The Matillano sisters have nailed it. They’ve turned their love and passion for fabulous nails into a fun, colorful, and exciting family business.

Marywood alumni, Andrea Matillano Funkhouser, 24, a 2011 business management graduate, and Amber Matillano Werzinski, 22, a 2013 photography graduate, are the owners of Tillie Polish, a nail polish company they run from their hometown of Clarks Summit, PA. Their younger sister, Alexa Matillano, 17, also pitches in.

Tillie Polish, the name Tillie derived from the sisters’ last name, launched nationwide last November and was born of the girls’ long-time obsession with nail polish.

“We had been collecting nail polish for two years and we just became obsessed with it,” said Andrea. “We just started trying all different kinds and all different brands and then after trying so many nail polishes you see what you like and don’t like. So we just thought we could create our own nail polish and combine all of our favorite parts into one.”

The polish, which is manufactured in the USA, is different than most nail polishes because it’s 4H free. This means that the formula used to make Tillie doesn’t include the four main toxins found typically in most nail polishes which include:

• Toluene: a colorless hydrocarbon used to thin nail polish, has a strong odor that has been known to cause headaches, dizziness, and fatigue.
• Formaldehyde: often used as a disinfectant/preservative, it’s known to cause a strong irritant to the eyes, skin, and throat.
• Dibutyl Phthalate: commonly used as a plasticizer that prevents nail polishes from becoming brittle, it can affect prenatal development.
• Camphor: a waxy, clear substance that has a strong odor and can cause nausea and uncontrolled muscle contractions.

Since launching in November, Tillie Nail Polish has seen a bigger response than expected.

“We were surprised because we didn’t really advertise that much. We did on our personal Facebooks and things like that but we got orders from all across the country. We had no idea how people had heard about it,” said Matillano. “It was very exciting for all of us.”

The sisters are enjoying running a family business.

“It’s been nice. We haven’t really run into any huge issues. When one of us comes up with a bad idea we aren’t afraid to say no. So we haven’t really ran into any major issues,” said Matillano Funkhouser.

Tillie Polish is available online at www.tilliepolish.com. You can also find it locally at Everything Natural, Nails First, Kidazzle, and Well Healed. It can be purchased at $8 per bottle or $35 for the entire fall collection.