Monochromatic Floral Stamped NOTD

Hey y'all! For today's post I have a super pretty design that I did for a wedding that my husband and I went to last weekend. I recently grabbed a few beauties from the China Glaze fall collection - The Great Outdoors, and two looked so good together that I couldn't resist using them.

Twinsie Tuesday: Ocean Inspired

Hey everyone! I am trying to get back into this blogging thing - though still feeling a need to take it slow. So for right now, I am sticking with Twinsie Tuesday themes and the occasional swatch/review post until I feel more comfortable posting (and all the extra stuff that goes along with posting) on a regular basis. I took the time off to spend the last few weeks of summer with my family but, ultimately, I think I was on the verge of being burnt out. Taking a break has done a lot of good, but I'm still not ready to through myself back into the furnace quite yet. I understand if that's not something you want to deal with, but I do appreciate those of you who do stick around and are patient.

For this week's theme, the Twinsies are posting nail art inspired by the ocean. As it so happened, I had saved this mani on Pinterest a while back and immediately knew it would be my inspiration for today's post.

Used:

Look Nail Color - Oh Say Can You See

China Glaze - Water You Waiting For

Look Nail Color - Broad Stripes, Bright Stars

MoYou London - Sailor Collection #3

I am a sucker for a good jelly sandwich and the idea of putting a stamped design over the top is just perfection! I am also really happy to have the first nail art attempt in a very long while turn out so nicely. 

And as always, be sure to check out all the lovely ladies of the Twinsie Tuesday nail art group and their oceanic inspired nail art!

Alaina at The Little Canvas

Amanda at Amandalandish

Amanda at Fashion Footing

Amber at Nails Like Lace

Bridget at A Painted Nail

Chelsea at Nailed Blog

ChiChi at I'm Just Me...ChiChi

Jessica at Blue Velvet Lacquer

Lakeisha at Refined and Polished

​Lisa at The Polish Playground

Marisa at Polish Obsession

Róisín at Cuti-CLUE-les

Savannah at Addicted to Polish

Tiffany at Polished To Precision

Black & Mint Green Stamped Floral Skittlet

Hey guys and gals! It's has been waaaay too long since I have done any stamping. File it under the category of "Life is a total drain on anything fun" along with the ridiculously long break from nail art I took. But sometimes all it takes is really great materials to kick inspiration in gear. After I swatched the Ellagee Grey Scale collection, (read that review, here!) I was sure that Ebony, the black polish in the set, would make an awesome stamping polish. And I have been wearing Mint Succulent from Fair Maiden Polish for a few days, so.... Well you can see where I'm going with this right?!

Twinsie Tuesday: Pond Mani

Hello guys and gals! Welcome to the first Tuesday of the new year! The Twinsies took a break over the holidays, but we are back for our weekly themed posts. And we even have new members! Welcome Amanda (from  Fashion Footing), Beckie (from Polished by Beckie ) and Savannah (from Addicted to Polish)! I am super excited to get to know you girls and see your awesome posts every week!

This week’s theme is a pond mani - a design layered in between jelly polish so that it appears to be floating.  This is a fairly new technique in the nail world and I was super excited to try it out!

Matte Skittlette Nail Of The Day

Hey guys and gals, short and sweet post for you all today - we had a loss in the family yesterday and all my energy is being devoted to that. But I did want to share my nails, because: one, it makes me happy to blog and I need it right now, and two, sometimes a mani is just too good not to share!

Twinsie Tuesday: Halloween

Hey everyone! Well it's been a couple of weeks since I posted with the Twinsie Tuesday group. I am always so upset with myself when I miss a post, so hopefully that wont happen for a long time. This week we are posting Halloween themed looks and I am kinda glad for it, otherwise I may not have done one this year!

Sunday Stamped: Neon Kisses with MoYou London Hipster Collection

Hey y'all, happy Sunday! Today's post is a late, we were up all last night watching Oklahoma! out at the Zilker outdoor theater. Yes, I am a musical nerd. Love them! Anyway, instead of being a good blogger and scheduling my post yesterday before we left, I decided to do it today after sleeping in and a late breakfast, lol!

I have two new things to play with, some of the China Glaze summer neons and new MoYou London plates. I used both the neons and the MoYou Hipster collection plate as well in my previous post, here. I personally think the two products are perfect for each other!

Studded Skittelette with Born Pretty Studs

Hey all! Today I have the last of three Born Pretty review posts for you all (you can read the first two here and here). For this post I have some pastel neon studs to review. I chose these because I love all things that fall into this color palette!

Please Note: Products shown were provided by the company/creator for review purposes.

Sunday Stamped: Matte Blue and White with MoYou London Explore

Hello wonderful friends! How is your weekend? Mine is immensely better after yesterday. I am sadly, extremely nearsighted and my glasses broke last Sunday night. I resorted to wearing a really old pair of contacts but they felt horrible so I have been going with out all week. I finally got to see my optometrist yesterday and have a brand new pair of contacts and will be getting my glasses very soon! Let me tell you it is no fun walking around in a hazy blurry world! I couldn't even paint my nails! As soon as I got home yesterday, I remedied that and did a little stamped mani with an idea I have had floating around for a while. 

Used:

O.P.I. - MBSW

Essie - Hide & Go Chic

Sally Hansen Big Matte Top Coat

MoYou London Explore Set - #3

It's funny how an idea can translate so perfectly sometimes (and horribly fail others!). I saw a set of nail wraps on my IG feed a few weeks ago that were white with blue detailing. The simple color play was incredibly eye catching and I knew I wanted to recreate the look with some stamping. And for the finale touch, I even used my matte tc, which I always forget about. The final result is pretty damn awesome, if you all don't mind me saying so! I am still wearing them and don't want to take them off! But I have my next Twinsie Tuesday mani to plan for. Sigh... But it will be fun!

Hope you all have a great rest of your weekend! And be thankful if you don't have to worry about your vision. It can be a huge pain sometimes!

Sunday Stamped - Pink And Gold Waves

Hi all! Hope everyone is having a great Sunday! Today's post is more of a short one, since I am off spending the day with my family. I'm still playing around with my MoYou London stamp plates and have a fun design for today's Sunday Stamped post!

Used:

O.P.I. - Hey Baby

O.P.I. - L.A.M.B.

MoYou London Sailor Collection Plate #03

The whole point of this mani was to test out the stamping abilities of L.A.M.B. As you can see, it stamps beautifully! It stamps so well, I may need to find another bottle, that way I will have one specifically for stamping. I am particularly pleased with the color combo, and tho I am not the biggest pink fan, Hey Baby is quickly becoming a fav for nail art as well. I actually think the end result looks like nail wraps! Much more so than any other stamping I have done. MoYou London stamp plates and O.P.I. are perfect together!

Well that's all for today! I'm off to go take pictures of the beautiful wild flowers blooming all over the Texas countryside! Have a great day, friends!

Sunday Stamped: MoYou London Holographic Reptile Print

Hey friends! Happy Sunday! This is the first Sunday Stamped post with my new camera! I haven't really had too much time to play with my stamping gear, until this weekend. I missed it!

Sometimes inspiration can come in the strangest ways, like the name of a polish. O.P.I. Amazon...Amazoff is a great color, and the name evokes so many jungle/tribal images that I had to use it some how!

Used:

O.P.I. - Amazon...Amazoff

Color Club Halo Hues - Kismet

MoYou London Pro Collection - Plate #03

I couldn't get the idea out of my head, and I totally dig to outcome! It's such an edgy/sexy/badass look! Not to mention the awesome effect that Kismet gives to the design. Holos for stamping, yay!!!

Hope you guys have a great day!

Valentine's Day Nails - Two Ways

Hey guys and gals! Happy Friday, and Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you all have a day filled with love and joy. And pretty nails. Cause that's the most important thing, right? Just kidding...sorta...

So, remember when I said I had no clue what I was doing for Valentine's Day? Well, I guess my brain had some sort of crazy inspiration, because I came up with two designs! Yep, I'm feeling pretty awesome right now. I also tried to go a little different with my designs, and add my personal style to them as well, instead of sticking with more traditional looks.

Used:

Takko Lacquer - Spirited Away

O.P.I. - Black Onyx (for stamping)

MoYou London Scholar Collection - Plate #05

Born Pretty Studs

So I may have ordered the MoYou London scholar plate just so I could do this mani. I love the little doodle heart and the studs, and the gorgeous Takkito. Perfection. It almost broke my heart to take it off.

Used:

O.P.I. - LAMB

O.P.I. - MVIB

Zoya - Neely

Zoya - Louise

Born Pretty Studs

Dotting Tool

This is probably my favorite color combination. I mean, how perfect is mint green and gold together?! The inspiration for the most awesome heart shaped leopard print is from MajicBeenz on Instagram. Which I love, even though I am not really a fan of leopard print (but yet this is the second post in a month...). Also studs. Heart shaped studs no less!

Well, that's all for today friends! I am off to bake some cupcakes with the girlie and then an actual date with the Mr.! Hope you all have a fabulous day of love and get to celebrate it with whoever you love!

Sunday Stamped: MoYou London Advanced Stamping

Hello all you wonderful people! Hope you are having a wonderful Sunday! I have been sick since Thursday and am finally starting to feel quite a bit better. I absolutely despise being sick, but thankfully it left me time to catch up on The Originals, Nashville and The Vampire Diaries as well as plan out some awesome posts for this next week! P.S. I am pretty sure that crappy tv is the best cure for the common cold!

For this week's edition of Sunday Stamped, I wanted to try a little something different. Advanced stamping, or decal stamping, is a method of adding color to a stamp design. It has become more and more popular, and since I have lots of new stamping goodies, I wanted to try it out myself.

Used:

Essie - Naughty Nautical

O.P.I. - Black Onyx

Essie - The Girls Are Out

Essie - The More The Merrier

MoYou London Scholar Collection Plate #05

Nail art brush

Overall, I think it is a really cool look, but quite difficult to pull off. But, like most nail art related stuff, I'm sure it gets easier with practice. To create the decal, you pick up the image as normal, but instead of stamping it onto your nail, you transfer the design to saran wrap or a zip lock bag. After that, you apply color to the negative areas and then apply a clear top coat. Once it has all dried, you remove it from the plastic and place it onto you nail, sealing it with another layer of top coat.

If you guys are interested, I will put together a pic tutorial of how I do it!

I used one of the new MoYou London plates I recently ordered, and once again I am blown away. This design is from the Scholar Collection and it is full of really cool science stuff as well as some fun doodles. I know that I should try out some other plates or brands, but honestly, I am incredibly happy with all the MoYou London stamping stuff!

Well, that's all for today! I'm gonna go drink some Chamomile tea and maybe watch some more wonderfully crappy tv!

Sunday Stamped: MoYou London Mermaid Nails

Hi y'all! So another Sunday has come and I find myself enjoying the Sunday Stamped theme a lot more this time around. I totally blame it on MoYou London. More specifically, the MoYou London squishy stamper. It has really improved my stamping overall, and I think it is totally worth the extra cash, if stamping is something you are in to.  But the MoYou London plates are amazing too! And I can't get enough if them!

Used:

Zoya Ziv over Zoya Charla

MoYou London stamping plate Sailor Collection #04

Mermaid nailses!! I was so worried that it wouldn't turn out right and I would have a big fail, and it did at first. But that was total user error and my polish choices. After a third attempt, I finally got the intended effect and I LOVE them!!! 

MoYou London has really changed the way I feel about stamping. The only down side is that it takes a little longer to get the package. But the wait is so worth it!

Have a great Sunday you guys!

Sunday Stamped: MoYou London Butterfly Wings

Hey everyone! Hope you guys are having a great weekend! We are having a family dinner today with my sister-in-law who is visiting from Florida. I'm really excited to see her, she is an amazing MUA and I am dying to pick her brain and learn a few tips! I really cannot get the hang of tight lining and I end up looking like a raccoon or a "lady of the evening," so yeah, I need some help!

Since it is Sunday, I have another stamped mani to share with the awesome MoYou London stamping plates! I love them so much, and the squishy stamper (review here) makes the whole thing a lot easier and more enjoyable!

Used:

O.P.I. - Black Onyx stamped over Takko Lacquer - Pucker Up

MoYou London stamping plate Pro Collection #03

I think one of the first stamping ideas I had, when I ordered the plates, was this. It has been so long since I have worn Pucker Up and I really thought it would be so pretty with a butterfly wing stamped on top. The MoYou Pro plate #03 has a lot of animal/nature prints on it, and I got it for the sole reason of the butterfly wing. I love how the squishy stamper was able to pick up and transfer the tiny intricate lines! Needless to say, I am still so impressed with all of the products. So much so, that I have another order on the way to me! Pretty sure MoYou will be my newest addiction.

So have you guys caved and ordered anything from MoYou yet? Are you feeling the craving? I am pretty sure my Bundle Monster plates are going to be collection dust for a while!

Sunday Stamped: MoYou London Stamp Plates, XL Squishy Stamper Review

Hey friends! I have a very lengthy, very awesome post for your reading pleasure today!

So I'm sure you all have heard of the killer new stamping plates from MoYou London, and if not, you need to check them out immediately! It has been quite a while since I have done any sort of stamping, but once I saw the incredible image plates from MoYou (some of the full size plates are seriously amazing), I couldn't resist!

MoYou London plates feature 18 different themes, and continue to expand their offerings quite regularly. The themes vary from The Explorer set, which includes cultural and tribal imagery from around the world, to a Fairy Tale set that offers stunning full image plates of iconic storybook settings. There are artistic plates, French manicure, biker, rocker, sailor, and so much more. What ever you are in to, there is a theme for you.

I picked out three different plate sets, The Pro, The Sailor, and The Explorer. As well as the MoYou XL double sided stamper and scraper.

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for personal use.

One of the really cool things about the MoYou plates, is that each theme has a character to go along with them. All of the characters have a definite vintage pin-up girl feel to them. The individual plates come in a sleeve with a picture of the particular character on the front. Most do anyway, my explorer plate did not, but I think this is a fairly new feature, and the sleeves may not be available for the newer plates

The back of the sleeve offers step-by-step directions detailing the stamping procedure.

Each plate has a protective blue plastic cover to prevent any scratches to the plate before you receive them. The plastic must be removed before stamping.

The plates are set in a plastic backing. While it may seem unusual, I actually like this feature. I feel like it adds a bit of extra protection to the plates.

MoYou London Pro Collection - #3

The Pro series plates feature various designs from all of the different themes, more traditional stamping images.

MoYou London Sailor Collection - #4

The Sailor series features nautical designs. This is probably my favorite theme. All of the images are just amazing.

MoYou London Explorer Collection - #3 (XL Design)

The Explorer series has cultural and tribal images from around the world. This particular plate is full of Henna Mehndi designs. There are African, Native American, Egyptian, Maori, Grecian, and Dia De Los Muertos plates as well. Definitely another favorite! I also used it for my test mani.

Used:

Zoya - Louise stamped over O.P.I. - MVIB

MoYou London Explorer plate #3

This may be the best stamping I have ever done! The images are etched on the plate very clean and sharp, as well as deep. The thin tiny lines are no harder to pick up than the rest of the design. The designs are also quite a bit bigger than the Bundle Monster plates I have. I was able to get a full stamp across my thumb, which is a bit wide.

Now, as awesome as the plates are, I'm not sure the actual stamping would have come out as great as it did, if it weren't for the MoYou XL double sided stamper.

MoYou XL Double Sided Stamper and Scraper

A double sided stamper with a small and large sides made from soft silicone, and a plastic scraper.

The stamper is made from a softer silicon than other stampers (the ones with the red stamp). Also known as a squishy stamper, it provides an easier transfer of the design. I had absolutely no issues what so ever with stamping. I was able to get full transfer of the image, all the way around my nail. You don't have to roll it across the nail plate, simply line your nail up to the image, and press it in to the stamper. It is soooo much easier!!! I think I will really love stamping with this thing! It does have a tendency to attract lint, so I would store it in a zip lock baggie and use scotch tape to clean it when necessary.

I was able to get a transfer all the way to the corners of my nail. That was one of my biggest issues with stamping before. I was never able to get the entire nail, let alone the curve of the free edge, covered.

I am totally blown away by the quality and the beauty of the MoYou London plates, and the squishy stamper is the answer to all my failed attempts! I am excited to bring back Sunday Stamped and to play with these awesome new goodies!

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use. All opinions are my own. For more info, please see my disclaimer.

MoYou London stamping plates and accessories are available on line. Plates retail for £4.99 (about $8 USD) and the Xl double sided stamper retails for £7.99 (about $13 USD). International shipping available.