Autumn Breeze

Hi there!

I added a leafy filigree design to yesterday's manicure...

My nails painted with OPI - Suzi Loves Cowboys and
Chop-Sticking To My Story.
Stamped with Bundle Monster plate BM21 and Essie - Good As Gold.

...and I'm glad I did, because I really like it! I was planning on stamping a plain leaf design, but it turned out that the one full nail image I have in my collection didn't seem interesting enough for what I wanted.

I was going to stamp this manicure with Nicole by OPI's The Next CEO, since I do like its color better than Good As Gold against my base colors... but it simply doesn't stamp well. It's gorgeous on its own, but the foily finish doesn't allow it to transfer. Alternatively, Good As Gold stamps amazingly! If you're looking for a great gold to stamp with, I most definitely recommend it.

Is this a manicure you would wear?

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...

Ugly Manicure Monday - 09

Hi there!

This ugly manicure comes courtesy of Sarah at Samarium's Swatches...

Nubar - Toasted Marshmallow and A England - Princess Sabra.
Stamped with Bundle Monster plate BM209.

She painted 2 coats of Toasted Marshmallow and then stamped with Bundle Monster plate BM209 and Konad's special black polish. Once that was dry, Sarah used hole reinforcement stickers to create half moon shapes with Princess Sabra.

Based on the way the polish looked in their bottles, Sarah really thought they'd compliment one another.

Nubar - Toasted Marshmallow and A England - Princess Sabra.
Stamped with Bundle Monster plate BM209.

Thanks, Sarah!

I really like the look of Princess Sabra, but I think Sarah was right to submit this manicure! What do you think?

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...

Merry Christmas

Hi there!

I'm a week late, I know. My great grandmother passed away on Christmas Eve, so I wasn't exactly in the mood to post. It's okay, though. She was at peace, and I'm lucky enough to have a large, supportive family. We've been together just about every night. We kind of cope by cooking together and playing games.

The salt water ate away at my manicure, but not badly enough to where you can't get the idea...

My nails painted with Kleancolor - Metallic Red.
Stamped with Julep - Sienna and Bundle Monster image plate  BM14.

I painted only 1 coat of Metallic Red. I then stamped with Sienna and topped it with a coat of Seche Vite. I initially tried this manicure with Metallic Sapphire (it's gorgeous), stamped with Nicole by OPI's Positive Energy (silver). The idea of that combination is amazing... but the formulas didn't work with one another. The Metallic Sapphire seemed to eat the silver. Even with an application of top coat before the stamped image was applied couldn't stop the silver from disappearing.

Have you ever tried a manicure where one of the polishes disappeared?

Until next time...

Patriotic Week - Day 7

Hi there!

Today brings the conclusion of my patriotic manicure ideas...

My nails painted with China Glaze - Red Pearl and Frostbite.
Topped with Pure Ice - Oh Baby! Stamped with Bundle
Monster image plate BM20.
Patriotic 4th of July manicure.

I painted 2 coats of Red Pearl and Frostbite. Let me just say, Frostbite smells reeeally gross! But, it's pretty. I then stamped my ring fingernail with Konad's special white polish, using BM20. I used Oh Baby! as my top coat. It smeared the stamping- so if you try this idea, I suggest applying an actual top coat before using Oh Baby!

Check out my other patriotic manicure ideas:
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6

I hope you've enjoyed my ideas over the past week- and if you choose to try one of them, I'd love to see a picture of it!

Until next time...

Patriotic Week - Day 4

Hi there!

Today, I'm wearing a very easy-to-do manicure...

My nails painted with L.A. Colors - Hot Blooded and China
Glaze - First Mate. Stamped with Bundle Monster image plate BM21.
Patriotic 4th of July manicure. 

I painted 2 coats of Hot Blooded and 1 coat of First Mate. I stamped with Konad's special white polish and then added a coat of Seche Vite.

Check out my other patriotic manicure ideas:
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7

Until next time...

I Made Another Mess

Hi there!

My replacement Bundle Monster plates arrived today! I should be happy, right? I'll let the pictures do the talking...


Bundle Monster mess.

And just look at this image plate...


Bundle Monster flaw.

I didn't have the patience that I had when I tested my first Bundle Monster set. But I did manage to test 13 of the image plates...

Bundle Monster tests.

Like before, I put arrows next to the images that were problematic. Not as many image plates in this set were missing parts of the etching compared to my last set... so I guess that's a step in the right direction.

I'm not pleased. In fact, I'm comfortable saying that I'm disappointed- I'm still unable to use my favorite image (the flowers at the top of BM-205) out of the entire set because it's messed up here, too :*(

I haven't decided yet whether I'll pursue another replacement set. Between both sets, most of the images work.

I'll keep you updated.

Until next time...

I Made a Mess

Hi there!

This past weekend, I had an issue with one of my new Bundle Monster plates. The image I wanted to use just would not transfer to the stamper and/or my nail. So, I emailed customer service and asked them to send me a new plate. I heard back from them today and they suggested I test the other plates in my set to see if any others were faulty.

Hmmm, sounds like fun!

Bundle Monster mess.

I'm so glad I tested the others! Well, I only tested BM-201 through BM-216... but 12 of the 16 plates had something wrong with them :-/

It was turning into a huge mess and I was wasting a lot of polish, cotton balls, and q-tips. I figured since 75% of the tested plates were faulty, the percentage wouldn't vary too much with the rest of the set. So, I stopped.

Bundle Monster tests.

I stamped a lot of the images onto this paper. The images with with arrows next to them are the ones I had a problem with. Some plates were visibly defective (parts of the image weren't etched into the plate), while others just wouldn't transfer the image and/or were foggy when stamped. The 3 stars I drew on the page represent the 3 image plates I think are okay, while I'm unsure of BM-214.

If you've got the new Bundle Monster set and have experienced any problems with the plates/images, I suggest you test at least one image from each plate. Also, look closely at each image- some of the defects are clearly visible. Email customer service and explain the situation (unless, of course, you're okay with keeping defective plates). They seem very nice and easy to work with. I'll keep you posted!

Until next time...

Nfu Oh - 61 Stamped

Hi there!

The first thing on my agenda today was stamping my favorite image (the flowers at the top of BM-205) from the new Bundle Monster set onto my nails. You probably know where this is going... it didn't happen. I seem to have received a defective plate :-(

I must have tried 10 times with Konad's special black polish before I gathered a few other black polishes to test out. None of them worked, either. So I tried the Konad polish again because I was determined. The image just would not transfer to the stamper. Boooo!

I emailed customer service and I asked for a replacement, because that plate truly does contain my favorite image from the entire set. We'll see what happens.

My nails still needed some spice, so I chose the image closest to what I initially wanted...

My nails painted with Nfu Oh - 61.
Stamped with Bundle Monster image plate BM-224.


I don't love this image with that base (I really had my heart set on that other image), but I don't think it looks bad. I used Konad's special black polish to stamp, and I topped it with a coat of Seche Vite.

Have you tried the new Bundle Monster image plates? Are any of your plates defective? I've read several reviews where the reviewers say they've run into the same problem that I did :-/

Until next time...

April Showers Bring May Flowers... and Bees

Hi there!

I spent the afternoon helping a friend move and I was pleasantly surprised that my manicure held up...

My nails painted with China Glaze - Light as Air.
Stamped with Bundle Monster image plate BM10.

The first coat of the lavender was streaky so I applied a second coat and that did the trick. The entire Up & Away collection is perfect for this time of year. The colors are great cremes and they all apply wonderfully.

I'm also excited about the rings I picked up today...


My new bee rings.


They're meant to look a bit vintage, and that's exactly what I like about them :-)

Until next time...

I Need Help

Hi there!

I love, love, love stamping my nails from image plates. Bundle Monster is having a contest on facebook where the winner will receive a set of their new image plates *drools*.

I hate to be a spammer for votes, but I'm going to do it anyway. Don't just vote for me... vote for everyone you think deserves to win. My link is HERE

The vote is public and it lasts until April 20. ... This would be the perrrfect Birthday present for me *April 25* :-) You can vote for each entry once per day.

I entered a picture of the nails I wore to my cousin's wedding...


My nails stamped with Bundle Monster plate BM10.

They were inspired by the fantastic shoes I wore...

My Mossimo giraffe print shoes ♥

Thank you in advance for any votes I might receive.

Until next time...

Black and White Carpet Balls

Hi there!

When I took the picture for my previous blog post, I became inspired by my surroundings... especially by my carpet balls.

My carpet balls.

I decided to use Konad image plate M73 and Bundle Monster image plate BM20. I used White Night, by Cover Girl to paint my entire nail. I stamped with Konad's special black polish, and I used Konad's top coat.

Konad top coat, Konad special black, double sided stamper,
Cover Girl - White Night, scraper, BM20, and plate M73.

Here's the final result!

My nails stamped with BM20 and Konad plate M73.

I hope this inspires you.

Until next time...