Some products mentioned were provided for review. Opinions are my own.
I have tried many a stamping plate from Born Pretty Store but I have never tried a stamping nail polish from the company! I was very interested when I saw the new versions so I immediately added one to my list for review.
It’s a little thin for a stamping polish so it’s a bit sheer on darker nail polish (not pictured) however, on light colors it looks very nice. I haven’t tried darker shades but this specific yellow is easy to clean up and does not stain my cuticles or nail beds.
Scroll down to see the look I came up with! I say it’s floral but it reminds me more of a 70’s wallpaper…
Some products were sent for my review. All opinions are my own.
If you’ve been around for a while you know I love a good sugar-spin nail art. Using this technique is fun, rewarding and relaxing….And, a major pain in the ass. I spend hours waiting for the polish to thicken, getting the consistency right, pulling it across perfectly, cleaning up around the cuticles and then waiting for the entire thing to dry. It’s a process but one that I love (for whatever reason).
Lately, I’ve seen “spider gel” on Instagram and a lot of people taking on the art of the sugar-spin. Spider gel is supposed to make sugar-spin hassle-free by taking out the guesswork of it all. I can just dunk a toothpick in the bottle, pull the polish over my nails and voila. A home-made sugar-spun manicure in half the time. Now everyone can have that cool abstract design!
I was thrilled to try the spider gel, from Born Pretty Store, because maybe it would make my favorite technique easier. No. Spider gel sucks and here’s why.
Here are the pros first. The product is easy to handle. It picks up and moves easily. It’s a good consistency for sugar-spin which means there is no wait time to start.
Here’s why I hate (edit: strongly dislike) it. First, it’s hard to get a nice thick line. While it is easy to handle and maneuver I don’t like the stringy nature of the product. Yes, I prefer thick lines but these ensure there is an even amount of polish from one end of the nail to the other. I struggled with this and it was very frustrating.
Second, it’s sticky and a little messier. It smears easily, gets everywhere and stains! It is also very difficult to clean.
Third, it never dries! I don’t wear topcoat over sugar-spin designs because a) it destroys the design and b) I like the 3D effect. I got quite a bit of the gel on the outside of the container and legitimately (I do not exaggerate) the next day it was still sticky. What?
Thinking about it a bit more…is spider gel actually gel? Am I not having good luck with it because I treated it like regular nail polish? Let me know if you’ve tried it and your thoughts in the comments!
Scroll down to see my design and a YouTube tutorial on how I make sugar-spins!
I am pretty proud of my resilience. No matter what, I come out the other side. Maybe a bit banged up, maybe a little torn down but I still manage to keep going. I am grateful for that!
Hi, I’m Monica and I have RA.
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Today, I am not necessarily grateful for a meal but that I’m actually keeping down my food. This sinus infection has been coupled with nausea and vomitting so I have had to be careful with what I’m eating.
Have you had an amazing meal recently? LMK in the comments!
Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.
Like what you see? Please consider supporting my content by donating through PayPal!
I’m a bit behind but I want to participate in Thankful/Grateful/Gratitude/Give Thanks (or, however you say it) November!
I’ll try and post twice daily to catch up but I’ll start off with:
Today, November 10th, I am grateful for naps, coloring and coffee. Naps reset my mood, coloring takes my mind off things and coffee, interestingly enough, calms me down!
How about you, what are you grateful for today? LMK in the comments!
I went to Colorado State University for my undergraduate degree and had to divert any dreams of continuing to vet school when I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Disease. My dream is to become a veterinarian and not pursing it is absolutely heart-breaking.
At the beginning of each semester, I see the fun, excited posts from the CSU and CSU vet school Instagram accounts awaiting new students, returners and excited DVM pursuers. These posts remind me I am not one of them and I don’t know if I ever will be again.
I miss college, I miss Fort Collins, I miss CSU. Every August, I feel blue because I am not getting ready for a new semester with my fellow Rammies.
Scroll down to see my corresponding blue nail art!
Born Pretty Store Harunouta stamping plate L081 ($3.59 here)
Born Pretty Store Stamping Nail Polish in AC03 ($3.59 
Born Pretty Store Spider Gel in UR-08 ($2.99 
What do you love about yourself?
Honestly, I don’t know what I would wish for because I’m pretty content. Well, I would wish I didn’t have this damn sinus infection!
