CLOSED: Nail Art Giveaway on Swatch And Learn!

Congratulations, Lauren Lucas!

You won!

I e-mailed Lauren (Monday September 12 at 2:17 pm Eastern) and she replied to my e-mail. I passed along her information to WowSoCool and they’ll be sending her the egift certificate for $25 shortly! Congratulations, again!

And thank you to everyone for participating! It was a lot of fun, and stay tuned for upcoming giveaways. Hope you all will continue to come back, browse Swatch And Learn, and leave a comment to say hey. πŸ™‚

———————————

As promised, I have been working on a new giveaway for you all. Since a lot of you seem to be just as interested in nail polish and nail art as I am, I thought this time a nail-art giveaway would be the most appropriate.

Enter to Win a $25 WowSoCool eGift Certficiate on Swatch And Learn

Everything in this photo was purchased by me from various nail-art supply etailers (including WowSoCool) over the past year or more.

I’ve shopped at WowSoCool.com several times. They have tons of reasonably priced nail-art supplies including Konad image plates, stampers, Konad Special Nail Polishes, etc.Β  They offer free shipping on orders of $20 or more for US and Canadian orders. (They also do ship internationally. The only restrictions are that they don’t ship to Brazil or Qatar.)

I got in touch with Jessica from WowSoCool, and she was generous enough to provide the prize for my blog giveaway. Many thanks to her! :)

What You Could Win:

  • $25 eGift Certificate
  • (A coupon code will be e-mailed to you, and you can use it to purchase things from WowSoCool.)

Starts: Now

Ends: Sunday September 11 @ 11:59 pm Eastern

Who Can Enter:

  • This giveaway is open to everyone! (Well, except for those in Brazil or Qatar due to site shipping restrictions. Sorry!)

How to Enter:

  • Leave a comment on this post telling me what nail art you want to try sometime. (E.g. nail stamping, freehand nail art, water marbling, sponging, ombre, skittles, sequins, fimo decorations, crackle, etc.)

Important Rules:

  • Only 1 entry per person, please. (I want to give everyone an equal chance of winning.)

How I’ll Choose the Winner & How You’ll Claim Your Prize:

  • On Monday September 12, I’ll use Random.org to randomly choose a winner. I’ll send a congratulatory e-mail to the winner. That person will have 72 hours to reply. (This is just to let me know that the e-mail is a working one.) When I receive your reply, I’ll send your e-mail address and name over to Jessica from WowSoCool and they’ll e-mail you the $25 coupon code. At this point, I’ll also announce the winner on this page, in the giveaway-tab post, and on Twitter.

Some Other Things I Need to Blab About:

  • I reply to every single comment left. It may take me a day or so to get back, but I always reply to let you know that you’re heard and appreciated.
  • Even though you don’t have to comment on my other posts, follow me on Twitter (@SwatchAndLearn), Google Friend Connect, or Google+ (Mary S.), it would be nice if you did. And please +1 your favourite Swatch And Learn posts on Google+! :) You can also check out my nail art on beautylish!

Nail Posts on Swatch And Learn:

If you’re interested in how to use Konad and nail-stamping stuff, you might be interested in checking this out:

Here’s my nail art using Konad and Bundle Monster supplies:

You may also be interested in these posts:

Good luck in the draw, everyone!

Mary

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246 thoughts on “CLOSED: Nail Art Giveaway on Swatch And Learn!

    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Ashley Vanessa!

      3-D designs always look like total works of art every time I see photos of them. Hope you have fun with it! πŸ™‚

      Hehe, and congrats on being the very first person to enter this giveaway! You were really fast! πŸ˜€

      Reply
  1. Brandi

    I totally want to try water marbling like crazy, but I’m just so nervy about it. I’d love to do more stamping than I have, too. Thanks so much for setting this up, and good luck, everyone!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Brandi!

      I know what you mean about water marbling looking intimidating. It seems like such a strange (yet incredibly fun) process. That’s something I definitely will have to try soon when I have time. (Looks like it’s really time consuming.) I love how you can truly create a one-of-a-kind manicure and no two nails will look exactly alike.

      Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Terry!

      I’m glad that you find my reviews helpful. πŸ™‚ Is there a particular kind of nail art that you’re interested in trying?

      Reply
  2. Debi

    I want to try sponge art. And I just saw the digi-art machines online and I’m tempted to go find a salon that is using one of those! And some day, one day, I’d like to purchase my own airbrush to spray top coats on the foils, acrylic paint art and stamping art I’m already doing. But sponge art is my next attempt, I think! Thanks, Mary – see you over on G+

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Debi!

      Nice to see you over here! πŸ™‚ And I hope you feel better really soon. Rest up!

      Sponge art! I almost forgot about that. There are so many cool gradient manicures that can be done with that. I’ll have to try that and combine it with stamping.

      Oooohhh…foils! I haven’t seen too many people using those, so I’m intrigued. Where do you usually get your foil from, and how long does a typical foil manicure last for you?

      Reply
      1. Debi

        Oh, dear – Nail Delights out of the UK, Dollar Nail Art in the US, Nail Supplies in the US, Jenny Sells Foils on Ebay, and Sue at foilsonline, also out of the UK.

        I have 80 foils now, and depending on my patience in application, I can make a foil look good enough to go for a week with only tip wear by day 7. No matter what, all the foils tend to look antiqued after top coat, but I have found that when I use a NON-fast drying top coat, the antiquing is minimized.

        Reply
        1. Mary Post author

          Wow, thanks for letting us know about all the great resources!

          Holy smokes! EIGHTY FOILS? *Faints* *Sniffs polish instead of smelling salts* *Wakes up* I really need to see your foil manicures. I don’t get to see that much, and that’s something I’d definitely want to get into if I can also make it last as long as you can.

          I think I read a blog post once a long time ago about a woman doing a foil manicure. It looked incredible, but it lasted her 24 hours. For all that work, I’d need it to last at least a couple of days. (Thanks for the non-fast-drying-top-coat tip!)

          Reply
          1. Debi

            80 is nothing.
            My friend here in Sweden has more than 100. She of course blames me for starting her on this. LOL
            There are a few photos of mine (and hers!) out there, she’s put some on Facebook and I have some on G+.

            Reply
            1. Mary Post author

              But 80 is 80 more than what I have. πŸ˜›

              Phew…over 100? I would love to shop her stash! (I’ll definitely check out your photos. Eye candy!)

              Reply
  3. Juliana

    I want to try splatter on my nails, by using a straw! I also want to try sponging; both of those techniques look fun! Thank you for having this giveaway!!!!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Juliana!

      YES! Those splatter designs look like so much fun! And since Hallowe’en is coming up, it would be cool to do a fake-blood-splatter design if your costume is something like a killer nurse. Very cool. I’ll have to try this and post it in October.

      Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Esmeralda!

      There are so many options, I know! πŸ˜€ I think first maybe decide what kind of design you’re most interested in trying: full-nail designs or individual images? When you’re just starting out, I think it’s easier to go with the full-nail designs. They’re easier to stamp onto your nail, you don’t usually have to worry about exact placement (unless the design isn’t a tiled pattern), and they kind of help you to practice pressing the stamp evenly on your nail. (At least this was the case for me when I started out.)

      After you decide on an image plate, then think about the stamping colour you’re most interested in and what kinds of combinations you’d like to do. My recommendation is to get black since it’s pretty versatile. And if you’re on a budget, you may want to just get a pigmented regular black polish (from your local store) and just invest more money on image plates, the scraper, and the stamper.

      Reply
  4. CiCi

    I’d like to do some acrylic molding. I’ve never done that but it sounds fun – I looove crazy sh*t all over my nails. Thx for the sweet giveaway, I love WowSoCool πŸ™‚
    CiCi recently posted: MAC

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey CiCi!

      Hahahaha….I laughed out loud when I read your comment about how you love crazy stuff all over your nails. πŸ˜›

      Actually, I only found out about acrylic molding a couple of days ago. It seems cool how you can customize the decoration completely and that it conforms to the nail.

      Reply
  5. Klaine

    I want to do more of nail art like painting ladybugs or bees (last tutorial – i have to buy yellow first), because i love these designs and it is always an eyecatcher.

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Klaine!

      I’m glad to hear that you’ll be trying out some bee nail art! πŸ™‚ I really liked doing that and the ladybugs design because the steps are simple, yet the end result has a lot of impact. Plus these both don’t require too many colours like some of my other tutorials, so it’s easier for people to replicate. (Hehe, but for those who are looking for a more complicated design, I have one scheduled for tomorrow that I’m pretty excited about! :D)

      Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Alaeis!

      Oh? What tends to go wrong? Is it the colours you choose that aren’t pigmented or does the polish dry too fast before you dip your finger in?

      I’ve never tried it yet, but when I do, I plan to do a step-by-step water marbling tutorial (as a beginner so I can highlight my mistakes and show you just what kind of obstacles you can stumble into).

      Reply
  6. Nicole

    Oh, I have so many things I’d like to try! I want to try water marbling again – the first one was not bad – not an unmitigated disaster, but not bad – and there are so many pretty designs. I want to also try dry marbling, I’ve read a few tutorials about it and it looks pretty cool!
    Lastly, I’m working up the nerve to do some stamping. Every time I’ve ever tried stamping, it’s been a huge, huge fail. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong but it’s horrible, and it’s been a year since I did it! I have some absolutely adorable plates to play with. I’m just very intimidated.
    Anyway, thanks so much for a wonderful giveaway and sorry for the long comment haha!
    Nicole recently posted: Pink Wednesday: Island Girl Island Treat

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Nicole!

      Oohhh…dry marbling! Haha, another thing I forgot that I want to do, too! πŸ˜€

      I understand how nail stamping can be intimidating. It’ll just take more practice. I’m sure you can do it. Maybe just try practice stamping on a piece of paper first to get used to applying even pressure. When you’re comfortable with that, then maybe try it on a bare nail a few times (just to get the feel for it since your nails are more curvy than a flat piece of paper). Gradual baby steps. And before you know it, you’ll be teaching us all! πŸ˜€

      Reply
  7. Abby

    Oh my gosh, I don’t know where to start, so many nail designs and only ten fingers πŸ™ I’ve already tried nail stamping, it turned out pretty well, but I’m more excited to do sponging because the effects are so cool(i.e. galaxy nails), freehand nail art seems awesome and I’d be able to paint whatever I want, how cool would that be?!
    Thanks

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Abby!

      Hahaha, that’s cute: “so many nail designs and only ten fingers”. πŸ™‚

      Oh yes! Galaxy nails – I’ve seen cutepolish’s YouTube tutorial on those. It looked incredible. Not sure if I could replicate it, but one day, I have to try if only to feed my curiosity.

      Reply
  8. evercouldbe

    I would love to master water marbling sometime, I get so inspired when I see all those beautiful pictures where people experiment with it! I also never tried stamping, I don’t have any plates or ascraper, so that’s something I would love to try also.

    Thanks so much for such an amazing giveaway!!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey evercouldbe!

      Seems like a lot of people so far are really interested in water marbling. Perhaps this is the next trend after dots? Who knows? Looks like I’m really going to have to try my hand at water marbling soon and post a tutorial as a beginner. Looks like it could be a lot of fun.

      Reply
  9. michaela

    i want to try doing ombre cause i haven’t tried that yet and i haven’t done water marbleing in awhile because i haven’t had the time!!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Brianna!

      That’s something you need to try! πŸ™‚ Seriously…when I got into it, it’s like my nail-polish addiction grew sevenfold! So many more possibilities.

      Reply
  10. Ivy

    I would love to add stamping plates & stamping polish to my collection since they are pricey and I’ve currently only got one plate & one polish because of how much they cost.

    Thanks for the giveaway by the way! πŸ™‚

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Ivy!

      The Konad plates are definitely pricey, so if you can’t justify spending a lot of money on them (or just want to save), Bundle Monster has 2 sets that are economically priced. They’re not at WowSoCool, though, and the Bundle Monster designs are different than the Konad ones. No dupes.

      Also, if you want to save, you don’t necessarily have to invest in Konad Special Nail Polish. I’ve heard that there’s a Wet ‘n’ Wild black polish that works well with stamping. And other people have found regular polishes (like the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri ones) work okay for stamping, too, as long as they’re pigmented.

      Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey preciouspearl!

      And it’s so much fun, too. There are so many designs to use and when you get inspiration from others who stamp with multiple plates, it truly becomes a work of art on your fingertips! πŸ™‚

      Reply
    1. Aren

      Also, thanks for such a great giveaway! If my blog ever gets a decent amount of followers, I’d love to do a giveaway, and the idea of working with a retailer that you’ve had plenty of experience with is so clever.

      Reply
    2. Mary Post author

      Hey Aren!

      Do you know what was the problem with water marbling? The polishes? The polish drying too fast? I’m going to have to try it really soon. So many readers seem to be very interested in this technique, and it’s piquing my curiosity, too. πŸ™‚

      Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Becky!

      Another thing I need to try! πŸ™‚ A year ago, I bought a big package of cosmetic sponges. Was going to use them to try out this liquid foundation, but I didn’t like the liquid foundation (or any, really), so the bag’s just been sitting there doing nothing. Now I can put it to work! “Hey there, Mr. Bag! Get to work! And make my nails pretty!” πŸ˜›

      Reply
  11. Cheryl

    I’ve been doing a lot of stamping, but I want to try a gradient or sponged mani. I also was thinking of doing a swirl or non-water marble mani (the whole water marbling process scares me to death).

    I enjoy your blog, especially the nail art posts.

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Cheryl!

      Hehe, don’t let water marbling bully you! Show it who wears the polish in this relationship! πŸ˜›

      I’m so happy to hear that you particularly enjoy the nail art. I’m already thinking up several Hallowe’en designs to post in October. πŸ™‚ Stay tuned for those.

      Reply
  12. Brit

    I’d love to try water marbling sometime. I’m worried about the amount of time and cleanup for it, as well as finding polishes that are opaque in one coat. Most of mine seem to be 2- or 3-coat deals.

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Brit!

      Yes, it seems pretty high-maintenance, especially compared to nail stamping, which is pretty fast. Hmm…I’m going to do some research before I try it to see what polishes other people have found works best for water marbling. Then in my upcoming blog post, I’ll do an experiment with various polishes from different brands just to test it out for myself (and to show all of you).

      Reply
  13. Carmela

    Yay for giveaways and yay for always replying to comments! I’m pretty sure it takes a lot of your time, but it’s definitely not unappreciated. πŸ˜€

    I’ve been dying to try those full nail patterns for stamping. I still haven’t pulled the trigger on that bundlemonster set as I’m still looking for justification.. Maybe as a Labor Day present..? Hahaha!

    PS. Nubar Wildlife is as magical as your previous review said it was. And I love how it dried so fast! All kinds of win right there. πŸ˜€

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Carmela!

      And yay for social support! πŸ˜€ It’s definitely time well spent.

      Do you need me to help you pull the trigger? Haha…is it stuck? πŸ˜› Or maybe you could justify getting it in preparation to Hallowe’en. Then you could do some spooky manicures. There are quite a few holiday images in the new set. πŸ˜‰

      I’m so pleased that you love Nubar Wildlife, too! Sometimes I don’t think it gets enough love that it deserves.

      Reply
  14. Marta

    Thanks for hosting this Mary!!! What nail art would I like to try? I already do stamping but I’m eyeing those two new Konad plates;) Aaand I want to do more sponging … I think that is a lovely way to make simple nailart look really unique. I am scared of it for some reson though!? Intimidated. I need tk get over it and try it soon
    Marta recently posted: CopyCat Mani

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Marta!

      It’s my pleasure! I love helping people, and I love nail polish. Heh, put those two together, and you’ve got a magical combination like Clarins 230 over…well, anything! πŸ˜›

      Oh, yes, you are definitely already stamping! (For anyone else reading this, you must check out Marta’s blog. Her stamping is pure perfection! Always so tidy!)

      Don’t fear the sponge! Hehe, I’m so curious about all the designs you’ll come up with.

      Reply
  15. Lauren

    I would love to try water marbling or ombre, but I need to buy more polish first of course haha. I found your blog today and love it! Thanks for the giveaway! I appreciate that you don’t allow spamming πŸ™‚

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Lauren!

      Welcome to Swatch And Learn! πŸ˜€ Hope you stick around long after the giveaway and say hey again. I have some Hallowe’en nail art planned for October. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  16. Theresa

    I reallly want to do water marbling but haven’t tried yet cuz its so messy. I’ll try doing the newspaper trick after my new nail polish begins to wear off though :). This is the first day ever I’ve seen your blog via comment on vampyvarnish :). I’ll poke around now :).

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Theresa!

      Yes, all the tutorials I’ve seen make it look incredibly messy. I intend to put tape all around my cuticle so there’s much less clean-up. We’ll see how my first attempt goes. *Crosses fingers, toes, and eyes*

      Oh really? I visit Vampy Varnish’s site a lot – several times a day! Haha, I love Kelly and her blog. I leave comments on the majority of her posts. Before I left comments under “Mary”, but recently I’ve been leaving comments under “Swatch And Learn”. That could be why you noticed recently. πŸ™‚

      Thanks for coming over to check out Swatch And Learn! Hope you like it! πŸ˜€

      Reply
  17. imfeelingnail-venturous

    What a great giveaway! I have never heard of “WowSoCool”, so this is a great giveaway. I am actually going to go check out the site now! I have tried water marbling twice, with little success so I want to try it again! I also purchased fimo decorations a while back ago and have not used them, so I would love to try them out! But I am scared and don’t know what to do with them like how think, how thick, placement, colors, etc. About to go share your giveaway on my Facebook page!
    imfeelingnail-venturous recently posted: Zoya Charla + GOSH Rainbow

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey imfeelingnail-venturous!

      Never heard of WowSoCool! I’m so excited to introduce you to it. Heh, I’m both happy and sorry, though. Happy because I know how much you like nail art, and sad because I know that because of me, you’re going to spend a lot of money there. πŸ˜› Hehehe…

      Fimo decorations always intrigued me. I bought a wheel of fimo fruit from Sally’s but never got around to trying any. Mine were already pre-cut. Those long rolls of fimo, yeah, it would be tricky to cut thinly (at least for me).

      Thank you so much for sharing my giveaway on Facebook! I can already see that a bunch of new participants found out about it thanks to you. πŸ˜€ I appreciate it.

      Reply
  18. Emma

    I have only just found your website through – imfeelingnail-ventorous, and wow, your blog is amazing. I am a huge nail fan and usually only use OPI, but as I write this I am painting my nails with Essie Cool azure, I am interested in learning about Nail transfers you can get and if they are any good (sorry if you have alreasy blogged about this) I am going to have a search through you blog now and sign up πŸ™‚ πŸ™‚ πŸ™‚ I love finding new blogs!!!

    x
    Emma recently posted: Models Own Delivery

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Emma!

      Oh my gosh – thank you so much for saying that! πŸ™‚ I’m glad you found your way here. The more, the merrier! Plus I love interacting with readers (new and long-time ones). I really want Swatch And Learn to become a community where people have fun and get to know each other better.

      I only have a few Essie’s, but Cool Azure looks great! Love the swatches I’ve seen of it on other blogs. Nice choice!

      Right now I don’t have any nail transfers (you mean those stickers that you wet…kinda like tattoos?), but if I’ll definitely blog about it if I try it out.

      Reply
  19. dragonfruit

    I would LOVE to try water marbling, as it has such a cool effect. I’m a little intimidated by how messy it seems, though. In a tiny, cramped college apartment, it’s hard to imagine it working well πŸ™ Someday, though.

    I love stamping, though. It’s such a fun, easy way to get perfect, adorable nail designs.

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey dragonfruit!

      It may be tough, but I bet you can make it work. πŸ™‚ I have faith in people. As long as you give it a good try, that’s more than what a lot of people can say. And in my mind, that’s already a success. It can be difficult to try new and intimidating things. I admire people who take a chance. πŸ™‚

      And I’m going to push myself to try water marbling really soon. Whether it turns out well or terribly, I’m going to blog about my experience in case it helps someone who reads it. Or even if it makes someone laugh. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  20. Lulu

    Ooh I’m really interested in the stamping (almost purchased a stamper and some plates the other week, but didn’t end up buying πŸ™ Woes of being a starving student), but also in freehand, sequins and fimo…. I just can’t decide. I guess I’d just really like to do some crazy gyaru style nails!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Lulu!

      Well, good luck in this draw! I know that you and others who are on a tight budget will be extra happy to win this. I can’t wait to announce the winner – that’s the best feeling. πŸ˜€

      Reply
  21. Jess

    hi! just found your blog through im feeling nail-venturous, and i gotta say, it’s great! i am horrible at any type of nail designs/art, so it’s nice to see theres a blog out there that teaches it step by step as opposed to just showing pictures of the finished product. i just gfc’ed so now i cant wait to look at your posts!
    Jess recently posted: Cult Nails Weekend Sale!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Jess!

      Aww…don’t say that you’re horrible at any kind of nail art! We all have different creative styles. If you did it, own it! I love the personal touches. That’s what make manicures look more real and less like something you can just buy off the shelf. And remember, it’s all about practice. Nobody is incredible at nail art right off the bat. It’s a growing process of trial, error, and some success. πŸ™‚ And, besides, we’re often our own worst critic. πŸ˜‰

      Thank you for joining me on Google Friend Connect, Jess! I also have an option where you can subscribe to my newsletter. Every so often, I write a personal note exclusively for GFC members. It’s not all the time, so don’t worry about your inbox being bombarded. I just use it to say thanks, give the heads up about some upcoming Swatch And Learn blog features, and sometimes give you the sneak peek into giveaways I’m working on. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  22. The Girlie Tomboy

    I’ve tried a bunch of stuff, but water marbling scares the bejeezus out of me! All that work and what if you screw it up! I will try it sometime, I just have to work up to it, like eating vegetables πŸ˜›
    I also don’t have any fimos or jewels… yet!
    Thanks for the giveaway!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey The Girlie Tomboy!

      First of all, I love your handle…hehe! It’s good when people fuse together the best of both worlds.

      Hehe, you’re not alone. Seems like a lot of people are scared about water marbling. And I’m going to face my fear really soon and blog about it. πŸ˜€ Hahahaha…I laughed at your analogy of working up to it like eating veggies. πŸ˜›

      Reply
  23. Theresa

    I would love to get into stamping and try water marbling some day. But I am such a noob I wouldn’t know where to start for marbling! I’ve seen tutorial’s on stamping, so I think if I had a set, I might do ok with it! But the most exciting my nails get are colored French mani’s or just shimmer or glitter over a color. πŸ˜€ Thanks for this chance to win!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Theresa!

      I’m also a newbie at water marbling, so I’m going to look up some tutorials on YouTube and read tips and tricks on other blogs. Then I’ll try it for myself and blog about it on here. There’s only one way to find out if I’m good or not at it. πŸ™‚

      And yes, I’m sure you’re do well with stamps. It just takes some time to get the technique down. But once you do, the sky’s the limit in terms of designs!

      Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Simona!

      Yes, it’s surely time-consuming. The result looks so incredible, though. Definitely worth it! πŸ™‚

      Green? Hehe, that’s my favourite nail-polish colour, so you know I give that the thumbs up! πŸ˜€

      Reply
  24. Natalie

    I’ve tried most kinds of nail art at least once. I really enjoy freehand and stamping. I want to try the new magnetic nail polishes that are coming out now, but they’re so expensive! Hopefully someone will come out with a cheap version. I hate spending insane amounts of money on trendy things!
    Natalie recently posted: My First Nail Art on Someone Else!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Natalie!

      I love that you’re adventurous with your nail art. πŸ˜€ Oh yeah, magnetic polishes! Very pricey. They look like a fun novelty.

      Reply
  25. Maria

    Hi!

    I definitely want to try watermarbling, as it is the last type of nail art I know of that I haven’t tried even once! But I *just* started a nail blog, and I’m doing the 31 days of nail art challenge that has been floating around, so now I’ll have to try it πŸ˜‰

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Maria!

      Congratulations on starting your nail blog! I’m going to check it out sometime. You’re going to have a lot of fun expressing yourself and getting creative. πŸ™‚ I wish you the best on the 31-Day Challenge!

      Reply
  26. Stephy

    So far I’ve fallen in love with stamping I’ve been doing it all summer yay!! πŸ˜€ but my latest dream is to attempt sponging. I saw this really cute tiger nail design at emilysnailfiles.blogspot.com and she made it look so easy πŸ˜› so I think if I can try my bestest to be patient and practice maybe I can do it too. πŸ™‚ But first before I venture off into sponging I want to try make like a rainbowy colored water marbling on my nails and then stamp that cute lil unicon off the M28 plate which will make it absolutely perfect because you can’t have rainbows without unicorns πŸ˜€

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Stephy!

      Tiger designs are always so much fun. I love looking at those kind of nail-art designs.

      Your idea for a rainbow water marbling design sounds like it would be gorgeous! You must take photos when you try it. πŸ™‚ And, yes, very true – rainbows and unicorns go hand in hand. πŸ˜‰

      Reply
  27. Valerie Brower

    I would really love to try nail stamping. Your the first blog I came across that was talking about it and I fell in love with the rest of your posts too!!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Katie!

      I’m excited for you to try stamping, too. πŸ™‚ There are so many ways of combining the images, too, that make it really customizable. Love that! You can really let your personality shine through.

      Reply
  28. Danii

    I’d like to try stamping and even get some 3D nail art going!
    I’m starting at home with just freehand. doing my own (slightly sloppy) rendition of the adorable looks you post! At this very moment I’m waiting for my third coat to dry so I can give the cupcake look a go. except it’ll be with pink and black.
    thank you for a chance to win!!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Dannii!

      Yay – I’m so happy to hear that you’ve been trying out some of the nail art I’ve been posting. πŸ˜€ If you ever take photos of your manicures, I’d love to see.

      Hehe, and I love how you were painting your nails while commenting on my blog! πŸ˜€ Let me know how your cupcake nails turn out. Pink and black sounds like a great combination – girly but edgy.

      Reply
  29. Jenna

    I am new to the nail polish blogosphere! I’ve always loved a home manicure but I never realized there is a whole community of do-it-yourself nail polish fanatics out there! I am learning a ton from you all and having a blast!! I am catching on to stamping and I’m scheming up a water marbling attempt! Can’t wait to see how yours turns out! πŸ™‚ Thanks so much for your awesome blog and for hosting this giveaway!! Fingers crossed!!! πŸ˜‰

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Jenna!

      I’m glad that you found your way here. But…a word of caution: the more you look at nail blogs, the more you’ll feel the growing ‘need’ to buy more and more polish. Hehe, speaking from first-hand experience here. πŸ˜‰ It’s also a whole lot of fun, of course.

      Good luck in the draw!

      Reply
  30. blkrox

    I would love love love to try Konad, looked into it about a year ago when I first heard about it (late to the game, I know!) But I’m not sure if I would get all the supplies and be crazy about it for a month..then never use it again, lol. Thank you for the chance to win and give it a try!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey blkrox!

      It’s never too late to get into nail stamping. πŸ™‚ You can just get a few items to test-drive it. All you really need to start is at least one image plate, a stamper, a polish that’s pigmented (doesn’t have to be Konad – I heard the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri polishes work well), a scraper (some people use an old gift card instead of the Konad scraper), and a top coat (which can be any top coat).

      Reply
  31. Nicole O.

    I would really love to try nail stamping. I’ve seen so many different blogs do it & it looks so neat. I also want to rock more rounded or stiletto nails. I’ve been trying to grow my nails long enough to do it, but no luck so far. πŸ™

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Nicole!

      One thing I must say: stiletto nails are fierce from what I’ve seen online! When you grow your nails out, rock it! I don’t think I could.

      Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Lisa!

      Hehe, only creeping my tweets? πŸ˜› Feel free to say hi sometime. I swear I don’t bite…unless you’re a cookie! πŸ˜‰

      Which plate do you have? Some plates are easier to work with than others. That might also be the issue. Don’t give up!

      Reply
  32. Eileen

    I want to try water marbling but not until I get better at stamping. I have been stamping with low contrast polishes so I can practice without the oops being obvious. Right now I have a dark purple with blue cheetah on top.

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Eileen!

      Tone-on-tone stamping designs always look so elegant to me. I should try it sometime.

      Dark purple with blue cheetah? That sounds like all kinds of awesome!

      Reply
  33. Germa

    What a great price! I love stamping nailart’s, it easy and quick. I’m always interrested in watermarbling, but I’m not really good at it. And it’s always a messy job. πŸ˜‰
    Thanks for the giveaway.
    Germa recently posted: Make Up Store Tribecca

    Reply
  34. Ruth

    I just started with stamping and I still need to practice a lot but one day I would like to try a scotch tape mani, I already have some beautiful color combinations in mind….

    And thanks for the giveaway, it’s lovely! xx

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Ruth!

      There are so many tape manicures that I’ve seen and loved. Forgot about those. I’ll need to try it sometime. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  35. Laura

    I want to try nail stamping. I can’t believe I’ve been a nail polish lover this long and still haven’t tried it yet! Thanks so much for this giveaway:)

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Laura!

      Hehe, I know exactly what you mean. It took me a while before I discovered the wonderful world of nail stamping. It opened up an exponential number of possibilities.

      Reply
  36. Jennifer Abebrese

    Hey Mary! I’m a big fan of water marbling, free hand, and stamping. I haven’t tried stamping yet but I will πŸ™‚ Thanks for the giveaway!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Jennifer!

      Sounds like you like to experiment a lot with nail art. πŸ™‚ Do you know which image plates you’ll pick up first?

      Reply
  37. Anne S

    omgosh I guess the rest of my comment didn’t show up o.o

    i really want to try ombre. I think its very pretty πŸ™‚ πŸ™‚

    And thanks for the giveaway!!!!!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey again Anne!

      Hmm…strange how sometimes full comments don’t go through. You’re not the first person to tell me that. Maybe there was a server glitch or something. Not sure since I don’t have a technical background. But I’m glad it went through now. πŸ™‚

      Ombre is so pretty! Do you know what colours you’d use?

      Reply
  38. Cynthia

    This is such a cool giveaway. I would LOVE to try Konad/nail stamping. Honestly, I find that doing my nails is great way to relieve stress and it’s a lot cheaper than my previous weekly Sephora trips. LOL

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Cynthia!

      I’m with you on that – painting nails is so relaxing, especially after a long day. And it’s so fun to pick out a new colour. (Hehe, and yes, Sephora trips can be VERY dangerous. :P)

      Reply
  39. amber

    I am obsessed with konad stamping! I just saw a picture of it for the first time a few days ago and can’t stop looking at the plates.

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Amber!

      Konading is like that. It just takes one look…then you’re hooked. πŸ˜‰ Be careful…hehe, it can be very addictive!

      Reply
  40. Amanda

    I am constantly doing my nails, but one thing I still want to do is the water swirl nail art. It seems easy enough, and it gives such a cool effect. It’s on my to do list πŸ™‚

    Reply
  41. kat d.

    I really want to try stamping! Haven’t got around to buying any stamps yet, but that would be so fun to win the certificate and get started :). Thanks for an awesome giveaway!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Kat!

      Stamping’s so much fun and I love seeing photos showing how people layered more than one stamp. The possibilities are truly endless.

      Reply
  42. Momerath

    Hi Mary!

    Thanks for the giveaway…it’s such a great opportunity! Personally, I would love to try more freehand designs. I love water marbling, scotch tape manis, and newsprint manis, but I have never tried to freehand. I also would like to try konad stamps!! Thanks again and good luck to all πŸ™‚

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Momerath!

      You’re welcome! πŸ™‚ I’m so crazy about nail polish and nail art, so it seemed really fitting to share my passion with others. I’m just so glad that everyone else seems to feel the same way.

      Reply
  43. Connie

    I would want to try stamping nail art in the future because it looks simple and neat! I wish they had the available at local drugstores so I wouldn’t feel so guilty about splurge on them if there’s no shipping cost. I usually enjoy doing free hand and I’ve tried using fimo cane slices, crackle and gradient/ombre before πŸ™‚

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Connie!

      It’s definitely a very simple process. Once you get the hang of the technique, you can really go buck wild with designs that would normally cost a fortune to have done in a salon. (And I’ve never had my nails done professionally. Don’t even think I would enjoy having someone else paint my nails because I like doing it myself that much! I know, I’m strange. I also don’t care to go to spas. Guess I don’t like to be pampered like that.)

      Oh, if nail-stamping supplies were available at the drugstore, that would spell disaster with a capital D for my wallet. I’m sort of glad it’s not too accessible for me…haha! It would be my downfall. πŸ˜‰

      Reply
  44. Theresa

    I’d like to try water marbling coz is teh only thing it seems that I’m not able to do on my nails…. ¬¬ I’ve tried it several times, i saw tutorials but i don’t know why it doesn’t work for me. It’s amazing that u give us the chance to win such a great prize! = )

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Theresa!

      When I try my hand at it for the first time, I’m sure there will be a ton of mistakes I’ll make. But I’m going to document it all (with photos, too) just in case it helps you out. There’s a lot that can go wrong with water marbling, it seems. Hehe, it’s pretty high-maintenance! πŸ˜›

      Reply
  45. Tikaritar

    Hey! IΒ΄m practising stamping with one konad plate and white konad polish… practising makes a master some day:) I will try water marbling the next time my three children are spending weekend at grandparents and husbandΒ΄s at work;))
    Thank you for the giveaway and autum greetings from Finland!
    Tikaritar recently posted: DelfiinejΓ€…kaikille!!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Tikaritar!

      You’ll definitely get better with even more practice. Then you can work your way up to really complicated multiple stampings. Those are always so impressive when I see them online!

      And hello to you in Finland all the way here in Canada! πŸ˜€

      Reply
  46. Maddie

    I absolutely ADORE all of your nail art tutorials, I totally want to try every single one, seriously! (especially the teenage mutant ninja turtle nails… so AWESOME!!!)

    I’d also love to try feather nails and maybe tribal print, but it looks like it would take forever… maybe when I have a couple of hours to waste on my nails!

    Thanks so much for the opporitunity to win!! πŸ™‚

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Maddie!

      Thank you for saying that! πŸ˜€ I put in extra effort in my nail-art tutorials, so I’m glad to hear that you enjoy them so much that you want to recreate them. If you take photos, I’d love to see how yours turn out. πŸ™‚

      Oh yeah – tribal prints look really cool! Haven’t tried that one yet.

      Reply
  47. Kelly

    This is such a cool give away! I have always wanted to try nail stamping and this seems like a great way to get started with it! As far as free hand designs go…. yeah I am not so great at them. Even a straight line can be a challenge! I love to do rainbows and sponging and I think that stamping would look great over some of my designs.

    PS – I love your blog. I check it every morning!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Kelly!

      Don’t worry – I also can’t paint a straight line! And I’m sure there are so many other people who can’t, either. Thankfully there are many designs that don’t require perfectly straight lines. And, actually, even if a line is slightly off, the overall design can still look great. πŸ™‚

      Thank you for checking out my blog daily! πŸ˜€ That makes me so happy that you’re sticking around to see what’s new!

      Reply
  48. Alejandra

    Hi:D I’ve been navigating through this blog and thinkits great! I love water marbeling my nails and trying new styles, since i like to have them long. I would love to try the nail stamping. I once saw it at the mall, but didn’t get to try it. Thanks for the opportunity u are giving us.*

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Alejandra!

      Thanks for entering the giveaway. Hmm…I removed the website link you left in the CommentLuv section and the spot for your website because you put Swatch And Learn there. Those sections are only for your own website if you have one.

      Reply
  49. Mindy

    Thanks so much for hosting this gievaway!! πŸ™‚
    I REALLY want to try nail stamping (all over the nail) and water marble.

    xx

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Anastasia!

      Thank you so much! πŸ™‚ I have many more designs in the works, so stay tuned.

      And thank you for coming on over. I just recently joined beautylish, so it’s nice to meet new people from other there, too. πŸ˜€

      Reply
  50. briana

    i would love to try stamping and using image plates. it just looks so difficult! i’ve just started getting into nail art so i have a lot to learn and try.

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Briana!

      It can look intimidating at first, but once you try it, it’s not as complicated as it appears. Not sure if you’ve seen my Konad Tutorial post, but I published that when I had just started trying nail stamping. I believe that post was my 2nd stamping attempt, so I talk about my experience as a real beginner. You may find it helpful. πŸ™‚ Here’s the link: http://www.swatchandlearn.com/konad-tutorial-how-to-use-the-konad-stamping-kit-to-create-easy-nail-art-plus-konad-stamping-kit-review/

      Reply
  51. peripatetic33

    i want to try stamping, i have 2 plates already but i don’t have the stamper scraper so i would get a stamper scraper and some more plates

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey peripatetic33!

      Which 2 plates do you have so far? I seriously want to collect them all eventually. That’s going to take a while, though.

      Reply
  52. Kathy

    I’d like to do water marbling. MY first try was a FAIL..i had on a ceiling fan and every drop of polish I tried blew to one side of the cup. Once I figured out the problem, it was try #2…and That faild..all the colors just blended and got muddy looking when i dipped my nails. The metallic color I was using spread out and the other colors sort of got on top of it and made a mess. Apparently I just cannot pick polishes tha twork!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Kathy!

      I’m going to try it really soon, and I’ll need to test out all different types of polishes (different brands/finishes). I’ll report my results in a future blog post. Hopefully I can find some that work…haha!

      Reply
  53. Cherita Lee

    I would love to try ALL of your techiniques!!! However, I’m a freehand lady at heart, but I really want to try sequins, stamping, marbling, and argyles!! I have a passion for all nail art, it definitely can make your creativity a conversation piece!! I found you on twitter via the beautylish account, SO glad i found you!! PLEASE help me, that kit would be soooo helpful in jumpstarting my fall nail fashion!! Thankx!!! πŸ™‚

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Cherita!

      Awesome how you found me through beautylish! πŸ™‚ I was so surprised and ecstatic that they featured my nails on their homepage yesterday. And because of it, lots of people have found me and I’ve enjoyed reaching out to them, too. πŸ™‚

      Good luck in the draw! πŸ™‚

      Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Kristine!

      To me, 3D nail art always looks truly like a work of art. There’s always so much detail involved, which inspires me.

      Reply
  54. Caitlin O.

    I’m dying to do some water marbling but I’m not sure I have polishes I want to try it with yet – also I don’t really want to do it until I can get my splitty nails to grow out a little more. Stamps, though, those I could do… I just haven’t had the extra cash to get myself started with stamping!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Caitlin!

      Have you tried using special nail treatments or base coats to help the health of your nails? A former co-worker of mine used to swear by OPI Nail Envy because her nails were always thin and peeling. She had great results with that.

      Reply
  55. Wendy

    I’m just getting into nail art. I recently purchased my first nail plates and am anxiously awaiting their arrival. I want to do a look with Audrey by China Glaze with a deep shimmery teal nail plate design over the top. I’m so excited!!!!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Wendy!

      That is very exciting – getting your first nail plates! πŸ™‚ I think that your design idea is going to be a real winner. If you take photos, please show me. I’d love to see how it turns out.

      Reply
  56. Lucia

    Follow you via GFC and Twitter πŸ™‚
    I’d really like to try water marble nail art. I found it so lovely and the effect on nail is awsome but I’m afraid I’m not so good with this tecnique! I’ve absolutely to try it once πŸ™‚

    xoxo

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Lucia!

      Aww…thank you so much for following me! I really appreciate your support. πŸ˜€

      Hey, I’m impressed that you tried it even. Lots of people (myself included) are a bit nervous about it. I have vowed to myself to try this technique really soon. Need to stop feeling intimidated by it!

      Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Kim!

      From everyone’s comments so far, it seems like water marbling is the new nail trend. Everyone wants to try it! πŸ™‚ I’ll have to get on it soon.

      Reply
  57. S Carter

    The only nail art I want to try but havent yet is the water marbling. I love the look but it looks hard and messy. Eventually i will do it tho!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey S Carter!

      Definitely messy from what I saw in YouTube tutorials on it. When I try it, I’ll have to use tape around the cuticle just so that there’s not so much clean-up.

      Reply
  58. Penny

    I’d love to try anything artsy because I only do plain ol’ painting. I want to marble, I want to stamp, I want to franken, you name it!! This is an awesome giveaway!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Penny!

      Hahaha – I love that: “I want to marble, I want to stamp, I want to franken, you name it!!” πŸ˜› Love your enthusiasm and willingness to experiment. Those are such great characteristics. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  59. Nicole

    Love checking out all your nail designs! I have a bunch of the konad stuff – need to order the special polishes next! Looking forward to checking out more of your designs.

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Nicole!

      I’m glad that you like looking at my designs. Plenty more to come. Thank you for your support – really motivates me to do more! πŸ˜€

      Reply
  60. Victoria

    I would love to try a paper stamping mani with archie comics, they look so cute!!! I also want to try the water marbling but it seems so messy, lol.
    Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Victoria!

      The cool thing about both of those techniques is that your manicure is completely original. πŸ™‚ Chances are slim to none that you’ll see someone else walking down the street with your exact manicure. And if you do, you’ve entered the Twilight Zone. πŸ˜›

      Reply
  61. Lisa

    I definitely want to try sponging because I’m getting pretty tired of having to keep up with my freestyle nail arts. πŸ™‚ Thanks for the giveaway too!

    Reply
  62. Jessica M.

    I’ve been dying to try Stamping! Water marbling would be fun and I love the look, but I have a rambunctious 2 year old running around….it’s just too messy and time consuming without other adult supervision!

    Love your site!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Jessica!

      Haha, I don’t have kids, but I can imagine how hard it would be to juggle water marbling and an active child! πŸ˜›

      Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoy Swatch And Learn! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  63. Amanda S.

    I have been seeing some gorgeous sponging swatches on blogs lately and think I’d like to give that a try some time soon!

    Reply
  64. MissDoll

    Hi, first I have to say that I LOVE your nails, I looks like everyone is having squares except I don’t like them on me and now I see your lovely nails and it just makes me happy!!!
    Well I have to say I would definitely try stamping, it doesn’t looks too hard and probbably I would be able to do it πŸ˜‰

    Thanks for this πŸ˜‰

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey MissDoll!

      Why, thank you! πŸ˜€ I see square and squoval nails everywhere, too! I really like the way they look on others, but I can’t get them to work for me, so I keep mine oval.

      Reply
  65. Sarah B

    I love the water marbeling and nail plates!!! the finshed look is just amazing!! Lately i havent been able to do just a plain polish its too boring LOL!! Thanks for the chance for ur giveaway its awesome!!!! πŸ™‚
    Sarah B recently posted: Sorry

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Sarah!

      Hehe, I know what you mean. Ever since I found out about nail stamping, whenever I see a plain polish, I wonder, “What would that look like as a Konadicure?” πŸ˜›

      Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Adela!

      Do you know what colour combination you’d use for your crackle manciure?

      Thank you so much for joining me on Google Friend Connect and following me on Twitter. That’s so nice of you! Drop me a line sometime. I love interacting with Swatch And Learn readers. πŸ™‚

      Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Solangel!

      Haha, nail-polish puke sounds interesting! Was it the pattern on your nails you didn’t like or the colour combination?

      Reply
  66. Oana

    What a nice giveaway! Thank you for the chance to participate!
    I follow you through GFC with the name Oana and through Twitter with the name: @kittyqtza.
    I want to try water marbling, I love how it looks on nails!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Oana!

      No problem. πŸ™‚ Thought lots of people would be interested in this.

      Hey, thanks for following me on Twitter and joining me on Google Friend Connect! Appreciate it! πŸ˜€ Send me a tweet sometime. I love getting to know Swatch And Learn visitors! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  67. Nermy

    Hey!
    Id like to try marbling some day πŸ˜€
    but it never works out πŸ˜€ πŸ˜€
    I guess its because of the texture of nail polish i use or smthn πŸ˜€
    and i follow ya via GFC: nermeen mohamed

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Nermy!

      I’m thinking that pigmented or thicker cremes would work the best. I’ll try it and report my results.

      And thanks so much for joining me on Google Friend Connect! πŸ™‚ Really appreciate your support!

      Reply
  68. Cathy

    I would love to try nail stamping. It’s amazing how quickly an obsession can grow, as mine with nail polish has! I’ve quickly gone from getting a manicure as a treat a few times a year, to lusting after exotic nail colors, to obsessive color changing on my own because I no longer trust anyone else to mess up my masterpieces, to now I have to try some of those cool designs that look so intricate! Thanks for the enabling!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Cathy!

      Geez…sorry for replying late to your comment! I saw it when you posted it and I included you in the draw for the giveaway, but for some reason, I forgot to reply!

      Yes, it’s amazing how quickly a nail-polish obsession can grow. I think it’s because polish companies are really upping the ante and bringing out so many different colours and finishes. It’s hard not to love ’em. πŸ˜‰

      Haha, glad that you appreciate my enabling. πŸ˜›

      Reply
  69. Lailaa

    Hi Mary!

    Thanks for hosting this giveaway! I really like that you post about a variety beauty related things on your blog. My favorite things about your blog are the Eye of the day and the fact that you have rounded fingernails : )

    In terms of nail art, I’d really like to try my hand at water marbling. It seems pretty hard, especially since you have to be fast, but I’m sure I could do it. I wanna try dry marbling and a newspaper mani too!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Lailaa!

      I haven’t posted an Eye of the Day in a long time. I really should do another look soon. The ones that Fiona and I did are so old. πŸ˜›

      Thanks! πŸ™‚ Do you have rounded fingertips, too? Square and squovals are the trend now, though. Just don’t look right on me.

      Reply
  70. May

    I want to try stamping so bad. I’ve been lurking my local nail supply store to see if maybe they would get them in but no such luck. Only online it seems. I want to try a metallic pattern on a matte polish. I’ve seen so many cute images floating around of this style and learned it’s thanks to stamping! aah so eager to try

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey May!

      I’ve seen Konad supplies at a mall kiosk once, but it was at a mall that’s out of the way for me. Plus their prices were much higher than what you can get online, so I didn’t feel the need to grab anything.

      Reply
  71. Leslie

    I’d love to try the konad stamping system. I recently found out about it and absolutely fell in love with it. Such beautiful simple and intricate designs made easy. Anyone can be a nail artist and I’d love to be one too (:

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Leslie!

      Yes, that’s the beauty of nail stamping. πŸ™‚ It’s an easy way to express yourself and do it yourself, yet make it look like you paid to have your nails done.

      Reply
  72. bambaki83

    Hi from Spain!!

    IΒ΄d like to try sponging and water marbling because I already try nail stamping, fimo decorations and crackle.
    I follow u on twitter as @bambaki83.

    thanks,

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey bambaki83!

      Welcome to Swatch And Learn! Wow, all the way in Spain – pretty cool! πŸ™‚

      Thank you for following me on Twitter. Feel free to drop me a tweet sometime. I love finding out more about my readers!

      Reply
  73. Chrissy

    I really want to try the nail stamping! I love doing designs with a thin paintbrush but one hand always looks so much better than the other one so I think the nail stamping is definitely worth a try!

    xox Chrissy

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Chrissy!

      Yes, sometimes it can be really tricky getting both hands to look the same. That’s why I often like to do nail stamping or freehand nail art that requires just lots of blobs, dots, short lines, or shapes that don’t have to be perfect.

      Reply
  74. nicole

    I just ordered my nail stamper and first bundle monster plate set online, I’ve never really done anything to my nails before (up until about a week ago, my polish collection consisted of 4 of the same sheer pink polish by different brands). This gift certificate would help me speed up my collection!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Nicole!

      Yay! You’re going to have a blast stamping to your heart’s content!

      Good luck in the draw. A gal can never have too much polish or stamping plates. πŸ˜‰

      Reply
  75. Foxycontin

    I’ve been doing the konad nail stamping for a few years now and just love it! There are limitless designs you can do on your nails and it is so much fun to do too. The one nail trend I have been wanting to try out for a while haven’t done yet is using nail foil. It’s so shiny and pretty. I realize it doesn’t last as long as polish but I still can think of many ways I would like to use it. Maybe you could do some nail foil posts in the future? πŸ™‚

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Foxycontin!

      Yes, nail foils are spectacular! And I haven’t seen many people do it. I’m definitely interested in at least trying it and then blogging about it. First on my to-do list is marbling, then sponging, and then foils. πŸ˜€ I love to-do lists like this when they’re nail-related, don’t you? πŸ˜€

      Reply
  76. Lauren Lucas

    Hi!! I’ve really really wanted to try the konad stamping kit but I cant seem to find it anywhere! I dont have a credit card try so I can’t buy anything off line. I’ve seen some videos and tutorials on this kit and it looks like so much fun for a nail junkie like me! Really hope to win!! πŸ˜€

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Lauren!

      Yeah, it can be frustrating not to find this stuff in stores. It’s nice being able to see something in person before making a purchase. But, who knows? With nail art becoming even more popular, maybe Konad will finally hit more malls. I’ve actually only seen it at one mall, but the prices were jacked up.

      Good luck in the draw! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  77. Ximena

    I want to try more nail stamping, i friend let me borrow her kit and i got hooked.. so far i have done marbling and some free hand.. i even made my own decals …

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Ximena!

      Yes, it just takes that one try to get you completely hooked. Nail stamping is the drug of the future. Hehe!

      Cool that you made your own decals!

      Reply
  78. Hannah

    Hi! I’d really love to work more of perfecting my free hand nail art. I’m also interested in trying new things with beads, metallic string, foil, rhinestones, or anything else I haven’t tried yet. Thanks for this awesome contest!

    Reply
  79. Monnie

    I recently just got back into nail polishes after many, many years, and… goodness, things have changed a LOT since I was last into it! I’d never even HEARD of Konading, and those stamped polishes are just FABULOUS!

    I really shouldn’t be spending so much time or money on polishes, but… I suspect that if I don’t quash this personal craze soon, that’s definitely going to be the next thing I try… thank you so much for putting up that lovely, picture-perfect comprehensive review!

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Monnie!

      Glad that you got back into nail polish – it seems to be getting more popular than ever these days.

      Haha, for me, I don’t feel too bad spending so much time and money on polishes. They’re a small luxury that make me so happy. Before I got into polishes, I was buying Coach purses (not a lot, but often enough, and those are very expensive for me). Nail polish is a way cheaper addiction, and actually, polish makes me 10000000x happier. πŸ™‚

      Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey April!

      Me, too! It’s always interesting to see how people translate an inspiration onto their nails. πŸ™‚ Very creative!

      Thank you for your encouragement! πŸ™‚ Appreciate it!

      Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Anutka!

      The more everyone talks about marbling, the more I’m going to have to try it sooner. Just need to schedule some more posts and then I can devote a few hours to trying it out. I need hours so that I can photograph each step so that I can show you all on here. πŸ™‚ Very excited!

      Reply
  80. ashley

    i would looove to try that magnetic nailpolish, but it’s hard to come by. ): i wish i could do more freehand drawing/dotting. i have zero art ability.

    for girls wanting to try water marbling, i recommend (after playing around & practicing of course), to just start off by doing as an accent nail. i do it on my ring finger every once in awhile & it’s so much easier & less messy than doing all 10 nails! plus with all my other nails a solid color, people notice that weird finger more, haha. justmytwocents(:

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Ashley!

      Aww…don’t say that you have zero art ability! I totally don’t believe that anyone has zero artistic skills. A lot of times, it just takes some practice. I don’t consider myself to be an artist, but I do love experimenting with polish and trying new designs. If I never tried nail stamping, freehand nail art, etc., to this day, I probably would still think that I’d never be able to do it. πŸ˜€ Trying something intimidating is usually the hardest step…and of course it’s also the first step.

      That’s an excellent tip, Ashley! I hope that other readers see your comment and realize that they don’t have to do all 10 nails. You’re right – doing just one accent nail is a great first step!

      Reply
  81. mike

    I wanna do more stamping. I have only the Konad plate with argyle and plaid. Was a lot of fun and made for a great accent nail. Well i call it my engagement nail.

    Reply
    1. Mary Post author

      Hey Mike!

      How awesome – I think you may be the first guy to enter my giveaway! πŸ˜€ YAY!

      Argyle and plaid? Nice choices – those are two of my favourite designs that Konad has come out with! (Hehe, your “engagement nail” – that’s cute!)

      Reply

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