Bundle Monster Snake Charmer Collection

Press Sample

Hello Loves!  As much as I love my gel polishes, at this point it is hard for me to get super excited about a polish.  You can imagine that after swatching hundreds of colors, they all start to look the same, right?  Well, I have a collection to show you today that really got my heart pumping.  I received the package in the mail and started swatching them less than an hour later!  This is the Bundle Monster Snake Charmer Collection.  Six fabulous, sinfully shifty multichromes!  Let me tell you, these little bottles of magic do not disappoint.

The Snake Charmer Collection consists of two sets of three polishes each.  Set 1 is made of up Blue Venom, Copperhead Charm and Slitherine.  These three polishes are multichrome flakies in a clear base.  They apply like a glitter polish and build to full coverage with amazing shift.  Like glitter polishes, application can be a bit tricky, but it well worth it in the end.  For these swatches, I started with a thin layer.  The second coat was a little thicker but I still had gaps in coverage.  I added a third thin coat that evened everything out.  In hind sight, two regular coats would have provided the same coverage.  These are not swatched over a black base.  :)  Ready to see them?

First up is Copperhead Charm.  This is the one color in the whole collection that reminds me most of a snake.  It shifts through red, brown, gold and green.  So freaking pretty!  I feel that it is also the shiftiest of the polishes in Set 1.  Just look at all those colors!!!

The next polish in Set 1 is Blue Venom.  This one shifts through teal, blue, and purple with a coppery flash at extreme angles.

Slitherine is the final shade in Set 1 of the Snake Charmer Collection.  She goes from blue to purple with a little copper or gold at extreme angles.  I actually found this one to be very similar to Blue Venom and had a hard time telling the swatch sticks apart before I labeled them.

Let's take a look at Set 2 from the collection: Fangtastic, Give Me a Hiss and Medusa.  The polishes in Set 2 are made with pigments instead of flakies.  They are much smoother and tons easier to apply.  I swatched three coats for each of these, but they would offer full coverage in two if I used regular layers instead of super thin.  Surprising fact - I tried these over a black base and found they didn't shift as much as they do on their own.  So all of these are swatched over my natural nail with no black base.

Fangtastic shifts through blue, purple and red with a gold flash at extreme angles.  I found this one the most difficult to photograph.  The purple and blue wanted to blend together on film.  In person, the shift is there but is not as pronounced as some of the other polishes in the collection.  So if you like a little shift but don't like your polish dancing all over the place, Fangtastic is your color.

Give Me a Hiss is my current favorite of the collection and the one I'm still wearing.  I've had so much fun blowing people's minds at the salon with this one.  They keep looking at my nails like they're on a psychedelic trip.  Its so funny how many of the finishes we see in the nail world that blow minds for those who don't follow a million blogs.  But I digress.  Give Me A Hiss has an incredible range of colors.  It shifts through purple, red, copper, gold and green...hitting every color in between.  Every time I look at my hands, I see a different color.  My camera didn't capture them all.

Finally, poor little Medusa is the odd ball of the group.  But don't let her fool you...she has bite!  Medusa shifts from gold to green with blue/green at extreme angles.  I also found her to be the most unforgiving when it comes to showing flaws in my nails, but I think that's due to the lighter color.  Oops.  Now you know my nails aren't perfect.  lol

So there you have it - the amazing Snake Charmer Collection of Gel Polishes from Bundle Monster.   Before I go, I want to talk a little about the price.  Bundle Monster is known for affordable gel polishes.  These are also affordable in my opinion, but they are priced higher than we are used to seeing from Bundle Monster ($13.99 each or $34.19 per set).  That might be a shock to some of you, so let me touch on why.  In my experience through working with a few Indie companies, the pigments and flakies used to make these amazing shifters are super expensive compared to their non-shifty counterparts.  Unfortunately, the result of more expensive ingredients is a higher priced polish.  I fully believe they are worth the extra cost.  I have tried several duochrome and multichrome gel polishes over the years and these have the best shift I have seen hands down.  If you need them but can't justify purchasing them all (trust me, you need them), hopefully my pictures and review will help you narrow it down to the best colors for you. :)

These collections are not on Amazon yet, but you can buy them direct through Bundle Monster's Website here.

~Michelle

*The Snake Charmer Collection Polishes featured in this post were provided by Bundle Monster for my honest review. All links within this post are courtesy links and do not benefit ManicTalons.com.

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Pink Gellac Glamourize Collection

Press Sample

Hello Loves!  I'm back with a fun review.  I have the Pink Gellac Glamourize Collection to show you today.  This Holiday inspired collection consists of 5 glittery shades that are perfect for Christmas and New Years!  Ready to see them?

I would love to say that I'm going to show you my favorite of the collection first, but I honestly can't pick a favorite.  I love all of these polishes so much that I just can't decide.  They are all so unique or perfect in their own ways.  So let's just pick one and go from there.

Ultimate Red is a classic glittery red on steroids.  My camera couldn't capture all of the glittery goodness in this one.  The base is a true red with slightly orange undertones.  The shot without the bottle captures it best.  I did find this one offers perfect coverage in two coats, but the glitter can leave the free edge feeling a little rough.  So you might need to smooth it a tad before applying your top coat.  I also included close up shots of all of these.  You can see the rough edge best in the macro shot below.

Mysterious Black is one that I really didn't expect to like but ended up loving once I put it on my nails.  This soft black gelly base is full of dark silver shimmer and small and large black hex glitters.  I did feel that it needs 3 coats for opacity and even glitter distribution, but the end result is well worth the extra layer!

Let's jump to the golds.  Diva Gold is an interesting and unique shade in my opinion.  This clear base is loaded with golden shimmer and gold glitter.  Again, I needed three coats for even glitter distribution and opacity, but the result is a festive gold that is unique to my collection.  I love that the shimmer builds to a full coverage finish.

Stardust Gold is very similar to Diva Gold in that it consists of a clear base that is loaded with golden shimmer.  The difference is Stardust Gold has small blue glitters and larger blue holographic hex glitters.  Definitely a unique polish!  Again, I swatched three coats for full coverage and even glitter distribution.  Such a fun polish!

Finally, let's jump back to black with Glitterize Black.  This black jelly base is loaded with metallic glitters.  Red, Green, Gold, Silver and Blue make this color a party on your nails.  I swatched three coats in the photos below, but I honestly could have gotten away with two.

Since I'm easing myself into Christmas, I decided Glitterize Black is the perfect base for my first Christmasy mani of the season.  I went with a simple candle and holly accent nail.  I really need to work on my freehand holly, but it will do for a week.  ;)

What do you think of the Pink Gellac Glamourize Collection?  I'm very happy to see unique glitter combinations and I can't wait to offer them to my clients.  I predict many accent nails using some of these glittery beauties.  If you want to add any of these polish (or all of them) to your collection, you can purchase them through the Chickettes Boutique here.

That's all for now.  I'll try to be back soon with a salon update.  Thanks for sticking with me while I'm launching my business and putting more of my focus there.

~Michelle

*The Pink Gellac Glamourize Collection featured in this post was provided by Chickettes for my honest review.  All links within this post are courtesy links and do not benefit ManicTalons.com.

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One Stroke Nail Art At Last

Hello Loves!  So I finally broke down and took a One Move Nail Art class (aka One Stroke).  This technique has been defeating me for years now.  I got pretty close once, but I still wasn't happy with the results.  At first I thought it was my paint.  Bought new paints.  Then I thought it was my brush.  Bought new brushes.  Then I realized it was me.  Paid for a class.  lol  I should have taken a class sooner.  Would have saved me a ton of headaches!  Let me start by talking about the class a little.  Then I'll talk a little about the tips and tricks I learned that made all the difference for me and show you some closer shots of the art above.

So, the class was One Move Nail Art by Crystal Nails Educator DeeDee Desbiens.  I woke up Monday morning with a killer migraine and drove 2 hours in heavy traffic to attend this class.  I wasn't about to miss it.  Y'all, I can't even begin to tell you how amazing DeeDee is as an instructor.  Just Wow.  She broke everything down to the basics - from how to hold the brush to how wet your brush should be.  She showed us basic strokes and moves along with a few designs.  I was then able to use those moves to create all of these looks!  Squee!  If you ever have a chance to attend a class with DeeDee, do it!  Trust me.  Just do it.

The class was hosted by another well known Educator - Michele Baker with American International Industries (the makers of IBD, EZFlow, Supernail, China Glaze and many more).  Michele is also a licensed instructor in GA and a nail art competitor in the 3D Acrylic area.  Not only did I have the pleasure of attending the course with DeeDee, but I sat at the table across from Michele.  Needless to say, I learned a lot from both of them.  Here's a picture of the three of us.  Michele is on the left, DeeDee in the middle, and I'm on the right.  Michele is teaching a 3D Acrylic class at the Nail Tech Event of the Smokies in 2016.  If you're planning to attend, you won't want to miss her class.  I'll share more details on that when they are published.  :)

Ok, so let's talk about One Move Nail Art.  I tried it several times before taking the class.  More than I ever shared here.  This is the last attempt that I shared and my best result prior to taking this class.

Ok, so it isn't horrible...but you can see where the colors didn't blend very well and the the strokes aren't smooth at all.  That brings me to several points I learned in the class that changed the game for me.

1. The Surface Matters!  Paint doesn't stick to a smooth surface.  So if you're doing one stroke over regular lacquer, try a matte topcoat first.  If you're doing it over gel polish, apply your top coat, cure it, then buff the shine off of the nail.  Don't worry, it will restore beautifully when you top coat at the end.  For those who have had issues with the top coat chipping over acrylic paint, buffing helps with that too since it gives the top coat something to grab.
2. The Paint Matters!  I tried several brands of craft and nail acrylic paint.  With most of them, you have to go over your design twice for it to be opaque.  The risk there is that you can accidentally pull up the first layer when trying to add the second.  Introducing Crystal Nails One Move Acrylic Paints.  These babies are super pigmented and are opaque in one coat!  I love love love them.  I only have 5 right now but will be buying more very soon.
3. The Brushes Matter!  Ok, I bought one of these brushes several months ago thinking it would solve my problems.  It didn't.  But once I paired it with the others tips in this list, it made all the difference in the world.  The Crystal Nails One Move brushes are awesome.  I used the 2 and 4 with the slanted tips.  The slant makes things so much easier!  Especially when it comes to loading paint.  Dark on the short side, light on the long side.
4. Keep your brush wet!  If the brush dries out, the paint won't flow and you'll get the skipping like I had in the photo above.  This is the hardest part for me.  My brush ends up drying out quickly.  Or I get it too wet an the water down the paint.  But practice makes perfect.  :)
5. Color Selection Matters!  For One Move to work, you need a dark and a light color.  If the colors are too close, you won't see the gradient effect that makes the one move technique so freaking awesome.
6. One Move doesn't mean you only use one brush stroke.  The name is completely misleading.  You have to pick your brush up several times for many of the strokes that make the flower petals and leaves.  Yeah, that one seems like a no brainer, but I wish someone had mentioned it to me!  lol
7. Finally, Don't Judge Until You Topcoat.  The topcoat makes a world of difference when it comes to working with acrylic paint.  Things that don't look smooth magically blend when you add the top coat to the design.  So if things don't quite look right, the top coat will probably smooth it out.

Alright, so here's a shot of my tools.

As you can see, these brushes are quite small.  These are the size that you'll use most for nail art.  I also have the Crystal Nails 1 brush, but it is really for larger flowers and doesn't fit well on most nails.  I took a shot of the brushes with a quarter so you can get a better idea of the size.  The brush on the left is the #4 brush and is used for small flowers, buds and leaves.  The brush on the right is the #2 brush and is used for most flower petals.  As you can imagine, loading the brush with paint can be a challenge since they are so small, but it didn't take me long to get the hang of it.  Just a tiny dip on each corner, then blend the colors by stroking them on a flat surface or the back of your hand.

Ready for a closer look at my swatches?  This first one uses the daisy design that DeeDee taught in class.  This is one of the hardest for me since the petals require the slightest movement to form them.  Oh, and can I just say that macro photography is cruel?!?!  You can see every little mistake in my strokes.  I promise, they look much better when they aren't blown up.  lol

This next one is one I found on YouTube.  It's supposed to be an orchid.  I think I need to practice this one a little (or a lottle) more.

I have been attempting this next design for over a year, so I'm super thrilled with how it turned out.  The calla lily on the side needs a little refining, but the main flower turned out great.  Note, the green I used here is not a Crystal Nails One Move paint.  You can see the difference between the opacity of the green and the white, which is a CN One Move paint.

DeeDee focused mostly on fantasy flowers during class- meaning flowers that are obviously flowers but not actually a flower that exists in nature.  This is a combination of two of the fantasy style flowers she showed us.

Of course we learned to do roses.  I mean, no one move class would be complete without them right?  I really like how this one turned out, but there isn't enough contrast between the white and the yellow in the middle of the rose.  This is what I mentioned in point 5 above.

Ah yes, much better.  This pink rose was created using red and white.  My brush started to dry out in the middle of the large rose.

I absolutely LOVE this poppy design.  I should have used a lighter background color, but the poppies turned out so freaking cute!  I created them with black and red and then added a little yellow to the centers.

Tulips anyone?  The colors in this one make my heart smile.  The only thing I wish I had done differently is I should have painted the small blossom on the bottom right before I added the leaves.  Painting over them made it darker and my paint started pulling up.

Finally, I have these sweet little roses with a butterfly.  On this one, I forgot to buff the swatch before painting.  You can see where I had problems with my brush sliding around a little and the paint getting out of control.  So remember to buff that surface!  But I adore the overall design and that butterfly was so freaking easy!

Ok, so I think it's safe to say that I finally "get" the concept behind One Move or One Stroke Painting thanks to spending a few hours in class with DeeDee.  Don't be surprised if you see a lot of One Move art from me in the future.  I can't get enough of this technique!  Practice makes perfect, and I'm a practicing fool over here.  lol

To see more nail art from the master herself, be sure to follow Crystal Nails DeeDee on Facebook and @CrystalNailsDeeDee on Instagram.  I'm telling you, she's amazing.  Her gel art is incredible too, but I couldn't afford both classes.  Next time!  If you want to pick up any of the brushes or paints I featured here, you can find them in DeeDee's Crystal Nails webshop here.

~Michelle

*All products featured in this post were purchased by me.  All links within this post are courtesy links and do not benefit ManicTalons.com.
 

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