The Woman Behind the Polish: S. Maria Chheo-Shen

on January 8 | in Cool Products, Slider on Homepage | by | with Comments Off on The Woman Behind the Polish: S. Maria Chheo-Shen

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NailNation3000

Indie polish designer and nail tech S. Maria Chheo-Shen is no stranger to nail lacquer. Her love for creating shimmers and nail art are proof positive that she knows what it takes to make the perfect polish. While the NailNation3000 line debuted in 2012, Chheo-Shen recently changed the look of her polish bottles to give consumers more glitter for their buck. We talked with Chheo-Shen about the new look of NailNation3000 (which includes holos galore!).

Salon Fanatic: What made you want to start your own nail polish line?

S. Maria Chheo-Shen: Making my own line was always in my plans, but I never had time. Having surgery forced me to slow down and not work for a while. I felt like I had to work on something else to keep moving and here we are now!

SF: How many years have you done nails?

SMCS: I gave done nails for about 17 years and always did my own for many years.

SF: I love the holographic collection! What inspired you to take on this trend?

SMCS:  I love unusual shades and cool shifts so holo is always a fun one to make! I have been making holos for  a few years now.

SF: Why the decision to make such an unconventional top coat? Did you set out to have the top coats match the polish colors?

SMCS: My gray-canceling color tint topcoats were made to be used with holos. They don’t gray up your color. Also, I feel they are fun to layer. It’s an easy way to spice up a mani so the  bold holo pops and there’s no gray.

SF: What will your next collection be like?

SMCS: My next collection will be a color morph holo duo chrome. Since many of my colors work on stamping plates I may develop a line just geared to the nail art lover who loves stamping.

SF: Tell us about the new bottle shape.

SMCS: The older 10 silver caps are still around, but I wanted to offer a larger size and have a full 15 ml bottle that fits into polish racks and polish holders with a nice brush. The bottle was a practical size and shape.

na0114stylenf_Maria Shen

The Woman Behind the Polish: NailNation3000 founder S. Maria Chheo-Shen

SF: Where do you look for inspiration?

SMCS: Everywhere! It can be as simple as someone walking by on the street wearing a blue shirt and light hits it, then my brain sees a shift in color. I can get inspired by flowers, friends, or a car on the road. I have drawn and painted as long as I can remember so I find little inspirations everywhere.

SF: What do you advise someone who is hesitant about trying a holographic polish?

SMCS: Buy ones that do not require special base coats. Layering them alone or over dark shades often offers amazing results, and top coat should not dull the holo. Really know your colors. Buy shades you want to see explode in the sunlight, not just what’s pretty in a bottle.

SF: Do you have a favorite color you have created?

SMCS: Two actually: Vincenzo and Ole Black Water.

SF: How do you come up with your nail polish names?

SMCS: Sometimes me and my five  best friends throw names around. The last collection I released is for my friend who passed away. That collection benefits his wife and children, so the names in that line mean so much to me. Ole Black Water is one of them.

SF: Anything else?

SMCS: I want to add how much I appreciate the people who support my brand and my art. Sharing the beautiful work of others is always a main goal on our fan page. This industry has been good to me but without the public nail techs would have nothing, so I want to say that every individual I have ever worked on, taught, or sold polish to, helped mold my brand and I thank you all!

Pick up a bottle of NailNation3000 here . If you are in the Chandler, Ariz., area you can also find limited stock at Hollywood Beauty on Warner Rd.

Follow NailNation 3000 on Facebook and YouTube.

Better yet: WIN a set of NailNation3000 polish! We will be giving away 2 sets of this hot, holographic collection. Enter to win by leaving a comment below. For an additional entry, like us on Facebook. We will select two winners at random on Monday, January 13. Giveaway is for U.S. only. Good luck!

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