Mundo de Uñas stamping polishes

A couple months ago I joined the Facebook group Adventures in Stamping, where other nail stamping enthusiasts post pictures, tutorials, and stamping tips on a daily basis.  This is where I was introduced to the amazing stamping polishes by Mundo de Uñas.  Made in Mexico, these polishes are specifically made for nail stamping, and the polishes are extra thick and pigmented for best results.  These polishes are not to be used as regular nail polish, however, as the consistency is too thick.

After seeing hundreds of photos from women who use this product, I knew I had to give it a try.  If you stamp on a regular basis, then you know that only a fraction of nail polishes out there are suitable for stamping, and this creates limitations in color selection.  And most polishes (except for whites, metallics, and some bright cremes) do not stamp well over dark colors like black or navy.  Luckily, Mundo de Uñas has created a brilliant and affordable solution.  Her specialty stamping polishes are far superior to other stamping polishes, and there are tons of swatches out there to prove it.  Plus, with Mundo de Uñas you get a huge variety of color options and very reasonable shipping rates.  I ordered the following 8 polishes, and with the shipping it cost about 35 dollars.

For what these polishes accomplish, it is truly an amazing deal and I will be ordering more very soon!  To see the full color chart, visit the Mundo de Uñas Facebook page (linked above), and if you want to place an order you will need to do so through the Facebook page as well.

To test out my new polishes, I wanted to do something very bright, where the contrast would be difficult to achieve with regular polish.  And these are my very satisfying results:

Can you believe how bright this is??  I feel like my stamping options are limitless now!

For this look I used OPI's Toucan Do It If You Try and Mundo de Uñas stamping polishes in #39 (Avocado) and #27 (Neon Yellow)

So what do you think of my "flower power" mani?  Have you used Mundo de Uñas stamping polishes before?  You should!

OPI 18k Gold Top Coat

Ok so I know The Man With the Golden Gun came out last year, but a friend of mine recently gave me the OPI 18k Gold flakie top coat from the James Bond Skyfall collection, and I absolutely love it!  I especially love the fact that it sits in an extra-thin suspension base so you can add several layers of gold flakes to your manis without it getting to thick or clumpy.

 

It comes in a fancy box AND a fancy bottle!!  Isn't it just so glam?!  So I tried it out last night over 2 coats of Zoya's Louise and I am very happy with the results.  I used my Northern Lights holographic top coat in gold to complement the design

This picture doesn't even do it justice.  Being actual 18k gold flakes, it's a lot shinier and more sparkly in person.  I know it's decadent and you could probably find a cheaper dupe, but it sure is nice to say that you have solid gold nail polish :)

I'm thinking this would look especially gorgeous over a deep turquoise.  I think I'll try that out when it's seasonally appropriate.

So what do you think of the 18k gold top coat?  You think it's worth the current retail price of $69?

2013 Holiday Nails #2

I love this Holiday color from OPI.  It's called Wondrous Star and it's from the 2013 Mariah Carey Holiday collection.  It features a micro glitter base that is somewhere between silver and gold with chunky black glitter throughout.  Love the formula and the outcome!

Shot of the Day: Finger Paints Iconic Orange

If you haven't noticed, I am absolutely loving the neon nail trend!  I took a little trip to Sally's the other day and couldn't help but purchase this little beauty:  Iconic Orange by Finger Paints

Isn't this color amazing?  And this is only two coats over a base coat of OPI Nail Envy.  A lot of neon shades require a white base coat to really make the color pop, but not this one. 

And OMG the application!  This polish is basically magic...it goes where you want it to go.  It was so creamy and smooth and I didn't notice any staining when I removed it.

Needless to say, I am very impressed with this polish (this is my first Finger Paints polish) so of course I had to  go back to Sally's to get more.  If you're looking for bright summer neon shades that are easy to apply and highly pigmented, look no further than Finger Paints!

Shot of the Day: Gatsby Inspired Nails

Have you all seen the new Gatsby movie yet?  I haven't had a chance so far, but I'm a big fan of the book!  Anyway, I am loving all the Gatsby nail trends I'm seeing these days, so I thought I'd do a Great Gatsby manicure of my own! I wanted something very deco but also super sparkly, so I used Urban Outfitters Smokin as my base color:

This picture doesn't do it justice.  This polish is so glittery and sparkly, and it keeps that wet look, which really makes it shimmer in certain lights.  It usually looks like this champagne-gold color, but in certain fluorescent lights it looks more silver.  This polish also had one of the best applications of any glitter I've ever used, so guess what I did!  I went back to Urban Outfitters and bought a bunch more of their glitter polishes.

For my Deco stamp, I used Winstonia plate W111, which applied really well!  This black is probably my favorite black stamping color and it's from the Forever 21 Red Carpet Kit.

This photo was taken under fluorescent lights, and it definitely looks more silver here than gold.  I got so many compliments on this manicure, and it really popped with the black and gold accent jewelry I wore.

For this look, I used OPI Nail Envy as a base coat and Seche Vite as a top coat.  So what do you think?  Pretty fancy, huh?

Shot of the Day: Cinco de Mayo Nails and Margaritas!

I hope you all had a wonderful Cinco de Mayo!  Here in Tennessee, it was rainy and cold, but that didn't stop me from bringing the fiesta to my mani!

For this look, I used Essie's Blanc over a base coat of OPI Nail Envy.  I have to say, once again I am disappointed with an Essie polish.  Less than 24 hours later I had some major chips, even with a Seche Vite top coat.  For the dots and stamping I used the red from my Forever 21 Red Carpet Kit and NYC's High Line Green.

Here's an upside down shot so you can see the stamp better.  This stamp is from Gals plate GA9. I didn't have time to do any of the complicated Aztec designs, so I just decided to go with Mexico's national colors and some "Margarita" glasses.  They might actually be martini glasses but let's use our imaginations.

And look how good they look with a drink in my hand! Ok well yes, everything looks better when there's a drink in your hand...My husband made these margaritas for us this weekend to celebrate the holiday and boy were they strong!  Here's the recipe if you dare:


2 oz tequila
2 oz triple sec
Key Lime juice to taste
Salt rim (if desired)

Stamping Success with MASH 26-50 Plates

If you follow Polish off the Bottle on Facebook and Twitter, then you know that I have been super pumped about getting started with nail stamping.  Well, my MASH 26-50 Plates arrived last week along with my Konad double ended stamper, and I have been having a ball!  It's a much easier process than I thought it would be, and there is so much variety you can do with your manicure.  I feel like I'm an all-star nail artist now thanks to nail stamping.

So my first attempt wasn't perfect, but I wanted to try a small design instead of a full pattern first just to get used to the application process.  Here's a pic from my first nail stamp manicure attempt:

Shot of the Day: Celebrating with China Glaze (Champagne Bubbles) and Gold Glitter

Well, I found out this week that I passed my comprehensive exams for my graduate program so I am celebrating the fact that I will have my master's degree in just three weeks!  I wanted to make my nails fit my mood, so I thought China Glaze's Champage Bubbles would be a perfect base for a sparkling celebration mani!

The gradient isn't perfect, but it sure does shine!  I used a base coat of OPI Nail Envy, then I used China Glaze Angel Wings as my first glitter layer toward the tips.  Angel Wings is a gold/green fine glitter with slightly holographic undertones. My second coat was Color Club's Gold Glitter, which is a slightly chunkier glitter that is very pigmented, and it has an amazing application.  It's very smooth and offers pretty full coverage.

The final coat I used for this glitter gradient look was Nicole by OPI's Kissed at Midnight.  It is a part of the Selena Gomez collection and it's one of my new favorite glitters.  The application is comparable to Essie's Luxeffects glitters.  It has a clear base with various sizes of gold round glitter, which are plentiful and easy to apply with the brush.  I seriously love this glitter and I will definitely be buying more glitters from the Selena Gomez collection!  It isn't goopy and thick like most highly pigmented glitters, and I think it added the perfect touch to my champagne celebration nails!

I used Seche Vite as my top coat.  I love this top coat with glitters because it makes your nails smooth to the touch, not grainy or bumpy, which happens a lot with glitters.  Anyway, I think it's time to get this party started.  I'll begin by mixing a pitcher of Sangria!

Shot of the Day: Jesse's Girl Carolina Beach

As you know, I'm a little obsessed with neon polishes these days, and I love this bright color from Jesse's Girl Polishes.  This brand of polishes is a bit difficult to find in my neck of the woods, so I only have 2 colors, but I really love them both.  This color is called Carolina Beach and it is super duper bright!  I used three coats to get this effect, and while the application is a bit challenging as the the polish is very quick-drying and has a matte effect, it's totally worth the extra bit of effort.

Sorry for the poor quality of this photo, but you get the idea.  And in the sunlight, Carolina Beach is splashy and neon. This is a great color for spring/summer!  It wavers between a peachy-coral and a bright orangey-pink.

I also want to mention that Jesse's Girl polish stays on a loooong time.  Like I said, I only have two of their polishes, but both colors lasted on my toes for about 2 1/2 to 3 weeks with no chips.  Both times I have used OPI Nail Envy as a base coat and Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top coat.

Shot of the Day: Scales Nails! Sally Hansen (Butterscotch) and Revlon (Posh)

I'm still waiting for my Konad stamper to come in the mail ( I have received my MASH 26-50 plates), but I felt like I couldn't wait for a little animal pattern.  So sans stamper, I made my own version of scales nails! I call them scales nails because they remind me of lizards, snakes, and dinosaurs.  But, before I applied the "scales" with my dotting tools, I took a quick photo so I could provide a swatch of Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure polish in Butterscotch:

I love love love this color and I will definitely be purchasing more Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure polishes in the future.  I did two coats out of habit, but honestly, it looked just as good with one.  It's very pigmented so I'm expecting a bit of staining, but still, this is one of my new favorite polishes.  It has a very creamy application, dries smoothly, and shines brightly.  I used Butterscotch over a coat of OPI Nail Envy.  I seriously cannot wait to try it out as a stamping polish.  It's thick and pigmented and not a quick dry so I'm thinking it might be perfect.

 And here it is under more natural lighting.  I took this picture in my living room when the afternoon sun was shining in, and it doesn't look streaky or uneven at all.  Most of my mistakes show up best in natural light and either I've gotten really really good overnight or this polish is incredible.  Maybe both.

So anyway, next I dotted on Revlon's Posh in a downward/upward alternating gradient pattern using 3 different sized dotting tools.

So up close it kind of just looks like a dot gradient, which it is, but from a little further away it gives the impression of scales....at least to me.

See what I mean?  Kinda scaly/lizard-z/dinosaur-y, huh?

So I know I've mentioned this before, but I adore Revlon polishes, and Posh is no exception.  It applied just as well as the Butterscotch, just with a thinner texture, which makes it a perfect dotting polish!

I topped it all off with a layer of Seche Vite and voila! My scales nails mani is complete! What do you think?

All products used today (minus the dotting tools).

Shot of the Day: Neon Mani with Nina Ultra Pro (Solar Flare)

Well, I've decided that I want to join the neon bandwagon.  I always thought my skin tone wouldn't be very conducive to neon colors, but then I kept seeing all these beautiful neon manicures and I had to try it.  After a trip to Sally's, I came home with these little babies.  

For my first neon mani, I went with the Nina Ultra Pro in Solar Flare. It's a super bright highlighter yellow that is pretty blinding.  This polish is not for those who want a subtle pop of color, but I freakin loved it!  I could not stop staring at my nails!

See?  It's crazy bright in the sunlight!  I used OPI Nail Envy as a base coat.  The first coat of Solar Flare was pretty thin and sheer, and it dried surprisingly matte.  The second coat was better, but I got the color I was looking for on the third coat.  Some people like to do neons over a white base, but I was just experimenting with this one, and I'd say a white base isn't necessary.  Finished with a coat of Seche Vite and the color shines even brighter. Wow!

Have you jumped on the neon bandwagon?  What neons do you love?

Welcome!

As I mentioned in the About page, I'm here to blog about two of my favorite things - nail polish and cocktails.  I've been a book blogger for years, but I recently decided to join the nail blogging world and it's really exciting.  I'm not completely sure how I'm going to organize this site yet, but I will definitely be posting pictures of my manicures, which will include lots of glitter and polka dots by the way, as well as nail polish reviews and swatches.

 I'm a big fan of China Glaze, Essie, Kleancolor, OPI, Revlon, Orly, and Sinful Colors polishes, but I'll wear almost any drugstore brand if the color catches my eye.  I haven't delved into the realm of designer polishes yet, but I'm hoping my graduate school budget will allow for a few polish splurges here and there.  And just to start things off on the right hand, here are some sample photos of my most recent manicures.  In the future, I will improve my photography methods and post the base coat, polish names, etc.  Also, please be patient with my cuticles...Enjoy!