New Magictail skin! With extra fins!!!

Wow, I am so, so excited!!

Three weeks ago I went to take a look at the Magictail website, to see if they have something new that I could fancy.  Well, apart from the fabulous Marina Pro that will be mine someday, I was so surprised to find that they offer now tails with add-on fins!  

I was hooked.  The good thing about this feature is you can send them your previously owned Magictail and they will incorporate your chosen fins - this option is certainly cheaper.  But I was worried that my fabrics would not match, and that it would be a kerffufle to send my tail and get it back - it can always get lost in transit.  Besides, it was a good moment to get a new Marina skin, which was my first and most beloved tail.

And so, I ordered a Marina with hip and dorsal fins.  You can also add lower fins, but I chose to omit those.  Why?  Because the Magictail monofin is very bulky at the ankles, and I wanted to draw attention from it using the other two sets of fins.  You can get just one set of fins, or any combination of the three.

It took a little more than a week to ship, but I already knew that as it was specified at the time of purchase.  It arrived today in the mail, and I am over the Moon with it:

Front view; hip fins.  Monofin was inserted

Detail of the dorsal fin

Back view

The colors are absolutely out of this world.  It has changed a lot from my last Marina Magictail.  The fabric is not shimmery anymore, and the black/grey hues are totally gone.  Now we have vibrant blue and purple hues everywhere.  The scale design is also different - the scales are less rounded and more elongated:

Scales detail

Fluke detail.  Notice the difference in colors.  The fluke still has the extra fin tips that look gorgeous while swimming

The fins are not just a piece of fabric attached to the tail.  It actually has some kind of thick fabric insde - you can squeeze them, and they are mushy.  The fins have consistency and they keep their form.  However, they are not rigid; they are bendable and will not cause harm or inconvenience while sitting.  I cannot wait to see how the dorsal fin looks while swimming!

I have tried it on for the size - I got an L.  It fits me perfectly.  Another thing that they have modified is that the waist now has a pull cord to adjust the tail to your waist, so it won't slip down while swimming.  I have never had that problem, but I guess some people did when the tails got stretched after a lot of use, and they took that into consideration:

This time the tail did not come with matching bikini top and bottom - if you want those you have to get them separately now.

In any case, I am eager to try it out.  Hopefully I will be able to get some pics and maybe video next week.  I'll keep you posted!

Review: FinFun Mariana's Tidal Teal Mermaid Tail

Now that Summer is over, I can finally review my new tail skin: FinFun Mariana's Tidal Teal tail. 

Yeah, call me childish, but I have been reading the Mermaiden Tales that come up every once in a while at the Finfriends website.  I LOVED Scarlett's story and personality.  As a fan, I wanted to buy a Scarlet Red tail, but I did not really see myself in a red tail, even though it was gorgeous.  When her story took the turn it took, and she became Mariana, I wanted her new tail.

So this Summer I bought it as a gift to myself.  As always, buying at FinFun is easy.  I picked the Adult M size, chose the cheapest international shipping option, paid with Paypal and waited for it to arrive, as I was hoping I could take it with me for my holidays.  I think it took about a week, and it arrived in perfect conditions, in a sealed envelope, inside a plastic bag - no organza blue bag anymore - and with a Mermaidens sticker as gift.

The size is spot on, and let me tell you, it is GORGEOUS!  The tail itself has no front and back - same design on both sides - and it features the Mermaiden logo in the right fin tip (on both sides); I find it cool, it looks like a mermaid tatoo (!).  Now it has a smooth transition between the body of the tail and the fluke - no seam like in my Barracuda tail - and the colors are shades of blue, turquoise, and a bit of green and white.

Transition between tail and fluke - flawless!

Scales detail

As you can see it makes quite an statement!

The one thing that got my attention is the new reinforced tail tips.  I had seen a video on their website where they talk about this.  I was skeptical, until I saw my new tail had the new tips.  Mind you, none of my tails had ever had holes in their tips, but it is because I am totally paranoid over not scratching them anywhere.  That being said, I noticed the new tips are stronger, because they are covered in a kind of hard plastic (I don't really know what it is, but it feels like plastic to the touch).  Even though they stand out on land, they are invisible once in water.  With them, putting on and getting out the monofin is harder, but I would venture to say they really make the tips stronger.  The only bad thing I have to say about them is that they do not have drainage holes (like silicone tails use to have on their flukes), and so the water tends to accumulate in them when hung to dry.

See the white Mermaiden logo and the new reinforced tail tips

One of the good things about this tail is that it is longer, or has a new, different fluke pattern, than my Barracuda tail, and my Magictail monofin now is completely covered by the fabric - no white cover showing in the front or the back (yay!).

Regarding people's reactions, everybody said that it has a more vibrant color than my blue Magictail skin, and that the design is prettier.  It became everyone's favorite, and I find that it is competing hard with my blue Magictail in my heart - I am torn between the two.

Looking forward to using it next Summer!

Mermaid blanket... because Winter is Coming...

LOL, sorry for the pun!

I bought a mermaid blanket last Winter when I moved to my new home, but even though I wanted to post something about it I forgot.  Today I was filing some pictures and found the ones I took of the blanket when it arrived.

Even though it is still Summer, just in case you were considering buying one for yourself, here is one of the many available mermaid blankets on the market:

You can see my minion pillow  :)

This is the Fin Fun Adult Mermaid Blanket in Aquamarine.  It is incredibly cozy, warm, and when you get inside you may not want to get out.  The adult size is BIG.  I can cover up to my chest with it, and there is still room at the bottom.  You can get your feet inside the "fin" part, and there is no opening at the bottom - no more cold feet with this blanket.  You have to get in and out as you would with a sack.  No walking with this tail, and I would not recommend jumping while inside.  

The fabric is very very soft.  It is a double-sided minky fabric, and you won't get tired of petting it.  I mostly use it for snuggling up in the sofa and watch TV.  I have fallen asleep inside, and it was awesome.

Fin Fun has 2 new models they did not have last year with a whimsical scale pattern.  

Perfect for those cold days in which you still want to rock your mermaid side without having to get wet.  I highly recommend them, for adults or kids.

Update on the Magictail Monofin

As I mentioned in the previous post, my Magictail monofin broke.  Here are some pics of the fracture line:

As you can see, the fracture is very small, but I guess it will get bigger if I still keep on using it.  I will, just to see what happens.

Here is a YouTube video, doing a comparison between the old one and the new one:

The new Magictail in the pool, and new job!

Last week I went to my local swimming pool to use the Arielle Magictail for the first time.  I had a wondeful time; Mercedes, a swimming teacher, was there, and she took pictures and videos of me with the tail with her cell phone, and she was nice enough to share them with me:

You can see the seaweed top made by Raven of Merbella Studios

She was delighted when I showed her how to make bubble rings; she said she would like to teach their students how to do them:

I hate that they make swimmers use swim caps; the do not match well with my mermaid persona....  But later Mercedes and I took pictures of us together, and also the life saver, Ricardo, wanted to have one with me.  We have been having great weather these days in Spain, so it is a delight to go swimming.  Now I cannot do it as frequently as I would like, because I HAVE A JOB!!

I am working in the same hospital as hubby, even in the same floor, but with a reumatologist that is researching rheumatoid arthritis.  I started on March, and I am so happy with the job and with my co-workers.  It is wonderful to be back in the working force, although I miss a bit the free time I used to have.  Blog posts will begin to be less frequent, and the shop cannot have as many things as it had before, for the lack of time.  The great thing is the check that I get at the end of the month!

My next post will be a review of the seaweed top, and some notes about the Magictail monofin; also, some advice to take care of your Magictail skins.

See you soon, and happy Easter to all of you that observe the day; to the rest, have a wonderful Sunday!

New Magictail tail skin!

So, since I am using my Magictail so much I decided to order a new tail skin, as birthday gift to myself.  You do know you can order tail skins separately, right?  I wanted to order a new one to have as a replacement, since Magictails are made of swimsuit fabric, and eventually, all swimsuit fabric gets ruined by chlorine.

Well, since I was doubtful between the Marina and the Arielle the first time I ordered, I chose an Arielle skin this time.  I ordered it on January 27th, and it was already here on the 31st.  Here are some pictures of the two tails together:

Monofin on the blue one

Monofin on the green one

Fluke detail

Compare colors

Comparing sizes

The blue one has stretched a bit with the use

As you can see, there is a noticeable size difference between the two.  I contacted Kirsten Söller to check if there was a mistake with my order, although I did not think so.  Everything was marked very clearly with my chosen sizes; the monofin fits perfectly, and the tail fits me.  I was informed that there is a tag inside the tail skin with the size, and indeed, mine is size L.  So you can see that tails stretch quite a bit after some use.  I have had the Marina for almost 2 years, but I have used it a total time of maybe 2 months of daily use, about 3 or 4 hours per day.

Both tails are not similar in color.  The Marina is definitely a darkish blue with shades of black, and the Arielle, despite having shades of turquoise, it has a predominant soft green color.  I love them both, but the Marina is still my favorite.  I will probably buy more blue skins when mine has been completely worn out.

I will shoot a video comparing the two shortly.  Stay tuned!

*UPDATE*
Here is the promised video.  Enjoy!

Review: Seaweed Mermaid top from Merbella Studios

Please bear with me because this is going to be long.

I wanted to buy a mermaid top to go with my Magictail, since the top that came with the tail did not fit me.  I home-made a bra (that you can see here), but I was not entirely happy with it.  I knew of Raven of Merbella Studios, and had seen lots of beautiful pictures of her tails and tops.  My mother was kind enough to pay for a top for me (as a very anticipated Christmas gift), so I ordered a Seaweed top on August 23rd.  And here the journey begins - the following review you can also see (sans the pictures) at the Mernetwork website.

Article: Seaweed top with netting and pearls

Bought from: Merbella Studios through Etsy.com
Cost: $225 plus shipping ($62.50). Total= $287.50
Rating for the article: 3 stars
Rating for the service: 1 star

I bought this top to use for recreational purposes along with a Magictail whose matching bra did not fit me.

Shopping:
Since I bought the top on Etsy (of which I am a regular user), the purchase was easy. I had to contact Raven so she could fix a shipping price to my location, because I live in Europe, and only shipping to the US was set. I specified my preferences (bra size, color, pearl detailing and black netting) at the time of purchase.

The wait:
When I purchased the top (August 23rd), the listing specified 3 weeks of waiting time before shipping. Knowing that Raven takes her time to deliver, I knew it was going to be more than 3 weeks, but I assumed it would not be more than 2 months. I assumed this because waiting time for tails is usually around 120 days (which is 4 months), but I thought a top would take less than that.
I did not send any emails, as I also know that Raven does not pay much attention to them. While waiting, I learned to look for news about her work in her Facebook page and the forums of Mernetwork. This is how I learned, for example, that she gave more priority to tails than any other thing, and this upsetted me. I would not expect that she drop everything to make my top, but I thought that the way it worked was first come, first served, not the amount of money spent on an order. About a month later, I learned that she was waiting for a late shipment of bras (she did not have my size in stock), so that meant that my top was not even started. Later on she posted on Facebook (October 9th) that her email account had been hacked, and she had lost all her customers emails. She asked that all current customers send her emails with their info and a summary of their orders. She did not need my sending again my info - all she had to do was log in on Etsy and everything was there - but I did anyway. Two times, before I got a response on October 19. Was told they were working of tops for the next two weeks and mine would be ready very soon.

I kept on wating. No news on any of her current orders, nor I got mails of any kind. I waited until November 20 before writing again. On November 25 got a response saying the top would ship that week, and would be notified when it did. I took the mail at heart, and I hoped I would get a shipping notification by the end of the week. It did not happen. I thought maybe she posted the box, but forgot to write. Two weeks later, since the package did not show up, I wrote again (December 5) and got no response.

On December 10 I wrote again, and Raven answered back, saying the top had shipped the week before. I got the top some days later.

The shipping:
Shipping was on December 5, and the package arrived on destination on December 12. The bra came in a shoe-sized box, with air padding under the bra cups and a bit of green paper covering the silicone. The shipping price on the label read $24,15. Since I paid $62,50, there was an overcharge of $38,50 that was unaccounted for - certainly the box did not cost that amount. When I opened the box I found that a hair clip had been included:

The top itself:

This is the top that I got:

The first thing that struck me after taking it out of the box is that the netting color was crude, when I had requested it in black. How could she had had it wrong after 3 times of me specifying my preferences is beyond my understanding. After a careful inspection, I took notice of some details; the pearls in the listing picture were more abundant, not so in my case (I have 18 pearls exactly); also, some of them had a hole showing:

The silicone had not been carefully trimmed in some areas - some of the tips looked like they have a sloppy finishing:

Also, when comparing it with the listing picture, the paint in my bra is bright green, not dark green, and the gold/brown tips are barely visible.

At this point I am thinking maybe I got someone else's top, and she got mine.

Overall impressions: I am disappointed. What I saw on that listing, and what I requested at the time of ordering was not what I got. I had seen endless of positive reviews on her work, but after this purchase I would not trust her to make me a tail that would cost thousands of dollars. Maybe the problem is that I did not spend that amount , but a "mere" $225.

My personal feelings: I have been anxious, and felt ignored throught the whole process. There was no communication on her part that did not begin with me asking for news; no info on the delayed order of bras, no explanation on why my bra has crude netting, not a line saying my order had shipped, not even a sheet explaining how to take care of my bra. I have also felt that I was mislead when I did not get an estimated time for delivery, after the 3 initial weeks had passed. It is not a question of having to wait. It is a question that if I have to wait 4 months, I would have rather known that before hand. I feel my order was not "good enough" or "important enough" to have her full attention. Other tail makers have been largely critized precisely for that, and I never thought I would feel the same way about Raven.

Am I happy with my top? - Not really, but it looks good, and it fits me. At this point, I have to be content with that.
Would I recommend her as a seller? - I don't think so. Certainly not to a nervous and/or anxious person. The thing that I am more upset about is the lack of communication. I believe lack of time is not an excuse, specially when you have the time to post pictures and videos on Facebook. Communication with customers is essential when doing business online. I have worked with other artists that make custom orders, and they were fast and precise about communications, answered questions or concerns within 24 hours, communicated with me when or if there was an issue with my order, and ALWAYS delivered on time.

This is my second business with Raven, and the second that has gone badly. There won't be a third.

The second business with Raven included a hair clip that arrived completely rusty, and I had to return it so I could get my money back - for which, even though no fault of my own, I lost about $10 of shipping back costs. Here are a couple of pics of the clip:

I supposed it was used for a wet photoshoot or something like that.  I have seen the sea water turn something rusty with just one use.  But this is no way to send something to a paying customer.

In any case, I still have not been able to try the top in water, but when I do, I will do an update on that.  

Adventures of a mermaid in Peñíscola, Spain

So, my holidays at the beach are over, and I wanted to share some pics plus a review of the Magictail after using it.

Peñíscola was great. We had great weather, it was not really hot though, and some days we had yellow flag at the beach - lots of waves!

I had a chance to try my mermaid tail and it was awesome.  The pool at the hotel was crowded, so we just stayed at the beach - it only took us a minute to go, since we had just to cross the street across from our hotel to get to it. This beach:

On the Magictail:  the first time I put it on, I did it just were the waves broke into shore, and it was not very comfortable.  The moving water got sand everywhere inside the tail, specially the tips of the fluke.  I had to get into water by moving one step at a time over my hands and buttocks.  Once in the water it was easy to swim into a place where my feet did not touch the bottom.  The next time I went into water, I put it on while inside, and it was easier, at least for me; I rolled down the fabric until the monofin was visible; I lifted one of my feet and inserted it in the monofin; once it was inside, I let myself float and put the other one.  Then I just floated while pulling up the fabric.  It was really easy to swim in it, although I got tired after a while. Maybe because I had not swim in a very long time.  I was surprised of the momentum the monofin gave me while swimming, since it is not very big.  The monofin did not lose grip, and my feet were inside the whole time.

The fabric did not move at all, which was great.  It really is like swimsuit fabric, and very comfy.

When I was ready to finish my swim, I took out the tail: I rolled down the fabric until the monofin was visible and just released my feet.

Since the water was so agitated by the waves, I rinsed up all the sand that had got trapped inside; for this, I took apart every piece (monofin, protector and the tail itself) and rinsed them separately, turning the fabric pieces inside out so all the sand could fall.  Then at the hotel I rinsed everything with fresh water.  Of course, when I came back home I hand washed everything in cold water with a soft detergent.

Mermaid with goggles to protect eyes from muddy water

Having a rest after a swim...

...and being happy of being a mermaid!

There are more pics here, if you want to take a look.  Also, I found in YouTube some tutorials for mermaid hairstyles inspired on the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides".  Here is my favorite.  Enjoy!

A day at the pool, and a Summer job

Well, it's been a busy week, but I am happy.

Last Friday I finally was able to go to the pool for a relaxing day with my mom.  I did not take my tail along, mostly because she said she would be embarrassed to be seen with me while wearing it.  

I was concerned I would end up with sunburns because my skin is so white, so I spent the day using a sun protector factor 50 (no kidding!), and a t-shirt while not in the water.  I tried using it in the water as well but the lifeguard told me I had to remove it, because it was against the law to use clothes in the water and the Health Department could close the pool.  I was tempted to ask if I needed to remove the bathing suit as well, since it is cloth too, but I didn't.  Sometimes I do not understand rules.  I do not know if they would let me use the tail after that.  Good thing I am going to the beach in a couple of weeks...

But since now I am a mermaid, I found a treasure in the pool!  A white pearl.  It was a stud earring actually, just one of those plastic beads with a white cover, so I did not bother to take it to management.  Some days before I had been thinking about those wood boxes they sold at Michael's that were like a treasure chest, and found one just like it by chance at a local dollar-tree store:

So now I am keeping all my "mermaid treasures" on it.  I remember Don Mechanic used to have a tutorial to make this box look like an old pirate chest, but I have not been able to found it.  If you can point me in the right direction I would be grateful.

By the way, while perusing the net I found a great website for people interested in mermaids, the MerNetwork.  It looks like a great community, and they have a lot of interesting sections, such as tail making, tutorials, forums and reviews on tails.  I am not yet a member, but I definitely will.

And this Monday I started a Summer job!  I am working in a lab, as a technician, and I am learning lots of stuff.  It's a lot of work, and I do not have one minute of free time (except for lunch), but I am having a blast, and it is very rewarding to know that my work is anwering science questions.

I hope I can go to the pool again tomorrow with hubby, but we have to stop by the lab in the morning, so there are no plans yet.  Maybe next week...

In the meantime, here is a video of a pretty young mermaid in a pool (not me!).  Enjoy!

A mermaid's tale

Bear with me, because this is a long story...

I was probably about 12 or 13 years-old when I got a book called "La sirena perdida" (The lost mermaid).  It was not a book you read from begining to end, but a book in which you get to choose your own adventure by taking decisions and turning to a specific page to continue the story. 

Book "La sirena perdida"

Anyway, I got to meet a mermaid named Tana, and she and I spent a lot of adventures together, some ending better than others, but all of them exciting.  I was frustrated that nowhere in the book was an ending in which I got a tail and ended up living in the ocean with her.  I wanted to be a mermaid. My mom sewed for me a pair of wool tights, so I got my own rustic mermaid tail, and I always put it on while reading the book.  We did not have then, or now, a culture of mermaids for little girls in Spain, so there was nowhere I could acquire bedsheets, or accesories to transform my room into a mermaid cave.  Oh well... I had my imagination, right?

A few weeks ago, I don't even know what I was doing, I ended up in YouTube, watching videos of people swimming in mermaid tails (I assumed they were neoprene or some kind of latex).  I was completely mesmerized by them, and I was like "Oh my gosh, you can buy those tails?!".  It did not took me long to find the maker's website, and my goodness, what an amazing work.  But I was completely crushed when I looked at the prices.  "Well", I thought, "maybe some day, when I am rich..."

But then it ocurred to me that maybe some other people sold mermaid tails too, so I found this website with a list of vendors.  I visited them all, but only one got my attention as potential customer: MagicTail.  The tails came in a variety of colors and sizes, were affordable, and you could actually swim with them because a monofin was included.  I loved the fact that the fabric was printed as if it had scales.  I wondered if I would find YouTube videos of these tails in action or reviews, so there I went.  And yes, I found them.  Everybody that had one seemed very happy with it, so after several days of consideration, I decided to gift myself one for the good grades I got in my lab tech course.

Two weeks later the tail has arrived, and I am in awe!  Here are some pics of it:

It came with matching top and bikini bottom

Detail of the fluke

Detail of the waist

Isn't the fabric amazing?

I could not wait to open it, and yes, even try it on!  The top does not fit me (I was not expecting it to); even though it's an XL, it said in the website "up to C cup".  The bikini bottom fits like a glove and does not move.  The tail is swimsuit-like fabric (maybe lycra?), and it is very soft.  The monofin is on the fluke, covered by a protector so it does not rip the fabric.  The monofin fits snuggly, but I could adjust it to my feet without trouble.  There is no risk of it loosing the gripe while swimming.  And it's very floppy!  The tail is stretchy, and goes up to my waist perfectly, and as it says in the commercial "it fits like a second skin".  The tail is hot while wearing it on land, but I guess that will be OK in water.  I will not be able to try it in the water until next month, but I'll let you know as soon as I do.  I am so looking forward to it!

Regarding the MagicTail website, it's very easy to open an account and place an order, and you can choose to have the page translated into English from German.  I paid with PayPal, so no troubles there. It took them a week to ship my tail, and they sent me an e-mail when they did.  I got the tail one week later, in perfect condition, excellently packaged and protected. 

When perusing the page for colors, I found a gold and orange tail called "H2O", which I found out was for fans of an Australian TV series that features 3 mermaids (which I have never seen).  Researching tails, I found that the tails used in the show cost 20K each.  For people with not a lot of money to spare I think MagicTails are great, specially after seeing the prices of silicone and latex tails, which are not affordable to most people. 

These tails are a good investment for anyone loving mermaids, small or grown-up, and I would recommend them to anyone looking to buy a mermaid tail.  Maybe I should buy now an H2O locket, which are gorgeous too?

In any case, I should go and read again "La sirena perdida".  Now with a real mermaid tail to put on!!