NOTD: Urban Jungle

(Affiliate links)

Hello!

This month's theme in The Nail Challenge Collaborative is 'recreate another member's manicure'. The one I chose is from a person no longer in the group, so I can't link the original, sadly. So my version will have to stand on its own! I will say that what I did ended up very different and no really like the original anyway.

The idea was to sponge some bright colors and stamp a bold pattern in black over them; here's what I came up with:

Urban Jungle

Lizards and cheetahs and leopards, oh my!

I used Sally Hansen White On for my base, and Then sponged over that with Sally Hansen Rapid Red, Brisk Blue, Melloy Yellow, and Lacey Lilac.  Then I stamped on top with Konad Black using Pueen 10 (you can see my original review of this set by clicking here).

What do you think? I'm not quite sure how I feel about it...it's a little bold for what I normally wear. It certainly makes a statement!

Check out the other ladies' recreations below. :)

Happy stamping,
M.

An InLinkz Link-up

Review: Bundle Monster Secret Garden 700 series stamping plates

(Purchased by me; affiliate links)

Hello!

Bundle Monster recently came out with a new set of plates, this one in the collage style that I love so much. Of course I couldn't wait to get my hands on them.

The set has 25 plates, and have a heavily floral theme; within that there are tropical plates, garden plates, forest plates, and a scattering of other specific looks.

First up is my video review of the plates, for those who prefer to see them in motion while someone chats about them:

Next up are the still shots of the plates, so you can peruse them at their pleasure:

Bundle Monster 701: the key to my lotus blossoms

Bundle Monster 702: Frolicking in the woods with berries and ferns

Bundle Monster 703: Secret garden hidden in the glade

Bundle Monster 704: A beautiful day to cycle through the meadow

Bundle Monster 705: Word collage for your accenting pleasure

Bundle Monster 706: Monet's Japanese Garden

Bundle Monster 707: Enchanted park on a windy day

Bundle Monster 708: Fabulous peacock fountain

Bundle Monster 709: Gorgeous gardening cherry blossoms and roses

Bundle Monster 710: Spring sunflowers

Bundle Monster 711: Tiki garden madness

Bundle Monster 712: mystic mermaid

Bundle Monster 713: Hawaiian hello

Bundle Monster 714: Welcome to paradise

Bundle Monster 715: Hedgehog haven

Bundle Monster 716: boughs of beauties

Bundle Monster 717: Gorgeous goddess

Bundle Monster 718: Beautiful bustling butterflies

Bundle Monster 719: melodious swirls

Bundle Monster 720: Bird in paradise

Bundle Monster 721: vinescape to neverland...

Bundle Monster 722: Squirrely skunk admit berries and cosmic apples

Bundle Monster 723: KITTIES!!!!!!

Bundle Monster 724: Spring garden

Bundle Monster 725: Koi pond (or Coi or Koy, whatever floats your boat :) )

It's hard to communicate the size of the images on these plates, since there is so much variety within the set, so here are two of the plates next to a Konad plate for comparison purposes:

Bundle Monster 715 vs. Konad

Bundle Monster 725 vs. Konad

But the most important question is, how do they stamp?

Stamping test of Bundle Monster 700 series stamping plates

The plates stamped well without any special gymnastics on my part. I love that the special details in the images, like the woodgrain on the door, are preserved.

Overall, I think this is a solid collection. I love that it doesn't have the harsh lines between sections; I think this gives more flexibility to the plates, allows you to work more seamlessly (literally!) with the different patterns. I personally would have liked the set to have a fewer flowers and more of the other details (like that beautiful door); however, flowers are always good to have and are universally popular. This isn't meant to be an edgy or artsy set, and it delivers a variety of lovely looks quite well.

I bought my plates directly from Bundle Monster; you can also find them on Amazon.

Happy stamping!
M.

Press release: Zoya Island Fun & Paradise Sun Summer 2015 collections

Check out the awesome summer looks coming out from Zoya:

Introducing two new Zoya Nail Polish collections for Summer 2015, Island Fun & Paradise Sun. All in the Big5Free* formula Zoya is famous for.

ISLAND FUN (creams)

Ready for an island vacation, these playful creams embody a tropical getaway! They are strong in color to balance the brilliance of the summer sun, with a flawless cream formula.

• Jace (ZP796) - Modern tropical green in a full coverage and densely pigmented cream formula. A green that is more muted than lime and surprisingly wearable!

• Cecilia (ZP797) - Classic teal in a full coverage and densely pigmented cream formula.

• Talia (ZP798) - True turquoise in full coverage and densely pigmented cream formula.

• Serenity (ZP799) - Summer purple in a full coverage and densely pigmented cream formula. Reminiscent of beautiful blooming irises, a harbinger of summer!

• Nana (ZP800) - Deep summer fuchsia in a full coverage and densely pigmented cream formula.

• Demetria (ZP801) - A vibrant poppy red in a full coverage and densely pigmented cream formula.

PARADISE SUN (metallics)

Fully saturated with a gorgeous micronized metallic sheen, these shimmering beauties are much like sunshine sparkling on water. Meant to be used as an independent color, these shades feature a full-coverage, densely pigmented formula.

• Genesis (ZP790) - Crystalline white with a micronized metallic pearl finish. Designed to look like micro-fine diamond dust!

• Selene (ZP791) - True teal with a micronized metallic pearl finish. A unique shade with an aqua fleck that resembles deeper

layers of ocean water.

• Oceane (ZP792) - True turquoise with a micronized metallic pearl finish that reflects the clearest blue ocean waters.

• Isa (ZP793) - Deep blue-based purple with a micronized metallic pearl finish and an aqua flash that embodies the beauty of exotic island flowers.

• Mae (ZP794) - Warm magenta pink with a micronized metallic pearl finish, reminiscent of vibrant Mediterranean flowers.

• Aphrodite (ZP795) - Vibrant summer red with a micronized pearl metallic finish and multi-hued flash that brings it to life.

AVAILABLE 05/05/15!
ZOYA IS THE HEALTHY COLOR OF FASHION!
$9 (US)
Available in top salons, spas and on zoya.com
____

MORE BIG NEWS…

Watch LIVE as Zoya Nail Polish debuts the NEW Summer 2015 Collections – Island Fun & Paradise Sun on Periscope!

Join us on Friday May 1^st at 12:30pm EST to meet the collection and talk with Zoya Creative Director, Rebecca Isa, on how the new shades blend with summer cosmetic and fashion trends. If you don’t have a Periscope account already, don’t forget to get it set up now!

Broadcast Time: 12:30pm EST
Follow Zoya on Periscope: @ZoyaNailPolish

* **BIG5FREE, TOXIN FREE: Zoya Nail Polish Formula contains no formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, dibutyl phthalate, toluene or camphor.

Review: Barielle's Bling It On 2015 Collection

(Press sample)

Hello!

A while back when I reviewed the last Barielle collection, several people mentioned some of their favorite Barielle polishes were glitters, and said they hoped that Barielle would put out some new amazing glitters (me included!). I had to bite my tongue, because I'd received a release about two upcoming glitter collections--so I'm extremely excited to show you one of them, Barielle's Bling It On collection, which has a blend of glitter types and colors.


Barielle Amethyst is a classic glitter topper with a uniform dusty lavender to bling your nails:

Barielle Amethyst over Barielle First Class Ticket

Barielle Amethyst over Barielle First Class Ticket 

Barielle Amethyst over Barielle First Class Ticket 

Barielle Amethyst over Barielle First Class Ticket 

This is a moderate dabbing of Amethyst over Barielle First Class Ticket; you'll want to dab this to get the coverage you want, and get the glitters where you want them. The formula was good--glitters liek this always require finesse, but the suspension can make or break your application, and in this case, the formula allows the glitters to move as much as possible. This is a beautiful glitter for both spring and summer; soft enough to pair with pastels, but with enough edge to stand up to the bolder shades, too.


Next up is my personal favorite: Barielle Angel Dust. This is an iridescent shimmery glitter polish that compliments any color you top it with:

Barielle Angel Dust over Barielle Blackened Bleu

Barielle Angel Dust over Barielle Blackened Bleu

Barielle Angel Dust over Barielle Blackened Bleu

Barielle Angel Dust over Barielle Blackened Bleu

Barielle Angel Dust over Barielle Blackened Bleu

This is one easy coat over Barielle Blackened Bleu, a deep, almost black midnight blue. The formula is perfect, the glitter glides on like butter. I love the versatility of this polish; over this color, it turns the nails into an instant galaxy. But over red, it looks like a magical golden holiday snowstorm:

Barielle Angel Dust over China Glaze Tip Your Hat

This is a polish that's going to add a touch of special to anything you wear it with, in a quick swipe. :)


Next I have Barielle Shooting Star [UPDATE: I previously had this labeled as Golden Halo; turns out, the stickers on my bottles had been switched! Now the names are correct.]; this is stunning duochrome topper that shifts from blue to purple amid a sprinkle of blue glitters. Duochromes like this show best over dark colors, but I love the subtle magic of this even over lighter colors:

Barielle Shooting Star over Barielle First Class Ticket

Barielle Shooting Star over Barielle First Class Ticket

Barielle Shooting Star over Barielle First Class Ticket

This is one quick coat over Barielle First Class Ticket; when the light hits it straight on, the shimmer is more silvery blue, but the duochrome is very real:

Add caption

This is such a beautiful duochrome for spring--soft, gentle, but still with a clear, beautiful shift of rich color.

And then for your more dramatic needs, here she is over black undies:

Barielle Golden Halo over Julep Cleopatra

Next is Barielle Sea Urchin, a stand-alone light green-leaning teal with gold and blue glitters:

Barielle Sea Urchin

Barielle Sea Urchin

Barielle Sea Urchin

This is two coats of Sea Urchin, with no undies. I do love the ocean vibe to this, a beautiful polish to wear for a romantic day strolling next to the sea. However, I did struggle with the formula on this. I found it hard to make the polish even out; it wanted to steak a bit and the coverage was difficult. Undies didn't solve the problem. This wouldn't stop me from wearing the polish again, but it was a bit frustrating.


Last up is Barielle Golden Halo, a burnished smoky plum glitter in a antiqued golden shimmer base; it's a topper, but can also be worn by itself on its own:

Barielle Golden Halo

Barielle Golden Halo

Barielle Golden Halo

This is two coats with no undies; in some lights I did get some visible nail line, but in most I didn't, and I loved the delicate feel of this. I can see brides wearing this; it also makes me think of fairies and butterfly wings and pearly seashells. The formula was good--it brushed on without fuss and covered well.

Barielle Golden Halo over Finger Paints Magenta Mural

Barielle Golden Halo over Finger Paints Magenta Mural

I also love this one as a topper; over darker colors the golden shimmer will shine through more, while lighter colors will allow the purple glitters to pop. :)

Overall, I think this collection is feminine, fun, and yes, blingy. The word that kept coming to mind was 'magical'--I think this collection can add magic and happy to your look in a breeze.

You can find these on Barielle's website, and anywhere else Barielle is sold.

So--which is your favorite?

Happy glittering,
M.