kyoti! Oh, hey, that's me :3 I'm 25, nerdy, socially awkward (but trying hard to break out of my shell), and I'm sort of obsessed with glitter. I thought of the name Kyoti when I was 16 and pretty heavily into anime, I thought it sounded Japanese. Sounds Japanese, maybe, actually able to be written in Japanese....not so much. There's no "ti" sound. Oh well, good job 16-year-old-me! I still like it though. Oh, and it's pronounced "key-oh-tee", not "coyote".
L
Lucky 13! Growing up I was always a bit of a "weirdo", if you will. I was also a bit into the goth scene and I liked black cats, the abnormal, all that fun stuff. Looking back it's sort of embarrassing--my screenname was even "Lucky 13 Goth Girl". Over time I grew out of the goth phase (though most of my wardrobe is still greyscale--it's just so easy to coordinate!) but the idea of Lucky 13 stuck, and when the time came to name my polish brand my best friend suggested it (and the accompanying D20 in my logo) and it just seemed so perfect!
M

Messy. Especially when working with smaller glitters and pigments, it gets everywhere. And if I happen to spill it turns into a complete mess. I try to vacuum up what I can but the finer stuff just sticks to my glass desk, my clothes, my skin...I always need a shower after mixing!
Let's take a break. We're halfway through, and that was the easy half. Now comes all the weird letters like Q and X and Z! Go ahead and grab a snack, something to drink, get up and stretch. I'll wait.
Better? Awesome, on with the show!
N

Nails. It all started with loving to paint my nails, and wanting colors that I couldn't find anywhere else. Frankening my own colors using pre-made polishes became too limiting very quickly, I had to have the right glitter polishes on hand, the right shades of colored polishes to tint the bases...it just wasn't happening. In the end it all comes back to just needing something new to put on my nails!
O
Obscure. I never dreamed Lucky 13 would grow into anything, I always thought it would be this obscure little brand that a couple people liked, but mostly just something I did for funsies and gave away as gifts. It's taken some time but now I'll talk to people online and they'll say "You're the one who makes Lucky 13?!" and I'll just go into this episode of happy feelings and giddiness. And the fact that I just surpassed 1313 Likes on Facebook just blows me away! (Keep an eye out for a giveaway, by the way! Once I'm settled in to my new apartment I'll be starting one up)
P
Progression. I love looking back at my first collection and comparing them to more recent creations and seeing how my creativity and skills have progressed into more complex creations. Glitter toppers are still awesome but jelly glitters are just so much prettier in the bottle!
Q

Queen. My mom has always said she's the queen of the family (which of course makes me the princess), and she has been a huge support in keeping me from just giving up on Lucky 13 when I'm feeling down. I also have a wonderful group of close friends who are always there to cheer me up, and every kind comment or email I get from you folks just reinforces my love of making Lucky 13 and makes me feel like a queen!!
R
Relaxing. Getting into the zone and just mixing mixing mixing can be incredibly relaxing. I put on some mindless cartoons and the whole world just disappears. It lets me forget everything going on around me and just create, and when those creations happen to be successful it's very relieving as well!
S

Sagan. My little supervisor, always making sure I'm staying on task (or taking breaks, conveniently always when he wants love). I wish he knew just how much he means to me, I just adore the handsome little guy!
T
Toluene-free. Lucky 13 Lacquers are not only big 3 free, not just big 4 free, but big 5 free! Lucky 13 has no toluene, formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate (I don't even know how to begin pronouncing that one either), formaldehyde resin, or camphor in the base or any of the pigments used. It's safer for you and you still get excellent wear time and shininess (unless it's a matte polish of course....uh oh! Have I let a secret out?)
U
Unique. I try to make all of my new creations unique, something that no other brand has made before, and though I sometimes fail in this regard I still hope that each creation is distinctly different from similar colors other indie makers create. I'd be both flattered and heartbroken if someone "copied" a Lucky 13 that I'd worked so hard to perfect, so I respect other brands' creativity and try to avoid "dupes" or colors that are too similar to other creations, and I hope people will do the same with my creations.
V
Vegan. I myself am pescetarian (vegetarian + seafood, I'm addicted to sushi and just can't give it up) with vegan tendencies for ethical reasons and I care deeply about animals, so none of my products are ever tested on animals (even though Sagan would look so cute with glittery claws!) at any point in the production process. I like happy animals, and unless it volunteers to try my products I'll never force it upon them! But I don't expect that to happen any time soon ;-)
W
Wow. When I started Lucky 13 it was just a way to fill the time while unemployed and it allowed me to make colors I otherwise had never seen, but it's turned in to something that others appreciate and actually look forward to seeing new creations, and sometimes I just sit and think....wow. It honestly feels like I'm living a dream sometimes, but if I am I hope I never wake up!
X
X-Chat 2. The program I use to keep in touch with my polish girlfriends via IRC where I grump about not being able to find the perfect glitter, ask for feedback on ideas, and give sneak peeks of new polishes and collections! And of course, talk about polish in general or whatever else and just have a great time with cool people. Wanna join us? Someone always tends to be online.
Y
You. Yes, you! Without you I'd just have a house full of glitter and I'd be talking to myself. Or maybe just talking to my cat, which I think might be worse!! So thank you for listening to my babble ;-)
Z
Zilch. The amount of things I dislike about making nail polish. Even when an idea fails, even when I'm covered head to toe in glitter, even when I'm working 12 hours straight filling orders and interacting with my wonderful fans--no, friends!--I absolutely love what I do, and I hope you all enjoy it as well.
Having so much interest in something I've made with my own hands is so humbling, I feel like I'm undeserving of such admiration. I'm grateful for each and every one of you and I hope I'm able to continue living up to your expectations of me. I love what I do, and without all of you I don't think I'd be able to continue doing something I love so much. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being a part of my life and for sharing my love of lacquer!
I'll be using this blog to update about new collections, general information about the brand, dates when collections will be retired, etc, so if you want to keep up to date click the orange RSS feed button all the way at the top and off to the right and fill in your email address.
xoxo,
Kyoti Jess
I'll be using this blog to update about new collections, general information about the brand, dates when collections will be retired, etc, so if you want to keep up to date click the orange RSS feed button all the way at the top and off to the right and fill in your email address.
xoxo,
Kyoti Jess