epic nails.
What’s it take to keep a nail polish blog shining? The behind-the-scenes of an independent beauty blog like my good friend Khalei Fogle’s Keep Your Nail Game Fresh requires a lot more than just an affinity for dazzling digits. This L.A. lady invests a ton of time in keeping her top-of-the-line inventory of nearly three hundred bottles of product current and well organized, in addition to prepping and photographing a pretty new mani almost on the daily. How did a former naughty nail biter become a devoted nail writer?
First, she learned by watching you! A communications professional and an avid blog reader, seeing what other gals in the polish community were putting out encouraged Khalei to give it a shot. “I read so many nails blogs, it’s hard to narrow it down. My Bloglovin’ feed is out of control. Some of my favorite blogs that I read daily (sometimes more than once) are The PolishAholic, Polish Insomniac, Short N Chic, and Vampy Varnish. They all have great posts and amazing swatches. I can definitely say that those ladies have inspired me to enter the world of nail blogging.”
Her collection of colors is staggering, currently consisting of 284 bottles. To keep it in check, she maintains a detailed spreadsheet where her extensive inventory is broken down by brand, name, color, and finish, including meticulous notes about the formula and style of the glaze. “I try to keep it within reason,” she says of her cache of lacquers, “but the definition of ‘within reason’ depends on the day. I have a ‘wants’ list that I work off of so I know I’m getting the polishes that I’m the most interested in, or really want to put up on the blog, and then I’ll throw in some frivolous purchases from time to time.”
Khalei ‘s favorite looks tend to be dramatic but chic, and always feminine. She turned me on to Zoya and the brand remains a mainstay for us both. We can’t get enough of the vivid five-free formula from our home state of Ohio. “I’m completely obsessed with the Zoya Pixie Dust polishes! I bought a couple from the Spring Collection & fell in love. I’ve already pre-ordered the whole Summer Pixie collection!”
“Brand-wise, my taste kind of runs the gamut. I like the occasional high-end polish (I just bought my first Chanel!) and I’ve gotten really into exploring the world of indie polishes.” As far as nail art fads go, only the crackle look really makes her cringe. “Without a doubt, my least favorite polish trend is crackle. I just can’t get it to look right no matter how hard I try!”
Check out the finished product at KeepYourNailGameFresh.com or follow the blog on Facebook and Pinterest for updates. —Casandra Armour
