This is one of the amazing designs and my all time favorite summer mani I did that I learned from Gina and her amazing tutorial found here.
Ok now to back down from the hero worship and actually get to the point because believe me there is one! My friend Samantha (http://www.justonemorebottle.com) and I are major fan girls of Gina's work and thought it would be a great idea to interview her. We figured she would get so many requests and might not ever respond to us but to prove even more how amazing she is she got back to us in probably under 5 minutes. The woman is just amazing! Here are the questions Samantha and I came up with and the wonderful responses from Gina.
I know you are a fan of ArcadiaNailArt and have done some collaborations with her. Would you say her work inspired you to record your first video? Was it someone totally different? Or a combination of both?
I found ArcadiaNailArt when she was still IndigoNova1, about 4 months after I had started doing videos. I’d say the first videos that inspired me to make my own videos were Miss80Million and PlasmaSpeedo. They both showed how to use the system, and PlasmaSpeedo showed how she edited videos, which is what gave me the confidence to try it myself.
What was your mindset after doing that first video?
I was just hoping that people would WATCH it. I was kinda nervous to know if anyone would watch, and if they did, what they would think of it. I was so excited to see it viewed even 10 times after the first video! I stalked my page several times a day to see if anyone else had seen it. lol
Did you ever get discouraged?
I suppose in the beginning it seemed to take forever for people to find my channel, and when people like Robin Moses (who started no YouTube the same month I did) were exploding onto the scene, I felt like I was never going to grow, but I never thought of giving up. Honestly, I love doing my nail art, regardless of what anyone else is doing. If you do videos for yourself, then getting discouraged shouldn’t happen.
Even now when people leave nasty or mean comments does it bother you or discourage you? How do you deal with them?
In the beginning, it really bothered me. I would feel the need to defend myself every time. Now, I realize there are just haters out there, and I try to just spin it around with kindness or humor. Diffusing the situation is a lot better than feeding the drama. I’d be lying if I said they don’t bother me at all, but for the most part, I don’t really worry about them. If I can’t diffuse it, I delete it.
Whose videos do you anticipate?
I look forward to ArcadiaNailArt a lot, because her taste and mine seems very similar. I also look forward to Love4Nails designs, her work is great and she’s so sweet too. I may never have long nails like hers, but I love to admire them!
What was the first set of stamping plates you bought?
Well, I had a set of plates called Design-A-Nail back in 1999 (flashback!), but I lost those when I moved in 2005. SO, my first “current” set was a few Konad plates and the original Bundle Monster set. The rest is history.
What is your favorite non-Konad plate set? Do you have a favorite plate or image on a plate?
My favorite set as of today is a tie between the 2012 Mash set and the 2012 summer Cheeky set. The quality is awesome and I love the creative designs on them. I couldn’t POSSIBLY pick a favorite image though!
Now that you are receiving promotional items, do you think the feel of your channel has changed?
I don’t really think the overall feeling has changed. I feel like it’s just another aspect of my channel that I’m lucky enough to be able to share. I still feel like my main focus is nail art, but if I can share new products with my viewers, I feel like I’m doing a good thing, because I am always honest about my opinions, regardless of whether I paid for a product or not.
What’s your Favorite brand of nail polish?
This is a tough one. I really love Color Club a lot for polish wear, because I get longer wear out of them. For stamping colors, though, I’d have to say Sally Hansen Insta-Dri. They have the most reliable formula for stamping, with the crème colors, and their silver is the best!
Now that you are a YouTube superstar do you feel just as comfortable using drugstore brands as opposed to say OPI?
Superstar?? I didn’t know I was one (laughs). But I am not a “polish snob” by any means. If a cheap brand works great, I would much rather spend less. If it’s on clearance, even better!
It’s 7:30 on a Friday night and your husband wants to go to dinner and a movie, but your Mani is all chipped up what are you going to do with your nails? A go to one coater maybe?
Hmm, first I’d be wondering where my real husband went (laughs). Seriously, I would most likely put on a very fast drying polish, and maybe stamp my accent nails to save time, or add glitter for some sparkle. Glitter makes everything better.
How big has your stash gotten now and how do you store it?
My stash is beyond ridiculous. I have over 500 polishes, and for now, I keep them in those Rubbermaid drawer units. I have a 3-drawer one and a 5-drawer one. They’re full, but they’re on wheels so I can move them around. I don’t have a special room to work in, so they have to be mobile.
If you were only allowed to use 5 colors from your collection for the next 20 years, what 5 would you keep?
WOW, now that’s a tough question! I’d have to say Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Freeze! (gotta have a sparkly blue), Insta-Dri Silver Sweep (stamps over anything), Color Club Wild at Heart (gorgeous purple holo – yes I must have holo), Zoya Carrieann (because a sparkly red is a must) and my trusty Wet N Wild Black Creme (I have to have good stamping polish!).
What products and techniques do you use to get camera ready?
I try to keep my hands moisturized with hand crème, and then I continue to use my cuticle oil to try and keep my cuticles looking decent, and I always have my basecoat and base color on my nails before recording. I try not to waste too much time making people watch me paint my nails. Then I have my camera and lighting all set up and charged, and then it’s lights, camera, action!
What polish is my lemming?
I suppose my ultimate ones would be Clarins 230 and Chanel Peridot, but I am sure I’ll never buy those (too pricey). My other more reasonable lemmings are the new Color Club Holos coming out soon, as well as China Glaze Rare & Radiant (a dupe for the Chanel one).
Where does the inspiration come from for your designs? From the images on the plate or do the images just help execute an already formed idea?
That’s a good question. Honestly, there’s several ways I get inspired. First, I might be in the mood to wear a certain polish or color, so I pick that base color and then go through the plates to see what image sorta “jumps out”at me. Sometimes I do that in reverse - I pick an image and then decide what colors will work. Other times I have an idea in my head already and I look for something that fits that idea. Lastly, I have times where I have to use a certain plate brand for, say, a challenge or request. So I build around that. Inspiration really comes from all over. I have always been a creative person by nature, so this is my outlet for that energy. I just open up my brain and let it flow.
“I hope you enjoyed my answers, and I look forward to the links for your blogs and stuff so I can see them in “print”!”
xoxo Gina
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