Party Owls and More

Party Owls for my Birthday

My birthday was on Friday, and I had this absolutely adorable Party Owl manicure to help celebrate.  These owl and cupcake water decals are just a few of the great designs that are part of this 10-Piece Water Decal Set from the Born Pretty Store.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, water decals are some of my favorite things.  I am not very good at nail art, but water decals make it so easy to have a really interesting and complicated-looking manicure whenever I want.  If you want to talk about a great deal, this is it.  There are ten sheets of water decals with owls, flowers, and more in this set now available for a sale price of $5.00.  That’s only 50 cents each.  Most of these sheets are available individually for $1-$2 each, so getting them in this set is a huge savings.

BPS 10 Piece Water Decal Set

There are some great designs in this set.  I really love the cartoonish owls and the birds with feathers.  There is a pretty good variety of floral decals.  Some are pop-art and modern, and some are more classic and feminine.  And of course, you know me, I can not wait to use that nautical themed sheet of decals.  There are so many possible manicures out of this set that go from fun and funky to classy and sophisticated.  Here is a closer look.

BPS 10 Piece Water Decal Set

BPS 10 Piece Water Decal Set

BPS 10 Piece Water Decal Set

I haven’t had time to use all 10 sheets of decals, but here is a shot of three different manicures that I have done.  The party owls are over Essie Find Me An Oasis.  The blue flower/butterfly design is over Sinful Colors Snow me White.  The black floral decals are all by themselves with no base color.

BPS 10 Piece Water Decal Set

I can not recommend this 10 Piece Water Decal Set enough.  I really think that it is a great deal.  I have several reviews for products that I have received from the Born Pretty Store, and you can see the other BPS reviews I have done by clicking on the Born Pretty Store link in the “Categories” section on the right hand side of the blog.  As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, the Born Pretty Store is located in China, so shipping will take a while.  It is normal for orders to take 2-4 weeks to ship to the US, and in my experience, I have gotten most of my orders within 2-3weeks.  You should definitely plan ahead if you are ordering something time sensitive like holiday items and order them early.  Orders ship within 24 hours.  Check out the BPS website bornprettstore.com, or their facebook page for more details.  For 10% off any regular priced items from the website, use coupon code BBBK31.

FTC Disclosure: The product reviewed in this post was provided to me for free by Born Pretty Store for consideration.  This does not guarantee a positive review, and my thoughts on these products are 100% honest.  No other type of compensation was accepted.  I do not get any kick backs or compensation from any orders placed.

Bright Stripes Rainbow Nails

Bright Stripes Rainbow Nails

Check out this super fun and colorful manicure using these bright, stripey Water Decals from the Born Pretty Store.  I am so happy with how it came out.  Can I just say that water decals have become my nail art obsession.  They are so easy to use.  The Born Pretty Store has a huge selection of water decals and you can find unique designs like these ones.  I have several reviews for products that I have received from the Born Pretty Store, and you can see the other BPS reviews I have done by clicking on the Born Pretty Store link in the “Categories” section on the right hand side of the blog.  But first, let’s talk about these super bright rainbow decals.

Bright Stripes Water Decals

There are 11 sets of designs on this large sheet, so the possible design combinations are endless.  There are 5 colors, pink, orange, yellow, blue, and green in all 11 design sets, so it is very easy to mix and match elements to create your own unique looks.  The thinner stripes can be a little finicky, so I recommend using tweezers to remove the decal from the backing and place them on the nail.  Once you get the hang of it, they are easy as pie to work with and so much fun.  Here is a closer look.

Bright Stripes Water Decals

Bright Stripes Water Decals

For my manicure, I used Sinful Colors Snow Me White for the base color.  Then I kind of mixed and matched designs that looked interesting to me.  There are so many that I can’t wait to create another look using this sheet.  The only issue that I ran into is that the yellow designs are a little hard to see.  Perhaps with a different base color there would be enough of a contrast that the yellow would show up better, but it got lost into the white.  Even with that one caveat, I definitely recommend this sheet to you.  It’s a great deal to get all of these designs at once instead of having to buy them individually.  Two thumbs up.

Bright Stripes Rainbow Nails

The Bright Stripes Water Decals are on sale for only $3.88.  As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, the Born Pretty Store is located in China, so shipping will take a while.  It is normal for orders to take 2-4 weeks to ship to the US, and in my experience, I have gotten most of my orders within 2-3weeks.  You should definitely plan ahead if you are ordering something time sensitive (like for a vacation or holiday items) and order them early.  Orders ship within 24 hours.  Check out the BPS website bornprettstore.com, or their facebook page for more details.  For 10% off any regular priced items from the website, use coupon code BBBK31.

FTC Disclosure: The product reviewed in this post was provided to me for free by Born Pretty Store for consideration.  This does not guarantee a positive review, and my thoughts on these products are 100% honest.  No other type of compensation was accepted.  I do not get any kick backs or compensation from any orders placed.

Two-Toned Checkered Nails with BPS Water Decals

BPS Checkered Water Decals

Check out this super fun and colorful manicure using checkered Water Decals from the Born Pretty Store.  I am so happy with how it came out.  Can I just say that water decals have become my nail art obsession!  They are so easy to use and they look so professional.  I have several reviews for products that I have received from the Born Pretty Store, and you can see the other BPS reviews I have done by clicking on the Born Pretty Store link in the “Categories” section on the right hand side of the blog.  So, let’s talk about these checker print decals.

BPS Mini Rhombus Grids Water Decals

BPS Mini Rhombus Grids Water Decals

Born Pretty calls these Mini Rhombus Grids, and you can find them (as well as three flower print border decals) by clinking the link.  There are three different sizes of what I call checker print, and then two sizes of a diamond pattern.  They would be great for NASCAR fans who wanted to do a checkered flag manicure for racing day.  When I saw them, all I could picture was a cute pop-art style mani.  I thought the checker border would be great with a colorblock look.  So I scavenged through my nail polish collection or some fun, bright colors, and this is what I came up with.

BPS Checkered Water Decals

I went very budget friendly for this manicure and used e.l.f. nail polish.  Though the colors aren’t coming out true to life for some unfathomable reason, they are close enough to be getting on with.  I have Electric Fuchsia on my thumb and one half of my middle fingers.  I have Teal (which is looking more minty than it should) on the other half of my middle fingers and also on my pointer and pinkie fingers.  I used scotch tape for a clean, crisp line on the colorblocked nails.  I used the widest checker design on my thumbs, and the next size down for the border line on my middle fingers.  For size reference, I used the whole stripe of mid-sized checkers (there are two) on my four middle fingers, but only half of the wide design on my thumbs.  So, basically I have enough that I can do this exact manicure again with the designs provided (plus the diamond and small check patterns, of course).  The water decals were extremely easy to apply, seeing as they were straight lines.  They are definitely beginner-friendly.

BPS Checkered Water Decals

Like I said at the beginning, I really love how this came out and think these decals are great.  The sheet is currently on sale for only $0.99.  As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, the Born Pretty Store is located in China, so shipping will take a while.  It is normal for orders to take 2-4 weeks to ship to the US, and in my experience, I have gotten most of my orders within 2-3weeks.  You should definitely plan ahead if you are ordering something time sensitive (like for a vacation or holiday items) and order them early.  Orders ship within 24 hours.  Check out the BPS website bornprettstore.com, or their facebook page for more details.  For 10% off any regular priced items from the website, use coupon code BBBK31.

FTC Disclosure: The product reviewed in this post was provided to me for free by Born Pretty Store for consideration.  This does not guarantee a positive review, and my thoughts on these products are 100% honest.  No other type of compensation was accepted.  I do not get any kick backs or compensation from any orders placed.

Review: BPS Nautical Themed Water Decals

Nautical Themed Water Decals

I have such a fun product to review for you today.  I really love nautical theming with anchors, compasses or ship’s wheels, so I am all over these adorable nautical themed water decals.  It’s probably my favorite item from the Born Pretty Store that I have gotten so far.  (You can see the other BPS reviews I have done by clicking on the Born Pretty Store link in the “Categories” section on the right hand side of the blog.)  I had so much fun playing with these decals, and I love the look that I created with them.

Nautical Themed Water Decals

There are 20 decal images on this sheet, four each of five different designs.  It’s a pretty good mix of anchors, compass and sextant style images.  You can do all sorts of fun and interesting looks with these decals.  I found them extremely easy to apply, and they did not slip or fold up on me at all.  If you haven’t seen my previous water decal reviews and aren’t sure what water decals are, they are basically temporary tattoos for your nails.  They arrive with a clear plastic sheet over the designs that you remove.  Then cut out the design you want, and soak them in water, peel away the paper backing, and stick them on your nails.  You need to take your time because the paper backing needs to be completely soaked through.  You will know when the decals are ready to be applied when they easily slide off the paper.  Then press them down once they are placed on your nail and don’t touch them until they are completely dry.  These nautical decals are a good medium size size that will work for either long or shorter nails.

Nautical Themed Water Decals

I chose to go with a traditional nautical look with navy and white polish.  I used e.l.f. Skinny Jeans for my outside nails, and Sinful Colors Snow Me White on the two middle fingers.  I then stamped the wave pattern from the BPS stamping plate that I reviewed here with e.l.f. Pot of Gold.  I chose four different decals (two per hand) so that you could see as many as possible.  Everything is topped with Seche Vite.  The above image is my left hand, and my right hand is below.  (Note to self: it is not easy to take a picture of your right hand with no tripod.  The shutter is on the right side of the camera, and things get interesting (read: blurry) when you try to shoot lefty.)

Nautical Themed Water Decals

I really have nothing but love for these water decals.  I can’t get enough of them.  I wore this manicure for six days, and only took it off because the e.l.f. polish was chipping away.  The decals were still going strong.  I highly recommend these Nautical Themed Water Decals.  They are so cool, and really easy to use.  They are currently available from Born Pretty for $2.86.  They would look great in a red, white, and blue Memorial Day or 4th of July mani.  As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, the Born Pretty Store is located in China, so shipping will take a while.  It is normal for orders to take 2-4 weeks to ship to the US, and in my experience, I have gotten most of my orders within 2-3weeks.  You should definitely plan ahead if you are ordering something time sensitive like holiday items and order them early.  Orders ship within 24 hours.  Check out the BPS website bornprettstore.com, or their facebook page for more details.  For 10% off any regular priced items from the website, use coupon code BBBK31.

FTC Disclosure: The product reviewed in this post was provided to me for free by Born Pretty Store for consideration.  This does not guarantee a positive review, and my thoughts on these products are 100% honest.  No other type of compensation was accepted.  I do not get any kick backs or compensation from any orders placed.

Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals fom BPS

Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals

I am loving these Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals that I received from the Born Pretty Store.  I have several reviews of their products up now, so be sure to click on the Born Pretty Store link under “Categories” on the right hand side of the blog to see all the items that I have received from Born Pretty and how they worked for me.  The cool zipper pattern set is an item that I have been eying since BPS first contacted me in June, so I am glad that I am finally getting a chance to review it.  Read on to see my thoughts.

Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals

This item is the Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals, but there are similar zipper patterned water decals that Born Pretty sells.  The Fashion Zip Fastener Zipper Water Decals are also available.  They are a little different than these ones.  I chose the Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals because they have both the gold and black zippers on one sheet, so they are a little more versatile.  The black ones really inspired my playful side.  I love zipper patterns, and the subtle punk vibe they offer.  I had to give these decals a try.

Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals

This is my third attempts at using water decals, and this time around it could not have been easier.  If you have been reading along, you know that the previous two attempts have been a little tricky, but that was not the case here at all.  If you aren’t sure what water decals are, they are basically temporary tattoos for your nails.  They arrive with a clear plastic sheet over the designs that you remove.  Then cut out the design you want, soak the designs in water, peel away the paper backing, and stick them on your nails.  You need to take your time because the paper backing needs to be soaked through.  You will know when the decals are ready to be applied when they slide off the paper backing with ease.  You do need to be careful placing them on the nail because, although they don’t easily tear, they can get wrinkled up and fold onto themselves.  It is nearly impossible to unfold them once they are stuck to themselves that way, so use some tweezers to help yourself out.  Once on your nails they can slip around a little while they are still wet, so press them down once they are placed, and then don’t touch them until they are completely dry.  I had absolutely no issues whatsoever.  These decals were a snap to use and took no time.  These smaller designs are so much easier to use than the full nail decals that I have used in the past.  I highly recommend that beginners start with smaller patterns like these.

Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals

Since I’m not a young whippersnapper anymore, I didn’t want to go too wild and crazy with the punk zippers.  I actually love the subtlety of the zippers against the staid bluish background.  The base color here is Zoya Bevin from the 2012 True Spring Collection, and the contrast accent color is Sinful Colors Athens from the 2012 Castaway Collection.  The combination is a little bit more sophisticated, but still fun.  I love the look.  I really, really love it.  I am definitely getting more of these Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals and will probably get the Fashion Zipper Decals as well, which I think are more of a metallic finish.  If you like zipper accents, then these are the bomb dot com.  The only negative thing I have to say, and it’s a nit-picky thing, is that I don’t love how some of the zipper pulls cut off.  It’s fine for the longer designs that end at your nail’s edge, but that’s not possible with all of the designs.  I would have preferred full zipper pulls on more of the designs, but again, that’s being really nit-picky.  These decals are great.

Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals

The Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals are priced at $1.68 on the BPS website.  Their prices are usually pretty good.  As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, the Born Pretty Store is located in China, so shipping will take two to three weeks.  On the upside, shipping is free worldwide with no minimum purchase amount, and orders ship within 24 hours.  Check out their website bornprettstore.com, or facebook page for more details.  For 10% off any regular priced items from the website, use coupon code BBBK31.  I have been pleased with all of the items Born Pretty has sent me for review, but these Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals may be my favorite.  They were just so easy to use, and they look great.  I am sold, and definitely recommend them.

FTC Disclosure: The product reviewed in this post was provided to me for free by Born Pretty Store for consideration.  This does not guarantee a positive review, and my thoughts on these products are 100% honest.  No other type of compensation was accepted.

Celestial Floral Pattern Water Decals

BPS Celestial Floral Pattern Water Decals

Today I have the Celestial Floral Pattern Water Decals from the Born Pretty Store to show you.  You may remember my first experience with water decals that I shared with you here.  Well, the Born Pretty Store was kind enough to send me a few more items to review, and I chose these gorgeous Celestial Floral Pattern Water Decals.  Though a bit tricky, I really wanted to give water decals another shot because I loved the look the last set gave me.  Here is what they look like.

BPS Celestial Floral Pattern Water Decals

Unlike the floral pattern that I chose last time, these decals are full patterns and can’t be cut up.  Because I cut the previous pattern, I was able to do all ten fingers and still have four full decals out of the original ten left for future manicures.  That technique won’t work with this pattern.  You will need to use a full Celestial Floral Pattern Water Decal per nail, so this set of twelve is only good for one manicure.  The pattern is absolutely gorgeous.  You my recall that the last pattern that I tried was on the transparent side, so they basically disappeared over a dark base of polish.  That won’t happen with this pattern.  The colored part has a white under layer to keep the colors true, no matter what is underneath.  I chose to use O.P.I. 2011 Limited Edition Muppets Collection shade in Designer… de Better as my base to make the black lace detailing really stand out.  I also topped with Seche Vite so that they would really shine.

BPS Celestial Floral Pattern Water Decals

Water decals can be a little finicky.  They are basically temporary tattoos for your nails.  They arrive with a clear plastic sheet over the designs that you remove.  Then cut out the design you want, soak the designs in water, peel away the paper backing, and stick them on your nails.  You need to take your time.  Wine helps.  You will know when the decals are ready to be applied when they slide off the paper backing with ease.  You need to be careful placing them on the nail because, although they don’t easily tear, they can get wrinkled up and fold onto themselves.  It is nearly impossible to unfold them once they are stuck to themselves that way.  Once on your nails, it can be tricky to straighten them out because they will tend to slip.  I had a hard time lining up the Celestial Floral Pattern so that they were straight and even across all of my fingers, with no creases or bubbles.  Just be patient, and let them dry completely before applying topcoat.  It takes practice, but the final product is gorgeous.

BPS Celestial Floral Pattern Water Decals

I feel like I still need practice when it comes to water decals.  I can’t get over how awesome they look, but they are kind of a pain for a newbie.  I am certain that they will get easier to apply with time and experience, but if you have never used them before, you should know going in that they aren’t as user friendly as stickers or even SH Salon Effects, which are my nail wraps of choice.  I can’t argue with the final product, though.  I mean, just LOOK at them!  The pattern is so beautiful.  I will probably keep trying to master water decals in the future because, despite being frustrating until you are used to them, they are so worth it.

Born Pretty Store

The Celestial Floral Pattern Water Decals are only $1.99.  Born Pretty has some very good prices on nail products.  You should know that the Born Pretty Store is located in China, so shipping takes a long while.  Plan on two to three weeks.  On the upside, shipping is free worldwide with no minimum purchase amount, and orders ship within 24 hours.  Check out their website bornprettstore.com, or facebook page for more details.  For 10% off any regular priced items from the website, use coupon code BBBK31.  I have been enjoying the items that the Born Pretty Store sent to me, and have a few more, so expect to see those reviews coming soon.

FTC Disclosure: The product reviewed in this post was provided to me for free by Born Pretty Store for consideration.  This does not guarantee a positive review, and my thoughts on these products are 100% honest.  No other type of compensation was accepted.

 

Experimenting with Born Pretty Store Water Decals

Born Pretty Store Floral Water Decals

As you know if you read my post featuring my Disney Themed Manicure, I was contacted by the Born Pretty Store to review some Nail Art products.  You can find them online at bornprettystore.com.  I had heard great things about the Born Pretty Store from various blogs and youtubers, but had never ordered anything myself.  I was happy to try out the products that Born Pretty sent me.  Here is a picture of everything.

Born Pretty Store

I was sent a Disney themed stamping plate, floral water decals, and a set of dried flowers.  Today I am focusing on the floral water decals.  I had never heard of water decals until the Born Pretty Store contacted me.  They are basically temporary tattoos for your nails.  They arrive with a clear plastic sheet over the designs that you remove.  Then cut out the design you want, soak the designs in water, peel away the paper backing, and stick them on your nails.  I loved temporary tattoos as a kid, so I had to give them a try.

Born Pretty Store Floral Water Decals

Born Pretty Store Floral Water Decals Instructions

The 1 sheet Beautiful Colored Rose Flower Floral Pattern Nail Water Decals come in four different patterns that you can see here (Floral Nail Water Decals).  I chose pattern 1621 because the gorgeous blue and purple flowers looked so awesome.  It may be hard to tell, but 1621 has tiny gold glitter accents in the center of the flowers.  It is very subtle, but it is there.  The single sheet comes with ten decals that need to be cut apart.  If you have very long nails, that means that there is no room for error for a full floral manicure.  If your nails are shorter, you have a little bit more room to play because you can cut the designs up and use one decal on two nails.  Luckily for me my nails are short to medium length, because I needed the extra help.  The directions sounded easy enough, but there is actually a pretty steep learning curve.

Born Pretty Store Floral Water Decals

My first attempt at using the water decals was a total failure.  I didn’t realize that they would be so transparent, so I first tried them over black polish.  I thought the flowers would look amazing over black, but the sheer pattern basically disappeared and could not be seen at all over black.  I also didn’t let the decal soak in water long enough because it would not stick to my nail.  That seems to be they key- letting the decals really saturate with water.  My second attempt was much more successful (as you can see).  I gave myself lovely blue tips with Wet n Wild I Need a Refresh-Mint and applied the decals over that.  You will know when the decals are ready to be applied when they slide off the paper backing with ease.  You need to be careful placing them on the nail because, although they don’t easily tear, they do get crinkled up easily and it’s hard to unfold them.  It can be tricky straightening them out and getting rid of any creases.  Just be patient, and let them dry completely before applying topcoat.  It takes practice, but the final product is gorgeous.

Born Pretty Store Floral Water Decals

I love how these came out.  I think it looks almost professional.  I applied the full nail design to my middle finger so that you can see what that looks like, but otherwise, I played around with the designs, choosing individual flowers or small groupings to put on each nail.  For my ring finger I chose to show you what a couple small flowers off center would look like, almost as if they are growing out from the side of the nail.  You can do some interesting designs, even within the parameters of the given pattern.  Because I did it this way, I was able to do all ten fingers (plus the one decal that was wasted on my first attempt), and still have four full decals left for future manicures.  Again, those with very long nails, will have to use the whole sheet for a full floral manicure.

Born Pretty Store Floral Water Decals

I really love the way the floral water decals look on my nails.  They are so beautiful and professional-looking.  But I have to admit that for a first timer, applying them was a pain.  I feel like I have the hang of them now and would be willing to try them again, but boy howdy, was I frustrated at first.  They certainly aren’t simple stickers, I can tell you that much.  The Born Pretty Store is located in China, so shipping takes a long while.  Plan on two to three weeks.  On the upside, shipping is free worldwide with no minimum purchase amount, and orders ship within 24 hours.  Check out their website, or facebook page for more details.  For 10% off any order from the website, use coupon code BBBK31.  I have been enjoying my items that the Born Pretty Store sent to me.  I still have the review for the dried flowers coming soon, so keep an eye out or that.

FTC Disclosure: The products reviewed in this post were provided to me for free by Born Pretty Store for consideration.  This does not guarantee a positive review, and my thoughts on these products are 100% honest.  No other compensation was accepted.