NOTD: Sassy Peppermint (Sassy Pants Polish Nose Like A Cherry + New Fallen Snow over UCB Holly Jolly & Op Art Magic)

(Press samples ahead!)

Hello!


Today I have a peppermint-a-licious NOTD for you, featuring UberChic Beauty's Holly Jolly plate (formerly known as Christmas 02), and their Op Art Magic plate:

I started with a base of Sassy Pants Polish Nose Like A Cherry over Barry M Silver Foil, and Sassy Pants Polish New Fallen Snow. Then I stamped my images with Messy Mansion Chalk and Red-y Or Not:

UberChic Beauty Holly Jolly and Op Art Magic over Sassy Pants Polish Nose Like A Cherry and New Fallen Snow

UberChic Beauty Holly Jolly and Op Art Magic over Sassy Pants Polish Nose Like A Cherry and New Fallen Snow

I love peppermint this time of year, it always reminds me of Christmas when I was a child, and I that index and middle finger look good enough to eat, hee hee hee.


Happy stamping!
M. xoxo

Sassy Pants Polish Let's Be Mermaids collection!

(Press samples ahead!)

Hello!

Today we're going to take a look at Sassy Pants Polish's newest collection, the Let's Be Mermaids collection! Each polish in this collection is designed to sparkle and twinkle and dazzle like a gorgeous mermaid sunning herself on a an idyllic beach. So if you like shimmery holographic goodness, pull up a chair.

Sassy Pants Polish Let's Be Mermaid's collection

So let's jump right in (see what I did there??) with Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid Magic, a royal purple scattered holographic jelly packed with pink and purple glitters and shifting flakes:

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid Magic

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid Magic

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid Magic + UCB Mermaid Life, Hit The Bottle Polish Amethyst Sizzle & Messy Mansion Lilac

Coverage: 2 coats in the first picture, 3 coats in the others
Formula and application: Good; glitters spread evenly and well.
I couldn't resist adding an accent nail tail to each of these using the UberChic Beauty Mermaid Life plate, and for this one, I stamped with Hit The Bottle Polish Amethyst Sizzle and Messy Mansion Lilac; Apparently this mermaid was a little drunk on her magic because her scales are a little askew! Let's hope the rest of our ladies are better behaved...

This is one of my favorites in the collection because of the interplay of blue and purple--I love the flashes of blue and pink and purple glitter and the blueish shimmer--this mermaid is the royal princess of the group. I wanted to show you the difference on this one between two and three coats--you'll probably get great coverage just fine with two, but there's a color and glitter difference with the extra coat that I wanted to highlight.


Next up is Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid Tails is a scattered holographic teal jelly with red-blue-purple UCC flakies:

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid Tails

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid Tails

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid Tails

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid Tails + UCB Mermaid Life & Hit The Bottle Polish Pool Party & Absinthe Minded

Coverage: 2 coats in the first picture
Formula and application: Good; glitters spread evenly and well.
For this tail accent nail, I stamped with Hit The Bottle Polish Pool Party and Absinthe Minded

This mermaid is a deep-sea diva, and this is another of my top picks from this collection--this looks like a shot of teeny phosphorescent jellyfish hanging out in the depths of the ocean, with all sorts of sea plants swaying around. I'd wear three coats of this just to get an extra layer of depth to it, but even with two coats all of the elements swirl together into nautical goodness. Love.


Then there's Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid Tears, a gold-shimmer seafoam jelly with aqua-green iridescent glitters, aqua hexes, turquoise micro glitters and blue-green chameleon shifting shimmer amid a scatter of holographic gorgeous:

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid Tears

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid Tears

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid Tears + UCB Mermaid Life, Hit The Bottle Polish Pool Party & Messy Mansion Soft Gold

Coverage: 2 coats
Formula and application: Good; glitters spread evenly and well.
For this tail accent nail, I stamped with Hit The Bottle Polish Pool Party and Messy Mansion Soft Gold.

This mermaid is ethereal and extravagant, like a gilded statue springing to life no the shore of the beach, waves of foam rolling off of her. The next time I'm going for a romantic walk on the beach with my sweetheart, this is what I'm wearing.


Next is Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid's Curse, a black jelly with multichrome flakes and blue-green shimmer:

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid's Curse

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid's Curse

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid's Curse

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid's Curse + UCB Mermaid Life & Hit The Bottle Polish Amethyst Sizzle & Purple Reign

Coverage: 2 coats
Formula and application: Good; glitters spread evenly and well.
For this tail accent nail, I stamped with Hit The Bottle Polish Amethyst Sizzle and Purple Reign.

This mermaid has a mysterious past and a goth soul. The flakes in this are like elegant jewels peeking out of a deep night sky, and the shimmer adds a touch of magic. Another favorite of mine.


Next up is Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid's Dream, a coral jelly with gold shimmer and orange-green shifting glitters:

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid's Dream

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid's Dream

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid's Dream

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid's Dream + UCB Mermaid Life & Messy Mansion Soft Gold & Misty Jade

Coverage: 2 coats
Formula and application: Good; glitters spread evenly and well.
For this tail accent nail, I stamped with Messy Mansion Soft Gold and Misty Jade.

This mermaid is sweet with a little bit of sassy sauce. This polish is versatile and soft, but the green shimmer gives it hint of pow. Gorgeous.


Next is Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid Love, a petal-pink jelly with a brush of scattered holo, a dash of golden shimmer, and a sprinkle of orange-fuchsia-gold UCC flakies:

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid Love

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid Love

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid Love

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid Love + UCB Mermaid Love + Hit The Bottle Polish A Glint Of Gold & Messy Mansion Ivy

Coverage: 2 coats
Formula and application: Excellent; glitters spread evenly and well.
For this tail accent nail, I stamped with Hit The Bottle Polish A Glint of Gold and Messy Mansion Ivy.

This mermaid was raised by unicorns! If you could grow a magical unicorn strawberry, this is what it'd look like. The shimmer to the polish is understated, and I love how the flakes give the polish edge (this is why I chose a strong, dark, polish for my accent stamping). For beautiful mermaids who shouldn't be underestimated. ;-)


Finally, we have Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid of the Ocean Blue, a bright sky blue with blue, silver and purple shimmers, glitters, and holo:

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid of the Ocean Blue

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid of the Ocean Blue

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid of the Ocean Blue

Sassy Pants Polish Mermaid of the Ocean Blue + UCB Mermaid Life & Hit The Bottle Polish Amethyst Sizzle & Peacock Shimmer

Coverage: 2 coats
Formula and application: Good; glitters spread evenly and well.
For this tail accent nail, I stamped with Hit The Bottle Polish Amythest Sizzle and Peacock Shimmer.

This mermaid  is the queen of the lagoon--I see her sipping cocktails on the rocks that surround a crystal-clear waterfall pond. This captures the essence of summer vacations and clear summer skies. Love, love love.


So what do I think of the collection as a whole? I think it captures the sparkle and shimmer and magic of mermaids--the essence of the beauty of the sirens of the sea. It's romantic and flirty, happy and mystical and mysterious all at the same time. The colors play with ocean themes with enough variety for a range of moods, but enough cohesion for easy nail art combinations.


The collection launches June 9th, 2pm central standard time in the Sassy Pants Polish store. They'll be available in both full-sized and mini bottles ($12 and $8 respectively), with the entire collection for $75 full-sized or $51 mini. And don't forget to keep up with Sassy Pants Polish around the interwebs:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sassypantspolish/?fref=ts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sassypantspolish/

Fangroup: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sassypantsfans/?ref=br_rs 

And until we meet again, remember:

M.
xoxox

Review: MoYou London Scandi Collection 02

(Press samples and affiliate links ahead!)

Hello!


Today we're going to take a little seasonal trip over the line from winter into spring...well, okay, probably we'll skip right past spring into summer, but you get the idea. And the plate that's gonna take us there is MoYou London's Scandi Collection 02--here's the video review I did of the plate:

And here's a still look at the plate:

Each image on the plate is 1.5 x 2.0 cm. This collection has a comics-like style and simplicity that I think lends itself to a variety of techniques, quickly and easily. The linearity of the designs makes them perfect for stamping and leaving--one color over your base color will create a simple but beautiful mani. But if you want more, the lines on these make leadlighting and decal-making with blocks of color easy and gorgeous--and the watercolor sharpie technique is going to look great, too.


So how do they stamp?

MoYou London has always been top-of-the-line when it comes to quality, I've rarely had an image on one of their plates give me trouble when it comes to picking up or transfer. These were no exception, and in fact they played so well, I'd easily recommend this plate to an absolute beginner--if you're a stamping virgin, this plate with be very gentle with you. ;-)


For my first mani, I started with a base of Sassy Pants Polish New Fallen Snow, my current favorite polish for getting a snow-like feel in my nail art. Then I stamped the mountianscape first in black (I used Girly Bits Cosmetics Little Black Dress and I pulled off the rays with a piece of tape before stamping), then I went back and stamped the rays with Sally Hansen Lightning, Orange Impulse, and Rapid Red:

I love the feel of this--like the warm sun is coming up over the icy landscape, lighting it up and starting the transitional melt into spring.


For my second mani, I started with a base of Zoya Dory, and then stamped the lighthouse and the ocean images with Girly Bits Cosmetics Little Black Dress; I like the way this looks just by itself, so took a picture before I colored it in:

I think this is a fun mani on it's own, but I wanted to add just a little wash of color, so I used the watercolor Sharpie technique (scribble the Sharpie ink on a plastic bag or silicone mat, let it dry, then use alcohol to pick it up with your brush) to add some green to the water and some purple to the boat and lighthouse:

The camera didn't pick up the purple stripes on the lighthouse as well as it shows in real life, but you get the idea. I prefer this version because it just gives it a little extra something. What do you think? Either way, are you looking forward to getting away from the cold landscapes and inter summery walks by the ocean?


You can find this plate in MoYou London's shop on sale now. And here's the information for following them:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoYouLondon/

Facebook fangroup: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1538116343076252/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moyou_london/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/moyoulondon/?etslf=8048&eq=moyou%20

Happy stamping!

M. 

NOTD: Sassy Pants Polish New Fallen Snow + UCB 12-03

(Press samples ahead!)

Hello!


Is it cold in your neck of the woods? Where I am, we've had record lows coming and going for several weeks--probably the coldest winter so far that I remember in a long time. I do love the cold, though, so I'm happy--but our plants are not.


In keeping with the seasonal weather, today's mani is a winterscape...I started with a base of Sassy Pants Polish New Fallen Snow, a gorgeous polish for any snow effect you want to achieve. Then I stamped the tree and bird layering images from UberChic Beauty 12-03:

UberChic Beauty 12-03

I stamped the trees with Hit The Bottle Polish Everyday I'm Truffling (also available at Beautometry) and the birds with Messy Mansion Red-y Or Not; here's how it came out:

UberChic Beauty 12-03 stamped over Sassy Pants Polish New Fallen Snow

UberChic Beauty 12-03 stamped over Sassy Pants Polish New Fallen Snow

There are no words for how happy I am with how this turned out! I love the little pop of red, and the trees against the snowy landscape just feels serene and peaceful to me. This was absolutely one of those manis that it killed me to have to take off.


Happy stamping, and stay warm!!
M.

Review: Charlie's Nail Art Star Charms (over Sassy Pants Polish To All A Good Night + Born Pretty Store BP-L056!)

(Press samples ahead!)

Hello!


Today we're gonna take a look at some star charms that were sent to me for review by Charlie's Nail Art:

Charlie's Nail Art Star Charms

The moment I saw these, I thought they'd make the most adorable mani with the stars and constellation mani from Born Pretty Store BP-L056 (you can see my video review of this plate here):

Born Pretty Store BP-L056

I started with a base of Sassy Pants Polish To All A Good Night, and stamped first the stars-in-circles image on the upper left with Hit The Bottle Polishes Amethyst Sizzle, then the constellations image with Messy Mansion Chalk, then I put on the star charms:

Charlie's Nail Art star charms over Sassy Pants Polish To All A Good Night + Born Pretty Store BP-L056

Charlie's Nail Art star charms over Sassy Pants Polish To All A Good Night + Born Pretty Store BP-L056

So first, let me say that I love so much about this mani--I love the way the base polish and the Amethyst Sizzle work together to creat a great night sky--even though the white stamping over the top obscures the pattern, the colors are lovely together, and I'm in love with that constellations image.


That said, the stars are just not right for my nails. I actually think they look cute, but they're just too big for someone like me that has curvy nails, they just stick out way too far:

Even with industrial strength nail glue, these are gonna pop right off, or destroy some article of clothing I love. If you have large, flat nail beds they may work for you, but even on my thumb, which is broader and flatter, they were problematic:

Definitely less so, but still too much pointy stick-outage to make this a viable look for me. Like I say, though, if you have broad flat nails, these might work for you--I'll be wearing the rest of mine on my big toes come summer sandal time.


You can find these in Charlie's Nail Art's store, and you can use my code, LOLAM10, for 10% off your order. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram for tons of inspiration and news updates!


You can find BP-L056 in Born Pretty Store's store, and you can use my code, MCL91, for 10% off there.  And, of course, you can follow them on Facebook and Instagram, too!


Happy Stamping,
M.

Before & After: O Christmas Tree

(Press samples ahead!)

Hello!


Merry Christmas if you celebrate it! And if you don't, I hope you're having a wonderful holiday season filled with family and joy surrounding whatever holidays you celebrate.


Today I have a quick before and after for you to celebrate the day. I started with a base of Sassy Pants Polish Luster Of Midday over Barry M Gold Foil:

Sassy Pants Polish Luster Of Midday over Barry M Gold Foil

Then I stamped the stick tree image from Messy Mansion plate MM82XL, using Messy Mansion Forest:

Messy Mansion MM82XL

 Finally, I applied a Christmas Tree nail charm from Born Pretty Store:

Born Pretty Store charm + Messy Mansion MM82XL over Sassy Pants Luster Of Midday (over Barry M Gold Foil)

Born Pretty Store charm + Messy Mansion MM82XL over Sassy Pants Luster Of Midday (over Barry M Gold Foil)

What do you think? I love this look, I think it has a serene feel to it. I also really love the nail charm, how it has the rhinestones in it, and the edges are rounded to it's not as likely to catch and pull on things. That said, there are two things to note about the charm. One, it sits fairly high up from the nail, so I'd suggest attaching it with nail glue (I sometimes attach smaller rhinestones and such with topcoat, but that's not gonna hold here). Also, despite the somewhat rounded edges, the star on the top of the tree will still catch on things if you're not careful--for example, if you're wearing tights, definitely take care this is covered, or apply it after you've dressed for your holiday event. That said, for a special occasion, I think this is a cool look without too much fuss.


You can find the charms on Born Pretty Store's site, and you can use my code for 10% off your order: MCL91. And don't forget to follow them on Facebook and Instagram!


Merry Christmas,
M.