Review: Messy Mansion Glass Nail Files

(Press samples and affiliate links ahead!)

Hello!


We all know the first step to an awesome mani is using the right tools to care for our nails. And for me, glass nail files are a must-have nail tool.


I tend to struggle with the nails on my right hand (ironically, I'm left-handed), especially my index and middle nails--they split, chip, and break like crazy. Back in the day when I used to wear acrylic nails, those nails would actually wear down at a noticeably fast rate, so I suppose it's no surprise that now that I wear natural nails, they'd take quite a beating.


The only thing that works to keep them in any sort of decent shape involves two things--a rebuilding base coat (I prefer Barielle's), and glass nail files. When I use both of these together, I can actually manage to get natural length out of even those two problem nails. And my favorite glass nail files are from Messy Mansion:

Messy Mansion glass nail files

Messy Mansion glass nail files

Why are they my favorite? Three reasons. First, they're excellent quality. I've been using my set for months, and they perform well, are effective but gentle on my nails, and still look brand new. I'm extremely impressed.


Second, you get two files, one the perfect size for your purse. I absolutely have to have a nail file with me whenever I leave the house--many nail owies have been saved from being complete nail disasters by a strategic application of my file to prevent a complete break.


Finally, I love the cases they come with. Other glass files I've had come with a little fabric sleeve, and my file slips right out of it in my purse. These close well, and keep your file from scratching up everything else you carry with you:

Messy Mansion glass nail files

Messy Mansion glass nail files

What can I say--I love these files and hope to never be separated from them! If you haven't yet tried a glass nail file, get one asap--they do so much less damage to your nails while still getting the job done effectively and quickly.


You can find these beauties in the Messy Mansion store.


Happy filing!
M.

Review: Girly Bits plate and stamper

(Press samples ahead!)

Hello!

It's always an exciting day when I get to review a brand I haven't reviewed before...If you didn't know it already, Girly Bits has expanded their line to include stamping polishes, tools, and stamping plates! Today we're going to take a look at Girly Bits GBC 1-01 stamping plate and their XL crystal stamper; I'll be back with a post reviewing their standing polishes.

Here's the video review I did if you want to see the products in action:

And here are some still shots!

Girly Bits GBC 1-01

Girly Bits GBC 1-01

Girly Bits GBC 1-01

Sooo many cool images on this plate, across a range of styles. Little flowers, big flowers, deco flowers. Geometrics, filigree, lacy. Among my favorites are the abstract art image on the bottom left, the compass-style image, the surreal butterfly, and the flowy mardi-gras style beads.


Let's take a look at size:

Girly Bits GBC 1-01

Girly Bits GBC 1-01

And here's Girly Bits XL crystal stamper:

Girly Bits XL crystal stamper

Girly Bits XL crystal stamper

Girly Bits XL crystal stamper

The performance on this baby is excellent. The stamping head is flexible so you can push into it, although it isn't marshmallow squishy. Visibility is great, and I love the XL size for giving me plenty of image to work with. This picked up and transferred beautifully.


And how cute is that logo?!?!


So let's see how these stamp! For my sample mani, I was inspired by the image that has the nautical compass style feel. I started with a base of Blue-Eyed Girl Thrill Me To The Marrow (I'm telling you, this is an amazingly versatile polish), and then sponged on some Messy Mansion Stable Boy to get an antiqued feel. Then I stamped my image with Girly Bits Little black Dress; I also stamped a couple of tiny accents on the side of the middle and thumb with Girly Bits Bronze Goddess:

Girly Bits GBC 1-01 + Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Thrill Me To The Marrow and Messy Mansion Stable Boy

Girly Bits GBC 1-01 + Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Thrill Me To The Marrow and Messy Mansion Stable Boy

I can't imagine a better image to show you how perfectly this plate stamps--look at all of those gorgeous, crisp, amazing lines! There is a spot on the index finger where I sponged a bit over the image; I stopped doing that because I realized it might make it look like there was a problem with the stamping. If you look close, you'll see the polish is over the image, not the reverse. The image pick-up and transfer from this plate and with this stamper were absolutely top-notch.


Oh, and Girly Bits makes regular polishing, too. ;-)


You can find the plate, the stamper, and the stamping polish in the Girly Bits shop. You can also follow them on Instagram and Facebook for news, updates, and information!


Happy stamping!
M.

Review & mani: UberChic Beauty collection 9

(Press samples ahead!)

Hello nail lovelies!

UberChic Beauty just released a bunch of new plates, which means I'm in my happy place doing my happy dance, lol! Today we're gonna take a look at collection 9, and of course I did a video review giving you suggestions for how to use the images:

Let's take a look at some pictures:

UberChic Beauty plate 9-01

UberChic Beauty plate 9-01

UberChic Beauty plate 9-01

This plate is so great for summer! Fruits and tropical flowers and--oh my goodness--a flamingo image I actually like and will use. LOVE. (There are a bunch of teeny images on her Little Bitty Icons mini plate that mix well with this plate, too.)

UberChic Beauty plate 9-02

UberChic Beauty plate 9-02

UberChic Beauty plate 9-02

The geometrics on this plate are so fun, and so mix-and-matchable. Plus, I adore poppies, so I'm super excited about those images!

UberChic Beauty plate 9-03

UberChic Beauty plate 9-03

I love it when she puts inspirational words on the plates--I think it's like having an affirmation on your nails through the day to help keep you on track. And how ute is that patchwork flower image at the bottom right?? So cute. :)


Here's a look at the sizes:

And of course we have to know how they stamp!

For my sample manicure, I started with Zoya Rebel on most of my nails, and Zoya muse on my accent nails (ring and thumb). The I stamped the wavy image from plate 9-02, using messy mansion Sterling:

Zoya Rebel + Zoya Muse + UberChic Beauty plate 9-02

Zoya Rebel + Zoya Muse + UberChic Beauty plate 9-02

 I made sure to take a slightly different part of the image for each nail. I love how the glitter peeks through on the accent nails, and I love how soft and flowly this feels. What do you think?

You can find these plates, and many other awesome goodies, on UberChic Beauty's website; these currently sell for $24.99 for all three plates. And don't forget to follow them on Facebook or updates and info about sales!

Happy stamping,
M.

Review: Messy Mansion XL Crystal stamper

(Press sample)

Hello!

Guess what! Messy Mansion has come up with an XL version of their crystal stamper for those of us who prefer to work in the XL size, and I'm gonna review it for you! If you want to see it in action, take a look at it here:

Let's take a look at the little (or, not so little) magical wonder:

Messy Mansion XL Crystal Stamper

That's right, my friend--a clear handle, a lid, and a scraper. What more can a stamper ask for?

Here's how it stacks up in size compared to the crystal stamper 2.0:

With lids on:

Messy Mansion XL Crystal Stamper vs. Crystal Stamper 2.0, with lids on

With lids off:

Messy Mansion XL Crystal Stamper vs. Crystal Stamper 2.0, with lids off

Side view:

Messy Mansion XL Crystal Stamper vs. Crystal Stamper 2.0, side view

Messy Mansion XL Crystal Stamper vs. Crystal Stamper 2.0, side view

And most important, the XL is 1.5 inches in diameter, while the smaller 2.0 is only 1 inch in diameter:

Messy Mansion XL Crystal Stamper diameter

Messy Mansion Crystal Stamper 2.0 diameter

Messy Mansion XL Crystal Stamper vs. Crystal Stamper 2.0, front view

So what makes it so awesome? First of all, the excellent visibility from every angle, for your alignment pleasure:

Messy Mansion XL Crystal Stamper's excellent visibility

Messy Mansion XL Crystal Stamper's excellent visibility

And, the head is squishy enough that you can push into it, so if you're a curvy nail girl like me, you don't have to worry about warping when you roll:

Messy Mansion XL Crystal Stamper's squishy squishy

Messy Mansion XL Crystal Stamper's squishy squishy

Messy Mansion XL Crystal Stamper's squishy squishy

But most important of all--does it stamp? Oh, you bet it does, and allows you to place your image just where you want it while you're at it:

Messy Mansion XL Crystal Stamper's stamping quality

Yes, this little baby is pretty darn awesome. No need to prime it--in fact, keep acetone away from it just like with any other clear stamper, or you risk clouding it up. To clean it, I use tape, but be gentle to avoid surface tears. You can also wash it in soapy dish water and let it air dry if you need to. Messy Mansion also recommends that you be gentle with the head--so no shrinking images with it or anything like that.

If you prefer XL stampers and you like having the control of a clear barrel, this is the stamper for you! You can find it on Messy Mansion's website, along with a host of other goodies, like Messy Mansion plate MM75, the source of my awesome grape image. And don't forget to follow them on Facebook for updates!

Happy stamping,
M.

Review: Born Pretty Store rhinestone sorting tray

(Press sample)

Hello!!


I have a neat little gadget to show you today, sent to me for review by Born Pretty Store! It's a little tray designed to help you keep track of your rhinestones or other bitty ditties, and it comes with a little pen-type thing to help you pick them up and place them.

I made a video to show it to you in action:

Now let's take a look at it up close and personal like.  Here's everything in the package:

Born Pretty Store rhinestone sorting tray

There's a little lip around the edge of the tray to keep the rhinestones from going everywhere, and there are little ridges to help you sort everything out and keep them straight:

Born Pretty Store rhinestone sorting tray

On the back side the ridges are a little wider, for bigger rhinestones and other decorations:

Born Pretty Store rhinestone sorting tray

So here I've poured out some half microbeads; you can see that the tray is small enough to not get in the way of everything on your work space, but big enough to sort out what you need:

Born Pretty Store rhinestone sorting tray

I like to use it to count out the right number and turn them over so they're all ready to go when I want to apply them, since I usually have to work fast before my topcoat dries:

Born Pretty Store rhinestone sorting tray

The set comes with a pink stylus and some soft pink wax; you put the wax on the top of the sylus, and it allows you to pick up your decorations (these are stills from the video):

Born Pretty Store rhinestone pick-up stylus

Born Pretty Store rhinestone pick-up stylus

One of the things I love best about this is how easily it helps you put everything away:

Easy clean-up with the Born Pretty Store rhinestone sorting tray

Easy clean-up with the Born Pretty Store rhinestone sorting tray

So much easier than trying to round them all up with your fingers or a scraper!


All in all, I love this little device, and I'm glad I have it. It's a simple thing, but sometimes the simplest things are exactly what you need to get the job done.


Now...you know I wouldn't leave you hanging with no sample mani, right??


I started with Sally Hansen Lava, one of my favorite multichromes ever, which shifts from bright pink through burnt coral:

Sally Hansen Lava

I stamped it using Messy Mansion Symetrika 04, with Messy Mansion Carbon:

Messy Mansion Symetrika 04

Then I put pink duochrome dots on with Hit The Bottle Polish Peach Blow, and then added my half gold beads:

Happy Henna with Sally Hansen Lava and Messy Mansion Symetrika 04

Happy Henna with Sally Hansen Lava and Messy Mansion Symetrika 04

What do you think! I love the way the colors work together, and I love how the edge of the star pattern makes such a pretty fan-like pattern. Very warm and pretty!

You can find the rhinestone sorting tray here on Born Pretty Store's site, and don't forget to use my code to get 10% off your purchase:

Happy stamping!
M.