May Nail Art Society and why I'm finally leaving

Still with the company??? Ok I admit I canceled after the disaster of March's bag, still got April's bag and made sure my account was gone. Then they showed the preview of May and it was FINALLY a great bag. So I signed back up and waited. Then waited. And waited some more. I emailed and got a very quick and very apologetic response. She sent me two kits and sent two kits to friends. I gave my extra to another friend who has been considering Nail Art Society and got down to business with my kit.

The Package
First off the contents were stellar. Far above the 9.95 price. The packaging is the usual black mailer with smaller bubble mailer and literature inside. Several suggested looks which made this bag over the top versatile. Guess what? They FINALLY caught on! Day and a dollar too late...

This was all Kiss product. The total value was 39.95. Not bad!

Contents:

• 2 Kiss Nail Dress nail strips sets
• Kiss Marbelizing pen set
• Kiss Nail Artist set (the stripers)
• Kiss Nail Artist art stickers
• Kiss Nail Artist nail decorations (gems and baubles)

I decided to go ahead and try two of the looks and then do one of my own. All images use product exclusively from these kits aside from base and top coat, and Zoya Snow White in the first look.

I chose to recreate the second look. I just love how fun and bright it is! I changed it up slightly, but isn't it great? The stripers in this kit are phenomenal. The nail stickers are a little less flexible then I'd prefer, but super fun as an accent and fit great. Also whenever I type stripers my computer puts red lines under it and I'm afraid I'm spelling something else. Which doesn't have lines under it after I double and triple-check. But I digress....

I knew the second I pulled this card out I was going to try this. I did try marbling with this kit but it totally didn't work. Like epic didn't work. Like wouldn't dry and looks like those cheap lamp beads that grandma buys for beading with. HOWEVER the pens are amazing for fine designs.

The bow came out of the Kiss Nail Artist decorations kit. It's unbelievably cute and one of my favorite bow accents to date.

This last look was just me trying to use something from each kit. I didn't manage to get a nail shield in, but I tried a lot of the techniques.

The neon orange flower is a stencil in the Nail Artist set. The base is one of the colors from the marblizing kit. Accents from the nail art stickers set and the decorations set. There was sooooo much to be had in this one! PUT ALL THE THINGS ON THE NAILS!!!

My conclusion:
I am actually finally done. Nail Art Society has shut down for the month of June, issued refunds, and announced that they are revamping their system. Yay right? They have also announced that they are NOT going to have Paypal as an option. That was the only reason I had signed up. It was a safety area so I could cancel when I needed to. Without that safety net I'm out till I can see that they actually put in a system that works and can keep up with communication and stop doing shady things like shutting off communication on Facebook which was the only place customers could get answers for a long, long time.

Here's to hoping that they do pull it together and can keep putting out bags like this. I may get back on board after I see it all come together. For now the past speaks pretty loudly so I'm going to sit this one out.

April Nail Art Society REVIEWED

I know, I know I thought I was cancelled as well. So I was a bit surprised, again, when I received my package. After checking Paypal I saw I hadn't been charged so I couldn't, in good faith, use the package contents. Even though this was the first I had opened and been genuinely excited by the contents! So I patiently awaited an email from them as to what to do with the package and tore eagerly into it when they emailed, rather quickly, that they were happy I liked the kit this month.

I did re-subscribe. They showed a tease preview for next month and it is WELL worth it. However I hold my reservations. Communication on the change in bags was NOT EVER conveyed which is not ok. It just isn't. Why they get mad at people asking what's going on when they haven't even clearly communicated what is happening to the subscriptions, the expectations THEY built, for their customers is just beyond me. But having gone through Paypal and seeing that I can cancel that way I feel secure in going for another few months to see what happens.

The package:
This is pretty much figured out at this point. Black mailer with smaller bubble pouch containing the contents within. I've never gotten anything broken so it's working. No complaints. :)

Contents:

• How to card (Including this since it's actually relevant this time)
• Nail glue
• Kiss Nail Artist kit
• Striping tape in S. Aqua
• Bow kit

I've been eyeing this Kiss Nail Artist kit - it alone makes this bag very nearly worth the 9.95 being both a new, trendy item and retailing at 7.99. So I was overjoyed to see it in this month's bag. I don't know how much the bow kit is but they usually retail anywhere from 3-8 dollars a set. Add in the striping tape and nail glue and you are over the 9.95 but at least several dollars if not more.

Top this off with a look inspired by the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer runway line and sporting the very trendy stripes and bows look and you have both the bag and trend value wrapped up in a neat package. I LOVE the addition of alternate looks at the bottom of the card. The very simple step by step is well illustrated.

Conclusion:
This bag is a win completely! It's what I was waiting for. I don't care if I don't get OPI's or Butter London. I DO care that I was led on and then treated poorly for asking for clear communication. Apparently this is how you treat customers.They forget THEY advertised one look a month featuring polishes from their site. They forget that they made the price jump and promised details on what that would mean and then never followed through. I have all the cards, packages, screenshots, and emails.

BUT I am giving it one more go. So we shall see. They may be working out the kinks. Or it may be a temporary thing. We shall see.

For now the looks:

As you can see there's a LOT of options with this month's kit. Also did I mention I love bows?

March 2013 Nail Art Society bag review. Wait...

Yeah you read right - I am indeed reviewing the 2013 Nail Art Society bag. I cancelled but I guess they've become so desperate to keep customers they've stopped accepting cancellations on their site! Don't bother calling - you won't get a real person. Or a return call. Or a return email. You can Facebook them but unless you win the Facebook response lotto that's not looking like a good route for contact either.

The package:
No complaints here, but not for the reason you'd think. Mailer was sealed. Good, good. The usual bubble wrap bag inside - again not taped but it didn't matter this month! Let me show you why:

Contents:

• One package of glitter zebra striped nail polish strips by Nail Fraud. People are reporting seeing these popping up in Dollar Stores. On their site it's 12.00. o.0 
• Stella fimo flowers in peachy orange. 
• 4 art pots containing: purple caviar beads, iridescent green half pearls, fimo apple slices, and flowers in iridescent peachy orange.  

Not.a.single.polish. Nail polish strips. In stripes. Or animal print. Both are looks they've already done and done again. *facepalm*

So rock on - all these things are not like the other ones. I mean look at that array! I'm a talented person and pretty dang good at seeing nail art where others do not but this is a mess. The point of the bag, according to NAS, is to create ONE look. NAS I challenge you to create a decent look with all of this. You didn't even put a cohesive look on your card! Seriously - not even a look featuring the nail polish strips.

The what in the world factor continues when you flip the card over to find out what in the heck kind of look you're going for here and find (and I quote):

3D Freestyle!
We have listened to your suggestions and have dedicated this month to you!!! We want YOU to create the nailart looks!

Allow me to translate. Ahem: "We have no clue what we're doing and know we can't deliver on the promised brands. So we'll try to cover that fact by saying this is what you want!"

Nope. Wrong again - and we actually put this in black and white repeatedly on their page so they KNOW what we want. Honestly I'd be happy with a mini of a Zoya or an OPI (or two heaven forbid) with some updated looks. 

Readers this is it. This is what you can expect from NAS. I can probably safely say this is going to effectively fold this company.

So no look because, well, what can you honestly expect with this?

February 2013 Nail Art Society Bag Review

I'm back with a review of Nail Art Society - and this is my last. I have officially cancelled. I couldn't even bring myself to make a video of this. Ugh.

The package:
Looks as though they may have switched back to the other mailers. Sealed up nice and tight. However the inner bubble bag was not sealed and everything just thrown inside.

 Contents:
Fingerpaints in Louvre This Pink
The Creme Shop gold chain
The Nail Stop pink lace
Clare dotting tool
unnamed gold Love decals
unnamed file block - buffing block? Who knows!

Pros:

• Fingerpaints is actually a decent brand. Yes this is from an old collection BUT the color and finish totally worked for this month. I wasn't thrilled with the color when I pulled it out initially but then I painted it and was stunned. Not only do I not own a shade like this BUT I freaking love it! I would never have bought this on my own so hooray! 
• The look is very different. I've never really seen chain used on nails except to do the dangly nail stuff with. Lace is edgy and not something everyone thinks of. The mixed nails look is super in too.
• THERE'S AN ITEM ADVERTISED ON THEIR SITE! Sad that it's a Creme Shop item but still...progress?

Cons:

• The look is extremely gawdy. Like last month's was. It's an over the top celebrity look. Also it won't hold up very long due to the chain. If you can get the chain on that is. You'll see my pinky is bare of chain and smudged. This is because I could not get the chain to stay on there. Also I didn't outline the heart. Yeah even with my nail art skills that is tough.
• This is not worth 19.95. This is not even 9.95 worth. 

Ok I'm just going to stop there. I could go on and on but it's basically the same thing every month. Old polishes. Over the top "celebrity" looks. Very cheap items. Poor presentation. Lack of items advertised (as a subscriber I read advertised as promised). On another blog back in the beginning of this program I read that they felt it was just going to be old, discounted polishes pushed together to "make" looks and I have to agree. So goodbye Nail Art Society and I really hope you find your footing at some point. I really love the idea of it. But the execution is just not what I was hoping for. Here's this month's "look"

The look - I did a little of it but gave up.

 Let's play find the lace! Trust me - it's in the shape of a heart ;)

Seriously isn't that pink just gorgeous??? I'm thinking up things to try with the lace and the chain so those will probably be popping up in upcoming posts.

Nail Art Society January 2013 Bag Review

Here we are again - Nail Art Society bag came in the mail today and, well, they switched who they buy mailers through apparently (they posted up that they did on their Facebook wall). Fearing the worst I went to grab my bag and sure enough it's wide open. So I'll jump right in:

The package:
 The mailer is definitely cheaper and the loss on the adhesive shows such :( Lucky for me all of my items were still in the bag - miracle though as they didn't even bother to tape shut the smaller bubble wrap bag that they dumped the items all into. Last month had everything all nestled safely together in bubble with no room to bump or break and was secured with tape. *Facepalm* I'm not even sure they're trying at this point.

Contents:
1. One Layla Magneffects in Silver Galaxy (you got one random polish from this line and I, of course, got the only one I own from them)
2. Cherimoya Nailed It! nail art pen in Black! (it's a striping brush and not a pen)
3. Swarovski flatback gems in sizes SS9 and SS7 - 12 clear and 2 smokey black
4. Stella Beauty Products tweezers

Pros:
1. Layla is actually a pretty well-known and spendy polish so the value actually really comes out in this aspect retail-wise technically.
2. The card with the curated look instructions actually has images of the look on the reverse this time.
3. The look is a simpler version of the chunky bling looks being pulled off by major celebrities. The look is cohesive and feels very well thought out (thank you ES Nails!)
4. The striper has a nice brush so it was easy to do the look on both nails. 

Cons:
1. Packaging was TERRIBLE! :(
2. While this is a Layla it's a much older collection Layla and these can be found in clearance bins for a couple bucks.
3. The striper came apart pretty fast - I can glue the brush back into the cap but it's definitely indicative of a cheap product.
4. While technically Swarovski flatbacks aren't rhinestones they give a slightly blingier version of last month's look. The addition of stripes is nice, but it's just odd to get a similar look twice in a row.
5. Once again there is not a single product from the advertised brands on their site. Well unless you count the crystals from the banner that is.
6. Magnetics are not trending and have not been for quite some time. Had it been one of the new Essie snakeskin polishes it would have been a different story. I saw one blogger mention that it seemed this subscription service would be nothing but old looks with past trends and it's shaping up that way.

In conclusion the 19.95 value is technically there but the trend value is not. Rumor is that the code NAS10 will allow you to try the service at the intro price of 9.95 so if you want to give it a go then click here (not an affiliate link).

Now for the look itself:

The weather is cold and my cuticles aren't the nicest - I had to photoshop out a nail owie :( But you get the idea. It did say to cover the nail with stones but there really wasn't enough to accomplish that and I like this look better. Also I switched the accent nail to the ring finger.

Anyhow let's cross our fingers for next month! If you'd like to watch the video I did (it has last month's review in it too) Click Here.

Nail Art Society December 2012 Bag REVIEW

WARNING: This is VERY detailed with far more writing then pictures. I know there's a lot of curiosity about this service so I have tried to be as detailed as possible. 

So there's ANOTHER monthly subscription service on the market but this time it's for nail art. The initial sign up for Nail Art Society was 9.95/mo and has gone up to 19.95/mo. The question on everyone's minds is is it the real deal. I have an in depth review with a look I did using the bag contents and my feelings on NAS and it's future.

First I made a video. I wanted to capture my initial reactions to the bag so I could share that with you and also be able to reflect on it and write this honestly. I want to love this subscription and I want it to work and be awesome. The video is not up yet but I will update this post when it is.

The company
Nail Art Society is a monthly bag with an entire look delivered right to your door. It's supposed to contain all the components for a look that they detail on their insert. 
I always try to do a little background especially on a new service. They tried to run a subscription service awhile back called Pink Bag (and you'll see references to it on their page here and there) which was going to be yet another beauty samples bag. Overdone and, unless you have the hook up, bound to fail. Which it did. So they reopened shop as a nail art themed bag. 

Customer service
Their website looked partly well done and partly thrown together (it does look better now). They do their billing through Paypal which is a HUGE plus because I'm fairly certain no one would try this service if they didn't. I know I wouldn't. There was no clear indication of shipping and billing cycle which was a serious red flag and no way to easily get into my account information after signing up. I went to their Facebook page and was greeted with a header filled with nail art images missing watermarks. Comments on their page were sometimes answered but I was seeing a repeat of this: "I emailed you x amount of times and no response." Yikes!

So I wrote them a very honest and detailed email about my concerns and, to my surprise, they responded very quickly and detailed. They began addressing problems and I was seeing comments of thanks popping up on their page for addressing the issues on email. Shortly after that a new header went up featuring images with watermarks and they began openly asking for people's nail art with the intention to feature it AND the blogger's information on the insert for the upcoming bag (so if this turns out then hooray!). I was very impressed with the swift turn around. I am still seeing some issues on their page, but let's be honest, that's what happens with a new service.

*Please note I'm not saying they made changes because I emailed them. I think they are a new service and trying to figure their way in the beauty service world.*

The package
First the package looks spiffy. It comes in that super shiny and reflective bubble mailer like Ipsy (formerly MyGlam) but it's black. Last month's bag came in that and so did this month so I'm thinking that's going to be their signature look. I was under the impression that each month's look would be in a little bag but this month did not come in one so maybe not....?

From what I can see the difference between last month and this month was drastic. Last month featured a runway polish by a brand I've never heard of call LVX. It also had striping tape and feathers. It was an edgy and different look with a new polish in a great, sequined bag.

So this month I was expecting something along those lines. Imagine my surprise when I open up this:

(click image for a much larger view)

So the contents were:

1. 2 Cherimoya brand Matte Nail Apparel polishes in Mystery and Blockbuster. (retail 4.99 each though I'm seeing some feedback places that you can get these for 1-2 bucks each)
2. 1 set of Stella rhinestones (4 different sizes - came in a different package but I didn't take a picture before doling them out in a new container for ease of use) along with an orange stick (usually 4-6 for a kit)
3. 1 Beauty Art nail glue (1.00)
4. 1 Cherimoya brand container of jasmine scented nail polish remover pads. (retail 1.49)

Pros: 

• I've wanted to try Cherimoya polishes. These are drugstore level polishes that retail for 4-5 bucks and I couldn't find them online to buy so I was stoked. I quickly figured out why though, and I'll detail that in the cons.
• This was a bag with an entire look and the tools to execute it. At first I felt meh about the nail art glue, but after reading the steps I discovered I really like the glue to apply my rhinestones. Nail glue doesn't dry instantly so it's easy to apply a tiny dot and use to pick up the rhinestones and easy to position them correctly. So I learned something new!
• The look is a modern look that provides several ways to pull off a holiday look that can look great with a variety of outfits. 
• The rhinestones, while not a brand I recognize, are NICE and in perfectly incremented sizes and in a finish that is going to be extremely versatile. I am in LOVE with them. They are so amazing! I wish I could find the company that sells them so I could get additional kits in other colors. 
• Matte polishes feel very versatile to me. Leave them as is or top them with topcoat to get a whole new look. Having two different colors equals four basic looks before you even start pairing them. Major wow factor on this point.
• The nail polish remover pads smell nice and they aren't greasy. They are more oily and I wouldn't recommend doing a manicure after using these but they are a great on the go solution. A pad will remove an entire basic manicure and probably two for a light glitter and probably shouldn't bother with a glitter bomb. Very cheap container though.

Cons:

• These are supposed to be the big 3-free but they smell like Kleancolors. It is awful. I'd rather a couple of Sally Hansen or L'Oreal polishes that aren't going to leave my eyes stinging. This screamed discounted boxes acquired from some warehouse desperate to off-load mass amounts of polishes they couldn't sell otherwise. The brand isn't advertised on their site either whereas LVX is (the polish from last month). They should have just done another LVX in a holiday color. Pair this with the same brand of nail polish remover pads and the fact that both Cherimoya and NAS are located in LA and I'm thinking someone got a great discount. I could be wrong, but I somehow don't think that's the case.The last mention I can find of them on blogs was over a year ago. I know I got the value but we've entered into an era of polishes that don't smell like a paint factory for a reason, and so to claim to be cutting edge and have this level of polish is a mega con to me.
• The look described on the reverse is dripping in diamonds and there's no demonstration of the look on the card anywhere. Odd....
• The look described says to paint the color, apply the rhinestones, then apply topcoat. To a matte polish. Why wasn't the curated look an enhancement to the matte finish? It's a small thing perhaps but it was a bit curious and didn't feel very well thought through. Also if the nail glue happens to spread beyond the rhinestone when you paint topcoat over it it turns a different color then the polish under it since it's matte (you'll see this in the images).
• The difference between the level of quality last month and this month is very obvious. I have absolutely no idea what to expect next month. They are advertising Zoya, ButterLondon, Essie and others that are salon quality but that's not what I got this month. I have no problem with a drugstore look but give us a head's up so we know it's going to be a mixed bag.

Overall impression:
Bottom line is I know they are making some big changes come next month with the price raise. If you aren't already on board I'd suggest you wait to see what next month holds because I have a feeling that's going to give us the real look at what to expect from this subscription program. At ten bucks I'd say chance it. At twenty, well, I get pretty hesitant. If you absolutely feel this is the program for you head over to Nail Art Society to sign up (not an affiliate link - they don't have a rewards program).

I mentioned on their Facebook page that I'd love to see an email so I could detail the upcoming changes and they said to look for one and I haven't gotten it yet (this was several days ago). If that comes through I'll do another post with that information as that may give you a better feel for what you are signing up to receive. Surprises are nice when they are nicely done.

So there you have it. My extremely in depth and detailed review of my NAS bag for this month. I will have next month's bag to review as well so stay tuned for that!

Until then check out the look I did with this month's bag:

Top is with topcoat and bottom is without. Base is Cherimoya Blockbuster and the top half is Cherimoya Mystery (my favorite of the two). I LOVE how glowey Mystery becomes with topcoat, but I love how the iridescent shine of the rhinestones comes out without topcoat. You can see the discoloration on the top image from the topcoat over the nail glue. A very mixed feel on this overall.

The rhinestones do pop off pretty fast without the topcoat so again I don't feel this was a very well thought out look. That being said it's very versatile and I can get a lot of looks out of this...if I dare open those polishes again.

Here's to next month and the surprise it holds! 
 
*I was NOT sent this bag for review and am signed up as a subscriber to their monthly service*