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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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!
Some items were sent for review. All opinions are my own.
I’m hanging onto the last remnants of summer by sporting neon nail polish. I recently received some new nail stamping plates from Born Pretty Store and had to try them out!
The first item I used is a constellation/galaxy-themed plate (was there any question I had to have it?) that has an assortment of constellations, zodiac and galaxy signs. I was a little skeptical as the images were pretty small and thin but I have had no trouble with the images! They transfer nicely to the stamper. And, because they are so small there is a great assortment of images to choose.
I tried a new short stamper from BPS, as well and it worked perfectly at picking up the smallest of details. I, honestly, had low expectations for this stamper because the second I opened the package every component fell out of the handle! This includes the top, the squishy clear stamper itself and some plastic apparatus on the end. I couldn’t get the stamper to sit flat in the handle again but even though it was uneven it still stamped perfectly. I think I have a new favorite stamper! The fact it keeps falling out really annoys me but it performs so well I am willing to look past the issues.
Scroll down to see the nail art and links to the products. All in all, I am extremely pleased with these two items, so far!
If you follow me on Instagram (@MonicawithRA) you may have seen my recent break down. I felt low, defeated and overwhelmed. I needed to vent to move on from those emotions. Afterwards, I felt more empowered, productive and ready for the brighter side of things.
August is always a funny month for me. Year after year, I remark on my “August Blues”. This is the one month I am sad, unmotivated and physically unwell. And, I don’t know why. The month starts with my mother’s death day anniversary. Do I just start out the month in a bad mood? Does it dictate the following weeks? Who knows.
I spent the first ten days really messed up. I had absolutely no will to do anything and I slept through each day. I focused only on the negative thoughts. I started and ended my days in a funk. Then, I woke up and decided I needed to get my ass into gear and start working.
I decided to do a short series on the blog documenting my blue thoughts with a corresponding nail art/swatch. Is it going to be weekly? Is it going to be every few days? I cannot say but what I do know is I will write out my feelings and let them go. Feeling some type of way? Let me know in the comments!
In August, the sun sets much earlier than in June or July. It is a very concrete indicator that the summer is ending. Early sunsets remind me I didn’t take advantage of the summer while it was here which in turn upsets me because these are the only two or three months out the year my RA does not flare from the weather.
Soon, it’s going to get cold, dark and dreary and I will spend a good portion of the year actively trying to keep my symptoms in check.
Now, on to the fun bit!
Scroll through to see swatch photos of Parrot Polish’s brilliant Baboon Blue. It’s a great electric neon color that is dark and bright all at the same time. Photos below show 3 coats over a white base.
Find Blue Baboon (part of the Welcome to the Jungle collection) here.
Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.
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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?
Polishes: Chanel Ultrasonic (orange), Glisten and Glow 
