Review: Lady Queen Stamping Plates

Hi there!

It sure has been a while since I've posted a manicure of mine...

My nails painted with China Glaze - Spontaneous.
Stamped with Essie - Good as Gold and
image plate hehe006.

Lady Queen offered to send me a couple of items to review, so I figured "heck yeah!"

I chose stamping plates 006 and 019...

Image plate hehe006 and hehe019 from Lady Queen.

I was honestly very skeptical at first. I had tried cheaper plates in the past with little satisfaction, and the price of these kind of lead me to believe they'd be the same disappointment. I was wrong!

These are etched perfectly! I had absolutely zero problems with scraping and transferring the image to my stamper and/or my nails. The only thing I don't loooove is that there is no backing on the plates. I didn't cut myself or anything- I just think a backing makes the plates easier to handle.

So now there's this... Lady Queen offered to sponsor a giveaway if 10 people make purchases using the promotion code TGGT15. It's good for 15% off of your order and shipping is free worldwide.

Are you going to try any of their stamping plates? Or anything else?

Until next time...

He Lost A Bet

Hi there!

Hunny Poo made a bet with one of his coworkers regarding the 49ers/Seahawks football game this past Sunday. If Hunny Poo's team lost, he had to wear the winning team's colors on his nails for a week... and vice versa with his coworker.

China Glaze - Man Hunt and Color Club - The Lime Starts Here.
Seattle Seahawks MANicure.

Needless to say, Hunny Poo lost. For the base of each green nail, I painted a coat of OPI's Alpine Snow... then I painted 2 coats of each polish to achieve what's pictured.

I think he made a pretty safe bet considering some of the other bets I've been made aware of. One of the guys has to wear a blue and green tutu for TWO WEEKS (until the Superbowl)!

Until next time...

Patriotic Week - Day 6

Hi there!

I enjoyed the sponging of yesterday's manicure, but I wanted something more...

My nails painted with China Glaze - First Mate and Hey Sailor.
Stamped with Winstonia plate W107.
Patriotic 4th of July manicure.

I painted 1 coat of Julep's Brigitte before sponging with First Mate and Hey Sailor. Once dry, I stamped with Konad's special white polish and then topped everything with a coat of Seche Vite.

To see my other Patriotic manicure ideas, click here.

Until next time...

Patriotic Week - Day 3

Hi there!

I think this is something that anybody can do...

My nails painted with China Glaze - Red Pearl and Frostbite.
Art Club - Hologram Glitter.
Patriotic 4th of July manicure.

I painted 2 coats of Red Pearl and then painted one diagonal coat of Frostbite. I then used a white striper and Hologram Glitter before topping everything with a coat of Seche Vite.

This manicure doesn't take as much time as one might think since it doesn't require much precision. When applying the blue polish, the line doesn't need to be straight because the white line can easily cover imperfections :-)

To see my other Patriotic manicure ideas, click here.

Until next time...

Patriotic Week - Day 2

Hi there!

This is my next idea for a red, white, and blue manicure...

My nails painted with China Glaze - Hey Sailor and First Mate.
Stamped with Winstonia plate W107.
Patriotic 4th of July Manicure.

I painted 2 coats of each polish to use as a base. I then used plate W107 and Konad's special white polish to stamp the designs. I topped everything with a coat of Seche Vite.

This was my first time using a Winstonia plate. I flubbed a few places, but I'm quite satisfied with how well this design transferred. The star design looks so crisp!

To see my other Patriotic manicure ideas, click here.

Until next time...

Patriotic Week - Day 1

Hi there!

Like the years past, I'll be toying with new manicure ideas for Independence Day. Here's my first idea...

My nails painted with China Glaze - Red Pearl and Frostbite.
OPI - Alpine Snow and Crown Me Already!
Patriotic 4th of July manicure.

I painted 2 coats of each polish to achieve what's pictured. I used Seche Vite for my topcoat.

I think this manicure is proof that Patriotic nails can be worn without much effort. It took some serious will power for me to stay away from my stamping plates, but I really do like the simplicity of this look.

To see my other Patriotic manicure ideas, click here.

Until next time...

Neon Leopard

Hi there!

I decided I wanted to match my outfit today, so I added a leopard print to yesterday's manicure...

My nails painted with Orly - Glowstick and
China Glaze - Flip Flop Fantasy.
Stamped with Konad M57.

I used Konad's special black polish to stamp the print and then I topped it with a coat of Seche Vite.

Now this is what I call a fun manicure! What do you think?

Until next time...

Highlighter Explosion

Hi there!

It's been dreary outside lately where I live, so I figured why not offset the weather with a bright manicure!? ...

My nails painted with Orly - Glowstick and
China Glaze - Flip Flop Fantasy.

I painted 1 coat of OPI's Alpine Snow before sponging with Glowstick and Flip Flop Fantasy. I topped it with a coat of Seche Vite to achieve what's pictured.

What comforts you on a stormy day?

Until next time...

Spring Swirls Water Marble

Hi there!

Here's a quick look at my current manicure...

My nails painted with China Glaze - Lemon Fizz and Sinful Colors - Verbena.
Spring water marble manicure.

I painted 1 coat of Lemon Fizz before marbling with both Lemon Fizz and Verbena. I topped this manicure with a coat of Seche Vite, and I'm quite pleased how it turned out. The 2 polishes worked very well together in the water!

Until next time...

49ers Super Bowl Manicure

Hi there!

This is the manicure I'm wearing for the Super Bowl today...

My San Francisco 49ers nails. NFL Super Bowl manicure.
China Glaze - Passion and Red Pearl water marble.

I painted 1 coat of Passion as a base before water marbling with Passion and Red Pearl.

It seems 49ers manicures are in demand. This is what I saw when I opened up my blog's search results page this morning...

49ers statistics.

It should be no surprise by now that I'll be cheering for the 49ers when they play later on today. We're hosting a big Super Bowl party with lots of good food and even better friends. I hope that no matter who you're rooting for... or even if American football isn't your cup of tea, you have yourself a great day.

Click here to see my other San Francisco 49ers manicures.

Until next time...

49ers Decal Manicure

Hi there!

This is the next idea I have for a 49ers manicure...

My San Francisco 49ers nails. NFL Super Bowl manicure.
China Glaze - Red Pearl, OPI, Suzi Loves Cowboys,
and Essie - Good As Gold.

I painted 2 coats of each polish to achieve what's pictured. With one of my striper polishes, I painted white lines onto my index finger to portray a football. On my ring finger, I simply placed a 49ers sticker.

I'll be posting one more San Francisco 49ers manicure tomorrow morning. Click here to see what I've done so far.

Until next time...

49ers Striped Manicure

Hi there!

This wasn't my original idea, but I didn't want it to go to waste...

My San Francisco 49ers nails. NFL manicure.
China Glaze Drive In and Passion.

I painted 2 coats of Drive In, 1 stripe of Passion, and 1 stripe of a white striper polish to achieve what's pictured. I intended on doing some stripes with striper tape for this manicure, but the hand cream I forgot I applied earlier in the evening made it so Drive In didn't adhere fully to my nails. When I pulled the tape to readjust it, up came the red polish.

If I had this manicure to do over again, I'd choose colors with the same finishes. Foil, metallic, and cream polishes don't go so wonderfully together :-p

Are you planning on painting a Super Bowl manicure?

I will be posting more San Francisco 49ers manicure ideas over the next couple of days. Click here to see what I've done so far.

Until next time...

49ers French Manicure

Hi there!

These are the Niners nails I thought I would wear today...

My San Francisco 49ers nails. NFL manicure.
Essie - Good As Gold and China Glaze - Ruby Pumps.

I painted 1 coat of Good As Gold and then painted a stripe of Ruby Pumps.

During the wee hours of this morning, insomnia took the best of me...

My San Francisco 49ers nails. NFL manicure.
Essie - Good As Gold and China Glaze - Ruby Pumps.

I don't think my addition of the nail art pen "49ers" made my manicure look terrible, but I'm not fond of the font. I also don't like that the pen got stuck in a ridge on my pinky nail and I slopped up my "s."

An important note... as soon as possible, use top coat over the nail art pen! I went to put some things away and then realized I no longer had numbers or letters written on my nails. Instead, there were black smudges all over my fingers.

I will be posting more San Francisco 49ers manicure ideas later this week. Click here to see what I've done so far.

Until next time...

Merry Christmas

Hi there!

This is my Christmas manicure...

My nails painted with China Glaze - Gaga for Green, Starboard, and Holly-Day.
Christmas tree water marble manicure.

I painted a base of Gaga for Green (lightest green) before water marbling with Gaga for Green, Starboard (medium green), and Holly-Day (darkest green). I added a coat of Seche Vite, and then applied pieces of star confetti as the tree toppers. I thought about adding decorations to the trees, but I quickly decided that I like them just the way they are.

Today is going to be great. While I'm a little bit saddened that there is a gigantic lack of snow where I am, vacationing with my extended family (almost) makes up for it. Nothing beats watching the little kiddos open their gifts on Christmas morning. Sometimes I think I should just give them empty boxes filled with tissue paper- that's all they seem to ever want, anyway ;-p 

What are your plans for today? Whether it's like any other day or something more hectic, I hope it's wonderful and filled with joy!

Until next time...

BadAss Polish - Bling and Dusk

Hi there!

I wore each of these manicures featuring polishes from BadAss Polish's core line for a couple of days before photographing them...

Bling!:

My nails painted with BadAss Polish - Bling! over
China Glaze - Winter Berry and Holly-Day.

I painted 2 coats of red and green before applying 1 coat of Bling! It applied easily- it was a little bit thicker than I'm used to working with, but by no means was it difficult. The glitter placed very nicely, and I'm glad 1 coat does the trick :-) I topped it with a coat of OPI's top coat.

A closer look at the small gold glitter and medium silver glitter in a clear base...

BadAss Polish - Bling!

Dusk:

BadAss Polish - Dusk over Sally Hansen - Thinking of Blue.

I painted 1 coat of Thinking of Blue before applying 1 coat of Dusk. It applied just as nicely as the other glitters I've tried thus far from BadAss Polish. I topped it with a coat of OPI's top coat.

A closer look at the small blue and small gold glitter in a clear base...

BadAss Polish - Dusk.

Overall, I'm happy with the formulas and durability of BadAss Polish. They are glitters in my collection that I can honestly say I'll wear again. To see swatches of America's Team and Go Pack Go!, click here.

Will you be adding either of these polishes to your collection? I think Bling! is a great choice for holiday manicures... and Dusk is perfect for "galaxy" nails!

Until next time...

(Bling! and Dusk were kindly provided by BadAss Polish for me to play with)

49ers Crackle

Hi there!

I'm a member of a very superstitious household. It wasn't extreme until recently when Hunny Poo realized that every time I paint my nails with San Francisco 49ers colors, they win. When I don't, they lose/tie. This has held true all season! After I removed my nearly 2 week old manicure on Sunday, I was begged to paint Niners nails. I told him that if he chose the polish, I'd do it :-)

My nails painted with Zoya - Kimmy and China Glaze - Tarnished Gold.
San Francisco 49ers manicure.

I think he chose a nice combination. I painted 2 coats of Kimmy before adding a thin coat of Tarnished Gold. Once dry, I added a coat of OPI's top coat.

Mission: accomplished. The Niners won!

Until next time...

Ugly Manicure Monday - 25

Hi there!

This ugly manicure comes courtesy of Dawn...

Orly - Crush On You and China Glaze - Electrify.

Dawn said this is simply a manicure that doesn't compliment her skin tone. She said it's a good thing she painted this manicure for a daily challenge in a nail group she belongs to- it wasn't something she really wanted to wear.

Thanks, Dawn!

I agree that this combination doesn't look great against Dawn's skin tone... though I do love the random challenge manicures like this!

If you have an ugly manicure, I'd love to feature it! Email me with what polish you used and what you intended your manicure to look like :-)

Until next time...

Ugly Manicure Monday - 24

Hi there!

This ugly manicure comes courtesy of Erika at Icy Nails...

China Glaze - Roguish Red and Orly - Monster Mash.

Erika said she wanted to get her Halloween on, but she got her ugly on instead ;-p She painted Roguish Red onto her index and ring finger, and then stamped with China Glaze's Jolly Holly using Bundle Monster plate 224. It failed because it smeared and the green wasn't opaque enough to stamp on top of the orange. Erika painted an unknown purple by Funky Fingers onto her middle and pinky finger... then topped it with Monster Mash. She said it was torture wearing this manicure!

Thanks, Erika!

I may be in the minority, but aside from the smeared bits, I like this manicure!

If you have an ugly manicure, I'd love to feature it! Email me with what polish you used and what you intended your manicure to look like :-)

Until next time...

Dirty Zombie

Hi there!

These are my Halloween nails...

My Halloween zombie manicure.

I painted 1 coat of OPI's Red Hot Ayers Rock (bright red) to start this manicure, then I randomly swiped China Glaze's Velvet Bow (dark red) over that. Once dry, I painted a thick coat of Color Club's Coastal Creme (pink nude). When that was dry, I used an acetone soaked q-tip to remove some of the nude polish. That allowed for some of the bright and dark red to show through.

My original intention was to leave it at that, but I felt like the manicure needed more... so I mixed Essie's Case Study (medium brown) and OPI's Suzi Loves Cowboys (dark brown) and sponged it onto each nail. Then I applied a coat of China Glaze's Matte Magic to achieve the final look. If I had it to do over again, I'd substitute the brown polishes for something more rusty- I think that'd better compliment the ouchies.

My hands are unbelievably dry. The climate change has made them really freak out- and I'd normally moisturize them, but somehow that didn't seem appropriate for this look :-) The ouchies are a mix of cosmetic stickers and makeup. Hunny poo was some sort of gross looking character last year for Halloween, and he didn't wear all of the stickers that came in his costume package... so I saved them! The boils were much more pronounced, but I was able to slice them to better blend into my skin.

What are you wearing on your nails for Halloween?

Until next time...

China Glaze - United in Purpose

Hi there!

I played with a few more polishes from the United in Purpose collection today...

My nails painted with China Glaze - Winter Berry, Heart of the Matter,
Live Love Laugh, and Beauty Within.
United in Purpose breast cancer awareness collection.

I painted 2 coats of each polish to achieve what's pictured. Pay little mind to my index finger- it isn't a part of the United in Purpose collection. It arrived in the same package and I had it on my nail before I realized it didn't belong :-) 

Painted in order from my index finger to my pinky...

Winter Berry - my favorite, even though it isn't part of the collection. It's somewhat jelly.
Heart of the Matter - nothing extremely special. Also somewhat jelly.
Live, Love, Laugh - sheer satin finish.
Beauty Within - opaque satin finish.

My nails painted with China Glaze - Winter Berry, Heart of the Matter,
Live Love Laugh, and Beauty Within.
United in Purpose breast cancer awareness collection.

Each polish applied easily, but Winter Berry had my favorite application out of the bunch. It applied so smoothly and effortlessly that I actually thought, "wow," when I applied it.

If you'd like to see some of the other polishes I've swatched from the United in Purpose collection, click here.

Do any of these stand out to you?

Until next time...