Saturday, January 30, 2016

Purjoi Nail Studio Clear Stamper Review (with Video)

Press Sample

Purjoi Nail Studio Clear Stamper Review

Hello Loves!  I have a new stamper to show you today - the Clear Stamper from Purjoi Nail Studio!  I admit, I was a little wary of clear stampers after hearing so many negative reviews in general, but when Joi offered to send me this one to try, I decided to give it a go.  I'm super glad I did.  No kidding, this thing has changed my world.  I use it constantly in the salon (I've had it for a few weeks now), and it makes positioning stamps a breeze!  Even french tip stamps, which I could never do before!

When Joi first released her stamper, I hadn't seen anything quite like it with the open back end and clear holder.  There are a few others that have popped up since that appear to be similar.  I don't have them to compare (sorry) and honestly don't feel the need to order one.  This thing is my current fave and I see no need to seek an alternative.  lol
Purjoi Nail Studio Clear Stamper

I love this thing so much that I even did a video review.  Y'all know that's a big deal right?  I hate doing video reviews.  Not only is it nearly impossible to find a quiet moment for filming, but I sound like a bumbling idiot on video.  I'm not going to lie, this was take four hundred and fifty three.  Ok, maybe not quite that bad, but I did have to start over several times thanks to my barking dog, my son coming home, my husband coming home, my father stopping by, my phone ringing, and general bloopers.  My nails are a mess and the lighting is a little dark, but watch it anyway ok?  Then skip to the end of this post to see some manicures I've created with this stamper.



For those who couldn't stand my rambling video, I'll also try to break it down in pictures.  So how about we go into a little more detail?  Let's take a look at the stamper.
Purjoi Nail Studio Clear Stamper

As you can see, it is clear.  The stamping head is crystal clear.  The holder is more like frosted glass.  Or frosted plastic (it is made of plastic).  Let's talk about the holder first.  It is open on both ends, which allows you to look down the barrel for perfect stamp placement.  Here's a few pictures.  The first is a shot of the back end of the stamper that shows the open barrel.
Purjoi Nail Studio Clear Stamper

The next shot is looking down the barrel of the stamper at an image I picked up on the stamper head.  This is the underside of the image.  As you can see, it would be extremely easy to position the stamp where you want it.
Purjoi Nail Studio Clear Stamper

Let's take a look at that image from the front, shall we?  I took the head out of the holder for this shot (I'm going to squish it in a second lol).  As you can see, the image transferred nicely!  I chose an image with a lot of open space because those tend to be more difficult to pick up.  Excuse the lint all over the stamper head.  My house is a little dusty right now since we're in the process of moving.
Purjoi Nail Studio Clear Stamper

Ready to see it squished?  The head is what I consider a medium-firm.  It doesn't give as much as a squishy stamper, but it gives more than a traditional konad style.  The top picture is the stamper with no pressure applied.  The bottom is with moderate to firm pressure.
Purjoi Nail Studio Clear Stamper

Let's take another look.  This next photo is looking down the barrel of the stamper with the head squished against my nail.  As you can see, it doesn't hug my nail perfectly.  I can force it down so that the sides of my nail are touching the stamper head, but it takes a lot of pressure.  This actually doesn't bother me.  I found that you can push down and then rock the stamper side to side to get a perfect, full coverage image transfer.
Purjoi Nail Studio Clear Stamper

Ok, so now you see that it works.  And you see how soft/firm it is.  You can see how easy it is to position a stamp.  But let's talk about what you can't see.  This stamper does have a few limitations.  First, you can't use acetone, polish remover, or alcohol to clean the stamping head.  It will degrade the head and make it cloudy.  So you definitely want to use tape or a lint roller to remove leftover polish from the head.  You also don't want to prime it with anything abrasive.  A simple wash with soap and water is all you need.  My stamper worked perfectly straight out of the package.  With that said, it can be a little temperamental at times.  I found that when using it with Mundo de Unas stamping polish, it stops working after a dozen or so stamps.  This doesn't seem to be an issue with other polishes, but MdU seems to have an oily residue that builds up on the stamping head.  No worries though, a quick bath restores it to full stamping glory.

Want to see my manicure?  Do ya?  Do ya?  Ok...so I decided to go with a Valentine's Day/Anti-Valentine's Day theme.  My left hand is a traditional Valentine's Day design.  I started with a base of IBD Just Gel Enthralled and Purjoi French White.  I then stamped using images from Bundle Monster BM-S222 and BM-S225 from the new Valentine's Day themed Occasions Collection.  (I'll share a full review of that set in a few days).  The red is Sally Hansen Insta-dri in Red-io Active.  It's a discontinued color, so if you run across it, you better snatch it up!
Valentine's Day Nail Art, Nail Stamping

My right hand got the Anti-Valentine's Day design.  I mean, it makes sense right?  She's neglected and ugly and no one loves her.  lol  For this one, I started with a base of LeChat Obsession and IBD Just Gel Enthralled.  I then stamped with Mundo de Unas Black and the ripped stockings image from BM-XL208 (The YaGala Plate).
Anti-Valentine's Day Nail Art

I even took a few photos of them together.  Trust me, it wasn't an easy task!  Getting both hands in my light box and pushing the shutter button on my camera at the same time took a little bit of stretching and a whole lot of creative thinking!
Valentine's Day and Anti-Valentine's Day Nail Art
Valentine's Day and Anti-Valentine's Day Nail Art

But wait...I have more manicures to show you!  These next three are client manicures that went so much quicker thanks to the Purjoi Clear Stamper.  I honestly forgot to note the plates used.  Sorry about that!  Anyway, want to see them?

The stamped image in this manicure is one of those with the rounded end for french designs.  I've never been able to use those before because I could never get them to line up quite right.  So not a problem this time!
Client Nails stamped with the Purjoi Clear Stamper

This next one is a combination of snowflakes from a variety of plates.  The clear stamper allowed me to place them precisely on the nail.  It almost looks like a full cover stamp!  Sorry, I know it's a little blurry.  Stupid cell phone.
Black stamped snowflakes on a pink gradient

Finally, this one was a narrow section of a buffet style plate.  I didn't have much room for error and the clear stamper saved me from having to re-stamp a dozen times to get it to fit just right.  :)
Blue and Silver Stamped Manicure

If you want to pick up a Purjoi Clear Stamper of your own, you can get one on the Purjoi Nail Studio website here.  Joi also has replacement heads for a great price, so be sure to pick up a few of those too.  :)

~Michelle

*The Purjoi Nail Studio Clear Stamper was provided by Purjoi Nail Studio for my honest review.  All links within this post are courtesy links and do not benefit ManicTalons.com

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Thursday, January 28, 2016

Madam Glam Epic Swatch-a-thon: Part 1

Press Sample


Hello Loves!  So, I've been working on an Epic Madam Glam swatch project.  Basically, I'm working my way through their entire gel polish color line.  I've swatched a good many over the past year, but I barely made a dent in their collection.  So now I'm swatching like a mad woman to make it through over 300 gel polish colors!  I think it was around 130 colors I hadn't swatched yet, and I'm 69 in at this point.  I showed you the 10 One Step Gels a few weeks ago, so that leaves 59 that I have swatched but haven't shared with you yet.  I feels like they are multiplying as I go and my "to swatch" pile keeps growing!

So, let the Epic Swatch-a-thon commence! I'm going to break these into multiple posts to keep from completely crashing my blog.  I'm also going to alter my typical review format a little just to make things easier.  I mean, we are talking about 118 photos that are finished and ready to share with more being produced each week.  lol  So let's jump right in.  These are in no specific order (well, they're alphabetically for the first few parts of the series just because I had them listed that way as I uploaded the pictures, but they'll become more random as the project progresses). 

Polish:  Amor Azul
Description:  Super light, pale blue cream
Application/Notes:  Flawless.  This polish is nice and creamy, which allows for great coverage and application.  She's opaque in two coats.
Madam Glam Amor Azul Swatch
Madam Glam Amor Azul Swatch

PolishBack to Cali
Description:  Classic nude cream with slightly purple/pink tones
Application/Notes:  Flawless.  Opaque in two coats.  I love this one!  It's a great color for my skin tone.
Madam Glam Back to Cali Swatch
Madam Glam Back to Cali Swatch

PolishBehind the Scenes
Description:  Vibrant medium blue cream
Application/Notes:  Application is average.  Not quite as creamy as some, which gives it a gorgeous wet look but also allows for a little bit of shrinkage at the free edge.  Shrinking corrects itself with careful application of the second coat (which I didn't do here but discovered in the salon lol).  It offers two coat coverage.  :)
Madam Glam Behind the Scenes Swatch
Madam Glam Behind the Scenes Swatch

Polish: Cafe au Lait
Description:  Cream toned cream
Application/Notes:  Application is very nice.  Smooth and easy to apply with no shrinking.  I did find I needed three coats for even full coverage, but that is common for me with polishes in this color family.  You might be able to do two coats without issue.
Madam Glam Cafe au Lait Swatch
Madam Glam Cafe au Lait Swatch

Polish: Call of the Wild
Description:  Light grey cream with purple tones
Application/Notes:  Flawless application.  Perfect coverage in two coats.  Polish is creamy and smooth.
Madam Glam Call of the Wild Swatch
Madam Glam Call of the Wild Swatch

Polish: Caribbean Sea
Description:  Bright light blue cream with green undertones
Application/Notes:  Average application.  Polish is very creamy and stays where you put it.  However, I did need three coats for flawless, opaque coverage.
Madam Glam Caribbean Sea Swatch
Madam Glam Caribbean Sea Swatch

Polish: Color Me Coraly
Description:  Medium/Bright coral leaning pink cream
Application/Notes:  Flawless!  Perfect coverage in two coats with a slightly glassy finish.
Madam Glam Color Me Coraly Swatch
Madam Glam Color Me Coraly Swatch

Polish: Dark Magenta
Description:  Deep, rich purple cream
Application/Notes:  Beautiful!  Opaque in two coats.  Deep wet look with minimal shrinking at the tips on the first coat.  Corrects itself on the second coat with careful application (yet another where I wasn't careful to wrap the tips in the swatch)
Madam Glam Dark Magenta Swatch
Madam Glam Dark Magenta Swatch

Polish: Dark Orchid 
Description:  Muted, blue toned, light purple cream.
Application/Notes:  Creamy polish.  Smooth application with two coat coverage.
Madam Glam Dark Orchid Swatch
Madam Glam Dark Orchid Swatch

Polish: Down to Earth
Description:  Olive green cream
Application/Notes:  Perfection.  Smooth and easy with a deep, wet look.  Opaque in two coats.  I didn't think I would like this one since I'm not usually a fan of Earthy greens, but I love it!
Madam Glam Down to Earth Swatch
Madam Glam Down to Earth Swatch

Polish: Early Bird 
Description:  Creamy mint green cream with a bright pop
Application/Notes:  Nice.  Smooth and creamy.  Perfect coverage in two coats.
Madam Glam Early Bird Swatch
Madam Glam Early Bird Swatch

Polish: Fancy Pink
Description:  Deep, medium pink base with pink iridescent glass fleck shimmer
Application/Notes:  Polish is thick and offers nearly full coverage in one coat.  Two coats is perfect.  No shrinking or streaking.  It doesn't get much better than this.
Madam Glam Fancy Pink Swatch
Madam Glam Fancy Pink Swatch

Polish: Flower Child 
Description:  Shimmery gold base with fine gold glitters scattered throughout
Application/Notes:  Interesting.  Coverage is nice, but the glitters make things a little tricky.  I found I had to stroke over the nail several times for even glitter distribution, which left marks in the gold shimmery base.  Opaque in two coats, but I needed three because of the glitter to get a smooth finish.  Even with the third coat and top coat, the polish appears slightly textured. 
Madam Glam Flower Child Swatch
Madam Glam Flower Child Swatch

PolishFluorescent Lights
Description:  Silver glass flecks and purple shimmer in a clear base
Application/Notes:  Can be worn as a standalone polish or as a topper.  I swatched three coats here and you can see slight VNL.  Application is smooth and easy.  No fighting at all when wearing alone.  Over a base color, you may need to smooth over the nail a few times for even distribution.  But look!  Just look!  Isn't she gorgeous????
Madam Glam Fluorescent Lights Swatch
Madam Glam Fluorescent Lights Swatch

Polish: For Green Lover
Description:  Green jelly base that is loaded with multiple sizes of green holographic glitter
Application/Notes:  Average application.  Glitter distributes easily over the nail.  There is some shrinking at the dips as is to be expected with a jelly finish.  Almost paque in three coats.  I should note that this one was difficult for me to photograph.  The color looks right on my screen, but the vibrancy is a little off.  It pops much more in person.
Madam Glam For Green Lovers Swatch
Madam Glam For Green Lovers Swatch

Polish: Games People Play
Description:  Peach leaning nude cream
Application/Notes:  Applies nicely.  No shrinking or fussing.  Polish is nice and creamy and is opaque in two coats.
Madam Glam Games People Play Swatch
Madam Glam Games People Play Swatch

Polish: Glittery Purple
Description: Blackened purple base with purple micro glitter
Application/Notes:  This polish is a huge hit at the salon, despite being a little difficult to apply.  It does have a bit of shrink back, but it is manageable in three coats.  The glitters have a little bit of a copper color shift as you can see on the index nail in the first shot.  Gorgeous polish - well worth a little extra time for application.
Madam Glam Glittery Purple Swatch
Madam Glam Glittery Purple Swatch

Polish: Green Garden
Description:  Light, pastel green cream
Application/Notes:  The polish is thick and creamy.  Application is smooth, but be careful if you have to stroke over the nail.  It doesn't level quite as nicely as some and can leave brush dents as you can see on my index nail.
Madam Glam Green Garden Swatch
Madam Glam Green Garden Swatch

Polish: Halo 
Description:  Bright, sunshine yellow cream
Application/Notes:  I love this yellow!  If you're looking for a bright yellow that doesn't cross into highlighter or neon territory, this is is.  Application was a breeze, which is odd for yellows.  I did need three coats for full opacity, but experienced no shrinking or streaking.
Madam Glam Halo Swatch
Madam Glam Halo Swatch

Polish: High School Stories
Description:  Bright, almost neon lime green with very slight blue undertones
Application/Notes:  While this isn't really a color I gravitate toward, I can appreciate the brightness and pop.  Application is average.  I needed three coats and feel that four might have been better.  You can see some areas are a little thin around the cuticle line in the pictures, but it was not noticeable in person.
Madam Glam High School Stories Swatch
Madam Glam High School Stories Swatch

Whew!  Twenty down, a bazillion left to go!  lol  This concludes Part 1 of my Epic Madam Glam Swatch-a-thon.  Hopefully it loaded ok for you.  If not, please let me know in the comments and I'll reduce the number of polishes for future Swatch-a-thon posts.  If you need any of these polishes in your collection, you can pick them up on Madam Glam's website here.  Remember, they are always having awesome sales and specials.  If you don't catch one on the first try, give it a few days and you'll hit a deal.  :)

Also, if you can't the polish you're looking for on their website, it might be out of stock.  They take listings down when they sell out and put them back up when they restock.  So keep checking back if the polish you want isn't listed.  :)  Since the listings tend to come and go with availability, I didn't direct link each color throughout the post this time.

I'll be back in a few days with the next round of swatches.  And yes, I promise it will only be a few days.  I won't disappear for weeks again until I at least get caught up with these.  ;)

~Michelle

*The gel polishes featured in this post were provided by Madam Glam for my honest review.  All links within this post are courtesy links and do not benefit ManicTalons.com


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