Last day of class!

YAY!
Okay that's a lie, the last day of class was the 28th, but I am free!
Also a lie. I have finals this week. Boo.

But I decided a bit of nail art using an awesome stamping plate from Lady Queen was in order.
This should brighten my finals week!

I have a Java final on Tuesday. I really kind of am terrible at Java, so I hope it goes well! On Thursday is my Calculus final. Eep! Let me tell you how prepared I am for that!
Well study study, right?

Click to zoom and see the neat patterns!

I'm in LOVE with this lace plate! I picked the (in my opinion) most intricate one. The little tiny circles are so delicate, and the polish even lifted in corners(like stamps do sometimes) and when I pressed it down it was like real lace. Or maybe I'm just being girlie!
The plate can be found here at Lady Queen, and I so do recommend it! The only downside to these bigger plates is - Okay, two downsides - they don't fit in my cute plate book, and they bend a bit easier, making it far more difficult to run the scrapper along it.
The super neat green is Venique Garter Your Attention. It sure does! The black is, you guessed it, Venique Dominating Thigh Highs. I used a gel topcoat for this(my freakin' new favorite!) and the combo was SUPER UV reactant! I gotta wear this into a club! Haha!

But no clubs for me yet. I have 4 days for that. Then the clubbing begins!
Lol, jk. I'm probably going to sit home and binge watch 30 Rock until next semester starts. Why am I taking summer classes? =(

If you want to snag this plate, or other awesome nail art accessories from Lady Queen, please use this coupon to save some dollars! =D

Thanks for reading! And good luck on all finals to anyone needing the luck. =3
♥Jo

Lady Queen Review. Stamping Plate sent for honest review. Please see my disclosure policy here.

Venique polishes self-purchased.

Grow Strong!

HeeyY!!!
Guess what?!
Game of Thrones is back woo! Season six premieres and I'm super stoked. I'm all for house Targaryen, but I got this cute rose bling from Lady Queen, so I sort of felt a rosey mani nail art was in order for House Tyrell of Highgarden!

But I kept my Targaryen colors. =3

Isn't that gold rose ridiculously blingy?! I feel like its a bit too much for a normal day, but when celebrating GoT, it's pretty much needed. I got it here from Lady Queen nail art supplies. I love this shop so much...
The colors I used was Gelish Hot Rod Red and Gelish Good Gossip. Of course Venique Dominating Thigh Highs as my trusty black stampy. It's almost gone =O The plate used here was Pueen 27.I freakin love lace stamps!

If you want to purchase anything from Lady Queen, please don't hesitate to save 15% with this coupon! =D

As always....thanks for reading and enjoy!
Now time for studying... and HBO!
♥Jo

Lady Queen Review. Metal rose accessory sent for honest review. Please see my disclosure policy here.

Gelish and Venique polishes self-purchased.

Little Wrapped Presents

It's getting closer and closer to Christmas! I was inspired by a wrapping paper I have to bring you today's manicure. This is my favorite thing I've done in a long while, I can't lie!

The base color is Julep Ginger. It's a holographic polish seen on this blog before, but considering it is being covered by Venique Wing Tip White, you can't see the effect much. But that is certainly okay! There is also some Zoya Tomoko happening, but sadly, the image sort of blends that with the Ginger. Still, it's there. Like in the tip of the ring finger, near the snowflake, it's there. =) By the way, tje snowflakes are Zoya Nina. I used two stamping plates for this: BM 205 and BM 319. Finding the right plate for the white stuff was terribly difficult. Time to get more plates, right?!

Cuuute little bow! Because presents need bows! I got this bow from Lady Queen, right here. I've never used such big gemmys before! I hope it lasts a while and I don't lose it. I have a little Christmas dinner thing, so I hope it lasts through that. As everyone knows, gems in general aren't meant to last forever. Brush through your hair too much and they'll likely come off. But it's so pretty for now! The bow came without any flaws, and all of the pearls/gems are intact and where they need to be. I kind of want more, although I have no idea what to do with them! Perhaps also I should go for some smallers, yeah?

Use my coupon code to get neat Lady Queen nail art accessories! Fifteen percent off WOO!

As always, thanks for reading. Have the Merriest of Christmas-es and the Happiest of Holidays!!
♥Jo

Lady Queen Review. Pearl Bow Gem sent for honest review. Please see my disclosure policy here.

All polishes and plates were self-purchased.

Marilyn Monroe Water decals - She's so lovely!

For the first time in my nail polish journey I have used water decals! I kind of love them a lot!
These water decals gave me awesome nail art based on the beautiful Marilyn Monroe!!

I really wanted to have chevrons for the pattern, but no such luck in having a chevron stamp plate. Boo.
Oh well, please enjoy!

I wasn't sure how to incorporate portraits onto my nails, but I think it turned out not so bad. =D
You can find the decals here at lady Queen. They worked so well! Like I said, I've never used these sorts of decals before, but they were so easy! I will be getting more no doubt.
The colors are Venique The Perfect Accessory. I love this red for stamping, I just wish it was a bit deeper over white. Aw well, what is, eh?
Venique Wing Tip White, once again is my white. Stamp plate BM 322 was used for the super awesome hounds-tooth. I think this is a fun manicure with or without the decals. I probably want to do it again someday. Because it's daring and awesome. So Marilyn Monroe fits so great!!! =D

Don't forget to use my coupon iffins you decide to get some Lady Queen nail art accessories and the like. =3

Much love!
♥Jo

Lady Queen Review. Monroe Water Decals sent for honest review. Please see my disclosure policy here.

All polishes and plates were self-purchased.

I'm in Dumbledore's Army!

Hello friends, here we are again with another fun stamping plate from Lady Queen!
This one is extra awesome because it's Harry Potter themed =D

While doing this nail art, I realized how long it's been since I've read Harry Potter, and I want to again soooo badly now. But I have Game of Thrones to read! And school to attend! And house to clean!
So perhaps I will settle for a movie marathon while  cleaning the house? =P

Anyhow...

The plate is héhé 034 found here at Lady Queen. It says that it's a 'peacock', but we all know that's Fawkes. ♥
This plate was wonderful, as with the other plates from lady Queen. They are free from defects, bends, scratches, and all of the engravings are the perfect depth, size, and shape for stamping. I feel like a stamping pro with these. Accept part of 'Dumbledore' didn't transfer. Aw well.
The phoenix is supposed to be read, and I played around with attempting to stamp him with a white/red mix. But gold just works so well.. The gold is Orly Luxe, and the base is China Glaze Smoke and Ashes. As always, the white stamp is Venique Wing Tip White.
I love these nails and will no doubt do something similar when I go see Fantastic Beasts!!! =D

Please use my coupon code if you feel the need to buy any awesome things from lady queen.

www.ladyqueen.com

See you soon, yeah!? ♥♥♥
♥Jo

Lady Queen Review. Stamp plate hehe034 sent for honest review. Please see my disclosure policy here.

All polishes were self-purchased.

Delicate Stamping

Told you there was another plate coming your way! Actually there is even one more after this, in a small series of Lady Queen stamping plate and nail art reviews.

This manicure was interesting, and it took a minute to really grow on me. The plate is so fun I didn't know which design to try, so I did them all!

The plate is héhé 006, purchased at Lady Queen. There are 4 super cute flowery, leafy, paisley designs on it. Each have super thin, cute lines that are pretty tough to pick up with the stamper, but super cute if you get them right!
I don't know why I ever use shimmery polishes, I'm never pleased with the pictures. But this didn't turn out so terrible! This is China Glaze Ayoy! and Julep Marion. The white is Venique Wing Tip White, my go to white for now. Because it's almost gone =O. I had the hardest time selecting colors for this, but these colors actually work quite well. I likes it. =)

As always, use my coupon for purchases at Lady Queen. ♥

My dump of nail art will soon end, but I can't say you're too upset by it, right? =P
♥Jo

Lady Queen Review. Stamp plate hehe006 sent for honest review. Please see my disclosure policy here.

All polishes were self-purchased.

I have a koi pond!!!

On my fingers. =3
I love this manicure! I think it's a super cute idea for a stamping plate and I'm going to be a bit vain and say I picked pretty stinking decent colors!!!

The stamping plate used in héhé 037, purchased right here through Lady Queen. This is the super cutest animal manicure I've ever done. I want to always have a koi pond! The plate was perfect. The 'water marble' design is super nice, and I want to use drastically different colors with it some day. I can't wait to use it again!
The polishes used were all Zoya: Jancyn, Neely, and Blu. Neely is the base color, with the ever so slightly different Blu over that. Jancyn made for pretty cute little fishies.

If you'd like this plate, or many other super neat nail art supplies from Lady Queen, please please use my discount code for %15 off. Sick deal, amirite?

www.ladyqueen.com

I have more plate designs to share with you, so hang tight!
♥Jo

Lady Queen Review. Stamp plate hehe037 sent for honest review. Please see my disclosure policy here.

All polishes were self-purchased.

Christmas Sweater

GUYS! The semester is OVER!! I had my last final today and could not be more pumped for Christmas! I got me tree up (finally) and managed to get some Christmas nails going! I haven't nailarted for so long. I miss it...

This is done using a stamping plate form Lady Queen. héhé 060, is the tag on it. It's like an ugly Christmas Sweater, other than I don't think it's ugly. =) I love this nail art using Lady Queen's plates. I have a few more to show you soon, as well. And can now because why? Oh yeah, finals are over! =3

I also used Julep Popova , Venique Wing Tip White, and Venique The Perfect Accessory.
Hello winter, too. It showed a lot over the last few days. I may have tapped a fence with my car. Aw well...

Please use my coupon code for Lady Queen if you decide you want this, or any other plates. <3

www.ladyqueen.com

Have the Merriest of Christmas' please?
♥Jo

Lady Queen Review. Stamp plate hehe060 sent for honest review. Please see my disclosure policy here.

All polishes were self-purchased.

Madam Glam Endless Night

Told you I had one more Madam Glam to show you. =) 

Madam Glam Endless Night is a SUPER dark blue. An endless night, one might say. It looks black. Guys, it's not black! The bottle has a tiiiiny bit of blue going on in it (especially in the middle ridge if you use a color picker tool on your photo edit program haha) The formula is very nice, and one coat is just a but bluer. Still super dark though. This here is 2 coats.

I know you don't believe me, you think it's black. WELL. Here's another:

 Zoya Blu is on the bottom of this one, with Endless Night gradient on top, and why not, an Endless Night stamp using BM 203 . Told you it wasn't black! =D This bottle still shows pretty stinking black, but slightly more blue, yes? Angle of the light hitting the bottle. I couldn't get them quite the same. Aw well.
This color seems very versatile. I love that the gradient and stamps are a nice royal blue.

Overall, I would love to have more of these polishes.The formula is easy to apply, it stamps super awesome, and is so pretty.

Thanks for reading, and, if you were interested in purchasing any lovely Madam Glam products, don't forget to use my code, jo30, to save 30% off! Click here for the website!

♥Jo

Madam Glam Endless Night sent for honest review. Please see my disclosure policy here.

Zoya Blu and BM 203 were self purchased.

Subtle Stamping

Hi friends! I just got brand new stamping plates! Well, new to me! They are the Pueen 2013 collection =P
I LOVED a really neat 'gradient' block effect on one of them, so I gave it a shot. I just picked the wrong colors is all! IRL, it looks pretty neat, and HEAVILY depends on lighting if you can see the stamping, or any red for that matter. No gradient look, but I used the wrong side of the image for that. Aw well.
Please enjoy! =D

Julep Caroline and Pueen48 for the irregular checker stamping. I kind of LOVE this color. omg. I wanted the black stamp to show up more so badly, but I knew what I was getting into. =P

♥Jo

Holographic is Best!

Hi friends! Today I have some Holo nails. I love them. There is actually a grdient going on, but you cannot tell much at all. =)

 

Pretties!!! This is Color Club Cloud Nine with a gradient of Angel Kiss, and you can see that if you just imagine hard enough. The stamping plate is BM 317 and that was hard to capture too, but I like it. !!

I've been having an awful hard time getting brightness correct. I thiiiink colors are correct, but between my phone, monitor, laptop, iPad and boyfriends those things, the brightness is never constant, and I have NO idea which of these things is calibrated right. Perhaps... I should try to calibrate my editing computer's monitor. =)
You'd let me know if  it looked bad, right!?!?

♥Jo

Matte and Stamps

Hi friends.
Coming up with blog post titles is hard. =)

I got a new light-box!!! Omg, my pictures are actually decent without really trying!!! I'm not one hundred percent in love with them yet, but oh booooy is it closer! =D

I recently got into instagram, and saw some super cute nails by user @ezjik_nails and just HAD to recreate them a bit. So pretty. =D

Please enjoy these new pictures with new improved lighting!!! =D

So much better, amirite?!
This is my clearance OPI Skating on Thin Iceland and Venique Steel Toe Stud. On the ring finger I did a bit of a perimeter gradient. I used stamping plate  BM225 from Bundle Monster for the design. I'm feeling a bit off my stamping game lately. Ah well. I quite love this design, and want to do it again when my nails aren't as itty-bitty! The mattecoat is from Warpaint Beauty, purchased at Hot Topic years ago... I wonder if they still have it.

Thanks for reading, and see you next time!
♥Jo

Born Pretty... in Plaid!

Hello my friends! I have a lovely manicure to share with you today created with a Born Pretty stamping plate and stamping polish!

Here we go!!!

 The stamping polish used is number #18 from this collection. I do have to say the color is VERY pigmented and can look very awesome and full!

Here is the plate I used! I think I found my new favorite plate! So many lovely options. Here is the link if you want to own this plate for yourself. I can't say I would blame you!


A quick review about these two products. The plate seems really nice at first glance. It was bent a bit in the corner, as you can see, but that didn't hinder the designs at all. My only beef would be that my normal scraping method had to be somewhat altered. Usually I would go from the top of the design, down, but my scraper would drag the other designs and not give me a clean swipe. Aw well, that was no problem at all! =D
The polish is very pigmented as stated. I applied to to one nail fully, and it was pretty uneven, but nothing a good topcoat couldn't fix.

Using them both together, at first, was awesome! Pink and ring finger applied perfectly, first try. I was in love! And then I got to the middle finger. The stamp wouldn't transfer. It dried on the stamp pad that quickly? So I tried again. And again. And again. For some reason the polish was just drying SO fast. I didn't understand what was going on. I used the Zoya I was using in the plate, and it seemed fine? Was it the polish that was suddenly drying too fast? I have no idea. Perhaps the scraping shallowed the design? I doubt that very much.
In the end, I just tried to blame myself and not the product. The last two nails took about an hour to finish, becaue I had to reapply the base and let it dry two more times. =(

 Using Zoya Odette as a base color. I don't know what I had in mind with these colors, but in the pics they look great!! IRL it's a bit busy and kinda messes with your eyes. =)

If you do decide you like this plate and stamping polish, you can get it from the Born Pretty Store. But that's FAR from all they have!! Use the coupon code below!!
Stay tuned for another review for another awesome product I got from them. I just have to learn to use it... You'll see. ;)

♥Jo

The plate and teal stamping polish was sent for honest review. Please see my disclosure policy here.

Zoya Odette was self-purchased.

Silhouette of Roses

Hi friends! I have a new blog layout! YAY!! I'm sure you may have noticed that though, of course. Please tell me what you think. Need anything? Change anything? Etc.

In the meantime, here is some super duper simple stamping I did. School starts tomorrow, and I feel like my nail times will be halved. So that's sad. I needed to have SOMETHING on for the first day though, right? =) I'm excited though, this is my first real semester of my degree. Oh boy, 4+ long years to go. At least the campus book store sells Junior Mints.

Oooh, and look how long my nails are getting! I'm so happy, it's been a minute since they've been this long! Here's hoping I can keep it going! =D

This is Zoya Faye, and Venique Doninating Thigh Highs for the stamp. This polish is SO nice for a stamping. I love it a ton. The plate I used was BM 323. I truly want more plates, guys. Where did you get your fave plates!?

At first I thought this was super not so good. It looked too busy and messy. But as they do, they've been growing on me the lat few hours. Also I've already gotten compliments so, I'll that them!

Short post. Gotta get school stuff in order, and help the brother make waffles. Yups. Waffles.
Til next time!
♥Jo

Dear Summer, Please Don't End

Hi all!
I got some winter blues the other day. Like, I was super sad because it's going to be cold soon. Ok, I mean in a few months, but still. I decided I needed at least one really good summer manicure to make me feel better, so her is a pretty!

All photos inside, with flash.

This is Zoya Jolene (bottle), and Zoya Jancyn. The gradient kinda workedish. Not too bad though. I'm REALLY pleased with the stamp. Its BM 318 with Julep Eileen. It's a very nice stamping polish I've decided. I'm pleased I didn't forget how to stamp so much.=) However, If I redid this it would be with a stamp over the gradient, and not just a solid color. Middle finger is Zoya Miranda Pixie Dust. I so love texture polish. I need like a thousand more!!!!

Sorry short post. But that's cool, right? =)
♥Jo

Almost frosty gradient...

This mani reminds me of frost. Which isn't really that great! I'm not ready for the cold! Summer feels like it just started. I'm sure for all of you attending school, you feel the summer has already ended. It has, though, right?

I almost didnt post this. I did this mani about 3 weeks ago but was NOT thrilled with how the pictures turned out. The lighting made me sad, but I like the mani far too much to not share it. So here it finally is!

Hopefully on one of these angles you can see the colors well enough!! I think you should be ok. =)
Here we have Zoya Neely and OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls. Neely is the base color, and the OPI is doing the gradient. I found that this OPI isn't the best to gradient with, because it required just a few coats too many. It certainly worked well, however!!

The hearts that are incredibly subtle are from a silver holo that I made. Yay, I made a pretty! =D It stamped very well with BM 317.

I am super in love with this manicure! I can't believe how something so simple can be so lovely.

So I'm headed out to go camping this weekend. Hopefully the nails don't break too much. If they are in decent shape when I return, I'll get something nice for you.



Lastly, I want to give a shout out to one of my best friends and favorite bbygrl, Masha at Lost In Lacquer. She is such a doll and I love her sooooo much! I had to give her a goodbye hug this week. She is moving away from me. =( So I wanted to make sure that ALL of you know how amazing this woman is!!! ♥♥♥
Masha, I'll miss you sooooo much! Good luck in everything ahead!!

Loves!!!
Jonochi

They keep breaking!

My nails just keep getting shorter and shorter...
I can't seem to keep them very long at all, and it's driving me nuts!! Well, I will make do with what I have!!
(while on the subject of make do, I was very confused it if was due or do. I seriously had to look it up! Then I almost left it at dew. ENDORSE PEPSI!)

Anyway, back to nails...please to ignore the dry cuticles, I forgot lotion!!

I started with a lovely, slimming neutral color. Essie San Tropez is so pretty!!

Stamped on some what I originally thought was bamboo...It's not. Looks kinda like crackle. Eh. China Glaze Street Chic.

 Topped it all off with some China Glaze Fast Track!!! This pic looks great with the top on, but irl, you could hardly see the stamping depending on light.

Vertical lines make you look taller! =D