Alli’s Guide to Buying Makeup and Beauty Products Online

Hello everyone!  I’m honestly surprised with the amount of followers I’ve made already, and I want to let you all know that I have big ideas for my blog that I’m waiting to implement sometime next week.  I want to thank everyone for reading my posts and I’m looking forward to being able to post regularly for everyone.  I just moved to another state and I have my personal possessions in two different storage units, one in California, and on in Missouri.  Yikes.. I’m waiting on my things from California to arrive before I drive to Missouri to pick up the rest myself.  I really look forward to giving my followers a great source of information, so I’m going to start off with this guide that I’m hoping will provide some new information about shopping online!

Last updated: 11/13/15

Most of the time when I tell my friends I shop online, they ask me why.  Plain and simple, I get better deals and I don’t have to fit any extra trips into my already busy schedule.  I like shopping online because I can choose from a wide variety, research the products on the computer, and then make a purchase online without sitting in the store for 30 minutes or being pressured by employees.  Buying online is great when I accidentally run out of a product I use everyday and would feel awkward going into a makeup store without it.  When I was a young teenager, I would also feel embarrassed to go into makeup stores because I had no idea what I was really getting into.  Basically, I find it easier to compare deals between suppliers and I feel like it’s safer shopping during busy holidays, especially if you have kids!

Before we start talking about actually buying makeup, I’m going to share some places where you can get some really good reviews and decide if the product is worth buying or not.  Besides going on official store websites and reading reviews, I like to check out Temptalia and then Youtube.

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Temptalia.com is a fantastic website to view product photos, extensive reviews, swatches, and user reviews.  I find that the reviews are very honest and to my best knowledge, have been very similar to my own opinions.  My favorite thing about the blog is that she keeps her blog updated and reports on limited edition pallets.  Her swatches are fantastic because her website shows dupes and gives the reader ways to save money.  I like not having to sit through a 10-30 minute review and just get the information I’m looking for on one page.

After I decide that I am interested in a product, I go on Youtube to learn how to apply it or get ideas for possible makeup looks with the product.  This step is important because no one wants to buy a product they don’t know how to use.  Usually if you step into a Sephora, they will tell you how to apply it.  However, if you don’t have a Sephora store close to you, the internet is the next best thing.  There are a lot of really great makeup artists on Youtube that have amazing reviews where you can see the product in action.

When you are set on buying a product, it’s important to do some research on online sales going on.  Whenever I purchase, I always use Ebates if I can.  I installed their toolbar so the little icon flashes when I can activate Ebates.  So far I have only received 7 dollars back, but as long as it’s something extra I can do to save money, I do it.  You should also sign up for any rewards program before you buy anything so you can start earning towards free rewards for continued business.

Similar to Ebates, I have heard of Studentrate.com but I have personally never tried them.  I plan on trying them and Ebates, possibly to see if they work at the same time, next time I make an order online.

Ulta carries a few popular brand names, but not nearly as many as Sephora.  Ulta also has some lines that are exclusive to their store, like It Cosmetics.  Shopping at Ulta’s website has a lot of advantages over shopping at their store.  For one example, online deals always include more than their store deals.  The only item I pick up exclusively at their store is my free birthday gift.  The great thing about Ulta is their gifts with purchases, and you can’t always get every GWP available if you shop at their store.

I LOVE Ulta’s Reward system.  The only downside is that their reward points expire each month unless you go platinum.  Going platinum isn’t very expensive, all you have to do is spend 400 dollars within the year to get platinum for the rest of the year.  When you go platinum, you get exclusive deals that the normal shopper won’t receive and you also get higher point multipliers whenever Ulta has an event going on.   When you go platinum, you can also get free GWPs with any purchase amount as well, but those deals are only online.  They also send out 5x points on specific brands and 1-day only sales up to 50% off single items. When I went platinum, my 3x point e-mails turned into 5x point e-mails.  Points turn directly into money back which you can spend however you want.  The store also carries drugstore items that may not be at the drugstore, so you can buy in bulk without having to go up and down the isles looking for the exact product you want.

The downside to shopping at Ulta.com is the wait time, their shipping takes a little longer than a week and it’s expensive to upgrade.  I don’t really like waiting a long time, but buying in advance is key to enjoying ordering products online.

I have shopped at Sephora since I was a teenager and I have spent a lot of money here, but unfortunately I never made a Beauty Insider account so I ended up missing out on a lot of points so don’t forget to make an account before you checkout!  So far, I can say that the rewards program is just “okay”.  The points you save up don’t expire, which is fantastic, but you can’t trade your points in for money.  Instead, you have a select few gift or full size items to choose from.  I didn’t like that aspect as much as the money back aspect because you don’t have free reign over how you spend your points.  Every dollar = 1 point, so it’s difficult to obtain a high amount of points unless you spend a lot of money or take advantage of events where you get free points with your purchase.

The amount of products at Sephora is also a big plus.  When they have items on sale, I usually have a lot of brands to choose from, silently hoping they have a product I’ve been wanting to buy on sale.  You also get to pick 3 free samples when you checkout.  So far, I have been a little disappointed with their free samples because most of them come with no packaging and instead come with the little “baggy” I have to cut open to use, so the product goes bad if I don’t use it ALL right away.  I have also had issues with Sephora not sending me the sample I requested, most likely because they ran out of stock.  They do, however, send a replacement sample.

Sephora’s shipping is amazing.  Sephora has new “Flash” 2-day shipping for 10 dollars and it lasts the entire year.  If you are Rouge status, you can get flash for free.  If you have flash, you can upgrade your order for 6 dollars to receive overnight.  Normal customers get free 3-day shipping on orders over 50 dollars.  Orders under 50 dollars can get three day shipping for 6 dollars.

I have a really good relationship with Amazon, but not when it comes to buying beauty products.  Although it isn’t makeup, I have ordered shampoo and conditioner and I could have sworn it was a knock-off.  Amazon is great on customer service and let you return items free of charge.  This can be a bad thing, however, because you don’t know if you’re getting a new item or not.  I have never worked for Amazon, so I don’t know if this is true or not, but I have heard chatter that some people will empty the high-end shampoo bottle and replace the contents with low-end shampoo, then return the product back to Amazon claiming they never used it.  Of course, if you run into this problem with your products, Amazon is really easy to work with as far as getting a refund for a faulty product.

Besides hair product thievery, I have read dozens of reviews about shattered makeup pallets upon delivery or customers receiving old product.  After my issue with the shampoo and conditioner, I decided to stray away from Amazon.  I have Amazon Prime and get free 2-day shipping, but it still wasn’t worth it to me because returning a product is still a hassle, and the point of shopping online is to avoid hassles.  I might shop for items that couldn’t be easily destroyed upon shipping like makeup brushes or other makeup tools.

If you have Amazon Prime, you can get pretty fast shipping on anything that is Prime eligible which is usually 1-2 days.  Not many prestige brands ship for prime, but if you find one, the shipping is really fantastic.

QVC, QVC, QVC!  This was the place I’ve been looking for.  The deals are everywhere.  You can get 2 for the price of one, product with a 20-50 dollar brush INCLUDED without any additional charge.  This is fantastic because you can save gobs of money.  The downside is the long shipping time and no rewards points, to my knowledge.  QVC doesn’t carry nearly as many brands as Sephora or even Ulta, but if they have one product you’ve been looking for a deal on, this is the place to double-check.  The brands I have seen are bare Minerals|Bare Bare Escentuals, Kat Von D, It Cosmetics, Tarte, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Dior, Julep, Laura Geller, Lipstick Queen, Mally Beauty, NUDESTIX, Stila, a few skincare brands, and a few other makeup brands I’m not familiar with.  Even though the shipping is a long wait, I think the deals are worth it.

Sometimes Zulily has prestige makeup brands in stock, and they are always easy to spot on the “New Today” page.  I have seen skincare lines as well.  The only thing about catching these deals is that they are usually only around for 3 days.  After about 3 days, they go off of the website and you’re unable to buy them.  When prestige brands show up, they also sell out pretty fast so it’s difficult to get an item you’ve been looking forward to getting.  I’d say that this may be one of the last places to check for deals because they don’t really cater to beauty products the same way they cater to clothes.  Zulily shipping is not very fast.  The times in which you receive your order can be all over the place.  You can, of course, pay for faster shipping, but not everyone wants to do that.

If you buy beauty items from the “Ready to Ship” area of the website, you can get your order a lot faster than you would be able to if you ordered from the new items available.  However, most of the “Ready to Ship” items are off-brand, so it’s hard telling the quality of the product if you’ve never heard of the brand before.  If you’re looking to save money and prefer trying off-brand items, this may be the place for you!  Above all, I think it’s good if you’re looking for beauty products besides makeup, but the shipping speed is something to keep in mind.  Buy in advance!

Shopping on the brand’s official website is also a no-brainer as far as options go.  I haven’t done this yet, however, because I always find a better deal somewhere else.  I think that the time to buy on brand sites is if they have a crazy holiday sale and the product you’re looking for is on sale on their website.  Most brand websites, if not all of them, give you a coupon code for 15-30% off your first order on their website for signing up with your e-mail address.  I only know of one brand website that gives you reward points, which is Tarte.  I feel like this is the downside.  Without reward points, parts of me feel like I’m missing out and making empty purchases.

That’s all for my guide so far!  I hope this article can help someone find better deals online.  If you know of any other online stores or have any experiences you want to share, feel free to comment!  

Ouidad 3-product Review for Curly Girls

I still don’t have my computer and it might be a week or so until I will, but for now I’m trying to add as many photos as I can.  I decided I would review a few Ouidad products because they’re right here in my bathroom!  Sometime this week I’ll update my CULT cosmetics nail review with swatches of each color along with a new nail look since my nails are starting to chip a bit.  I’m also planning on reviewing Philosophy skin care, Pureology curly shampoo and conditioner, and a few Vichy products.

Products in this review:

Ouidad Superfruit Renewal Clarifying Cream Shampoo

Ouidad Climate Control

Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave-in Conditioner

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I want to start off by saying that I am really fortunate to have curly hair that is as manageable and as forgiving as mine is.  My hair is a few inches under my armpit, so I do need to shower in the morning to “re-activate” or “reset” my curl pattern after a crazy night of sleep, but I only use 3-4 products on it, including shampoo and conditioner.  I’m going to focus on my “extra” products and the Ouidad line exclusively in this review.  My hair curls in ringlets and is mostly straight on the top, save for my bangs, and my hair is thin.  I also have sensitive skin and my scalp tends to get dry, which are some factors to consider while reading my reviews.

The Ouidad Superfruit Renewal was the first shampoo I tried from Ouidad.  I decided to try this shampoo at a time when my hair’s roots were getting an icky “sticky” feeling in the morning after I woke up and even after a shower when my hair dried.  I bought this shampoo and my humidity control during an Ulta special, so I got the leave-in conditioner bottle free with my purchase.  I use this shampoo when my hair has a lot of buildup and I want to “Clean it all out” so-to-speak.  I don’t use this shampoo on a daily basis, and I don’t really think you’re supposed to, but I tend to use it more on a weekly basis when I need it.  If you’re looking for a shampoo that will clean the ick out of your scalp and without making it dry, this is a great shampoo for that purpose.  I used this exclusively on my bangs before because they used to absorb the oil from my forehead the day after I took a shower and it worked great.  The result is a really “airy” light kind of feeling on your roots and they really do feel clean after you use this shampoo.  As far as the bottle size and price, I can honestly say that Ouidad products are worth it to me.  I have had this shampoo for a few months now and when I do use it, a little goes a long way.

Ouidad Climate Control is a favorite hair product of mine.  I have switched between a few after-shower products but this is one I’ve stayed with.  As you can see in the photo, I just recently purchased a second bottle.  Wait until I tell you that I had my first bottle for longer than one YEAR before it was running out.  Even now, there is more product lingering at the bottom.  I wish it was easier for me to get the rest of the product out however, and these bottles don’t stand upside-down on their own so it’s difficult to get the last few drops out.  I decided to buy a backup bottle anyway because I knew it was really going to last me a long time.

Like other Ouidad products, a little goes a long way.  I use a nickle-sized amount on my hair when I get out of the shower.  Before I exit the shower, I squeeze my hair with my hands to get excess water out, then I apply the climate control to the bottom half of my hair, starting at the bottom of my skull where my neck begins.  If you apply the climate control when your hair isn’t wet enough or if you apply too much, it will dry unevenly and give parts of your hair a weird “crunchy/greasy” look, which no one wants.  I apply it and comb it through with my fingers, making sure it is making its way into my hair evenly.  I scrunch the bottom of my curls with my palms towards my face, which is another common curly girl technique.  I think that you can never over-scrunch!

The climate control aspect of this product is no joke.  I had to walk to work once on a very humid day, and it was the best way to test this product.  I put this in my hair and let me tell you, I had the best curly-hair day in a long time.  The humidity actually made my hair curl better without getting all big and puffy.  I’m sure the results may be different depending on curl type, but I was impressed.  This product also helps with the frizzy and un-curly part of my hair, which is usually on the back side of my head due to me having layers cut.

After I apply climate control, I add the moisture lock in leave-in conditioner to the very ends of my curls.  I only use a dime-sized portion and rub it between my palms, then distribute with some more scrunching.

Ouidad is a product I first started using when I was in high school and I will most likely keep using it.  If you’ve never tried Ouidad before, I recommend trying the humidity control as an after-shower step for a few weeks, until you can observe any noticeable effects.   I will continue to use it simply because it helps my hair curl better.  These products are a little pricey, but they last me a really long time and I use their after-shower products literally after every shower I take.  If you’re still not wanting to spend this much money on hair products, I’d recommend waiting until Ulta has a deal on these products because I think they’re worth a try.

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CULT Cosmetics Nailpolish Review

I just moved to Texas and I don’t have my personal computer with me, so it’s pretty difficult trying to get all of my photos together on a borrowed laptop.  Did I mention I prefer desktops?  Well, we are sleeping on inflatable beds and sleeping in sleeping bags.  We have no furniture, so I can’t complain much about my main source of entertainment.  I really can’t wait until I can add some fun photos to my blog and make it look all fancy pants.  Until that time comes, I managed to I pull enough photos together to review this nail polish brand, so here goes.

I mysteriously received an e-mail from Cult Cosmetics about a nail polish buy 2 get 3 free deal that was going on.  I don’t remember giving them my e-mail address but I was weak in the knees for more colors, so I hopped on the site to see what it was all about.  The polishes were certainly not cheap at 12 dollars a bottle plus shitting, but they were based in California and I was IN California then, so I figured the shipping speed would be decent.

I bought 4 colors and a base coat.  I picked up Los Feliz, Breakwater, El Porto, and a pink shade I don’t even see on there anymore! I’ll have to check my bottle.  The base coat I bought was the Botanical Base Coat.  Part of me regrets my selection, but it was mostly based off of need rather than want.  At this point, I didn’t even have a white nail polish, a bright pink polish, and I just ran out of base coat.

Their color polishes go on very well.  I can’t say I’m in love with the applicator brush, but it does its job.  I think my main problem with it is that it feels big for some reason, as if it takes up too much of my nail.  The white went on fantastically and with my other products, my nails stayed perfect for almost a month.  The base coat was alright, I suggest using a decent amount of product for the base.  I used to skip on base coats, but this base coat worked great for me when I applied more than I usually do.

What I ended up not liking about the polishes was the packaging of the product.  I was using my pink shade for the second time when the square top “shell” came loose from the actual nail polish top.  I got really upset because I felt like the square top was something that wasn’t so cheaply added on.  Not to mention, I ended up smudging my nails wondering why the heck the polish lid wasn’t coming off and why it was making a weird scraping noise when I turned it.

Polishes were packed loose with bubble wrap

Package upon arrival. Took about a week.

The broken cap on my pink polish! A tad disappointed.

Using the white polish under stamping

After purchasing these polishes, I decided to do some background snooping online.  I really should have done this before I made my purchase.  There seems to be mixed opinions about CULT and some other claimed that they received e-mails from them.  I got a little worried,but I was happy enough with what I got to dismiss other people’s opinions.

Would I buy from them again?  Probably not, unless they had a discount or another offer.  I ended up paying for two polishes plus shipping, so even with the discount I was paying around 36 dollars.  I shot for some basic colors to test the waters but for that price, I don’t think they have enough unique polishes for it to be worth it.  Parts of me wish I could have tested their sparkly top coats, but part of me is glad I copped out on them.  I think the big pull was the fact that they were 5-free, vegan, and they had a special.  Personally, I bought 1-3 dollar polishes that look just as good on my nails.  The difference with these is that they last a bit longer, the polish is thick, and it has consistently been easy to apply despite the large brush.  Honestly, I would have rather spent the money on Essie polishes simply because “playdate” always goes on perfectly.

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Trying “Smoky” Nails

After watching NovaNailsInc’s video on “Smoky” nails on Youtube, I decided to get them a try myself.  I really like wearing darker polishes, and I thought that the “Smoked” look gave black polish a little bit more of an edge.  I think the smoked look can be used to add a lot of variety, especially if you’re wanting to mix up your nail designs a bit.

For my entire look, I used: Milani top coat mixed, Sally Hansen X-treme black, Sally Hansen diamond quick dry, Seche Vite top coat, Konad stamping polish black, CiCi & SiSi stamping plate, and a Pueen stamper.

I went to the store and picked up some nail polishes to test this trick with.  By the way, when I say “the store”, I mean Walmart. I found some low-priced top coats so I picked up two just in case I messed up.  For my black polish, I picked up Sally Hansen X-Treme in black.  I took them back to the hotel and opened one top coat bottle and the Sally Hansen polish.

I bought two Milani brand top coats. They were about 1 dollar each. The one of the left is what my mixed one looks like.

I wasn’t sure how many drops of black to put into the top coat because I wasn’t sure if it varied from brand to brand, so I tested along the way.  I put in 20 drops and stopped, thinking it was enough.  20 didn’t work well for me though and I ended up adding about 33 drops into the top coat.  When I felt like that was enough, I shook the bottle and began applying.  My first attempt didn’t turn out so great and I could see the black streaks in the top coat.  I had to REALLY shake the bottle and let the black settle before getting a good result.  I ended up with a good result after 2 coats.

After the polish, I stamped with CiCi and SiSi and Konad, then added Matte Magic by China Glaze because I felt like they were too shiny.  The shiney-ness might be due to the quality of the top coat.  Although the polish looks like a solid gray polish, my nails were long enough to have the translucent effect when held up to a light and outside.  I don’t wear fake nails so my nails aren’t as long as the one in the Youtube video, but I was still pretty happy with the results even though they weren’t as dramatic.  I think this trick would work great to create new shades of existing colors at a low price.  I’m looking forward to creating a translucent white and rose colored polish.

Result after 2 coats and stamping

Result after matte

Translucent-ness!

Introduction to Nail Stamping

Have you ever wondered how some people paint their nails with amazing patterns that look close to impossible to do without being a professional nail artist?  Many people jump through hoops using tips and tricks trying to get patterns to appear perfect, but nail stamping skips all the pain and agony.  Using just a few steps, you can achieve the look you want without spending 6 hours on your nails.  Nail stamping is the technique of transferring designs from a metal plate to a stamper, then onto your nail.  I have read other nail stamping tutorials while I was learning how to nail stamp, so I thought I would compile all of the resources into one post.

Quick Links: Store list for nail stamping products

Last Updated: 11/14/15

Before I begin talking about nail stamping, you’re going to need to buy or locate the following items:

1. 100% Acetone.  This is used to clean your stamping plates between transfers.
2. A stamping polish.  If you don’t have any stamping polish, you can attempt stamping using a high quality, thick, and highly pigmented nail polish.  Pictured: Konad Black.
3. Nail stamping plates.  When you first buy your plates, they may have a film attached to the metal like the plate on the left.  Before use, make sure to remove the film.  After removed, your plates will look like the one on the right. Pictured: CiCi&SiSi nail stamping plates.
4. Stampers.  You should have at least 1 nail stamper. Pictured: Konad double ended and Pueen Double ended.
5. A sticky lint roller.  This is the only way you should be cleaning your stampers.  A stinky lint roller is really important if you want clean, crisp images and if you want to care for your stampers.
6. At least one scraper.  Pictured: Old hotel keycards.
7. A way to apply acetone.  I personally use a towel because I don’t like using cotton pads, but cotton pads will work.  Use this to clean your image plates.

After you locate or purchase the above items, follow these steps to begin nail stamping:

1. Apply stamping polish to a design on your stamping plate
2. Slide the scraper on the metal plate to remove excess nail polish from the design etching
3. Use the stamper to pick up the nail polish remaining on the stamping plate’s design etching
4. Push or roll the stamper onto your nail.  Make sure that your base color is 100% dry.
5. After you have transferred the design onto your nail, clean your stamper using your sticky lint roller.
6. Clean the plate with 100% acetone using your preferred method of removing nail polish.
7. Repeat until done.

1. Before you stamp your image onto your nails, make sure your nails are completely dry.  After I add my base color, I apply Sally Hansen’s “Top Coat Dries Instantly” when my nails become tacky to speed up the drying process.
2. Stamp designs are applied with a thinner coat of nailpolish and therefore are easier to remove from your nail.  If you mess up your design, you can use nail polish remover (Not 100% acetone) in attempt to remove the flawed design.
3. After you transfer your design, applying a final top coat is important to keeping your nail design long lasting.  I use Seche Vite as my final top coat.
4. Learn how to “Float” your top coats.  “Floating” refers to applying polish to your nail without the brush tip touching the polish.  Floating your top coat prevents your design from smearing or smudging from the brush tip rubbing against your designs.  To float, apply a big drop of polish and manipulate the “top” of the polish bubble to cover the rest of your nail.
5. Clean your nails, stamper, and plates, before you stamp.  Stamp in a well-lit room and make sure your stamp and plate is free of dust or other tiny particles to ensure a crisp image will be stamped.
6. If your stamper is not working, make sure you primed it.  Also, make sure to check that any thin film is removed from your stamping plate.
7. Never ever clean your stamper with acetone.  Always use a sticky lint roller.
8. Don’t use metal scrapers on your stamping plates or they will eventually scratch your plates.

Stamping Polish – You can use certain brands of thick high-quality nail polish to try stamping.  These are polishes that can cover your nail on the first coat.  I tried this to begin with and I got really frustrated because the images wouldn’t transfer properly.  I prefer to use a good stamping polish because there is a lower chance of failure.  The brand that I began using is Konad because I heard a lot of great things about it.  I purchased it trough Amazon and waited a week to get it.  I bought the black and white Konad and so far, both of them have worked perfectly for stamping.  There are a lot of other brands out there that I plan on trying soon as well but I recommend Konad for beginners because it is easy to work with.  The price ranges from 6-8 dollars a bottle depending on shipping method and if it is on sale.  I have had a great experience with Konad’s white and black stamping polishes, but I have heard mixed results about their metallic colors.  Another great brand I’ve heard about besides Konad is Mundos de Unas, which I’m looking forward to trying myself!

Do you NEED special stamping polish?  No.  You can try the polishes you have already, as long as they’re thick.  I can’t guarantee they will work as well, but some stampers use other polishes because of the color variety.  If you’re first starting out, I think it’s best to start out with a stamping polish until you get more comfortable with the process, then try experimenting.  Stamping can be very frustrating when it just doesn’t work.  I felt that frustration myself when I was first beginning.  Sometimes it’s best to have success so you can dabble in failure without feeling like quitting all together.

Buy Konad on Amazon: [Link]

Stamping Plates – Stamping plates are metal plates that have designs etched into them.  Different brands have different quality plates.  The first set of plates I bought were Cici and Sisi Plates I bought off of Amazon.  They worked great for me when I was starting out and the set came with a lot of designs.  I paid 30 dollars for my plate set and it came with a stamper, which was the first stamper I used.  When selecting a plate set that will work good for you, measuring your nail bed and nail length is important.  Some stamping plates have designs that are too large and won’t show up well if your nails are smaller.  The opposite is also true.  Most stores selling plates have dimension information on each design so you can be sure the design will look great on your nails.

A very popular and loved brand is MoYou London.  Some plates pop up on Amazon that include prime shipping, so it’s best to be on the lookout for those!  MoYou’s plates are more expensive, at around 15 dollars each.  The link at the top of the post includes other great shops for unique plates that have fun designs.  Not all plates are as expensive.  You can find many 1-5 dollar plates at Bundle Monster that work just fine.

Here is a link to the CiCi&SiSi plates I purchased on Amazon: [Link]

Scrapers – Nail scrapers will sometimes come with nail stamping kits or with a stamper.  I advise against using scrapers that are metal because they will eventually create scratches on your stamping plates.  The plastic ones are alright, but many of these scrapers are small in size and flimsy.  I use cards for scrapers.  You can use old gift cards, old credit/debit cards, old store cards, old school IDs, hotel room keys, ect.

After putting your polish on your plate, you should scrape with the scraper in a diagonal motion that mimics the design you’re trying to stamp.  Stamping designs that are geometric, solid, or lots of lines is difficult because you need the right amount of polish, applied to the right areas, with the right applied motion in order to fill all the spaces correctly.  Alternatively, you can put gobs of stamping polish and then scrape, but that’s just a waste of money.  Let’s say you’re trying to use an image that has lines that start at the top left and go to the bottom right.  You want to think about the direction you’re planning to scrape.  I usually scrape top left to bottom right.  I would put the polish on the top left corner, a little on the sides and a little in the middle.

Stampers – Here is where things get tricky.  There are many different kinds of stampers and some stampers work better for different people.  For example, my nails are wide and grow very long.  They have a prominent C-curve so I prefer to use a marshmallow stamper.  A marshmallow stamper is super squishy and soft so you press down on the plate to pick up, then press on your nail to apply.  A marshmallow will cover all angels of your nails, including the sides.  If you have short nails that are flat, you may prefer to get a hard flat stamper that you roll to apply your image.  It’s best to start with one stamper you think you might like, then branch off to others if you begin to want something better.

Owning more than one stamper is not a waste.  For example, I ordered Konad’s stamper not knowing it was hard.  However, I use it for my toenails because my toenails are flat compared to my finger nails.  I also use the small side of it to pick up smaller single image designs because it’s a lot smaller than my marshmallow and won’t pick up any extra patterns.  Having more than one stamper also allows you to complete advanced stamping techniques easier, like mirror stamping, color stamping, and decal stamping.  I’ll talk about that later.

When you first buy your stamper, you need to prime it.  To prime a stamper, you need to buff the top using an abrasive tool.  I use a nail file on harder stampers and a Mr.Clean magic eraser on soft squishy ones and lightly file on top with a nail file.  You should only have to prime your stamper once so it’s important to go slow and keep testing to see if your stamper is primed to your liking.  You can always prime more, but you can’t undo any damage you may have done by over-priming.  A good indication of when you are done priming is when your stamper loses its “top shine” and begins to look matte.

Do you have to spend a lot of money on a quality stamper?  No.  I bought my marshmallow stamper off of Amazon for 7 dollars.  The stamper I bought had a few horrible reviews, but I believe the bad reviews are because those buyers didn’t have the proper information on how to care for/prime the stamper.  Stampers, in general, are not that expensive.  The PUEEN stamper I bought had removable stamp heads and the Konad stamper had its stamp heads built in.  The benefit of the removable heads is that you can replace them and you can take out one side to keep the stamper standing erect.

Buy Konad hard double ended stamper on Amazon: [Link]

Buy PUEEN double ended stamper on Amazon: [Link]

Sticky Lint Roller – You may think this is a weird thing to use when you’re doing nail art, but it is vital to the care of your stamper.  When cleaning your stamper, do not use anything besides a sticky lint roller.  Cleaning or dipping your stamper in acetone will destroy it over time and make picking up images more difficult.  After you pick up an image and transfer it onto your nail, you push your stamper against the sticky roller.  Viola!  In one motion, the rest of the design is transferred to the sticky roller and you’re done cleaning it.

100% Acetone – You need a strong polish remover to clean your plates or you’ll be at it scrubbing for DAYS.  I recommend getting a large bottle of 100% Acetone to clean your plates so you don’t have to keep going to the store to buy it.  Most people use cotton swabs to remove nail polish but I hate the way it sticks to my fingers so I actually use a hand towel.  I ick a flat surface that is protected from any spilled acetone.  I put the towel underneath the plate and begin.  The process for my cleaning is putting a little acetone into the cap.  I pour some out of the cap and onto the spot where the stamping polish got all over.  I let it sit for awhile and then when I see the polish breaking down, I lift a part of the towel from underneath and then use it to wipe/dab the polish off.  Alternatively, I get the acetone on a brush, dab some with the brush, then wipe with the towel.  Keep in mind that if you use a towel, don’t use a towel that you like.  The nail polish will ruin it and will probably create stains that won’t fade.

Advanced nail stamping – Advanced nail stamping is where you can really let your creativity shine.  There are a lot of possibilities when it comes to advanced stamping.  The most common advanced nail stamping trick is color stamping.  Color stamping is when you pick up the image from your plate like you usually would, but you paint colors for your design right onto your stamper.  A lot of patience is needed for advanced stamping because there is a lot of dry time involved.  For color stamping, you need to wait for the polish on the stamper to dry and then apply a thin top coat to your nails.  When your nails become tacky, you can attempt to transfer the design onto your nails.

Alternatively, you can do decal stamping.  I have done a lot of decal stamping because it’s easier for me to get the timing right.  Still, each design can take up to 30 minutes to be ready to transfer onto your nail.  When you decal stamp, you pick the design up with your stamper and color it with polish as if you were going to color stamp.  However, when you finish, you paint over the entire design and your painted colors with either a solid color or a top coat.  After that, you wait for the design to dry, peel the dried decal off of the stamper head, and pat it on your nail.  Mistakes I have made with my decals included using too much polish underneath my decals.  When I used seche vite, the decals were pretty heavy by themselves and became even heavier on top of other nail polish.  Using nail polish behind your design instead of top coat when you already have your base color on is the best way to keep the build-up down on your nails.  Decal stamping also works great with single designs because you have more control over where the design will land, as opposed to using a stamper.  I recommend using a soft stamper for decal stamping because it’s easier to peel off a design from a soft stamper as opposed to a hard one.  A stamper that can stand on its own is crucial.

Mirror stamping is another technique I’ve recently seen.  This technique involves picking up a stamped image and transferring it to another stamper in order to mirror the design.

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