Down at the Market

The Broadway Market - a staple on the East side of Buffalo. I remember heading to the market often as a child when I lived on Fillmore, now I find myself visiting during the Lenten season and maybe once every other month. I hate when places that have so much potential get a "bad" rep because the area they are located in may not be the greatest. The only thing is, the market is open during daylight hours and is probably safer to visit than some other popular places in town that are open late into the night. I have a lot of childhood memories at the market and I'm looking forward to visiting in the upcoming week for Easter. If you've never been or haven't been in a while you should definitely pay a visit, with vendors like Gridlock Lacquer and Hands and Paws Cookie Treats  its bringing a new life back into an historic building.

-B

Nail Polish Named After Buffalo Favorites!

Yesterday, I featured nail polish remover from EXO Supply Co. so it only makes sense for me to feature nail polish today. Hand mixed, Buffalo themed nail polish to be specific, from Gridlock Lacquer! You may have seen my post back in December on Lisa from Gridlock Lacquer {click here for the post}, but her product is so awesome that I'm featuring her again this week. Not only is business going great for her, she is prepping for the busy Easter season at the Broadway Market and expanding her product to Pittsburgh! If you haven't checked out her nail polish make sure to stop by her stand at the market or online!

-B

Women Who Move Buffalo {Elyse, from EXO Supply Co.}

{I love the samples Elyse provided me with! Thank you!}

Ladies have you ever thought to yourself – why does nail polish remover have to be so potent and harsh? Even the ones that say they are "sensitive" still have a distinct smell when you open the bottle. Well not any more. Elyse from EXO Supply Co. created a nail polish remover that is eco-friendly, smells beautiful {think the smell of lavender} and is plant based.

Learn more about her and EXO Supply Co. below!

 -B

When did EXO Supply Co. launch?

Since April of 2014

What products do you offer?

Outside of the nail polish remover {Pure Remover}, look for an all-natural coconut cleanser that can be used on hands, body and face coming this spring!

What is EXO Supply Co.?

Branching off from her father’s business at Griffin Chemical Company, Elyse worked hard to develop, produce and market a product that is clean, organic and not harmful. Pure Remover is so gentle it makes it the perfect product to use on children’s nails.

Pure Remover is on the higher end of nail polish removers {think of OPI nail polish}, but once you use this product you will know why - its high quality!

Where can you find EXO products?

You can find EXO at a handful of places - the Lexington Co-Op, Gridlock Lacquer, Tony Walker and Co., the list goes on! {For a complete list, click here}.

If you travel internationally you can find EXO products in Ontario, Canada {Niagara on the Lake} and the Philippines.

Want to know what fun promotions, events, activities Elyse has coming up?

She is prepping for a huge event this weekend – the Pre-Party Expo at the Oscars on Saturday. EXO, Koukla Cosmetics and Her Story Boutique will be hitting the red carpet and promoting their brand with the stars!

On top of this awesome opportunity this weekend, Elyse was excited to share with me that EXO has recently lowered their shipping costs online. Making it even more appealing to order online!

Make sure to follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to catch the latest promotions, events and products!

When I asked Elyse what she loves best about Buffalo she said the people. "Interacting with other business owners is welcoming and it’s not like other places." When I met with Elyse for this interview I could tell how proud, passionate and excited she is on what EXO Supply Co. stands for and where it is going in the future. She has an awesome product and I hope you test it out!

{Please note: photos courtesy of EXO Supply Co.}

The Broadway Market

Growing up on Fillmore Ave, the Broadway Market has been a permanent staple in my life since I was a child. While it was more of a "booming" neighborhood when I was younger, now it is only a hot spot to go during the Easter season. People {I lose that word loosely} are scared or have a bad perception of the area where the market stands in their head. While I will agree that the neighborhood has deteriorated as I've gotten older, the market still has a lot to offer. The last few weeks I visited the market to pick up some essentials, such as meat from Lupus Meats and homemade pierogi's from Pott's Deli. Not only are these staples that have stood still at the market for years, there are also wineries that offer wine sampling, Gridlock Lacquer offering handmade nail polish for sale and Hands and Paws Cookie and Treats that offer doggie treats for man's best friend. There are also a handful of other local stands that sell seasonings, baked goods and misc. items.

Its sad to see what I think is a staple in Buffalo, falling apart and not being able to get the funding it needs to replace the roof or fix the cracks in the floor. Sometimes you need to put a little more into a building than just a coat of paint. I think the City of Buffalo should put more than just a few hours of their time into this Buffalo staple and market the Broadway Market as a place to go throughout the year and not just at Easter time...

Its great to see all the great things happening down at Canalside, but in my opinion there are other areas we should focus are attention on as well and not just half ass it {excuse my language}. The Broadway Market is just a short trip away and my hope is that people can see the life that it still has and what it could be if it just got a little more TLC.

Broadway Market on Facebook and Twitter.

-B

{Those are some big pickles!}

{A look inside the market}

{They have plenty of horseradish if you need any}

{Women Who Move the City} Lisa, Gridlock Lacquer

Today I'm featuring a woman who I have followed since she opened her business in 2013. Lisa from Gridlock Lacquer began mixing, combining and creating nail polish with a little Buffalo love and since her business began she has only expanded and is doing bigger and better things. Check out my interview with Lisa below. -B

How did Gridlock Lacquer get started?

It was started when I started noticing how major nail polish and cosmetic labels were re-branding the way products were sold. Instead of "sunset pink" or "mauve" nail polish, the major brands starting naming their polishes things like "I'm Not Really a Waitress" or "Topless & Barefoot" or "It's Raining Men". Women started to buy the products almost as much for the name as they were for the color. I thought it would be fun to bring that idea to a local level and create a collection based on things, events and history of Buffalo.

What is the thing you enjoy the most about owning your own business?

I own the successes and I own the mistakes. If the product is poor, that's  on me but if it's great then I know I'm doing something right. It also allows for dreaming much more than a traditional career. I'm only limited by myself and the only people I report to are my customers.

What is one thing you want people to know about you and Gridlock Lacquer, that they may not know?

Gridlock Lacquer is hand mixed! This means hours and hours have been spent blending colors, dropping mixing balls, filling bottles, adding brushes, twisting caps and labeling. It's a labor of love and very time intensive. I love that this is a hand mixed product and that it is made in Buffalo. It's my own tiny contribution to the re-shoring of American manufacturing haha j/k.

Where can they find your product?

-Online at gridlocklacquer.com

-At the Broadway Market on Saturdays from now through Easter

-At a bunch of retail stores in Buffalo, Rochester and Cleveland. The list can be found on the website if you're looking for something in your area. {Click here for the list}

Do you host private parties for those who want to make their own nail polish?

YES and it's so fun! I've only done a couple but people have had a blast and come up with some really creative colors! Eventually I hope to get to a place where I have a location that allows me to host the events myself and then people can just sign up when they'd like to participate instead of needing to assemble a group.

What is one thing you love about Buffalo?

Just one? Buffalo is such an underdog story. Everyone loves to root for the underdog and watch it come out on top.

Any other info you’d like to provide? Upcoming events you’ll be at? Promotions you are doing, etc?

Keep an eye out for coupon codes on social media!

Follow on FB, Instagram {@GridlockLacquer}, Twitter {@GridlockLacquer} . They've got all the updates on location, events, sales and new products. All are listed as: gridlocklacquer

I'll be at the Broadway Market on Saturdays, extra days around Christmas and 2 full weeks before Easter with a fresh set of Spring colors. The market is super fun and a really important piece of Buffalo's history, so stop by!

I stopped by the Broadway Market on Saturday and picked up a bunch of gifts for the holidays, the nail polish makes great stocking stuffers!. Check out some of my photos below. Thank you Lisa for believing in Buffalo and helping keep Buffalo moving forward, in a stylish way!

I love the names!

Other accessories to go with the nail polish, nail decals, soaps, nail polish remover