MoYou London Sailor Stamping Skittlette

Hi guys! I'm very excited to share today's nail art with you, because it was created using an image plate from MoYou London, which is possibly one of the most highly regarded nail stamping companies in the world. They're based out of - you guessed it - London, and they have TONS of awesome image plates organized into themes, such as "Sailor", "Hipster", "Bridal", "Festive", and so many more. As someone who is used to the basic round stamping plate with 5-6 images, I was delighted to find that each rectangular plate by MoYou has up to 18 full sized images! (For a better visual, you can see the plate I used for this manicure here.) Anyway, here is the nail art look I created:

I started with a base of China Glaze Wait N' Sea on my outer two nails, ORLY Luxe on my middle finger, and China Glaze I Sea the Point on my ring finger. I created the gradient nails by adding I Sea the Point, and stamped on an image from MoYou Sailor 04 with Essie Good as Gold. I paired this nautical look with an anchor midi ring from Arm Candy Fashion.

I am extremely impressed with this nail plate! This brand really lives up to its expectations, I had absolutely no problems using the stamps. The images are crisp and thin, but they are deep enough that they can transferred perfectly with no bald patches. I used this MoYou stamper instead of my usual stamper, and I think that definitely helped as well (I'll be using this stamper from now on, for sure!). I also love that the images fit perfectly onto my nail (and they also make XL plates for those of you with longer nails!)

Another thing about MoYou - incredibly adorable packaging! Each stamping plate comes in a cute themed sleeve (you can see this one in the background here). The plate is attached to a plastic backing so there's no mess when you scrape off your excess polish.

I've got tons of nail art ideas from this nail image plate (and I've got another one, too!) so stay tuned for more of those!

Here is a visual of the colors I used. The China Glaze polishes are from HB Beauty Bar and they are a part of the new Off Shore collection, which I will be reviewing soon (spoiler alert - these ones are fantastic!) Don't forget to use the code NAILPOLISHCHALLENGE at checkout for 15% off your order.

If you've never tried MoYou and you don't think you're particularly good at stamping, try with these plates - they are so easy to use! I wish I had tried these sooner, I think I would be much more confident stamping if I had started with these plates. (Plus, the designs are so creative, and they have more variety than any other brand I've seen!) The MoYou London stamping plates are £4.99 each, which translates to roughly $6.80 USD each, and you can browse their (many) collections here.

What's been your experience with MoYou London? What collection do you like best?

Some products provided for my honest review.

Neon Snakeskin Gradient Nail Art

Hi all! I wasn't sure what to call this nail art, but it kind of reminds me of snakeskin, so I'm going with that. Today's manicure was inspired by this one from naildecor on Instagram. I was only able to get one good photo, because my skin was pretty dry after all the cleanup I had to do!

I started with a base of OPI Alpine Snow, and then made a gradient with Peonies & Park Ave from HB Beauty Bar. Once that was dry, I striped off a diamond pattern on my nails and sponged on random bits with ORLY Snowflake.

I seriously love this design. I like that it's somewhat messy, but it still looks so cool! And it wasn't as frustrating as tape manicures usually are, because I could afford to make a couple of mistakes.

Here are the colors I used.

What do you think of this manicure?

Born Pretty Store Water Decal Nail Art

Today, I have a review from Born Pretty Store, an awesome online store for nail art accessories. I got this sheet of assorted water decal patterns to review, which comes with 11 different designs, and I knew I had to do a double accent nail with this cute pastel candy pattern.

I started by painting all my nails with OPI My Vampire is Buff. Once that was completely dry, I cut the water decal sheet into a size appropriate for my middle two nails, and dipped them in water. Then, I peeled the design off the paper backing and stuck it to my nails. I cleaned up the excess with acetone. On my outer two nails, I sponged on ORLY Gumdrop.

I loved this design and I think this is an awesome manicure to wear for Easter! But I do wish I had been more careful with cleanup on the water decals - as soon as I touched them with acetone, they began to disintegrate, and I messed up a bit near my cuticle. I do still think this is cute though, and it was hard to tell in person that I made any mistake!

You can get this water decal set from Born Pretty Store, and don't forget to use the code RFL91 at checkout for 10% off your entire order and free international shipping!

What do you think of this design?

31DNAC Day 30: Inspired by A Tutorial

I can't believe this is the second-last prompt for the challenge. Today's manicure is inspired by the Nailasaurus's famous waterfall manicure tutorial, and boy, it was way harder than I thought!

Alright, so my lines totally suck. I admit it! I have never really used a striper brush for nail art, and I had basically no control over it while I painted this manicure. But I think it's a good first attempt, and now I can look back and laugh at this post once I finally master the waterfall nail art! I used a base of Essie Sand Tropez and striped with the following colors, from darkest to lightest: ORLY Bus Stop Crimson, China Glaze Long Kiss, OPI All I Want For Christmas Is OPI, OPI Schnapps Out Of It!, and Nubar Gold Frost nail art pen.

So, even though this manicure is a total fail, I'm glad to say that as a whole, I have been improving as a nail artist during the challenge. I even look back at the first few days of the challenge and want to laugh at my nails!

What do you think of this fiery waterfall manicure? Should I try again?

Be sure to check out my previous challenge manicures here.

Merry Christmas!

Hello everyone! It's officially Christmas here in New Jersey, so I think it's time for one more festive manicure. I have been seeing this simple abstract tree nail art lately, but I just loved this one from Mary Monkett, and I had to recreate it.

I used a base of Zoya Giovanna on all nails except my detail nail, which was a base of ORLY Gumdrop. I created the abstract tree using a small nail art brush, and drew on the star with Essie Good as Gold.

I think this color is perfectly festive for Christmas, but I will be wearing it all winter. Out of all of the Christmas manicures I have done this season, this is definitely the most simple - but isn't it so elegant? I really like it.

I hope everyone has a lovely holiday! Merry Christmas!

PS: I entered this China Glaze contest, and it would mean a lot to me if you vote for my manicure! In order for your vote to be valid, you have to vote for three manicures (hopefully including mine) and then click the link in the email they send you. Thanks :)

Christmas Polka Dot Nail Art

Hi all! Just one more day until Christmas! Is everyone excited? Today, I have yet another festive manicure to celebrate the season - red and green polka dot nails! This nail art is pretty simple, but the colors make it cheery and fun. And anyone can do it! Check it out -

The gold accent I used is ORLY Luxe, and on my other nails are OPI Jade is the New Black and China Glaze Merry Berry. I used a dotting tool and OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls for the polka dots.

I think this manicure is pretty cute - I have so much trouble making my dots the same size, even with the dotting tool, but I think I did well with these nails! And I am still getting the hang of taking multiple photos with different angles, so bear with me here.

What are you planning to wear on your nails this Christmas?

NOTD: Simple Winter Gradient

Hi everyone, today I have a super simple gradient manicure that I did -

I used a base of ORLY Snowcone and sponged on OPI I Saw... U Saw... We Saw... Warsaw!(seriously, I almost want to boycott this polish because of that ridiculously long name, but it's so pretty!) I tried doing some nail art over this gradient, but I didn't like it so I decided to just post the gradient.

I have been really enjoying simple gradient manicures like this! Which color combinations would you like to see?

Gradient Rose Nail Art

Happy December, everyone! (And Happy Chanukah, too!) Today's nail art was inspired by Lacquerstyle's negative rose manicure. Originally, I made this gradient intending on doing some Chanukah nail art, but I failed at that, so I went with this unique rose look.

I started with a base of Zoya Dove, and sponged on Orly Snowcone and Essie Butler Please to create the gradient. To draw the roses, I used a small brush and white acrylic paint, following Lacquerstyle's tutorial.

I am really enjoying making gradients lately - I might have to do some more! What do you think?

31DNAC Day 21: Inspired By A Color

Hello! We are in the final third of the challenge, and it starts fairly easily with the prompt to be inspired by a color. Well, I have been using a lot of purple lately so I decided to go with my trusty China Glaze Tart-y for the Party and make a skittle!

For the watermarble, I used Tart-y for the Party and OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls, topped with ORLY Shine On Crazy Diamond. My pinky finger has three coats of China Glaze Glistening Snow. And the white glitter on my middle finger is Nanacoco Snowflakes, from HB Beauty Bar (review to come soon!).

This skittle is wintery and fun, even though the purple is a Spring color! What do you think?

Be sure to check out my previous challenge manicures here.

Pretty & Polished Fall Collection Sneak Peek

Hey guys! Today I have an exciting sneak peek from Pretty & Polished - their awesome new Autumn collection is coming out on September 5th, and I was asked to review two of their polishes!

This gorgeous polish is When Hearts Kaleidoscope. Shown here is two coats layered over Essie Big Spender, but it can build to opacity on it's own! This cranberry crelly is loaded with small and medium gold hex glitters, and fuchsia dots! When I saw this color, I was so excited to try it out. The formula is great and I didn't have to fish for any glitter.

Obviously I had to mattify it! I think the polish looks great both ways.

Love is Autumnatic is a full coverage glitter filled with red, orange and gold hexes. I decided to make a gradient of this polish over Orly Luxe. You can tell from the gradient how dense this glitter is! It applies smoothly but it definitely took a thick layer of top coat to smooth it out.

Want to see more of this collection? Follow Pretty & Polished on Facebook to keep updated and participate in fun contests. You can also see their shop here and prepare for the release of these polishes on September 5th!

PS: If you're wondering why my skin looks so AMAZING in the above photos, you can thank P&P's new Vanilla Oatmeal Brown Sugar scrub, which I won in an Instagram giveaway! Seriously guys, my hands smell so delicious and they are incredibly soft.

Funky Chevron Nail Art

Today's nail art is inspired by the amazing Hannvjk from Instagram. I'm not entirely sure what to call it, but she calls them chevrons, so here are some funky chevrons for you guys!

I love this! I used a base of OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls on my pointer and pinky, and Essie Butler Please on my other two nails. Then, I took Orly Snowcone and made stripes on my blue nails.

Once that was dry, I took acrylic paint and made this pattern!

What do you think?

Stamping and Studs with OPI Bogota Blackberry

When I picked up this gorgeous cool toned red nail polish from OPI, I knew I had to stamp with it.

OPI Bogota Blackberry is the perfect cranberry red shimmer. This manicure might be suitable for Christmas, haha! But I love it.

I used ORLY Soul Mate as a base for my stamping, and then stamped on with Borgota Blackberry and plate BM 305. Of course I had to mattify it!

I love the way this color looks mattified - almost velvety! I also applied silver studs from Born Pretty Store - you can find those here. Use the code RFL91 at checkout for 10% off your entire order!

This stud formation was inspired by this gorgeous New Year's manicure by Spektor's Nails. She really is creative with applying studs!

What do you think of this one?

Nautical Nail Art!

Hey guys! So I posted this manicure on my Instagram this morning, and I loved it so much!

I did these nautical nails as part of a collaboration with another Instagram nail artist. I used Orly Luxe, OPI I Saw... You Saw... We Saw... Warsaw!, OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls, and Julep Claire for this manicure.

I love everything about this. The anchor was probably the hardest; I loved doing the seahorse! And of course, I had to add some chevrons!

Here is the manicure glossy - I like to add matte top coat with some nail art so that the glare of the light doesn't interfere in the photo!

What do you think?

Simple Glitter Gradient

I have a simple glitter gradient manicure to show you today. I used OPI Don't Burst My Bubble as a base, and it was so soft and elegant!

To make the gradient, I just dabbed on some ORLY Dazzle to the tips of my nails, and then added Hard Candy Celebrate Sequins to that. I really like this look!

Would anyone be interested in a tutorial? This was an easy one. As much as I enjoy video tutorials, I might try my hand (ha! get it??) at pictorals, where I just give you step by step photos. Which would you prefer?

What do you think?

Striped Nail Art with Elevation Marmolada

Today is yet another amazing polish from Chorubim! Are you all following her Instagram account yet?!

Anyway, the polish is an indie called Elevation Polish Marmolada. I paired it with some simple stripes.

Marmolada is a gorgeous slate blue jelly filled with large silver and blue circle glitters, as well as medium and small silver and small purple circles and even a couple little purple square glitters! The bigger circles required some fishing - I recommend storing the bottle upside down. Shown above is three coats with top coat.

The stripes were done using Zoya Blu (another polish from Chorubim!), OPI Nein! Nein! Nein! OK Fine!, China Glaze Tart-y for the Party, and Orly Dazzle.

I think this combination is pretty fun and simple!

This is my first Elevation Polish and I like it a lot! It was a bit difficult to apply at first, but I got the hang of it quickly.

You can find Elevation Polish here on their BigCartel shop.

Water Marbled Nails Tutorial!

Som of you may know that I uploaded a tutorial video on Youtube a couple days ago, and I had so much fun making it that I decided to make another one!

Today's tutorial is on water marbling. So many people ask me how to do this - there are a lot of great videos online, but I wanted to explain each part of the process so I made my own!

Here is the water marble I did for the tutorial. I used a base of OPI My Vampire Is Buff, and marbled with ORLY Snowcone, ORLY Gumdrop, and ORLY Powderpuff.

I hope my video helps you in making this cool design - if you like this video and want to see more, be sure to subscribe to my channel on Youtube!

Deadly Sins Challenge Day 5: Greed

Today's nail prompt is to "go wild and use your most expensive and precious polish." Well, most of my polishes are within the same price range, so I decided to go with a polish I "borrowed" from my mom the last time I was home - that's pretty greedy of me, isn't it? Haha!

Anyway, the color I took was OPI A Woman's Prague-ative, which is literally a gorgeous orangey gold with flecks of gold and red in it. My camera got a bit freaked out when I was taking pictures, but I tried to get as color accurate as possible. I stamped on these little crowns with ORLY Dazzle.

Look at how deep and intense this polish is! My mom noticed that I took it, of course, but I promised that I would return it eventually :P

Check out the other greedy manicures this week:

Stripes with Colour Gossip Nail Lacquer

Today I have some simple nail art for you using some great colors that the amazing Colour Gossip sent me to review! I'll show you my nail art first, then go over the swatches and review.

In this manicure, I also used ORLY Luxe for a gold highlight. Anyway, here are the colors I used:

This first color is Shallow, a lovely sheer creamy white. This color would be great for a French manicure! I used three coats to build opacity.

Next up we have Bora Bora, a periwinkle with just the slightest hint of silver shimmer.

When I first got this color, I thought it looked like Essie Bikini So Teeny, but no dupes here! Bora Bora is much more saturated and the shimmer is more slight. This is just two coats.

I think this color is a great base for nail art!

And last but not least we have Designer Shades, a stunning orangey yellow creme.

When I used this in my nail art, it turned out a bit less saturated and more of a pale yellow, but alone on the nail it really pops! I had to use four coats to make the color fully opaque, but I'm sure it would be easier to build up if I had used a white base.

I really love this color even though I thought I wouldn't - it's just so summery! Perfect for toes in my opinion.

The formula of Colour Gossip is amazing. The colors were a bit thin, which I like much better than a thicker, gloopy polish! I think the best part of this brand is that each collection that they create gives donations to different organizations for each bottle sold! Check out more information on their website.

What do you guys think of this brand?