Mermaid Parties Review (pic heavy)

[michellerobison]

So cool,I love the fins sticking up. I'm waiting on a customer jewellery order to come through,so I can get one ordered. Gotta get some time to come up with a design too!

[Mermaid Star]

Your tail looks so epic! I love it! Great job to you and Mermaidparties for the awesome collaboration! I looks wonderful!

[Kanti]

Omggg it looks amazing! xD
I loooove the underwater photos! I especially love the scales and the fins.
Urrggg it's all super awesome!

[MermaidRaegan]

So pretty! I'm glad to hear there weren't many problems with it: I was sceptical when I heard the tails were being made with Alex, but now I may have to consider MP since their tails are so pretty and so cheap! I also can't wait to see how it looks with the new monofin!

And just fyi, I completely support the idea of a realistic tail in the style of your fabric one. The design is so unique and gorgeous, I'd love to see it done in latex/silicone.

[MermaidParties]

Hi Mermaasai! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the pictures of you swimming! It looks fantastic! Would you mind if I posted some on the facebook? Or would you tag some? If you haven't already. I noticed today you posted on the "timeline" but I'm having the hardest time figuring out the stupid timeline thing on fb. I hate it, and I never wanted to switch to it, it did it on it's own Oh, and I had a question, did you happen to spray the tail with Silicone Spray after you repainted it? I was just wondering cuz you said your paint chipped a little. If you didn't, you can get it at Lowes for like $3 and it will protect the paint and add a little extra waterproofing. You're super smart and crafty so I'm sure you've already done this, I just wanted to check Love how it looks on you! I'm so glad you bought a tail from me THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LindseyLu]

Your tail looks sooooo amazing! Totally blown away right now! You gave a great review too, thanks for sharing so much good info! Totally going to look in to buying a tail from MP!!!!

[Mermaasai]

^.^ Hi Steph!
Yah I did spray it with heavy duty silicone before swimming, I think they only reason it flaked was because it came in contact with rough cement. I'll post up a few pics here shortly, I hung it up with a fan beneath it all day yesterday and now that its completely dry I can work on the little fixes.

I was pondering what I could use as a full tail coating... like a sealant that will keep a barrier between the painted alex and the elements.
Something a little more heavy duty than silicone..
I thought I could coat the whole tail in one solid coat of something.. like more clear, unpainted alex or some kind of spray sealant but I'm still hunting for something that will work.
Of course, the idea is that once its coated you cant change the details any more, so it would have to be a fully finished paint job etc.
If I work something out I will post up about it.

I'm going to email you a few of the pics right now for your FB page. I can't figure out how to tag you in my albums since MP isnt a people its a page.

And to every one who has posted up:
Thank you!!! I'm so glad my review was informative for you
I really enjoy mermaiding and all its aspects.
Any time that I can contribute anything I will, I believe in sharing knowledge.
I'm so anal retentive about details and little things like that, that I HAVE to do things myself, either to learn the hard way, or to get it right.
I see Mermaid Parties as a wonderful supplier.
You can love her product as is, arrived in box, and swim to your hearts content, OR if you are like me, edit the CARP out of it to make it all your own.
She's an up and comer and I'm glad I got the chance to be one of her first tails, it was a very positive experience.

When I get some extra funds I think I'm going to try my hand at making a tail. Though the argument for trying a silicone caulk tail is fairly interesting to me.. Thats a whole other conversation lol.
I think I'm going to try it out with my fabric tail design (thank you Raegan for enforcing the awesomeness of nontraditional merflukes ^.^ )
I'll keep a detailed pic heavy thread for that when it comes about.
I am going to try a few things I've seen tried here on smaller scales. I'm hoping that the combination of everything I've learned here will culminate in some solid experience and know how into making a really sturdy, beautiful tail with some new techniques, as well as shared in depth knowledge on how to accomplish it for yourself.

[Prince Calypso]

ARGHHH!!!! so impatience to see my tail im like chewing on my nails and everything, if i had a real tail i'd be biting my fins out of pure angst!!!!
its gonna be to freaking epic i can't stand it!!!!!

[Mermaasai]

I did some more small edits to the tail, I added an elastic waistband. I just hand sewed it in, and not very well, its just to test it out before I install it hardcore. I did this because I dont like it when the tail flaps open while swimming. I just think it looks meh, and I prefer things to be VERY stream lined. Also I think it will help with keeping the tail a bit more insulated. I like to be warm. Its pretty tight, and sliding it over my fat @$$ is fun, but once on, it is really stuck to my skin, so I dont think I'll have problems with flappage.


Interior


Exterior. You can't really tell there are threads sewn through the tail. (small, half inch length interior)

ALSO

I took the old monofin out, it was a !()$#(& to get out of the tail, the glue that was used to secure the neoprene was INTENSE. So I ended up having to use a razorblade. I nicked a few spots but its ok, adds to the character IMO.
My new Monofin will be here later today and I'll do a temp install with netting sewn in to the fluke and see how it holds up at the pool. If its good- I'll proceed with netting and make it permanent (probably with glue)

The netting will hopefully allow water to move completely through the tail instead of ballooning in the water and when I pull the fluke from the water, with out letting the monofin be visible or moving much at all. But we shall see.. I may add a little black frill (just the smallest amount) to the end of the tail to further hide the netting.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

It looks so fish like without the monofin in. XD

[MermaidRaegan]

Can't wait to see what you do with it!

[Mermaasai]

Quick little vid of the updated monofin, its BALLING



I'm soooo happy with it. It really holds up to a lot more and I think swimming in it is going to be a breeze.
I have some kind of stomach flu, I've been nauseous for almost a week and so half way through resewing the monofin into the tail I had to stop.
But I'll finish tomorrow morning and take it to the pool.

And can anybody tell me WHY I sound like a 13 year old girl?!?!?!??!
I'm 27 for petes sake!!! What the merf!

[Ilonka]

Such a cool tail! Looks wicked! I love the spiky fins and the colors, cant wait to see a video of you in action~

[MermaidParties]

I'm so glad you love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot wait to see it in the water again!! and hear how it works for you Thanks for such a thorough review, I so appreciate it!!!

[AniaR]

this is really awesome, really glad to see all of this. I'll be ordering from them in a few months to purchase a tail for my youngest sister. She just turned 15 and will be graduating junior high and headed off into high school. I'm going to hire her for some mermaid gigs this summer She needs design ideas, so far she just knows she thinks purple will look nice. lol.

Thanks for the very thorough and pic heavy review!

[Mermaasai]

So- I finally went swimming!
I did a brief video review with some video of me swimming in the tail at the end.

Some chipping problems with the paint came up again, but it was expected. Painting latex after it has cured just doesnt seem to do well.
I'm going to remake the tail eventually with the method of mixing the paint into the latex before laying the scales.
The bra I made hasn't had any problems so far, and its not chipping AT ALL, so I'm assuming that by applying the same technique to the tail, it will remedy the problem..

The monofin swam WONDERFULLY. It was perfect propulsion and I seriously GLIDED through the water with almost no effort.
I attribute this to the monofin and the fact that I sewed the elastic band into the top of the tail, keeping it skin tight, and not allowing it to gulp water which would slow me down.

Any way, Here is the vid I explain a lot of it there.

[New York Mermaid]

it says the video is private

[MermaidParties]

It said the video was private for me too, and I so wanted to see it haha I'm so glad the new monofin worked well for you

[Mermaasai]

FIXED sorry!

[MermaidParties]

It let me watch it It looks awesome! I'm so glad it worked well. I have been mixing more Alex with the paint, hopefully it helps Thanks so much for your extremely thorough review, I love it! You're too awesome, thanks so much!