This Sunday, May 12th is Mother’s Day. It’s a day when we celebrate the mother figures that have always been there for us every step of the way. Our mothers were there from the most frustrating and tear-filled arguments, to the warmest moments of protection. Mother’s Day is a reminder that our mothers will always be our protectors. I’m aware that not everyone has a mother figure to look up to, but perhaps you can also dedicate this day to the amazing women in your life that have provided you with love, healing and protection. It could be an aunt, cousin, best friend or even a teacher!
Personally, I am dedicating this day to my mother, Susana. My mom is the epitome of Ghanaian royalty and hospitality. She always opens her door to everyone she meets and is always so excited to share her food and charming personality with others. She’s the classiest and most genuine person that I have ever known, and I’m so happy to have been raised by her. I love seeing the way my mom’s face lights up when someone gets her a useful gift, and she appreciates it when she receives something that matches her personality.
One of my mother’s favorite pastimes is painting her nails. She occasionally gets them done at a salon, but she prefers doing it herself as a stress-reliever and therapeutic activity. I recently watched a Youtube video from the revived Clevver Style and saw that they had gone to the new ORLY Color Lab in Los Angeles to create custom nail polishes. I knew that I had to go check it out, and since Mother’s Day was approaching I thought, “Let’s kill two stones with one bird and get my mom a unique, custom-made nail polish!”
Before going to the color lab, you have to make an appointment on their website. I went to ORLY on a Saturday morning, which happened to be one of their busier days. The charming and small establishment was filled with women of all ages. From teenagers to moms to grandmothers, they were all waiting for their custom nail polish.
When it was my turn to create my nail polish, I was guided to a standing iPad where I input my choices. For step one, I selected my mood. The difference between “brights” and “night” was literally night and day. The collection of bright colors were pastels, neons and airy. The collection of night colors leaned towards more deep, muted and bold colors. I chose night because my mother’s favorite color is a mix between red and burgundy. Once I chose the image that best represented the color I wanted, the screen presented me with three different shades of that color scheme, going from lightest to darkest. The shade range is not pictured here, but I selected the darkest maroon I could find. The screen was both interactive and simple to utilize, but if I needed help, there was an attendant ready to assist me.
The customization got really wild in the last step. For no extra charge, I got to choose the finish of the nail polish. You can choose from a pearly shimmer, metallic shimmer or a classic creme finish. I chose the gold metallic shimmer finish. My mom has very classy and extravagant taste when it comes to accessorizing and fashion. So I thought pairing the maroon with a gold shimmer would be perfect.
My favorite part of the process was the end when I got to name my unique bottle of nail polish. I named it “Royal Mama Rouge” as a reminder to my mom that she has always been a queen both to me and everyone she’s ever met.
An amazing feature of the ORLY color lab is that as soon as your custom-made nail polish is done being made, you can immediately get a manicure and/or pedicure with your new color! There were many women that left dolled up and happy with their new sets.
After paying for my bottle, I was guided to the counter where I could watch the mixologist, Emma, make my nail polish by hand. There were dozens of colors in bottles, and with each pump, I could see what the nail polish from my imagination come to life. The lovely mixologist even added extra gold and additional red shimmer until I thought it was the perfect balance. In the end, she bottled it up and put a sticker with the unique name on the bottom of the polish. The nail polish was housed in a quality bottle, perfect for serving as a gift box.
Overall, I payed $21.50 for one bottle of nail polish. This is definitely not an everyday type of activity, but if you’re ever in the mood to start a collection of nail polishes as unique as you are, then this is the place to start! The amazing service and customization aspect at ORLY Color Labs makes the price fair, and it’s definitely a place everyone should visit at least once! I can’t wait to see the look on my mom’s face when she opens her gift. She’s done so much for me in life that this is the least that I could do for her. If you’re ever stumped on what to gift someone, definitely check out ORLY Color Labs. The gift of a one-of-a-kind item will make anyone feel special.