All last year, I was obsessed with  Nail Files on theTV Guide channel.

For those of you that have never watched Nail Files, it is the best of all things reality television and the ONLY reality show about a woman running a nail empire. Cameras follow and document the wild life of Katie Cazorla, business woman/nail genius, and her salon, The Painted Nail. There’s the usual drama, a little fighting and celebrity clients, but that’s not why most people watch – we watch for Katie. She is the star of the show.

Hidden inside her station are all of her new products, as well as tools to create designs you can’t get anywhere else.

Last season laid the groundwork for the woman I met at The Painted Nail in Studio City, CA. I already knew Katie (aka HBIC) was a vivacious tiny dynamo with a great sense of humor. Season 1 showed me that she is no-nonsense when it comes to her career. She also has a loving fiancé (Walter is the BEST, for real) and works endlessly to make her shop and her brand the best it can be.The moment she sat down with me, I was able to tell how Katie has “made it”. She is insanely friendly, talkative and sweet, but she also LOVES to learn. During our time together, Katie checked out a new top secret device she plans on selling for all of us who love gel nails (for those who don’t, this will make you fall in love). She used everything from craft hole punchers to ADORABLE kawaii-like little charms and bobbles to try new looks on her nails, and tested out her new line of DIY designs that will soon be massed produced and sold worldwide.

Katie added this cupcake to her nails in 30 seconds with a new LED gel treatment she is developing!

She did all of this  while mixing together special colors from her own line for customers receiving the usual Painted Nail treatment from her highly trained technicians (each customer is offered chilled wine or their choice of beverage, treated to their choice of music and can peruse the “ice cream bar” to select their “flavor” of scrub and soap) and greeting the walk-in customers.

Katie is the real deal! She loves nails and everything that goes into their beatification! She is a girly Willy Wonka/meets mad scientist when it comes to nails. No gadget is off limits and if you love it, Katie will find a way to get it onto your nails. She checks out everything from international runway fashion to nail bloggers and Tumblr. She loves it all. While other nail artists look down upon those of us who do nail art at home, Katie thinks its great. She wants anyone who uses her products to feel great and look fantastic. So if that means “doing you”, go for it!

Mixing colors like a BO$$ 

I think the most fascinating thing I learned during our chat is that Katie Cazorla is the “New American Dream”. She actually came to LA to be a stand-up comedian with a little money and nowhere to stay. While couch surfing and living in her car, the idea of The Painted Nail began to take form after realizing that no matter how broke she or her friends were, they always found a way to save enough to get their nails done. She struggled (while living in her car she would go to Bailey’s Gym to shower), went to school and with no credit and no way to get a “job” (she was part of the cycle of no job, no address), she convinced the owner of the building that is now home to TPN to give her a shot to open her own salon and run it how she would love a salon to look and feel.

Within three months of opening, Katie was approached with an offer to film a reality show.

She tests out every technique and appliqué  

I had the best time and learned so much during my afternoon at TPN  (like that Katie speaks KOREAN. Yeah! She attended nail school in Korea Town) and hopefully watching Nail Files, you will too. As I said before, Katie loves nails and ladies (and guys) who love nails, so there was no way she was letting me leave with out a bag full of fly goodies from imPress for HelloGiggles Readers!

We will give away 2 sets a week if you can correctly answer our Nail Files Trivia Question. Watch this week’s episodes and check back here Monday morning to answer our Nail Files trivia question in the comments section below this post.

Nail Files Trivia Question:

What kind of car did Katie want to drive to Las Vegas with Amy in? 

This week one reader will get an autographed set of hot pink and zebra imPress nails designed by Katie herself.

*We will also select a “runner up” to receive a set too.

Katie adds some flair to sets of imPRESS nails in her salon

Also for those who plan on heading down to The Painted Nail (or any salon), you should know that Katie’s dream customers are “people who know exactly they want or people who are up for anything.” So do your homework before you go and bring a friend or prepare to make a few new ones, because the The Painted Nail is a social salon.

Don’t forget “Nail Files” on the TV Guide Network begins THIS Sunday, August 19
at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT followed by the second episode at 9:30p.m. ET/PT
and check back here Monday morning for the trivia giveaway! 

Here is a sneak peek at a “Painted Nail moment” from the new season:

Follow Katie and TPN on Twitter and Facebook and check back next week for ANOTHER give away and more about Nail Files & my day at TPN

✌❤ & Polish
xx