Review + Before & After: Jamberry Cardinal

(Jamberry Cardinal was sent for my honest review.)

Hello!

Recently I was contacted by a representative from Jamberry, who told me that just a few weeks ago, Jamberry debuted a line of 12 polishes that coordinate with their nail wraps, along with topcoat in three finishes. This is really exciting for me, because when I play with nail wraps, I like the idea of being able to get an extra manicure or two out of them, and having the flexibility to combine them with coordinating nail polish is an incredibly fun idea with tons of possibilities. Plus, the rep's name is Michelle, so I couldn't have said not if I wanted to! Kidding of course. :)

Because of my obsession with red, I chose to review Cardinal, the red creme in their line. Her is the shiny beauty:

Jamberry Cardinal, 2 coats, artificial light

 

Cardinal is a stunning fire-engine red creme that glides on like a dream. The formula is gorgeous, and application was perfect. No pooling, not to thick, perfect in every way. You do want to be sure you wear a basecoat because when I did clean-up, I saw a little tendency toward staining, but that's the case with most reds like this, nothing strange here. I did let the first coat dry on its own before applying the second, and it dried quickly and with a very shiny finish--you don't need topcoat with this one if you don't want it, but I am wearing it here. So with respect to my review of this polish, I think this is definitely a viable equivalent for your better-than-average prestige polishes. If the other polishes in the line are like this, these will be an enormous success. You can find these, along with their impressive selection of nail wraps, by clicking here.

I wanted to keep wearing this and also wanted a bit of fall nail art, so I decided to use her as a base for a thankgiving-centerpiece sort of look I wanted to try out. For my second step, I taped off half of each nail and put on a layer of Nail'd It Fall flowers, a gold-based polish with yellow, orange, and green hex glitters. I stamped over the nail with China Glaze Passion and my Gals plates. Finally, I finished up with some dots of Kleancolor Metallic Orange to pull the look of the glitter in the polish up onto the gold stamping, to unite the two:

I wanted to throw something full of color and pattern at this base, to see if the pretty red could stand up to all of that competition. It didn't wash out or recede into the background--it absolutely held its own. So, I'm pretty darn sure that any sort of nail art combination you wanted to do with the nail wraps and anything else will come out looking good. :)

I will be back sometime in the next few days I'll also be reviewing the Jamberry matte finish topcoat...spoiler alert, I love it (that sounded a bit Gossip Girl, now didn't it...), so if you're looking for a good matte topcoat, check back for that. :)

Thanks for stopping by! Hugs and love,
M.

(Jamberry Cardinal was sent for my honest review.)

Before & After: Ninja bats!!

Hello!!

Today I'm going batty!

(Michelle, how is that different from any other day?)
(Hush, you.)

That's right, today is the first day of Crumpet Nail Tart's Halloween challenge, and as you can see, the theme for today is black cats or bats:

I'm choosing bats, and that gives me an opportunity to tell you the back-story of my Bat Undies franken, the one I showed you in my Dia De Los Muertos manicure. A while back, I was looking for the perfect gray to wear under 6 Harts Ninja Bat, one that really allowed the shimmer and all the colors of glitter to sing. I didn't have one I like, so I frankend one...and because the topper is called 'Ninja Bat', I came up with the name 'Bat Undies'. Okay, that wasn't the most exciting story, but there you have it, lol. :)

Here is the base polish plus topper:

In my mind, this combination just cried out for some cool bats, both because of the names and because of the colors. So I added some with both Winstonia 116 and Cheeky jumbo plate 6, using Konad Black:

What do you think? Spoooooky? Fun? If you look at them too long, it looks like they're coming...right...for...you..........

Hugs and love!
M.

NOTD: Haunted Webs

Hello!!

Some days you just have to do a little silly. Today is one of those days, and this manicure is one of those sillies. :)

Today we are on the theme 'Texture' in the 33 Day Challenge; also, I'm late for the Lacquer Dreams prompt of 'ghosts':

For my texture, I did a base gradient of China Glaze Toe-Tally Textured Ia bright orange) and In The Rough (a lime green). I stamped over this base with a web pattern from Cheeky jumbo plate 6, using China Glaze Grape Pop. I added a few spiders with Bundle Monster plate BM13, using Konad Black (so awesome over texture when you know you won't smear it with topcoat!).

Finally, I added my ghosts. Ghosts, you say? That's right! Ghosts of the flies that have been trapped and died horrendous deaths in those webs...okay, I admit that personally in the battle of spider vs. fly, I root for spider, but flies are people too, and they could come back and haunt the web! Anyway, point is, I used the ghosts from Bunny Nails HD01 with Konad white, and then I carefully painted topcoat over them to give them a shinier texture than the rest of the design. I finished with some black rhinestones for the eyes, and painted on some bloody mouths with Pure Ice Siren:

What do you mean ghosts don't have bloody mouths?

Hey, don't judge me and my ghosts...:P

One of the cool things about Halloween is that you can go crazy scary with stuff, or a little silly and whimsical. Today is definitely one of those whimsical days, and I hope you enjoy it. :)

Hugs and love and fly-free homes,
M.

Before & After: A Very Pollack Halloween

Hello!

Today is the penultimate installment of the 'Inspired By An Artist' challenge in my Llama Nails group. And this week we have the interesting and controversial Jackson Pollack.

Pollack, as you may know, brought a new dimension to art by bringing a new dimension to art--he took the painting off of the easel and made the act of painting the artwork itself. He tried to capture motion, gravity, all of the sorts of forces working on the substances in time and space in the final product of his artwork.

That's great, but dangit, it's October, and that means Halloween!!!

I did find one of Pollack's works that has a Halloween feel to it:

(Source)

Yeah, that's nice. But it ain't near Halloween-y enough for this blog.

So what do I think Pollack would create to do my kind of Halloween justice? Well, let's have ourselves a look.

I started with a base of LeChat (Dare To Wear) Last Leaf, a frosty olive shimmer with a touch of gold shine to it:

LeChat Last Leaf, 3 coats, artificial light

And then I went completely insane all over it.

I stamped over the base with Cheeky jumbo plate D first using Sally Hansen's Lickety-Split Lime and then Orange Impulse; then I used the splatter technique to throw on some Lively Lilac and Going Grape...and since no Halloween splatter is complete without some blood, so I finished up with some Pure Ice Siren. Oh yeah, that's better:

I've discovered that my relationship with splatter manicures is very like my relationship with oatmeal and marshmallow peeps. You see, every so often, I think how awesome it would be to have some oatmeal, or how yummy it would be to have a marshmallow peep. I think to myself 'wow, I haven't had oatmeal/marshmallow peeps in forever! I need to get me some!'. And then, I diligently seek out said oatmeal/peep, and once I have it in my hot little hands, I settle in to savor it. I take a bite, and then instantly realize--I haven't had this for ages because I FLIPPING HATE IT! It's horrendously disgusting!!! To me, oatmeal tastes like cardboard, and marshmallow peeps taste like you accidentally breathed in sugar and it got stuck to your tongue. And I smack myself repeatedly in the head, and promise myself I'll never make this mistake again. But then, in about another year or two...

Yeah, same thing with splatter manis. After a few months, I say to myself 'Hey, you know what would be perfect for this? A splatter mani!'. And then I start to do it, and I /facedesk when I remember exactly why I haven't done one in so long. Because they are horrible, horrible messes that take forever to do and even longer to clean up! Aaaarrrrrgggghhhhhh.

(which I guess means you can expect to see another one in about 6 months.)

But, you gotta admit...it came out kinda cool, didn't it??

Thanks for taking a look! Hugs and love,
M.

Before & After: Pretty Cheap

Hello hello hello!

This week's challenge in Kimber's Amazing Challenge Ladies is to use our least expensive polishes. I'm late to the party as usual, but didn't want to skip it because I love that this challenge made me pull out a couple of my cheapest polishes to feature; those polishes tend to get short-shrift because I'm focusing on other things for the blog. 

Today I started with my very cheapest polish that wasn't given to me--this is a polish I got for free by combining a coupon with a sale. Behold the awesomeness that is free polish, in the form of Wet n Wild's Rain Check: 

Wet n Wild Rain check, three coats, artificial light

Apart from being a titch brush-strokey, this is a really gorgeous polish for the $1.99 usual price tag, and an amazing one for freeeeee!

To decorate it, I picked another polish from the same MSRP price range, Pure Ice's Magic, a beautiful copper metallic that stamps beautifully. I used it with Cheeky Jumbo plate 10 to make a simple, pretty, patterened manicure:

I feel pretty...

Oh so pretty...

Feel like running and dancing for joy!

'Cause this is a $1.99 total manicure, oh boy!

 Not too shabby for the cost involved, and super fast to put together!

Thanks for looking, and don't forget to check out all the awesome inexpensive manis linked below. :)

Hugs and love,
M.

Before & After: Pop Art (Betty Boop is watching you...)

Hello!!

Oh yes, that's right, I'm back again with another Llama Nails 'inspired by an artist' manicure! This week we're on the King of Pop Art: Andy Warhol.

I have to admit I did this ages ago because the idea kinda came to me and I knew this was coming...I was just that excited about this theme.

I started with a base of Julep Jackie, a very bright red crelly perfect for brightening up these final days of summer; this is actually a bit neon and brighter even than it looks here:

Julep Jackie, two coats, direct sunlight, blinders needed

Next, with my dotting tool I applied some kitschy pin-up polka-dots with Sally Hansen White On; well, the polka-dots themselves aren't kitschy, it's what I did with them that makes them so...I stamped a crazy Pop-Art eyeball on the accent finger, staring out of the field of polka-dots in what I hope looks like a Pop-Art exploration of the iconicity (is that a word?) of classic hollywood glamour:

I stamped that eye using Cheeky Jumbo plate 5, and Konad black; I then dotted in the green iris with China Glaze Starboard.

I love that it's a bit creepy...almost like the polka-dots enveloped her like The Blob and all that's left is one eye staring out...Maybe even an indictment of how Hollywood culture focuses so much attention on external beauty that our souls get lost in the depths of those superficial trappings...hmmm...nah, let's not go all deep and thinky, lol! (See what I did there? :P)

What do you think? Kitschy good, or kitschy bad??

Thanks for taking a look. Hugs, love, and lots of fun,
M.

Inspired by: Beachcomber bracelet

(All products in this post were purchased by me.)

Hello!

A while back I took my yearly trip to Carmel, one of my favorite places in the world. It's a small coastal town with a town center that's filled with interesting architecture, fun shops, and hidden pathways and gardens. One of the things I've always loved about it is that it's a dog-lover's town--lots of stores have bowls of waters and treats for the dogs, and the beach is an off-leash dog beach. I've loved that about it even though I haven't had a dog for years...and this is my first trip there since having a dog (and her first trip to the beach). It was a blast...but that's another story.

This story is about the manicure I wore on that trip, a beach manicure inspired by my 'beachcomber' bracelet:

I wanted something that would go well with the bracelet and have a fun, beach feel to it. So I started with a base of Julep Tracy, one of their textured polishes in their line. The blue of this polish reminds me of the ocean, particularly the color of the water at the Carmel beach; the glints from the texture remind me of the glints of light off the waves of the ocean:

Julep Tracy, two coats, artificial light

Next I sponged on top with Finger Paints Don't Make A Scene, a soft peachy beige, to give it the look of hints of sand showing through the water. I added clumps of glittery sand-dollar-like shells by putting dabs of Jindie Nails Mango With The Flow randomly on the nails; then I finished by stamping starfish and shell images from Cheeky Jumbo Plate 2 with China Glaze Passion:

Under the boardwalk...

Under the sun...

We'll be having some fun...

I love how this came out. The colors are subtle and work well together, and I think the final product is soothing and calm. What do you think?

Hope you're having a great holiday weekend, maybe at the beach! Hugs and love,
M.

Before & After: Gobi Nouveau

Hello!

The students are back in school, and the fall colors are starting to appear in fall collections. It's still warm outside, but there is starting to be that different feel to the air. It's that magical time where summer is starting to turn into fall...it's not quite completely summer, and it's not quite completely fall, and as each new day wakes up, it decides on its own which side of that line it's going to stand on.

Here is a polish that I think captures that beautiful transition: Elevation Polish Gobi. It has a soft fall feel in the caramel-brown scattered holo, but summer peeps out in the soft mint-gold flash. I was lucky enough to grab this in one of Llarowe's restocks a while back, and I'm so glad I did--this is one of the most unique polishes I own, and it catches my eye constantly while I wear it. And yet, it it absolutely work-appropriate. This is two coats:

Elevation polish Gobi, artificial light

Elevation Polish Gobi, direct sunlight

A polish this special deserves an equally special type of nail art; so I picked what is possibly my favorite stamping image in the world, from Cheeky Jumbo plate 8, to put over it. I wanted something very subtle to let the magic of this polish shine through, so I only stamped on the ring finger, and I used China Glaze Passion to complement the color in a soft way:

To me, this manicure hints at the coming pleasures of fall, while still carrying the sparkle and light of long summer afternoons. It's peaceful, but has a glowing energy. I love it, and I hope you do, too. :)

Thanks for stopping by! Hugs,
M.

NOTD: Parisian Flourish

Hello!

Today I'm continuing my challenge catch-up with a manicure for my Nail Challenge Collaborative; this is my second 'around the world' manicure, and today we're going to Paris!

For my color scheme, I pulled from the French flag:

I started with a base of China Glaze Hanging In The Balance, and China Glaze Red Satin. Then, I stamped my design using Konad White, to honor the final color in the flag. I used images from Cheeky Jumbo plate 3:

What do you think? I'm on a kick lately where I love putting designs randomly on different nails, I feel like it makes the images so incredibly versatile in terms of the looks you can get. Because the blue has less visual weight than the 'heavy' red, I balanced this by putting more of the flourish design over those nails, covering the index finger completely. I love the contrast and I love the overall feel, which just has a fancy French sort of vibe to me. :)

Thanks for stopping by! Hugs and beautiful sidewalk cafes,
M.

Review: Cheeky Jumbo Plate 10 (Happy Nails!)

(The plate in this review was purchased with my own money.)

Hello!

Oh yes oh yes oh yes, that's right: it's time for the final Cheeky Jumbo plate, #10, Happy Nails! I am very excited not just because I have gotten to the end of this mammoth project, but because this is one of my favorite plates in the set. :)

This one is a little different from the 9 that came before--this one has no small images, only full-nail images. And there are some beauties.

First things first, here is the video of the plate and my thoughts on it:

And now, of course, the still shots of the plate...There are some repeats of images in the pictures, but not on the plate:

Curvy radiation symbol and fun drop flowers

Crazy dots and a quilted-type pattern

I love this with the geometric shapes--how cool would it be to have the shapes in different colors?

Arrows (could be used as tire treads?) and another quilt-type of pattern

Love the off-beat squares

This delicate flower pattern is one of my favorites--so easy to use and so versatile with respect to colors

Love the oval rings

These flowers are stunning and the women's room symbol chicks are awesome

More geometrics--I like that this one really lets the base color shine through, too

Does this make anyone else think of the labyrinth and the minotaur?

Seriously, how cute are those chicks!!

Double your helix, double your fun

Love the thorns and the tentacles things

Love that 70s weaved link pattern

I admit, I can take a pass on both of these

I loved this circle of circles design, though...

Squares within squares

Adore that paisly--how awesome would that be to color in with the decal technique?

Love that Xs and Os pattern

And of course some dudes to go with the honeys

Interesting background sort of patterns

That looks like a garden of diamonds to me--very crystalline and geometric

Another delicate little flower pattern I think is just soooo pretty

Magnifying glasses! Or you could stamp these and decorate them as lollipops, or something like that. :)

Yes! Rectangle-paper-clip-like-design!!! Yes, yes, yes!! Could also be another maze...

The left image is one of my favorite background images ever...So many things to do with that pattern

Horseshoes and simple flowers :)

Love the hearts that look like they came out of a watermarble, and the holly-like image. :)

And last but not least, we end with the de rigeur comparison to a standard Konad plate, so you can see the relative size; these images are the same size as the other full-nail images in the series, and in Cheeky's Jumbo Alphabet series. They are slightly taller and wider than the Konad plate, as you can see here:

This plate is another great deal, for the bargain price of $10.99 on Amazon. As always, it really just depends on whether or not you like enough of the images to want to buy the plate--and at that price, you certainly don't have to like all of them, that's for sure. :)

I hope you this has been a helpful series of reviews for you, I just wish I'd been able to get them up sooner! Thanks for your patience. My next plate review will be for a new Konad plate that has just been released, and after that I'll do a video and a review of the new Bundle Monster holiday plates.

Thanks so much for stopping by to take a look!

Hugs and loves,
M.

(The plate in this review was purchased with my own money.)