Jess (of @frecklepusnails) has been featured in Refinery29, Glamour, PopSugar (twice) and Vogue Portugal. Her nail account is one of our all time favorites! Jess works for STONE AND STRAND and previously was the Assistant Creative Director for a nail polish brand.
My name is Jess, aka @frecklepusnails. I'm a Brooklyn based nail polish lover who also loves cats, makeup, memes, and iced coffee.
Do you remember when/how you got into nail polish?
I started getting into nail polish in middle school with basic brands like Sally Hansen and Essie. Then I really got into nail art in high school (I used to think I was SO good, in retrospect, my designs were awful) and then indie nail polish once I went to college.
You used to be a member of the nail polish industry. How has your relationship with nail polish changed over time?
When I worked in the industry, one of my many roles was product development, which included testing nail polish. This made me hyper aware of formulas that are hard to get right. I can look at a nail polish online and know instantly that was a really tricky formula to perfect, which makes me appreciate the polish more.
How would you describe your personal style?
Wannabe e-girl. I love the way they dress, but I never go that hard. I wear A LOT of black.
How did you get into blogging?
I did my nails so often when I was younger and shared them to my personal Instagram, but after a while I felt a little annoying and was like "I should make an Instagram for my nails so my regular followers from school aren't bombarded with nail pictures all of the time." It was a great way for me to express my creativity and connect with like-minded people.
What’s one way you treat yourself?
When the weather is nice, I like to go to Brooklyn Ball Factory and get a $7 iced matcha latte with oat milk. They have the BEST matcha I've ever tried, so it's well worth it. Highly recommend!
It's easy for many of us to daydream about working for a jewelry brand! What has working for STONE AND STRAND been like for you?
It's been awesome! I love the startup culture, and I looooove gold and diamonds, so I love being surrounded by sparkly jewelry all day long. We also do piercings, so it's been cool getting pierced at work! My team is great and we have a lot of fun while getting our work done (there's a lot). I get to model for photoshoots sometimes, which means I get to show off my nails!
Who/what do you take inspiration from?
My old colleague and now one of my best friends, @badgirlnails. She's so insanely talented and a huge inspiration for nail art, makeup, and TikToks.
What are your other hobbies outside of nail polish?
I love to play with makeup. Since I dress mostly in all black, my nails and my makeup are great ways to incorporate color into my look. I don't know if "cats" can be considered a hobby, but I love my cat and all the bodega cats around Brooklyn. I like to make friends with them!
Top 3 Cirque Colors products?
Whitney, Reflektor, and Hustle.
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