Pandemonium

How's this for a mix....its pandemonium! I mixed textures with stamping and an indie glitter to create a panda kitchensink mani. I think the combo works well, I mean come on, who doesn't love pandas?

The colours I used in this mani:

• Picture Polish - Jade (middle finger)
• BC - Shade 22 (Jade green)
• OPI - Solitaire - Liquid Sand
• Daring Digits - Blackberry Square (black and white glitter)
• Konad Special Polish in green
• Konad Special Polish in black

The panda image is from The Winstonia collection, plate 115. The bamboo is from Konad m66, a great Japanese themed plate.

So the verdict on liquid sand polish? The texture is interesting, it feels exactly like sand mixed with glue. The glitter flecks throughout is what takes them to the next level and helps to add dimension to what could otherwise be just a gimmicky effect. The bottle says not to wear topcoat with the liquid sand as it flattens the texture, however as I stamped over it I added a layer of Seche Vite and the texture was effected a little but still retained that bumpy feel.

Well hello there little panda, aren't you a cutie.

Bridal Nails - A twist on the traditional French manicure

Bridal nails...should they make a statement or take a backseat on your big day? I'm more of a "It's all about the dress" kinda girl, so I think a nice subtle but dreamy combo is the way to go. So how to make a statement with your nails that's barely there? The answer and I think my new obsession, the stamping jelly sandwich. Its a stunning nail trend that's happy to be the bridesmaid. 

This look is easy to achieve if you are a half decent stamper. The key to success with the stamping jelly sandwich is all in your polish choices. You need opaque on the bottom and super sheer on the top so that you don't cover the stamped design too much. The sheer layer on top takes the edge off the white stamping and blends it to the opaque colour underneath, creating that translucent jelly look.

Step 1: Choose a creme polish in nude or blush pink that is pretty much opaque in one coat. If you have to do another thin second coat to reach opacity thats fine, you will just have to wait a bit longer before you stamp. The polish I used for this step is Orly - Decades of Dysfunction.

Step 2: Stamp your chosen design. I used Konad m65 and Konad special polish in white.

Step 3: After your stamping is dry use a very sheer polish in the same hue as your first colour. If you chose blush pink for the bottom then find a sheer pink, if you choose a nude base, then use a peachy nude sheer. I chose China Glaze - Diva Bride. Do one very thin coat stroking your brush lightly over the top of your stamping. Try to apply it in 3 strokes and don't overlap.



This is one of my most favourite designs ever. I think its so stunning and girly. The roses bring romanticism and femininity to your nails without being tacky and in your face. The stamping jelly sandwich is a great nail art technique that I look forward to experimenting with lots more. 

Bundle Monster 200 Series

Bundle Monster 200 series.......an oldie but a goodie. This is the first stamping set that I got in the Bundle Monster collection. It was released in 2011 and was a marked improvement from their first collection in 2010. There was more full nail designs in the 200 series and most importantly the image size was greatly increased to fit a larger range of nail shapes. 

There are some fantastic designs in the set, many which I come back to over and over. The only negative to this set for me is that it contains quite a few french tip plates. The Bundle Monster 200 series available now from Drama Queen Nails.

Winstonia W1 Series Stamping Plates

Today we take a closer look at the first generation set of nail art stamping plates from Winstonia, the W1 Series. The set contains 20 plates which are 5.6cm in diametre with each plate containing 6 - 8 images. The images are a mixture of small accents and full nail designs and thankfully there is not one french tip plate....I have a bunch of them in my Bundle Monster sets and I never seem to use them.  This image is from plate W111.

The images are the perfect size for my nails. If your nails are any longer than mine you would need to double stamp the full nail designs. The designs are modern and a nice mix of cutesy, sophisticated and edgy. There is something in this set for everyone. This is a winter themed plate, a Halloween plate, a Christmas plate, fruit plate, sports plate, and a heap of other cool images like a unicorn, panda and famous landmarks from around the world. The Winstonia 20 pc set is available now from Drama Queen Nails.

Aren't you glad you stuck around....such a great set!