When I first started collecting nail polish, I started frequenting Makeupalley's Nail Board. Back then, hand-mixed custom polishes were nicknamed "frankenpolishes". Due to the lack of unique polishes at the time, these frankenpolishes became popular on the board. The queen of these custom polishes was Lynnderella.
Lynn Chrisman, a NYC graphic designer, is the creator of the Lynnderella brand. Lynnderella released the first public collection in 2011, dubbing it the First Edition. The original line-up included Connect the Dots, The Glittering Crowd, Mercurial, Mercury's Rainbow, Ruby Red Ruby, Shape Shifter and Snow Angel.
Connect the Dots (one coat over Jessica King Tut's Gem): black and white round, square and bar glitter in a clear base with subtle shimmer
The Glittering Crowd (one coat over OPI's The "IT" Color): miscellaneous multi-colored glitter shapes in a clear base
Mercurial (one coat over OPI Haven't The Foggiest) : gunmetal glitter with black and pale purple glitter in a clear base
Mercury's Rainbow (two coats): black and silver holographic glitter in a clear base
Ruby Red Ruby (one coat over Chanel Rouge Radical): varying sizes of round red glitter in a red jelly base
Shape Shifter (one coat over OPI This Gown Needs A Crown): miscellaneous silver holographic shape glitter in a clear base
Snow Angel (one coat over Colors By Llarowe Coconut): dainty white round and square glitter in a white base
After years of seeing pictures of one-of-a-kind Lynnderella polishes on Makeupalley, I never once thought I'd actually own a bottle. My favorite was Snow Angel, due to its delicate nature. I was over the moon when the news came out that it was now commercially available. Connect the Dots spawned many imitations, which even trickled down to mass-produced brands. I clearly remember Maybelline having one such polish.
I personally think the current rush of indie brands started with the 2011 Lynnderella craze. Not long after Lynnderella started selling to the public, other indie brands started coming out with their own unique polishes.