looks like yellow nail polish. That could be cool but it wasn’t what I wanted. It was really about figuring out how to shape the particle in a way that would reflect light and then put it into a nail lacquer. So, I had to find somebody that could make that the way I wanted, which was a challenge, and then develop a lacquer that could suspend it, because gold is very heavy and sinks to the bottom. OH: I UNDERSTAND YOU ALSO OMIT THE PRACTICE OF USING DANGEROUS INGREDIENTS IN YOUR NAIL POLISH. VV: Commercial nail polish is very similar to car paint. It’s strange because it’s not regulated. I find it interesting how people just do things the way they’ve always been done—they don’t question it. Taking out those nasty ingredients actually, in my opinion, made the polish better. Everyone just starts with this model and starts adding things; maybe people need to start taking things out and see if it works. OH: I FEEL LIKE THAT’S HOW YOU SEEM TO DO EVERYTHING. YOU CONSIDER THE WAY THINGS ARE DONE, BUT YOU GO AGAINST THE GRAIN IF THAT’S WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN. VV: Yes. I think that’s the core of my being, that I question everything. And I like when people tell me I can’t do something, because why ? Sometimes there’s a good reason as to why, but a lot of the time people can’t answer that. They just say, “Well, that’s just the way it’s always been done.” OH: YOU ARE WELL VERSED IN SEVERAL TRADES AND VERY WELL EDUCATED. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE ONE THING YOU’VE DONE OR MADE THAT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF AND WHY? VV: I’m very proud of MINE. I also made some glow in the dark enamel, which is glass fused metal. I’m proud of it and I want to do some more work with it because there are a lot of applications that I have yet to explore. Being an artist is interesting because while you love what you do, sometimes you work so hard on something that you start to hate it. But, whenever I do paint my nails [with MINE] I say to myself, “I can’t believe I made this, it’s so cool!”. Because, it really is the best nail polish that you can buy and it was my goal to make something that lasts for a long time. She showed me a bottle of the 24k Gold Nail Lacquer. Humbled as I held the Austrian crystal vessel, I imagined being fortunate enough to possess one for myself. I opened it to examine the contents, careful not to let a single drop descend from the bottle’s faceted lip. I couldn’t fathom when I would apply it to my own nails, perhaps on my wedding day or funeral. I have been informed in the past that I wear my thoughts on my face; this moment must have been no exception, because she offered to send me off with the treasure laid before me. More valuable still, was the discovery of a kindred spirit with an aptitude for defiance.
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