Messy Mansion Leadlight Lacquer A08 (Or, romantic camellia smoosh!)

(Press samples ahead!)

Hello!


Today we're gonna take a look at Messy Mansion Leadlight Lacquer plate A08, a plate designed specifically to be awesome with leadlighting, but of course also awesome for other things. Here's the video review I did of the plate:

The images on this plate are a blend of flowers, leaves, and lace:

Messy Mansion Leadlight Lacquer A08

There's great variety of styles given the size of the plate--in 8 images you have doodly, Italianate, lacey, medallion, whimsical geometric, and fine-line beauty, pretty much any mood you're gonna want to cover! And don't forget to play with the gorgeous edges on that image second from the left on the top.


The images are huge, so you shouldn't have any problem covering your nails:

 

How does it stamp? I did my test with a clear stamper, and Messy Mansion Spruce and Petal (which turned out to be a bad idea because it didn't show up well on my nekkid nail):

My images came out well--with the thinner lines, you may want to use a gentle scrape when you use the clear stamper to be sure you get all that detail. :)

For my mani, I started with a smoosh mani using Zoya Abby, Jordan, Tina and Millie, and then stamped over with Messy Mansion Chalk and Lilac:

Messy Mansion Leadlight Lacquer A08 over Zoya Abby, Jordan, Millie, and Tina

Messy Mansion Leadlight Lacquer A08 over Zoya Abby, Jordan, Millie, and Tina

Messy Mansion Leadlight Lacquer A08 over Zoya Abby, Jordan, Millie, and Tina

Usually with a smoosh mani, I put the polish on my stamper and then smoosh down on my nails. For this, I smooshed once on my Uber Mat first, and then on my nails, for a smoother, more marbled feel. I love how soft and romantic it came out, and it works so beautifully with the stamped image. :)


You can find this and many other awesome plates in Messy Mansion's store, and you can also follow them around the interwebs:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/messymansion/

Facebook Fangroup: https://www.facebook.com/groups/messymansion/

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

Happy stamping!
M.

Review: UberChic Beauty Texture-licious 2 mini plate!

(Press samples ahead!)

Hello!


Texture, texture, texture! I think the right texture image can take your stamping from meh to awesome, and I fell completely in love with UberChic Beauty's Texture-licious 1 plate, so I'm super excited to show you the new Texture-licious 2 plate. :)


Here's the video review I did of the plate:

And here's a close shot of the plate:

Picking favorites on this plate is hard because I love every one of them and tons of ideas spring to mind when I look at them, so let me just point out a few of the more strange examples: the left most on the bottom row looks like feathers of fur, so try out using it that way...third from left bottom looks a bit like tire tread...Second from the left on the top looks like waves on the ocean or a large flock of birds way off in the distance, and second from right top looks like frost on a window.


UberChic Beauty's full-nail images are 17mm by 21mm, and here's a shot with a ruler so you can get a feel for the rest:

And check out the awesome texture it delivers:

For my sample mani, I started with a base of Penny Bloom Don't Break My Heart (my own creation!) over Girly Bits Irreplaceable, and stamped the brick wall image over it with Girly Bits Yes, We Can. Then I shrunk and stamped a sugar-skull-type image from UberChic Beauty 7-01, a skull from UberChic Beauty Halloween 01, and thorns from the Yay Spring! plate, all with Messy Mansion Chalk:

OMG, I'm so in love with how this came out!! I wanted it to look like street art on an old brick wall, and I think it's fun and a little bit edgy and exactly the short of thing I'd create for an anti-Valentine's mani or just for fun any old day. Lovelovelovelovelove!


One quick tip to note: Note how I stamped the brick wall behind the main design in a color that would blend with the background more, so that the other stamping would pop. This is a good principle for double-stamping--you want your 'texture' layer to be closer in shade/color/ to your base polish, and the second color you stamp to be farther from it. So if your base polish is dark, you want that first layer of stamping to be darker than the second; if it's light, you want the first layer to be lighter.


You can find all the plates I used in UberChic Beauty's store, and be sure to check them out around the interwebs!

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

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

Fan group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150090828353009/

Happy stamping,
M.

Review: Moonflower Stamping Polishes!

(Press samples ahead!)

Hello!


Moonflower polish has just released some new stamping polishes for spring, and these have some pretty shimmer to their creme, that are also intended to be wearable, and the colors are definitely pretty enough for that!

From left to right, we have Moonflower, a white shimmery creme with a purplish opalescence, Lemon, Mango and Apple, all with a subtle shimmer to them. I love the idea of adding a bit of shimmer, especially to a white polish--stamping with white can be very stark, so if you want as softer more pearl-y look, this is a good option.


Here's the video review I made testing the polishes if you want to see them in action:

She warns that the polishes may come a little thicker than you like, so you may have to thin them a little depending on your stamper and plates. I first tested them out without thinning, to see how the formula worked as is. For my test I used an XL sticky stamper, and an image from UberChic Beauty 17-01. Here are the results:

Moonflower polish in Moonflower, Lemon, Mango, and Apple

Opacity: Good. These all show up over the black, and Lemon, Mango and Apple show up well over the white. The shimmer shows, and also gives coverage that's a little softer than full-coverage cremes.

Stamping quality: Moonflower stamped perfectly, but I had a little bit of difficulty picking up the fine-line details with the other three.

Resistance to smudging: I applied topcoat (Seche Vite) right after stamping these, and had no smudging whatsoever.


Because I had some difficulty with the fine lines, I thinned out the polishes as suggested. Then I tested them a second time using an image with more fine-line detail to make sure they would pick up well. I used three drops of Seche Restore each in Mango, Lemon and Apple, and then tested them again:

Moonflower polish in Moonflower, Mango, Lemon, and Apple, without topcoat

Moonflower polish in Moonflower, Mango, Lemon, and Apple, with topcoat

The first picture shows the stamping before topcoat, the second shows the images with topcoat.


Opacity: Still very good--I was worried that as I thinned the formula the coverage would decrease, but these still cover as well as in my first test.

Stamping quality: This time all of the polishes picked up the fine-line detail much better.

Resistance to smudging: I again applied Seche Vite right after stamping these, and again had no issues with smudging.


So, what do I think overall? I love having a stamping option that gives a softer look with a bit of shimmer--it's super cool to have a soft, romantic option for stamping in white especially. You may need to thin the polishes out a little; if you do, start with just a little bit of thinner and add more as needed. And, as long as you only swipe over the stamped image once with topcoat, you shouldn't get any smudging. And those colors! Soft enough to be called 'spring', but bright enough to take you into summer, too.


Here's a manicure I did with Mango (I'm completely in love with Mango!), over a base of Sugar Flor Calypso, using UberChic Beauty plate 16-02:

Moonflower Mango over Sugar Flor Calypso, with UberChic Beauty 16-02

Moonflower Mango over Sugar Flor Calypso, with UberChic Beauty 16-02

Moonflower Mango over Sugar Flor Calypso, with UberChic Beauty 16-02

I love these colors together, and I love how Mango shows up with a bright, pretty pop of color while still being subtle. Very pretty!!


These flowers are for sale now in Moonflower's shop, and you can also keep up with Moonflower around the internet:

Instagram - http://instagram.com/moonflowerpoli..., 

Facebook page - http://facebook.com/moonflowerpolis..., 

FB fan group (Painted Moonflowers) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/260.... 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/moonflowe....

Happy polishing! :)

M. 

Review: Sugar Flor Enchanted Treasure Collection!

(Press samples ahead!)

Hello!


Man, have I had a week. Nothing big, but just a ton of little things, like a big nail break on my swatching hand and mixing up 'pause' and 'record' when trying to make a nail video, so I ended up recording when I thought I was paused and paused when I thought I was recording. The kind of week that makes you both simultaneously glad everything turned out okay, but also just leaves you drained, you know what I mean??


Luckily, I finished swatching and playing around with the Enchanted Treasure collection by Sugar Flor (previously known as Windestine) just hours before my nail break! So I have some lovelies to show you today. So let's get to it!

Sugar Flor Enchanted Treasure Collection

Because the concept behind the collection is treasure, the thread that runs through it is gold glitter, representing all that sparkling treasure goodness. We'll start out with Sugar Flor Angelica, a dusty purple-rose mauve crelly with microfine holo and gold glitters:

Sugar Flor Angelica

Sugar Flor Angelica

Sugar Flor Angelica

Coverage: Two coats
Formula and application: Excellent application with no issues

I adore the vintage feel of this polish so much! Is there such a thing as a vintage mermaid? If not, there should be, and this is the polish she would wear. This feels like a summer's afternoon tea party with warm breezes playing with the flowing dresses of pretty girls nibbling their cookies. Love.


Next up is Sugar Flor Calypso, a soft peach crelly with a variety of gold glitter sizes and subtle orange/green iridescent glitter:

Sugar Flor Calypso

Sugar Flor Calypso

Coverage: Two coats
Formula and application: Excellent application with no issues

This is so soft and feminine. It's an excellent neutral on me and a pretty universally flattering color across the board. This makes me think of a field of waving poppies. And/or peach cobbler.


Next we have Sugar Flor Medusa, a lovely grass-green crelly with a variety of gold:

Sugar Flor Medusa

Sugar Flor Medusa

Sugar Flor Medusa

Coverage: Two coats
Formula and application: Excellent application with no issues.

Green and gold play so well together, and this polish is such an excellent example of that. The green makes me think of rolling Irish hills (well, what I imagine they look like, since I've never been there) dotted with wildflowers. It's fresh and summery and I'm entranced by it.


Next up is Sugar Flor Mermaid Treasure, a turquoise crelly with a sprinkle of gold glitters:

Sugar Flor Mermaid Treasure

Sugar Flor Mermaid Treasure

Coverage: Two coats
Formula and application: Excellent application with no issues. Freda warns this may stain your nails, so recommends you use a peel-off base coat with it. I had no issues with staining with a regular basecoat, but that's just me--it's always good to be safe with blues.

Mermaid Treasure is a bonus polish included with purchase of the collection. I'm not normally a huge fan of turquoise, but the way the blue plays with the turquoise in this is stunning--like an incredible piece of jewelry. I adore this.


And finally, there's Sugar Flor Ursula, a lavender crelly with teeny gold glitters:

Sugar Flor Ursula

Sugar Flor Ursula

Coverage: Two coats
Formula and application: Excellent application with no issues

This is spring wildflowers in a bottle. Soft and pretty and girly.


So what do I think of the collection as a whole? I love the idea of having gold glitter be the unifying thread between the polishes, because it adds a touch of magic to each polish. I love the shades--they're a great blend of spring softness with summer fun. Each time I swatched the next one, I thought 'oooooo, this one's my favorite!', and I love them all so much it's hard for me to pick a favorite. At this exact moment, if pushed, I'd probably say Mermaid Treasure by a hair--and that's saying something for someone who isn't normally partial to turquoise!


The collection is on sale NOW in the Sugar Flor boutique. You can get all five polishes for $14 for minis and $30 for full-sized (except the Mermaid Treasure, which is a bonus mini). You can also stalk follow Sugar Flor around the interwebs:

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

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

Happy Stamping!
M.

Review: UberChic Beauty Collection 16

(Press samples ahead!)

Hello!


UberChic Beauty has been putting out a ton of awesome new stuff lately, I can barely keep up! In case you didn't know, my reviews always go up in video form on my YouTube Channel before anywhere else (collection 17 is already up there, too), so if you want to see them as soon as they post, subscribe and you'll get a notification...and there might be a collection 18 review coming soon...just sayin'!


Here's the video review of collection 16:

And let's take a closer look here at the plates:

UberChic Beauty 16-01

What I'm most obsessed with on this plate: The bottom set of images with the hibiscus flowers--some with leaves, an entire sprig, a full nail image and an isolated image--so many possibilities! Also the twig image at the very top, which can be layered under just about any sort of flower image. But maybe most of all, the round image at bottom right--how cool would it be to use that to make a gorgeous sun filled with rays coming off of your half moon??

UberChic Beauty 16-02

What I'm most obsessed with on this plate: The five-pointed negative-space flower images in all the different sizes--mix-n-match possibilities aplenty. I also adore that mum-type flower that looks like a medallion--such pretty detail. And the combo check-plaid pattern is very fun.

UberChic Beauty 16-03

What I'm most obsessed with on this plate: Those deco circles that look like their made of strings of pearls!! I also adore the delicate negative-space circle flower pattern second from bottom left, and all of the patterns that play with diamonds. Love, love, and love.


UberChic Beauty full nail images are 17 mm X 21 mm. Here're shots with a ruler so you can see how big the other images are:

How do they stamp? Beautifully:

 

These were all done with a clear stamper, and I'm very, very impressed. Great quality!


For my manicure, I started with a base of Penny Bloom Go Sharks! (one of my custom creations!) over Girly Bits Yes, We Can, and then stamped one image from 16-02 and one from 16-03 with Messy Mansion Chalk:

UberChic Beauty 16-02 & 16-03 over Penny Bloom Go Sharks! and Girly Bits Yes, We Can

UberChic Beauty 16-02 & 16-03 over Penny Bloom Go Sharks! and Girly Bits Yes, We Can

Did I mention how excited I was about those diamond images, and the plaid/check image?? So much I couldn't decide which to use first, and I just love how well they go together. Something about this feels very spring-y to me, like the blanket you lay down for an awesome picnic on the beach. So happy with how all of these colors play with each other.

You can find this collection and tons of other goodies in UberChic Beauty's shop; you can also find them hanging out around the interwebs:

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

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

Fan group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150090828353009/

Happy stamping!