Before & After: The Walking Dead

(Bunny Nail plate HD-C and MASH pen originally sent for review)

Hello!

It's here, it's here it's here!!!!! The ghosties and ghoulies are among us, coming in search of our souls--but they'll settle for candy, so make sure you have plenty!!

Today is also the last day of the Challenge Your Nail Art Halloween challenge, and the theme for today is to do a mani inspired by scary movies/tv.

For the last few years, I've been obsessed by The Walking Dead, but this season...OMG, this season. THIS SEASON! I will say no more in case there are fans out there who aren't yet caught up. Suffice it to say, this mani was an easy call for me.

I started with a base of Lucky 13 Fool Of A Took, which turns out to be a continuous Halloween favorite for me:

Lucky 13 Fool Of A Took

Lucky 13 Fool Of A Took

Lucky 13 Fool Of A Took

Then I stamped three fingers with awesome zombehs from Bunny Nails plate HD-C (click to see my review), and then wrote the title using a MASH nail art pen:

What did the zombie lose his lawsuit?

He had no leg to stand on!

For this one, I decided that I wanted a little negative space on the thumbs:

To finish up, I want to share a little trick with you. You might notice that I'm showing you my left hand; you might also remember that I am left-handed. That means I wrote that title with my non-dominant hand. Not too bad, if I do say so myself--want to know how I managed it, especially in that little teeny writing?

Shhhh...don't tell anybody...

I wrote it upside down. 

Yes, you read that right. Write the words in block letters on a piece of paper, and then turn it upside down. Then copy it on your nail--because when you do it this way, you're not 'writing', you're drawing straight lines and half circles, and that's it. Your brain doesn't try to 'write' and it's a lot easier to get something you can read.

Now I don't know if this will work for everyone, but it works for me, so there's a chance it will work for you--so give it a shot and see how it goes. :)

Happy Halloween everybody!!!
M.

An InLinkz Link-up

Before & After: Great night for a broom flight

(Nothing to disclose)

Hello!!

Today's theme in the Challenge Your Nail Art Halloween Challenge is Halloween villains! One of the listed 'villains' was witches...

Now, I think we could have a debate on whether or not witches count as villains...after all, Glinda was a GOOD witch, right? But let's put all that aside, and just embrace the chance to have an awesome Halloween witch mani. :)

I started with a base of Orly Beautiful Disaster, one of my favorite basic Halloween polishes; it's a grape-y purple with a shimmer of blue:

Orly Beautiful Disaster

Orly Beautiful Disaster

Next, I put on a coat of LynBdesigns This Is Halloween:

LynBDesigns This Is Halloween over Orly Beautiful Disaster

LynBDesigns This Is Halloween over Orly Beautiful Disaster

Next, I stamped over this using Bunny Nails HD-D and HD-C, with Konad Black (my witch) Konad white (the ghost and the cloud) and Pure Ice Silver Mercedes (everything else):

How do you make a witch float?

Two scoops of ice cream, some root beer, and a witch.

What do you think? I'd like to believe my witch is fighting the little ghosties and making the world a safer place...you go, girl!

Happy Halloween Hugs,

M.

An InLinkz Link-up

Before & After: Spooky Punikens

(Nothing to disclose)

Hello!

Today's prompt in the Challenge Your Nail Art Halloween Challenge is pumpkin faces! I've been waiting for this one for a while, so let's get to it!

I started with an awesome flakie gradient (I believe by definition any flakie gradient must be awesome) using LynBDesigns Do I Look Like A Frolicker and Nfu-Oh 51:

Possibly the most awesome flakie gradient ever, with LynBDesigns Do I Look Like A Frolicker and Nfu-Oh 51

Seriously, that's just awesome

There's your fall magic right there, buddy

Next, I stamped my puniken faces using Konad Black and Bunny Nails HD-D (you can see my review of HD-D here):

I love this--it's a little bit spooky, but not too spooky, just the right blend. And just, just, just...that gradient. *SIGH*

Happy Halloween Hugs!! :)

M.

An InLinkz Link-up

NOTD: Whimsical Halloween Poem mani with Stampaholics ST02

(Nothing to disclose)

Hello!

I have a quickie NOTD to show you; it's the sort of Halloween manicure suitable for children's parties and more whimsical (rather than spooky) events. :)

Today's theme in the Challenge Your Nail Art Halloween challenge is to use classic orange and black for a mani, so here goes!

I started with a base of Color Club Look Don't Tusk. Then I stamped on it using Stampaholic ST02 (you can see my review of the plate here); I used Sally Hansen Orange Impulse for the images, and Konad black for the words:

I think it's sweet and captures the fun of the season. I hope you do too! :)

Halloween hugs,
M.

An InLinkz Link-up

NOTD: Freshly Dead

(Nothing to disclose)

Hello!!

I recently saw a 'burnt parchment' technique on my friend's blog (Bob Plays With Polish), and my mind went a little crazy with the idea...and I decided to turn it into a little Halloween experiment.

Basically how the technique works is, you layer several colors of polish, then you take a brush dipped in acetone and swipe down through the layers to show the different colors. If you do it with whites, browns and blacks, you get a burned parchment look the the beautiful one she made. But my mind thought...what about flesh, blood, and bone?

And thus was my 'Freshly Dead' manicure born:

Freshly dead corpses

with lots of yummy maggots...

nom nom nom nom nom

I'm not sure if the corpse has started to split open due to decomposition, or if it was sliced into before death...either way, the maggots don't care and are enjoying their feast!

Because this month's theme in the Nail Challenge Collaborative is 'stripes', I decided to go for the most Halloweenest stripes ever...this is why the rotted parts are up-and-down stripey splits (and yes, sometimes my brain scares me, too).

Here's how I did it:

(1) I started with a base of Color Club Look Don't Tusk, which is an off-white bone color, for my 'bone' layer. I used two coats, but if I were to do this again, I think I'd do three, to make sure I had enough white.

(2) I put on two coats of Barielle Miami Heat, for my 'blood' layer.

(3) I put on two coats of Barielle Pillow Talk for my 'flesh/skin' layer.

(4) I stamped some stitches using Konad Black and MoYou London Gothic 04.

(5) I free-handed some yummy maggots with acrylic paints. Yes, I know maggots don't usually have big eyes like that, but I thought it made them creepier, so I went with it.

(6) I used a layer of Seche Vite between each of the colors, and then on top of the art.

What do you think? Is it deliciously disgusting?

Happy Halloween Hugs,
M.

An InLinkz Link-up

Review and test: Bundle Monster Sun-Kissed collection 501-510

(Purchased by me; affiliate links)

Hello!

I love fall, but I know not everybody does...saying good-bye to summer can be hard when you love the sunshine and the long days. There's not much we can do about that, but Bundle Monster has a set that will let you keep summer on your nails all year long. :)

I give you Bundle Monster's Sun-Kissed collection (plates 501-510):

And here are the still shots:

BM-501: Kelp ahoy!

BM-502: Waves and scales

BM-503: Fishes fishes fishes!

BM-504: Waves and jellies and shellfishes!

BM-505: Shells galore!

BM-506: swirls and tentacles and lighthouses...

BM-507: Hanging at the beach

BM-508: Pirates and attack of the birds!

BM-509: Anchors and ropes and tridents

BM-510: Mermaids and hulas and treasure maps!

And here it is next to a Konad plate for comparison:

How do they stamp? The CYO Bundle Monster set had a few issue with light engraving that didn't stamp too well (only on 1-2 plates, to be fair). I didn't have that issue with these plates:

BM-508

BM-506

BM-507

BM-505

BM-503

BM-504

I didn't have any issue with these plates at all--they stamped beautifully, even the tinsiest of details (I used the Barielle Me Couture Fall 2014 collection for the stamping, btw). The quality is top-notch, so the only issue here is whether or not you like the beach/summer theme of the plates.

You can buy these by clicking here.

What do you think? Do you like these images? If you could design any themed set of plates you wanted, what would your theme be?

Hugs and loves,
M.

Review and test: MoYou London Gothic 04

(Nothing to disclose)

Hello!

Oh yes, oh yes, I have another Halloween plate review for you--MoYou London Gothic 04. It's not *just* a Halloween plate--in fact, MoYou have just come out with some plates specifically designed for Halloween in their Festive collection--but, this is definitely an awesome plate to use for Halloween looks.

First up, here is mah video:

And now some stills of the lovely:

MoYou London Gothic 04

MoYou London Gothic 04

MoYou London Gothic 04

MoYou London Gothic 04 vs. Konad

"But Michelle!" I hear you saying. "I'm not really into Halloween!" Okay, fair enough. This plate might not be for you. But, before you decide that, let me point out a couple of very cool things here:

• The lace pattern and the cross-hatch pattern could easily be used for romantic manicures.
• The tree could easily be a fall or winter tree.
• The Latin words are awesome for general background purposes or anything to do with books, studying, scholarship, Church, etc.
• The stained-glass-esque pattern is gorgeous and could be used for a ton of beautiful lead-lighting.
• Ditto for that stunning arch/window.

So if you're worried about getting a plate that you'll only use once a year, I don't think you have to have that worry with this one. :)

Okay, let's take a look at the mani I did with this plate. I started with Barielle Soho At Night, from the recent Me Couture Fall 2014 collection:

Barielle Soho At Night

Because this month's theme in the Nail Challenge Collaborative is 'Stripes', I went with the cross-hatch pattern for a background (of criss-crossed stripes). I used Sally Hansen Lively Lilac and Barry M Silver Foil to stamp my designs:

*Cue creepy music as the hands play with the spider*

One thing that bummed me out a little about this plate (and I've had the same issue here and there with other MoYou plates) is I had a little bit of difficulty getting the thing lines and flowers to stamp completely solid, without any missing spots. But, you'll notice that the hand/spider stamped perfectly.

Happy Halloween Hugs!!
M.

An InLinkz Link-up