AIPAS Interviews - Sayuri Nail Lacquer

Today we are joined by Anthea from Sayuri Nail Lacquer, our second willing victim in our series of Aussie Indie Polish Maker interviews. 

What got you into the Indie Polish scene, and how long have you been making polish?

I developed a bit of a polish obsession back in 2011 after a friend took me with her to a beauty wholesale store and I discovered OPI. I then stumbled across the Gloss ‘n Sparkle page on Etsy and fell in love with the wonderful, glittery world of indie polishes. I’ve been creating polish for about a year and a half now. Although Sayuri only launched in March 2013 the business was in development from October 2012.

What was the first Sayuri Nail Lacquer polish?

The entire Streets Of Tokyo collection was in development at the same time, although Fairy Kei was the first polish to reach completion.

Sayuri Nail Lacquer - Fairy Kei - photography by Rose (Every Little Polish)

Inspiration can be drawn from a wide variety of things.  What are your main sources of inspiration?

My inspirations tend to be a bit abstract. I have a fashion qualification, and I think that definitely plays a role in my creative process. My studies taught me to find inspiration in anything from the texture of a leaf, to the colours in a painting, or even the shape of a chair. My inspirations are often more about the thought or the idea of something, rather than a tangible item.

Please share with us some of your greatest polish achievements.

An achievement in itself is just the growth of the business. Everything from inception to being taken on by distributors, and gaining a loyal following not only online but at the markets and events we attend.

I like to think that one of the greatest achievements though was keeping the business running while I was living in Japan for 5 months. It involved a LOT of organisation before I left, and it wouldn’t have been possible without my partner Michael who kept things running smoothly back here in Australia. Michael has been just as much a part of Sayuri as I have from the very beginning, but it was a true test of teamwork to keep the business running when we were in different countries.

What do you love the most about making polish?  Dislike the most?

I love that my job is something that I enjoy. It’s my creative outlet and I find it therapeutic. My least favourite part? Wearing a respirator mask while mixing. It gets so hot and stuffy!

What would be one thing that people might not know about being an indie polish creator?

Nicki from Celestial Cosmetics summed it up well in last month’s interview. We don’t make a lot of money, and it’s incredibly time consuming. It’s not the sort of business you can get into just for the money, you have to LOVE what you’re doing. There is so much time involved, even just when sourcing ingredients or ordering labels, even putting together promotional material to post on social media is time consuming. Realistically, the monetary payoff when you consider the time involved is almost pitiful, particularly when you’re first starting off, but we love what we do and that makes it all worth it.

Is there a particular style of polish that your brand is known for?

Although it’s not intentional, I think we’re known for interesting and unusual glitter combinations. Oh, Horsefeathers! is a good example of that. Also our pretty pastels, like in the Crystal Dreams collection. I’m a sucker for anything cute and pretty and I think that must show through.

Sayuri Nail Lacquer - Oh, Horsefeathers!  - photography by Belinda (nailingaround)

If you could only make one type of polish from now on, what type would you choose? (creme, glitter, etc)

Oh gosh, I don’t think I could possibly choose! I find that what I create tends to reflect what I feel like wearing at the time. When the Streets of Tokyo collection was created I was really into glitter toppers so there’s quite a few of those in that collection, and now I’m more into polishes with subtle effects. If I HAD to pick just one, I would have to go with cremes as they’re timeless (although unfortunately not the most fun).

What would be your ultimate fantasy polish to make?  If chemistry and physics were no obstacle?

Hmmm. Imagine nail stickers/wraps but in brush-on form. So you’d apply your polish as usual but would end up with an image on your nail. I know that probably sounds silly when you can just go and buy nail stickers, but I find them such a pain to apply sometimes! Plus for the price of one set of wraps you could buy a bottle of polish that you can use several times.

If someone could only buy two of your polishes, which two should they buy to get a good idea about your brand?

Sugar Coated Dreams (for the pastel and glitter topper lovers), and Psychadelia (for those who prefer a non-glitter polish that still has an eye-catching effect).  

Sayuri Nail Lacquer - Sugar Coated Dreams

Sayuri Nail Lacquer - Psychadelia

Where do you see your brand going in the future?  What is the next big thing for Sayuri Nail Lacquer?

Now that I’m back in Australia it’s full steam ahead. We really want to make a name for ourselves in Brisbane and the surrounding areas by attending more markets and events. We just finished up at Gold Coast Supanova and it’s so rewarding to be able to talk to customers in person, which is something that you just can’t benefit from when selling solely online. We’re hoping to find a few more international distributors in the coming months as well.

Do you have any new releases?

Our newest collection, Beyond The Shadows, will be released later in the month.  It's inspired by the different effects that some colours possess when exposed to sunlight versus the shadows.  Here's some sneaky peeks, there are glitter combinations to come as well.

Sayuri Nail Lacquer - Luminous Illusion

Sayuri Nail Lacquer - Love's Lustre

Sayuri Nail Lacquer - State of Radiance

Fan Questions: 

What is your favourite music to mix polish to?  

I listen to Japanese pop music (J-pop) quite a lot.  It's reached a point now where I can hear a song and remember what polish I was creating at the time the song was released.

What comes first, the polish or the name?  

The general inspiration for the collection, then the polish, and then the names.  Naming is generally harder for me than creating the polish.

What was the polish that started it off for you?   

My first polish was OPI Come To Poppy.  My first indies were Gloss 'n Sparkle's Dazzling Dusk and Unicorn Droppings.

If you are interested in finding out more about Sayuri Nail Lacquer, we have included the store, stockist and social media information below.  Thank you for sharing your time with us, Anthea.

Website: http://sayurinaillacquer.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SayuriNailLacquer
Instagram: @sayurinaillacquer
Twitter: @SayuriNL

Our stockists: 
Mei Mei’s Signatures http://meimeisignatures.com/
Handmade High Street (Annerley, Brisbane) http://www.handmadehighstreet.com.au/
My Cube (Myer Centre, Brisbane City)

Markets and Events Calendar: http://sayurinaillacquer.com/pages/marketsevents