Born Pretty Review: Magnifying Gems, Vinyl Stencils, and a Stylish-Functional Ring

Hello, lovelies! I've got another fun-filled package from Born Pretty Store to review for you! Inside, we have got some magnifying gems (item #25219, $2.78), vinyl stencils (item #24485, $3.99), and the artists' palette ring (item #23985, $5.08). I can't wait to show you where I went with these items, so let's get to it!

Gems first! Now, these little bubbles hold tons of possibilities. Because of their contours, they have a way of magnifying things. It really creates an interesting effect on your nails. Of course, I had to try these out over holo polish! You can see the way the rainbow shines through. It looks so cool in person!

Next, I'll share my thoughts on the vinyl stencils. They're so easy to use! They're super sticky so the polish does a good job of staying within the lines, they're super flexible so it's easy to form them around your nails, and they peel off in one piece leaving no residue behind. I made a simple picture that shows the steps. 1) Apply whatever base color you like. 2) Peel the stencil from its backing and press it onto your nail once the base is completely dry. 3) Paint a second color of polish over the stencil, or use a cosmetic wedge to sponge the polish on if you prefer. 4) Remove the stencil and admire your design!

 

This ring is too adorable! It's made of solid metal, and is shaped just like a tiny artists' palette! The band of the ring is adjustable to better suit your finger girth (see below). You can fill the indentations with nail polish or with acrylic paint. Then, you've got easy access to all the colors you need for your working on the tiny canvases that are your nails! It's also a great way to mix colors and get the perfect shade without making a horrible mess of your workspace. Honestly, this ring would even be cute to wear on its own.

And, of course, an action shot! I used my ring to hold a few acrylic paints for my ladybug art. It was so convenient (and a workspace saver) to have my paints right next to my nails. It's also a great way to mix colors before applying them to your nail.

BONUS ROUND: Patriotic stickers (item #20557, $1.96)! These hit my mailbox a little while after the other items, and I was so happy when they came. These are so perfect for holidays in the USA (Memorial Day, Armed Forces Day, Independence Day, etc.) as well as elections and political/military events. Basically, they're great to wear anytime you want to feel patriotic! They're definitely not water slide decals. You just peel them off of the backing and stick them to your nails. Add a layer of top coat to make the design last longer. I really like that the image itself is opaque, and the background is clear. So, you can put them over basically any color and they'll look great!

Man, I really loved this review package. Just look at the variety of fun designs you could make with these items! Really, if I had to pick one must-have out of this package for you nail art lovers, it would be that ring! Even if you aren't particularly enthusiastic about freehanding, this makes it pretty nice. You see how simple my ladybug was and she turned out cute! As always, if any of these items interested you, don't forget to use the code FEPX31 at checkout to receive 10% off your purchase on top of free worldwide shipping from Born Pretty Store!

Disclaimer: I received these products free of charge from Born Pretty for honest testing and review purposes. The opinions stated in this post are my own. All nails, designs, and photos are mine unless otherwise stated.

Born Pretty Review: Clear Jelly Stamper, Floral Decals, Nail Stickers,and Bacon Vinyls?

Hello, lovelies! I hope you're all doing well. I've been getting through some challenges in my life recently, but I'm confident and hopeful for the future! I had so much fun with my latest review package from Born Pretty Store. Check out this variety of items: the clear jelly stamper (item #24021, $4.59), some floral decals (item #20320, $3.99), metallic gold stickers (item #23018, $3.30), and stencil vinyls (item #20782, $4.59).

Hooray! I finally got to try out the coveted clear jelly stamper. With recent stamping trends, this stamper has got to be the most popular new tool. Let me talk about why that is. Most stamper heads are opaque; you cannot see through them. This may make it easy to see some stamped polishes (e.g., black stamping polish will show up great on a white stamper head), but I have one major complaint about them. I have no idea where I'm placing the image on my nail! This has been an endless source of frustration for me while stamping. Even when the other steps have been flawless, poor stamp placement results in a crooked and sloppy-looking manicure. This fully transparent stamper head resolves any such frustration! You can look through the back end of the stamper and see exactly where you are stamping your design. With this precision, stamping becomes a more enjoyable and rewarding process for me. This stamper has become my new favorite. The image pickup is slightly different from other stamper heads I've used, so I needed to practice a little to become acquainted with it. In the end, however, it's much easier to use than other stampers. If you've been debating on picking one up, I would encourage you to do so. Check out some of these stamping manis. In the first one, I double-layered the hearts with extreme precision! In the second one, I was able to finally use a centered stamping design. This was so satisfying!

Ah, I love a good floral pattern. It could be bright and cheerful or dark and moody. There's just a nice elegant feeling about them. The floral decal variety pack has something for any manicure: fun, stately, or romantic. Honestly, when I picked this item out, I thought I would only get one pattern! I was surprised to see four patterns included. As with all decals I have gotten from Born Pretty, I found these blissfully easy to use. Simply cut out the part you want to use, peel off the film, dip the decal in a cup of water, slide it off the backing, then stick it on your nail. In this first design, I cut triangular shapes from the decal. I applied the triangles over a white polish base, and finished it with a matte top coat. This design was so bright and summery, I loved seeing it on my nails during these cold winter months! I was pleasantly surprised to find that these decals are so easy to use for full-nail designs. Just use the same technique to apply the decal over your whole nail. Using acetone and a cleanup brush, you can easily remove the excess from around your cuticles. It's too simple!

This was my first time using metallic nail stickers. I have seen lots of pictures floating around lately of some really nice-looking metallic designs so I was really excited to test them. My verdict: YES! These things are fantastic. They are so easy to use! You cut out the part you want to use on your nail, peel it off the backing, and stick it on! I sealed it in with top coat to help it last long.

I have used some vinyl nail stencils before, and I believe they're a wonderful tool to have in your mani kit. This pack contained two stencil designs: zebra print and wavy lines. The stencils have crisp lines, and the adhesive is very effective. They are easy to separate from the packaging and stick to the nail. Once on the nail, the adhesive prevents polish from bleeding around the edges. You can either paint over the stencil just the same way you paint your nail, or you can sponge the polish on. I prefer the sponging method since it seems less messy (and you can add a gradient too!). In this first design, I sponged on a neon rainbow base, applied the zebra stripe vinyls, then sponged on some black glitter polish. I love this look! Now I'll be honest, my boyfriend came up with the genius idea for bacon nails using the wavy lines stencil! I laughed at first then decided I seriously wanted to give it a try. I'm keen on the results!

Bonus item! Now, here is an example of the fantastic customer service at Born Pretty. I requested to review these golden feather charms for my last review package. Somehow, it was overlooked so Alice at Born Pretty hooked me up by sending the charms as a bonus with this package! Isn't that great? These charms are so beautiful and delicate. I'm impressed by the shine and detail of these charms. Additionally, the backs are curved so that they are easy to comfortably include in a manicure.

I definitely had fun with this review post! Truly, the clear jelly stamper is my new favorite stamper. It's just perfect! I would say that's my top pick of the bunch as a nail art kit must-have. But everything was enjoyable and easy to use and you could employ your creativity to come up with a million unique designs! As always, if any of these items interested you, don't forget to use the code FEPX31 at checkout to receive 10% off your purchase on top of free worldwide shipping from Born Pretty!

Disclaimer: I received these products free of charge from Born Pretty for honest testing and review purposes. The opinions stated in this post are my own. All nails, designs, and photos are mine unless otherwise stated.

Influenster Review: Spice VoxBox

Hello, lovelies! I was selected by Influenster to review a collection of products included in the Spice VoxBox. Huzzah! This was such an exciting package for me to go through, and guess what... It included nail polish. Yes! Okay, so now let's get to it. First, I'll provide an overview of the products, then talk about my opinions of each one, and conclude with my overall impression of this VoxBox.

Here is my unboxing photo. Included were the following products: Good Health Veggie Stix, SoapBox Shampoo & Conditioner, Foot Petals Give 'Em the Boot, Yogi Tea Sweet Tangerine Positive Energy, Not Your Mother's Whip it Up Cream Styling Mousse, Boots Botanics Hydrating Day Cream, and (last but not least) SinfulColors SinfulShine 2-Step Manicure.

These Good Health brand Veggie Stix were pretty darn tasty. Of course the whole bag got eaten within about two sittings, hehe. I am a strange lady who isn't a huge fan of traditional potato chips; I find them to taste like nothing but grease and salt. That being said, the Veggie Stix were packed with authentic flavors. They didn't have that typical grease taste you find with regular potato chips. Salt levels were very appropriate. They're made with just the right of sea salt to season them without going overboard and making me run for a glass of water. They're extra crunchy and oh so snackable. The stix in the bag are an assortment of red, yellow, and green. They each had a slightly different taste. If I had to rate my favorite colored stix, it would be: red, green, yellow starting with my most favorite! My boyfriend liked the yellow ones best and the red ones were last on his list. So we got along well when we shared a bowl of them!

I have used the SoapBox Shampoo & Conditioner for a few weeks now and truly love the way it makes my hair smell and feel. The consistency of these products is somewhat different from the kind I'm accustomed to using. Well, the conditioner is much thicker anyway. Especially during cold winter months, it is somewhat challenging to coax the conditioner out of the bottle! However, that is about where my complaints end. The natural clean feeling the shampoo provides is so refreshing. Without all the weird chemicals, it still works up to a luxurious lather in your hair. Once you manage to distribute it through your hair (I recommend splashing some water on to help), the conditioner smooths out tangles and rinses easily to leave hair nourished withougt all that residue. I take my showers at night, and my hair is smelling tropical all throughout the following day! But here's the best part: each SoapBox purchase provides either a bar of soap or one month of clean water to somebody in need! So, you can have healthy hair and feel awesome that you helped a person in need. At around $6 for a bottle, it's an easy choice. You can also enter the code on your bottle on their website to see detailed information on where your money went!

The Foot Petals Give 'Em the Boot product is one of my favorites out of this box! What you get are two large insoles which are easily cut to the desired shape and size for the shoe in which you want to put them. These insoles are thick and warm so they're perfect to add to boots during cooler months! They completely transform your ouchie stylish boots to comfy walking boots. I added them to my really cute but not entirely comfortable Blowfish booties and I was fine walking around downtown all day. My complaint is that the insoles are a little thick and I have very high arches. This caused my arches to feel too tight against the upper portion of my shoes. After a while, the tops of my feet where the arches are became irritated. But that probably wouldn't be an issue with roomier boots, or for people with flatter feet.

Let me say that I am a huge tea lover. I drink a cup (or two, or twenty) every day. I enjoy all varieties of tea, from floral white tea to spicy red tea. I don't discriminate; I love Japanese, African, and English tea. Anyway, tea raving aside, I found this Yogi Tea Sweet Tangerine Positive Energy to be a very pleasant cup. The flavor was a little sweeter than what I am used to, as I add no sweeteners to my teas. If you prefer some sugar in your tea, I think you might like to try this one without! It certainly has a sweet citrus flavor. I also found that it was potent enough to refill my cup once more using the same tea bag. I think on the third refill, it lost the majority of its taste. But you can definitely get two cups out of one tea bag (and I didn't use a small mug either). Now, I always make a point to draw calm energy from tea when I drink. It's a practice in mindfulness. I couldn't tell you whether the "positive energy" I felt from this tea was distinct from what I usually feel, but it was there nonetheless! The only potential drawback to this particular tea is that it has that "Yogi Tea" flavor to it. You know what I mean. Some people enjoy that taste (I'm partial to it) and others don't, but it seems present in all their teas and this is no exception.

Not Your Mother's mousse is one of the most delicious things I have ever smelled! Seriously, I was not expecting it to smell this edible... My hair is naturally wavy, borderline curly. So, I inherited some frizz struggles! Sometimes it can be difficult for me to tame my hair. I love using mousse products because I feel that they showcase the natural body of my hair while still keeping the frizz at bay. I was not disappointed in this product. It seems a little less sticky and crunchy than other mousses, and keeps my hair smelling tasty all day!

The day cream from Boots Botanics has worked wonders on my skin! I have combination skin, and I tend to be put off by the feeling of lotions/creams on my face. Go figure, right? I love it anywhere else on my body! Anyway, this cream wasn't too unsettling for me to use on my face. And, actually, during these cold and windy Chicago days, it has really made a difference. Rather than having problems with dry patches of thirsty skin, it has felt soft, even, and moisturized. If I were to buy day creams, I would definitely consider purchasing from Boots Botanics.

SinfulColors is a nail polish brand I have already known and loved for years now. The polish is inexpensive, high quality, and easy to find in stores (with an expansive selection of colors). Since I already trust this brand to come out with a great polish, I was excited to try out the new SinfulShine 2-Step Manicure system! The color I received was this gorgeous purple called "Mystique". The 2-Step system comes with the colored polish and the top coat. I still used my own base coat for this mani to protect my nails of course. And, before sealing the mani with the top coat, I applied some decals. I really enjoy the way this one turned out. The purple shines with such depth, and the light catches a range of colors from pink to blue. You can sort of see the shimmer in this photo, but just trust me that it's even more brilliant in person!

Overall, I was really satisfied with every product in the Spice VoxBox. Best of all, these are all products I actually use! Influenster did a fantastic job putting together this eclectic box. As with all PR samples like this, I received all the products free for honest testing and review purposes. The opinions stated in this blog post are my own. If you are interested in becoming an Influenster product tester, feel free to click here to join for free!