I’m so excited how well received Swatcher Spotlight was received last month with Nicole Perez, so for that I just want to say “THANK YOU!!!!” If you didn’t get a chance to read it, check it out here.
This month I had the wonderful pleasure of working with Elena Kalogeroloulos. This stunningly, beautiful women with the gorgeous smile can be found on IG at @ecklipsedbycolor. Her swatches are just as beautiful as her personality and I feel like selfie collage really shows who she is.
Name: Elena Kalogeropoulos
Age: 35
Location: Milford, NH
Elena’s name was suggested after I had asked FB for swatcher/bloggers that deserved the ‘Spotlight.’ I did a little snooping on her IG, which I was not following (I have no idea why), and without any further hesitation, I reached out and the rest was history. We messaged back and forth for a while and it was great getting her perspective and advise, needless to say we are now friends on FB.
So on to the fun stuff…of course you know I had to get the 4-1-1 on Elena and ask all about her family life.
Q: Kids?
A: “No”
Q: Marital Status?
A: “I’ll be married nine years in August to my husband, Jesse. He’s my best friend and partner in crime. He’s an illustrator and a front end (UI/UX) developer designer. It’s great to have a partner who is excited over color and design. He supports my hobby.”
Q: Birthday
A: “December 4th. Complete and utter Sagittarius”
Q: Pets?
A: “My son, Oberon Higgs Kismet aka Obie. He’s a short haired albino Syrian hamster. He’s also the brand ambassador for Fiendish Fancies.”
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Q: Best Vacation Taken?
A: “I lived and studied Islamic Art and Architecture in Turkey for 4 months in 2001. It was empowering to be so far from home and take care of myself. The country was completely gorgeous and such a juxtaposition of modern and ancient life. It inspires a lot of my color and pattern choices to this day.”
Q: Best life accomplishment to date?
A: “I recently was promoted to Assistant Vice President of Mortgage Lending at my bank. Helping about 100 people a year find their dream homes and educating another 75 a year in home ownership (I teach classes), is such an awesome and inspiring experience.”
Q: Best character trait?
A: “I’d say creativity and Jesse says strength. I have to agree with both.”
Q: Favorite breakfast food?
A: “I’m not really a breakfast person, but I do eat it every day. I like Greek yogurt…”
Q: Heels or flats?
A: “Heels. I’m obsessed with shoes. Every outfit has to have the perfect matching pair. It’s like the icing on the cake.”
Q: Favorite season?
A: “Summer, hands down. My parents moved to FL four years ago and I feel like I have been blessed with an endless summer.”
Heels, outfit and nails…NOTHING ELSE MATTERS…lol!! Now its time to find out about Elena’s nails and get the details.
Q: What got you started doing your nails?
A: “My mom is a cosmetologist and nails have always been in my beauty routine. I went through a biting phase for a while and another one where I wore Revlon’s Rum Raisin and OPI’s Lincoln Park After Dark… Forever. I got into the indie scene about 5 years ago and never looked back.”
Q: What was the first brand you swatched for?
A: “Fiendish Fancies, an amazing Canadian brand started by my friend Lara that has shades inspired by classic horror movies and thrillers. I also have been blessed to work with the ladies of Hella Holo Customs and the amazing Lynn and Paul Chrisman of Lynnderella (that was a fan girl moment).”
Q: What is your ‘go to’ cuticle oil?
A: “KB Shimmer cuticle pen and Picture Perfect Matte cuticle cream in Pink Sugar.”
Q: Do you have swatch/mani routines?
A: “Not particularly… I always make sure I shape my nails and wash my hands with a mild detergent before prepping and painting. I don’t do clean up, I rely on a steady hand. That’s why I went to art school. Also, I feel like you need some fresh beats while swatching. I’ve been listing to The Arcs’ Yours Dreamily and Arctic Monkey’s AM.”
Q: What tips would you give an aspiring swatcher?
A: “Be you. Have a recognizable and unique hand pose. Enjoy what you swatch it makes for a better experience. Never feel discouraged about your nail size. I was told that I would never be able to swatch because I have small nails. Never say never, I guess…”
Q: What’s one nail related item you can’t live without?
A: “My Sephora Formula X prep, base, and top coat. I adore that system.”
Q: If you were to start an indie line of polish what would you name it and what would the first collection be inspired by?
A: “ECKlipsed (the ECK is for my initials) I think I would go with an art inspired line… Colors representing different genres. It would definitely be followed by something dessert inspired.”
Do you feel like you know Elena a little bit better? Well good, me too. Thanks again to Elena for spending the time to answer my questions.
I hope you join me back next time for another edition of Swatch Spotlight. Be sure to comment down below if you or someone you know is a swatcher that should have the spotlight on them!
Queen of Nails 83 