Last Spellbound Nails Sale of the Year

Hello my lovelies!! The last sale of the year is going on in both my Etsy and my Storenvy shops. Another bit of amazing news - you can now get to my Etsy shop using spellboundnails.com. Yes, I finally got around to buying my domain name!! So exciting. I will be working extra hard on building my own website to go along with that domain name in the new year. Fingers crossed as we head into the new year. :)

And for those of you that have trouble loading images. Use the code GOODBYE2013 for 13% off your entire order until 12:00am 1/1/14. There is no minimum purchase required and this code will work for sale polishes too. :)

Until next time,

-Ashley

Merry Christmas

Hello lovelies!! I'm a little late posting today, but right after finishing these this morning I had to immediately leave. How immediate? Immediate like I was terrified I was going to smudge them while getting dressed - thank goodness for my trusty Seche Vite top coat! The chance of smudging made me snap a few quick pics and then I was out the door. I just now settled down to watch some Christmas Doctor Who (goodbye, Doctor #11 ♥♥) and realized I never got around to taking the pics off my camera. So, here's my Christmas mani ... late but at least it's still Christmas. :)

I wanted a mani that I could wear after Christmas. Once Christmas is over I want Christmas over so I went simple - more winter than truly Christmas. I started with 3 coats of CQ Pearls and then topped it with 2 coats of Firefly from Hell.

If you'll remember Firefly from Hell was the glow-in-the-dark glitter topper from my Halloween collection. There are still a few of these glow polishes left if anyone wants one; you can get them on sale for $6 in my Storenvy shop. :) I adore how the stamped snowflakes still show up in the dark!!

I think I'm getting better at this whole stamping thing!! These snowflakes were done in mere moments (with China Glaze Blue Bells Ring) as I was in such a hurry and they're almost all there - only a few smudges and missing lines. And, as you can see, I also added a pearl to the center of the large snowflake on my ring fingernails. I think it added a slightly elegant, dressy touch.

So, how was your holiday? Do anything special? Wear anything special on your nails? How about gifts?? Did you get everything you asked Santa for? :)

Until next time,
-Ashley

Santa Came To Say - More Christmas Stamping

Yes, this is another attempt at Christmas stamping. I think I'm getting a little better. I'm still working on placement and which colors I can stamp over which polishes but not too horrible if I do say so myself.

This is Eight Tiny Reindeer with an accent nail of Holly Jolly. The main polishes used in this mani are from my Christmas collection and except for Holly Jolly, which was a freebie with select Christmas orders, you can now get them on sale here!!

I couldn't do a Christmas mani, especially one with a polish like Eight Tiny Reindeer and not use the reindeer stamp! And since this was inspired by Rudolph, this mani just wouldn't be complete without a bright red nose on at least one of the reindeer. :)

And since this didn't show up on the full mani shot I had to do a close-up of Holly Jolly. Just look at that sparkle! Holly Jolly is red, green, silver, and gold micro-glitter, and this is just two coats for full coverage! It also works wonderfully as a glitter topper - such a versatile little glitter.

Order 6 full-size Christmas sale polishes, and I will include a mini of Holly Jolly in your order completely free! :) This offer is only valid until the year's end, 12/31/13, so order quick!!

Until next time,
- Ashley

Happy Christmas To All

Hello lovelies! Welcome to another very simple mani idea for Christmas.

I've said it before but OPI The Spy Who Loved Me is perfect for Christmas manis. However, if you don't have this you can use a really any shimmery red or even just a plain creme red. I believe my go-to polish last year was Orly Star Spangled. It's a little bit of a darker red from what I remember, but is just as, if not more, shimmery!

So, super simple! Two coats of OPI The Spy Who Loved Me and three coats of my own polish, Spellbound Nails Happy Christmas To All as an accent nail.

This mani looks so much better in person because you can really see the sparkle and shift of the glitter and this does seem to trick the eye into thinking Happy Christmas To All really does look like a Christmas tree especially with that star at the top of my nail. I admit I started this mani with a different design in mind; a bit of a tape mani to create a tree shape on the accent nail with a carefully placed star glitter, but once the star came out of the bottle (without my permissions lol) and refused to budge it all came together so much better in my opinion!

I plan to have at least another one or two designs before Christmas so keep an eye out for those.

Until next time,
- Ashley

Candy Canes and Holly Berries - Holiday Christmas Nail Art

Hello lovelies! Can you believe it's already less than a week until Christmas?? I feel like it was just last week that it was months and months from Christmas. Still, the Christmas spirit seems to have hit me hard ... well, hit me with nail art ideas because my house still isn't decorated and I have done less than no Christmas shopping.

And speaking of nail art ideas ... I think I'm a little obsessed with candy cane stripes. I seriously just want to keep these on until after Christmas; I love them so much!

These are actually really simple to do but there's a lot of waiting involved because the stripes are done with tape and the white polish has to be completely dry before you can start. If you don't wait for it to dry it will dent if you're lucky or ruin all your work at worst.

I think I'm also developing an obsession with OPI The Spy Who Loved Me. It is such a lovely shade of shimmery red and has such wonderful coverage. It also makes perfect candy cane stripes ... and holly berries!

Well, I think that's just about it. I hope you enjoyed yet another of my Christmas manis. :)

Until next time,
- Ashley

*A huge congratulations to Ariel of Lacquer: The Best Medicine for winning my Season of Giving Giveaway!! Her prize is already in the mail. :)

Looking for more holiday manis? Take a look at these!!

A Candy Cane Christmas with another Born Pretty Store Stamping Plate

Hello again!! First off, have you entered the giveaways I'm either hosting or a part of yet? If not you can enter here, here, and here. That's a lot of polish you could win; don't miss out! Go on. I'll wait. Done? Okay, onto the nail art!

I really wanted something simple but eye-catching so I started with a base of OPI The Spy Who Loved Me. This polish was a Christmas gift last year but red is always in season around Christmas. What makes this polish even better is the gold shimmer.

In some lights the shimmer will just look red but as you can see here and in the next pic the gold will occasionally show itself. It can be a little shy. :)

This one is a little blurry but it really shows off the gold shimmer.

via BornPrettyStore

To complete this mani, and add just a little more of a Christmas-y touch, I used my new-found stamping skills and added some candy cane stripes in white. This was done using the Born Pretty Store stamping plate M65. If you'll remember I used this stamping plate before to create my Elegant Border Nails. You can buy this stamping plate right now for $2.99. As always feel free to use MLE10W21 for 10% off your BPS orders.

If you don't have and don't want to buy this stamping plate you can always draw the stripes on freehand, use a base coat of white and put down some striping tape before painting on your red, peeling up the striping tape after ... or just use the striping tape itself to create the stripes! All it takes is a little imagination!

Until next time
♥ Ashley

And To All A Good-Night featuring the Born Pretty Store Christmas stamping plate

I was busy mixing polish and filling orders last night when I was suddenly and inexplicably struck with inspiration for some nail art. Maybe it's the Christmas spirit finally kicking in? I'm not real fond of Christmas. Lemme explain! I loved it as a kid - the wonder of going out and picking/cutting/bringing home our own tree, decorating, going for long drives to see Christmas lights; the anticipation on Christmas eve, attempting to sneak out to the living room to see if Santa had come yet ... when finding anything under the tree was a surprise and a delight, but it's just not the same and hasn't been for a long while. And it's not just because I'm not a child anymore. Now-a-days, most kids (and adults are guilty of this too) are all about the receiving - how much their presents are worth and how many they can get ... and most are completely ungrateful. Where's the spirit of good will and charity gone?? So yeah, my reasons for wishing Christmas would come and go quickly.

But my Grinch-like behavior isn't what this post is about. This is about nail art inspiration and my very first truly successful attempt at stamping!

I used 2 coats of And To All A Good-Night from my 'Twas the Night Before Christmas Collection. I put down a layer of top coat and then sponged the tips with basic white. Another layer of top coat and then came the attempt at stamping. You've all seen my previous stamping disasters so I went into this with a cringe on my face. But I read somewhere that you should file the gel bit of your stamper before you use it the first time. Well, I never did this ... didn't know you should, but I figured why not? What's the worst that could happen? The filing could ruin it but it was of no use to me now so worth a shot right? I'm guessing since this attempt at stamping was a roaring success that this does help!

I used my Born Pretty Store stamping plate QA19. I'm pretty sure I received this free last year, just after Christmas, when they did a flash sale/giveaway thing. You can buy it right now for only $0.99! If you'd like to buy this stamping plate or anything else from their site you can always use my 10% off code: MLE10W21. I only had a small amount of trouble with the tree, and that was all my own fault ... I didn't roll the stamper enough on my nail and the tip of the tree didn't stamp. I had to attempt to line it up so it's just a little lopsided. And I did loose a line or two on the house; I don't think you can really tell though.

But overall, I really couldn't be happier. I'm already dreaming of buying some more stamping plates and seeing what other quick and easy designs I can come up with. I don't have time anymore for full out nail art, but I should have time for stamping. :)

The Season of Giving GIVEAWAY

December is supposed to be the season of giving right? Well, this year I'm embracing that wholeheartedly! I am part of 2 huge giveaways (here and here), and I took it one step further and am now hosting my own with some of my wonderful bloggers. You may or may not recognize their names but I'm sure you'll recognize their nails. They do almost all the lovely swatches you see when checking out my polishes. If it's not my swatch, it is more than likely one of theirs. How could I give away some polish as a thank you for all the support and love you've all given me and not include them?

First up, the thing I'm sure you're all eager to know - the prizes! The winner will have their choice of 6 mini bottles from my Christmas collection - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

I may even toss in a few other things I've been holding onto for a giveaway. Season of giving and all that. ;)

And now onto business - the rules. As I cannot ship internationally at this time this giveaway is only open to those in the US or Canada ... or those who have a friend in either country willing to risk shipping for them. Once the package is out of my hands however, I take no responsibility for it - especially during the holidays when customs is sure to be cracking down on shipping polishes. Or pass on the season of giving by shipping to a friend in the US or Canada as a present. :) The giveaway starts 12:00am EST 10th December and ends 12:00am EST 17th December. The winner will have 24 hours to reply and claim their prize. If I get no reply in 24 hours, I will be forced to choose another winner.

Onto the fun! Use the Rafflecopter app below to enter. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spread Possibilities with New Hershey's Spreads

*All products were sent to me for testing and review, completely complimentary, from Crowdtap. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was so excited to be one of only 1000 given the chance to try the new Hershey's Spreads. I'm not sure if others who were given this opportunity got anything different, but the spread I received was Chocolate with Hazelnut.

As part of this sample there were various challenges to complete. I could create a video, but I'm not good at those. I could be daring and try to pair my Hershey's Spreads with something unusual, but some of the options for this (such as pickles) turned my stomach a little. So I went with the challenge of coming up with 5 pairings that I'm going to share with you.

I've said this in every food post but I always feel the need to point it out again. I am not a food blogger. I don't have the time or patience to come up with new recipes and do some fancy set up for pictures. That said, I like food, I love sharing it with you, and I do try my best with the pictures. I really hope you enjoy my fumbling attempts; I know I enjoyed eating/drinking them. :)

The first pairing I tried was hot chocolate. I love making my own hot chocolate with Hershey's powdered chocolate so I hoped this would work just as well. And it did! Better in the case that there was no extra chalky powder at the end of the cup. Though, I was really sad not to have some mini marshmallows in my cupboard but the rich, chocolate-y taste with a slight nutty flavor sated my chocolate craving and warmed me up after a horrible ice storm.

This hot chocolate is very simple (and quick) to make. Simply whisk 3 tablespoons of Hershey's Spread into one cup of milk over low heat - you don't want to scald the milk or burn the chocolate. You can add a pinch of cinnamon (or your favorite hot chocolate spice) for a more Christmas-y drink or take a trip back to your childhood and toss in some mini marshmallows or a scoop of marshmallow fluff.

For my second pairing ... walking down the snack aisle I saw some yummy looking chocolate covered pretzels. However, they were fancy and expensive. Given that the bag had only a handful of pretzels inside it really wasn't worth the price, but it gave me a horrible craving for chocolate pretzels. So, I walked further down the aisle and picked up a much cheaper, very full bag of simple pretzel sticks and satisfied my new-found craving by dipping them into the Hershey's Spread. It was the perfect snack!

I thought and thought and thought about my next pairing. All that thinking made me hungry so I snooped through my cupboards and came up with this sandwich pairing. I love peanut butter and honey sandwiches, and I occasionally love peanut butter, honey, and banana sandwiches. It was really a no-brainer to substitute the peanut butter for Hershey's Spreads.

It was like eating chocolate covered bananas dipped in honey. It was really yummy! I'm also really eager to try just the Hershey's Spreads with honey, and I'm already dreaming of grilling up some Hershey's Spreads with jelly much like I do with pb&j sandwiches.

So, I did snacks, drinks, and lunch with my last pairing ... what about other meals? Say ... breakfast?? How about some chocolate pancakes? I apologize, but I never learned how to make pretty pancakes lol. I just pour some batter into a small skillet and spread to the edges of the pan as best as possible - cook, turn, cook and eat. For this just use your favorite basic pancake recipe (I prefer quick and easy with the least amount of ingredients possible so I use Jiffy mix) and add a spoonful or two of Hershey's Spreads. 

What I also never learned to do is leave well enough alone! I just had to spice these pancakes up a bit. I drizzled on some of my favorite syrup - dark Karo syrup and then I added a scoop of cherry preserves. Oh sweet pancake gods above (or maybe below with how absolutely sinful these are)!! It was like eating chocolate covered cherries for breakfast. Almost tooth-ache inducing but too good to put down! I'm almost hoping a food blogger sees this and runs with the idea because these pancakes really deserve to look pretty!!

But ya know what? All that thinking and mixing and eating ... my all time favorite way to eat Hershey's Spreads is just with a spoon.

Or, since this is my own personal Hershey's Spreads, with my fingers. I have been caught many times just like this.

Want to try some of my pairings for yourself? The new Hershey's Spreads hit shelves December 6th so if you can't find them in your local shop yet keep looking!

*All products were sent to me for testing and review, completely complimentary, from Crowdtap. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Calling All Doctor Who Fans

Source: Fanpop

I warn you now - get ready for the fangirling! And images, lots of images. If you want to skip the images and go straight to the polish you can simply go to my shop and see the swatches ... but just know that you will be missing something awesome!! AWESOME, I SAY!!!

Source: Pinterest

Seriously, don't wander off! You might miss something important ... and awesome ... definitely awesome.

Photo Credit: Adrian Rogers, © BBC

Did you know that this weekend is the 50th anniversary episode of Doctor Who?? Did you really think a Whovian obsessed nut like me could let that day pass without releasing a special polish?

Surely you jest!

Leave The Brakes On is a Tardis blue holographic. Did anyone else really love that bit in Time of Angels where River tells the Doctor that the Tardis isn't supposed to make that noise ... he just leaves the brakes on! Maybe you didn't love that bit. Still wandering why would I take my inspiration from the Tardis?

Photo Credit: Adrian Rogers, © BBC

Well ... the Doctor is always changing. Just about the only constant of the show is the Tardis. The Tardis never changes ...

Source: Doctor Who Wiki

Except that time it was an organ ...

Source: Rebloggy

Or, ya know, that time it was a woman.

Photo taken in my lightbox

 But really, the Doctor would be nothing without the Tardis and it's ability to travel through time and space. He'd just be some odd alien bloke who works in a shop.

Source: Tumblr

Yes, yes, it's pretty in my lightbox, but check out the pictures taken with flash and in the sunlight!

Photo taken with flash.

Photo taken in sunlight

Photo taken in sunlight

Source: Tumblr

Do you see it? Do you see the awesomeness of this polish?? I thought you might, so there is only one thing left to say ...

Source: Tumblr

WHY WHY MUST THERE ALWAYS BE A GOODBYE????

There's a Sale Going Down at Spellbound Nails!!

While adding a new review system to my Storenvy shop I decided to spruce up my layout a bit. In celebration I thought ... why not have a rare sale?? You can now take 10% off any order of $10 or more with the code NEWLAYOUT. This sale ends 10am EST November 18th. This code is only good in my Storenvy shop and will not work in my Etsy. And with that I say ENJOY!

The Remembrance Duo - and a sale on Halloween polishes

Hey gals! I bring some really sad news. My family has recently lost a member. My bonus-dad (my dad in all but blood) passed suddenly on October 25th. He was so proud of me for making polish - such an odd thing for a big, gruff guy like him to proud of but he was always telling anyone who would listen that I actually make my own polish ... and sell it too! I wanted to honor the wonderful man he was and the broken hearts he left behind ... and I guess this is the only way I feel I can do that.

I also want you to know that I keep nothing from selling these polishes. ALL proceeds will go to my mom to help her pay bills and funeral costs.

This is The Remembrance Duo. It includes Teal We Meet Again and Butterflies and Broken Hearts. As part of The Remembrance Duo is the only place you will ever be able to buy Teal We Meet Again. However, if you want just the glitter topper Butterflies and Broken Hearts can be about alone.

These polishes are being sold at a slightly increased price ($10 for the glitter topper and $20 for the duo).

Butterflies and Broken Hearts has a lot of meaning to me and my family. My mom taught me early her belief that butterflies are messengers of heaven and that every time you see a butterfly it is simply a loved one's way of waving hello from the great beyond. I couldn't create a memorial polish without including lots of silver holographic butterflies. The black hearts are of course the broken hearts he left us with. You'll also find tons of green (my bonus-dad's favorite color), as well as lots of holographic black and holographic silver glitter.

Teal We Meet Again is a gorgeous teal holographic polish that makes a stunning base for Butterflies and Broken Hearts. I really don't think you could find a more perfect pair.

On a side note, there are still a few polishes from the Halloween 2013 Collection left that can now be bought on sale.

My Storenvy

My Etsy

Halloween 2013 Collection - Spellbound Nails PRE-ORDER

If you follow me on Facebook you'll know all about my Halloween 2013 Collection. For those who don't, this is for you. :)

I am now taking pre-orders for the Halloween Collections. Head over to my Storenvy and get your order in because pre-sales are only open until 9/27. Pre-orders ship 9/28, and the Halloween polishes go up for normal sales 10/1. Did I mention these polishes come with optional scents? You can buy unscented, but you can also do apple cinnamon, pumpkin pie, candy corn, or a variety!

But first ... keep reading. You don't want to miss seeing these polishes!!!

This is the full Halloween 2013 Collection. 6 of these polishes were inspired by the Halloween movie Hocus Pocus and can be bought separately. And the other 2 are the Halloween Thermals and can also be bought separately.

This is the Hocus Pocus Collection. Hocus Pocus is my favorite Halloween movie; certainly not the only one I love and will watch, but my favorite. And each polish is this collection was inspired by something in this movie. If you're a fan of Hocus Pocus I'm sure you can figure them out. If not, keep reading. :)

Firefly from Hell, the shimmery topper of this collection, shown over Revlon No Shrinking Violet.

Amok (imagine me jumping around chanting amok much as Sarah did in the movie) is an orange based jelly polish with various shapes and sizes of black glitter. Superstitious is inspired by Binx and is a black based jelly with large and micro holographic gold glitter and melon green dots. All that holographic makes it gleam like a cat's eyes in the dark. Firefly from Hell was inspired by the quote "You buck-toothed, mop-riding, firefly from hell." made by Billy the zombie to Winifred. It is a milky, shimmery topper that glows violet in the dark. Be-witching Old Broads was inspired by the bewitching old broads themselves, the Sanderson Sisters, and is like magic on your nails with a deep purple based jelly and tons of purple holographic micro glitter and silver holographic stars and moons. You're a Virgin?? is the basis of this entire collection, much like it was for the movie. This black based jelly with red and holographic red glitter was inspired by the lighting of the Black Flame Candle by a virgin! The movie wouldn't have worked without this and neither could my collection!! And last but not least we have Zombie Guts inspired by Billy Butcherson, a friendly zombie but still a zombie. This is a green based jelly polish with pastel green, red hexes and squares, and black and grey dots.

The Halloween Thermals are coloring changing polishes. These 2 beauties change from orange when cold to green when hot. Unholy Holo is (YES) a holographic thermal! It changes from a burnt orange to minty green and is stunning in sunlight!! It's sibling is Pumpkin Crusher, a bright orange to light green color changer with orange and pastel green glitter. This polish is interesting no matter what color it shifts.

And because I know you're curious, I leave you with these swatches of the thermals. :)

Remember, you only have until the 27th to pre-order these polishes at discount prices. Once they release on October 1st the collection prices will go up. That said, with the October release you will be able to buy single bottles at my normal prices. :)

My Storenvy

Until next time. ♥