About the Creator: Robin Lemke-Fasulo

There is a great deal of science behind a bottle of Bling Galleria gel—and perhaps it is no surprise that there is a materials scientist behind the company.

 

Founder Robin Lemke-Fasulo holds a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science & Engineering, a discipline concerned with understanding how materials are designed, manufactured, and perform. Before creating Bling Galleria, Robin spent 30 years as a Materials Engineer and Aerospace Engineer with Pratt & Whitney, developing advanced high-temperature materials for jet and rocket engines. Robin also holds 3 Master's degrees. Industrial Science And Engineering, Information Technology and the 3rd an MBA.

 

It is an unusual road to the nail industry, but one that helps explain the philosophy behind Bling.

 

Robin originally founded Bling Galleria as a dip powder company. When she decided to expand into gel products, she wasn’t willing to simply choose whatever was readily available. She spent approximately six months to a year searching for manufacturers who could meet the standard she had set for herself.

 

At the time, one of her primary goals was finding HEMA-free gel—a much more difficult proposition then than it is today. Eventually, she found manufacturers whose formulations went beyond what she had initially been seeking.

 

That search became part of a larger philosophy about what “clean” means at Bling Galleria.

 

“Clean” can be an imprecise word in the beauty industry. At Bling, however, it has a purposeful definition. Rather than suggesting that chemistry itself is something to fear, Bling identifies particular ingredients it chooses to formulate without and provides customers with ingredient information so they can make informed decisions about the products they use.

 

Today, Bling Galleria describes its gel products as formulated without HEMA, HPMA, TPO, Di-HEMA, Bis-HEMA, IBOA and IBOMA.

 

That does not mean gel products are incapable of causing sensitivity or allergy, nor does it replace the importance of careful application, avoiding skin exposure, and proper curing. Instead, it reflects a deliberate formulation philosophy: decide what standards matter, seek products that meet those standards, and be transparent with customers about what is—and is not—in the bottle.

 

For someone who spent three decades studying and engineering materials under extreme conditions, that kind of specificity seems fitting.

 

And Robin’s patience and precision extend beyond the laboratory and the nail table.

 

She is also an accomplished orchid grower. In 2021, Myrmecocattleya Marissa’s Aurora ‘Rockin Robin’, an orchid she cultivated, received the American Orchid Society’s Paul and Mary Storm Award—recognition that followed an earlier Award of Merit from the Society.

 

There is something wonderfully appropriate about the combination.

 

Engineering materials for jet and rocket engines requires curiosity, precision, and an understanding that seemingly small differences in composition can matter. Cultivating an exceptional orchid requires patience, observation, and a willingness to give something exactly what it needs to flourish.

 

And creating Bling Galleria has required a little of both.

 

What began as a dip powder company has grown into a brand shaped by Robin’s unusual combination of scientific experience, exacting standards, creativity, and genuine enthusiasm for the products she creates.

 

Behind all the color, sparkle and—naturally—Bling is someone who has spent a lifetime paying very close attention to materials. It turns out that is a rather excellent background for making nail products.