Born Pretty Store Hot Pink Flocking Powder!

Fuzzy nails! This is certainly one thing that I thought I would never (and I mean never!) try. The crazy thing about saying never though is that it comes back to bite you. Recently, I accepted an offer from the BornPrettyStore.com to review some of their fun nail art products including these and these nail studs. As a surprise, I also got some flocking powder! Let me tell you, I have never been more terrified of a jar of fuzz in my life. It has been taunting me for more than a month as I got up my nerve to try it. Not only is it bright neon pink, but it meant fuzzy nails after I swore  to "never". Little did I know that it would actually be so much fun...

Since the powder is bright neon pink and the Valentines Day theme is everywhere, I thought it would be a perfect fit and a great opportunity to go into pink overload. Might as well jump in head first, right?

For the base I used Nicole by OPI Still Into Pink. It is a newly launched shade for this year and I will show full swatches of it in a few days. I stamped all the nails with the heart pattern from Bundle Monster plate BM-317 using KleanColor Metallic Fuschia. Yup, I stamped all of the nails and took photos just in case this was a total disaster. Yeah, I was skeptical...

For the fully flocked nails I used a coat of Nicole by OPI A Like-Haley Story..., which is the same bright pink as the flocking powder. While the polish was still wet I applied the flocking powder working one nail at a time...

For the fuzzy hearts, I again applied A Like-Haley Story... this time with a small nail art brush. After applying the flocking powder I added a second fuzz-free heart. They turned out sooo cute. Seriously changed my mind about flocking powder...

The fuzz doesn't stand out as much as I thought it would. In fact, it stood out and bothered me less than the rhinestones and studs that I love so much...

Please ignore the heart shadow underneath. It wasn't visible in real life. The fully flocked nails were actually pretty fun. They feel soft and fuzzy and don't look nearly as scary as these macro shots make them out to be. I admit, I couldn't stop petting my own nails...

Each kit of flocking powder from the BornPrettyStore.com comes with a jar of flocking powder which has enough powder to make thousands of manicures, tweezers and a brush. To purchase you can use coupon code AG5J61 for a 10% discount.

Application really couldn't be easier... make sure you are working over a sheet of paper or other surface that you can easy clean from powder later...

1. Apply a base nail polish that closely matches the flocking powder in color. This helps conceal any gaps in the powder if missed during application or that fall off during wear.
2. While the polish is still wet, using the included tweezers apply flocking powder over the nail and press down with your fingers. 
3. Using the brush, swipe across the nail to remove any excess powder that did not adhere to the nail.

It is just that simple!

A close up of the powder and the size of the fibers...

I think flocking powder is a really fun accent to a manicure. I can definitely see more uses for it now that I have actually tried it. A fuzzy pink leopard mani? I'm cured of my fear of jars of fuzz!

It wears better than I anticipated. The manicure survived multiple hand washing and even a shower. It does look pretty funny when wet, kind of like velvet, but returns back to it's fuzzy self as it dries.

In case you are curious and since I went through the trouble to photograph it, here is what the manicure looked like before I added the flocking powder...

Have you tried flocking powder for manicures before? What are your thoughts on it?

Also, if you are interested in purchasing the flocking powder or anything else from the BornPrettyStore.com, you can use coupon code AG5J61 for a 10% discount.

Thanks for looking and commenting!
Anutka :)

** Polishes were provided to me for review by the manufacturer or their PR. **

** For more information please see the disclosure policy **

Barielle Swizzle Stix Stamped

I had a crazy three day swatching marathon of a weekend. Thrity polishes swatched to be exact, in between babysitting, cleaning, and a birthday dinner. I'm beat and drained with no energy to process any of the photos and facing daunting fact that I have to go to work today. Instead of waving the white flag and collapsing, I would like to share with you a manicure I wore a little while ago...

For the manicure I started out with a base of Barielle Swizzle Stix and stamped it using Bundle Monster plate BM-317 in white. The stamp has a lot of fine detail which created a very delicate pattern. I often prefer a subtle pattern such as this when I will be wearing the manicure to work...

This manicure might remind you of this one I created about two weeks ago. To be honest, the manicure I'm showing today was actually created first. I just have not had the opportunity to post it until now...

Just take a look at those tiny hearts. Each one stamped perfectly. I'm so impressed with the quality of this Bundle Monster plate...

Barielle Swizzle Stix is a soft baby blue cream. It is actually from the Summer 2009 release, but new to my  collection. The formula is very easy to work with and has smooth application. Two coats for full opacity as you see here. Interestingly enough, this looks completely different from other swatches I have seen online. Not sure if the color/formulation changed at some point...

Swatch Details
	Brand: Barielle Collection: Summer 2009 Color Name/Number: Swizzle Stix, 5072 Number of coats: 2 Top Coat: Yes Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)

Thanks for looking!
Anutka :)

** Polishes were provided to me for review by the manufacturer or their PR. **

** For more information please see the disclosure policy **

piCture pOlish White Wedding Stamped with Dorothy

After I was done swatching the beautiful piCture pOlish White Wedding and Dorothy for yesterday's Blog Fest post, I couldn't help but play around with the two. They were perfect a perfect combination for a sweet romantic manicure. I could definitely wear something like this for Valentine's day or maybe a wedding? See what you think...

The base of this manicure is piCture pOlish White Wedding stamped with piCture pOlish Dorothy. Dorothy is actually a "mesh" polish with lots of silver glitter. None of the glitter transferred for stamping, but it didn't stop the strong red base from coming across. This is probably the only time I will stamp with it since it is such a waste of the pretty glitter, but I had to try at least once.

For the stamp, I used Bundle Monster plate BM-317 from their newest collection. I absolutely adore this pattern. It is so delicate and romantic and every little detail transfers so well to the nail. This is actually the second time I'm using this stamp, but have not had a chance to post the first manicure yet, so that's coming up soon.

Per my usual efforts to avoid matchy nails, I rotate the stamp to get a slightly different pattern each time. I also filled a few empty spots with additional portions of the stamp. Nothing bugs me more than unintentional blank space...

One more shot with the rose as I had so much fun setting the scene for this romantic manicure. One thing I will say is that I didn't realize how difficult it is to take good shots with props vs a polish bottle (something my hand is used to). I admire those of you who take these kind of photos on a regular basis...

As a little bonus, I caught a nice shot of the shimmer in the bottle. Click to zoom in to see some of the gorgeous color flecks...

Thanks for looking!
Anutka :)

** Polishes were provided to me for review by the manufacturer or their PR. **

** For more information please see the disclosure policy **