Star Studded Nails

What girl doesn't love the small luxuries in life? Nothing is more relaxing than escaping to your favorite nail salon, where you're greeted by a kaleidoscope of polish colors, one to indulge your every mood. Splurging on a mani and pedi has always been a guilty pleasure of mine and last Friday I met my match. (Thank you PhillyChitChat.com for the photo). Katie Cazorla is a self-proclaimed mani and pedi junkie who turned her passion into a beauty empire. Before she opened The Painted Nail, there were two kinds of nail salons in LA, the really, REALLY pricey ones and ones that sent you home with a petri dish full of friends. One day a light bulb went off and not only did Katie create a sanctuary for local women and celebrities alike, she began a revolution in the way the nail industry was perceived. As far the The Painted Nail goes, you can really lose yourself there. It isn't like any salon or spa you have ever been to. It's where shabby chic meets Hollywood glam; a place to relax, drink a cocktail and be pampered to perfection. And don't be surprised if you run into the likes of Hilary Duff, Vanessa Hudgens, and Teri Hatcher. This is their favorite nail spot. Katie is always on the move. She recently launched her own brand of nail polish and is currently working on opening The Painted Nail in Las Vegas. But wait! The most exciting part is that Katie is starring in her very own reality TV show on the TV Guide Network. Who? Katie Cazorla. What? TV GUIDE NETWORK'S ORIGINAL REALITY SERIES "NAIL FILES." When? Premiering Tuesday June 21 at 10PM (Philly viewers you're in luck! You can watch the premiere exclusively on Comcast on demand a week early). Why? Because "The Nail Files" comes to you courtesy of the producers and creator of the Jersey Shore, so you know that it won't be lacking in the entertainment department. The moment I met Katie we just clicked but I could see that everyone shared that affinity with her. I totally got the appeal. I couldn't get enough of her personality and sense of humor. She was a ball of energy, a business woman and comedian all in one. The fact that there will now be a show that chronicles her life is a real treat. So, as you cozy up to watch her on June 21st, here are some things that you may be wondering. In my up-close and personal interview I learned some really interesting facts about Katie that you will find insightful.

Q: Do you prefer natural nails over acrylics or gels?

A: "I prefer natural nails. Most people that wear acrylics are like 'these are gels'. And I'm like, you're not fooling me. I can spot acrylics from 20 miles away."

Q: There are many reality shows out there. Why do you think that yours is getting so much attention?

A: "When people say, eh, reality TV. I say, I don't have a sex tape or anything weird like that. That's not how I got a show. I got a show from building something and working my a** off and someone actually was like 'holy crap I can't believe you did this with hardly any money.' Honestly my boyfriend and I were in there painting the walls...we did all the work, designed it and did everything."

Q: Tell me about The Painted Nail.

A: "It was a simple, fun concept and I thought, why would this not work? But not everyone that comes into my store is gonna love it. That's the thing. If they're gonna want the quick in and out thing, they're not going to get the chandeliers and believe it or not some people don't want to spend an hour on a pedicure. But it's a real pedicure, you're getting the full treatment, it's 30 dollars and you're getting free cocktails and not foot fungus. I use all things made in America in my store. And yes it's a couple of dollars more but you can tell by the quality. When I opened up the store it was weird, people were just coming in loving it and I was like, how did you find out about us. People were like, 'I heard about you" or 'I just walked by and saw the chandeliers in the window.' People were so impressed with the way it looked. I was happy like my job was done! Which means that it's never done."

Q: You went out to the West Coast as a comedian, how did that go and how did you get into the nail business?

A: "I was a comic for 10 years. And throughout those years it was definitely a lot of work. I mean to get up on stage and to get people to come to your show and constantly write new material..Plus, I was booking jobs on and off. I did a lot of Jimmy Kimmel Live and shows on BET. For me, I liked those kinds of things but they were so far and few that I was like, oh my gosh..I need a life. So, I asked myself, what do I love most in this world? What would I spend the most money on even if I had a dollar to my name? Which there had been many years like that. It's Top Ramen 24th night in a row. I would always get pedicures and I thought why are the nail places so junky? What's the deal here...fluorescent lighting s****y chairs...in and out service. Who cares about service? I care!"

Q: How do we get a sneak peak of the show?

A: "If you have Comcast, you can get the teasers On Demand, now. And Philly will get the first episode a week before the rest of the United States. Technically the premiere is on June 21st at 10 o'clock but for you guys it will be on the 14th.

Q: What would the readers be surprised to know about you?

A: "I love owls. I have a picture of a baby owl on my phone right now. Do you want to see?"

Q: What are three things you always get asked or told?

A: "People say, 'Oh my God, do people tell you that you look like...' and I say, Drew Barrymore? Then, 'are your eyelashes real?' or 'are you wearing fake eyelashes?' And 'Is you ring Swarovski?' I've heard that like 6 different times now."

Thanks to Katie for her candor, her stories about the Jersey Shore crew and her favorite polish trends. Ladies, if you want to try something new, find a polish of your choosing and paint your ring finger a completely different color (like the picture of Vanessa Hudgens at the beginning of this post). Even I tried it, considering that my polish choices are as conservative as they come. There are more updates on Katie to come. Stay tuned especially for news about her awesome product launches that I could not discuss in this post. I will be following Katie's career and thanks the TV Guide Network for bring her to us. Happy "Nail Files" watching, ladies and gents!

- Biana

www.PhillyFashionistas.com

Tweet