Hello lovelies & happy… Tuesday? Yes Tuesday. I swear, the Summer makes all the days flow together & I can never keep track.
I’ve been on a nail art roll, feeling inspired to do some fun stuff on my nails. I also found a great top coat combi which is helping them last a closing shift at work (more or less). Today’s look is another nail design goto of mine, but I really think this colour combination is just perfection.
The polishes I used for this manicure are:
Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Strengthner
Top Coat: Sinful Colors Power Paint Top Coat + Essie Speed Setter
Essie License to Thrill
Essie Frilly Lillies
Essie Brides No Grooms
Essie She’s Pampered
Essie You Do Blue
NailStuff.ca 16mm Striper Brush
I really love how these colours came together. I feel like my goal with abstract stripes is I want them to have a vintage feel, & this is giving 70s wallpaper. Maybe someday I’ll venture into another decade — like maybe some Y2K inspired ones — but for now I enjoy how these ones look.
What do you think of this look? Do you love how bold & vibrant they are! Plus I got a ton of compliments on them at work, which is always the sign of a successful manicure.
This Summer has been speeding by at record speed, & it’s been a busy one at that. I’ve still been painting my nails, but mostly solid colours. & I really miss nail art. So I’m going to make a conscious effort to create some fun nail art looks, even if it’s not at the same frequency I used to do.
& I absolutely love this nail art look. Obviously, being August I can hear the faint call of Autumn — but I’m trying to stay in the Summer moment. Hence a fun plaid look, but with a bit of Summer feel.
The polishes I used for this manicure are:
Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Strengthner
Top Coat: Sinful Colors Power Paint Top Coat + Essie Speed Setter
Color Club Totally Inno-cent
Color Club Pucci-licious
Color Club Twice Bitten
Londontown Opal
Orly Breathable Barely There
Wet n Wild 2% Milk
NailStuff.ca 16mm Striper Brush
To stay I’m obsessed with this look would be an understatement. The shimmery flakie base is really pretty, & I tried to choose lighter shades for my plaid stripes. I feel like this is the perfect melding of Summer vibes, with just a hint of Autumn on the breeze.
Are my lines perfect? No. But I’m trying to be okay with not being perfect with my nail art. It’s more fun when I’m not constantly stressing over how things look.
What do you think of these Summer-y plaid nails? Is this a nail art look that you could see yourself wearing? Let me know all your thoughts on this nail art look, & what you think of how they turned out!
Hello lovelies & happy Tuesday! I hope you’re having a beautiful start to your week.
I’m starting my week off (ish) with a fun nail art look. It feels like absolute ages since I attempted any kind of nail art on my nails… I’ve mostly just been wearing solid colours, press on nails, or maybe like a glitter accent nail (very 2013). So it was kind of fun to dig into my nail desk box, find my good nail art brushes, & give some art a try.
The polishes I used for this manicure are:
Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Strengthner
Top Coat: Sinful Colors Power Paint Top Coat
Essie Bell Bottom Blues
OPI Suzi Shops & Island Hops
OPI That’s Hula-rious
Essie Bikini So Teeny
Quo by Orly Breathable De-stressed Denim
NailStuff Mermaid Tail Brush
Bobby Pin (couldn’t find my dotting tools haha)
So the inspiration behind this nail art look are glow-in-the-dark stars. Truthfully, I was seeing way too many videos of Hilary Duff’s Glow in the Dark star dress she’s wearing on tour, & this blue base was the perfect not-black shade, that I really wanted to see if I could freehand some stars on my nails!
& even though it’s been forever since I did any freehand designs on my nails, I’m so obsessed with how these turned out! Plus, I got complimented on them while out & about, so I feel pretty awesome about this nail art. They look exactly how I imagined them in my head!
What do you think about my glow-in-the-dark inspired star nails? Do these remind you of being a kid, like they do me? Would you wear this look? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below & if you love them too!
Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! The very first Sunday of July. Summer is in full swing, & the weather is crazy hot.
It’s been a crazy month for me — from moving, to the kids finishing school, & now starting a new job things have been very busy. I’ve still been painting my nails, but I feel like my nail art has taken a backseat.
My goal for July is to get back into nail art again, but in the meantime I have a brand new polish to share with you that I recently picked up from Shoppers Drug Mart (which is conveniently located about 3 minutes from our new place.) They had a whole display of brand new Essence shades, & as soon as I saw this shade I knew I needed it in my stash.
This is Essence Let It Indi-go.
2 coats + Top Coat
We all know I’m a sucker for a good blue or purple nail polish, & this beauty is giving both so I could not ask for more. This is two coats of polish, which is a beautiful cream. The colour is very, very bold which I think is great for a hot Summer day.
The brush is wide, which makes covering the whole nail is one (or two) swipes easy. I managed to get close to the cuticle line, without mucking anything up, & the formula was thick enough it didn’t flood my cuticles, but not too thick it was hard to apply.
I’ve always been a huge fan of the Essence brand, so whenever I see new reformulations, or colours, I have to try them! Also the price is always agreeable — these shades are $3.99 CAD which is a steal… especially in today’s economy. & I won’t lie, makes it hard for me to justify not buying more than one!
What do you think of Essence Let It Indi-go? Are you as obsessed with this colour as I am? I will definitely be heading back to Shoppers to see what other colours I need to add to my stash — there is a gorgeous Emerald & a fun red that I’m already tempted to grab.
I know what you’re thinking — Shannon, where have you been? Well the last few months have been kind of crazy behind the scenes, & we actually moved at the beginning of this month, selling our house we’ve lived in for the last 9 years. It’s been an emotional roller coaster, but we’re happily settled in our new place so I’m excited to finally get back into the swing of things.
Today’s Swatch Sunday is a little bit of a switch up, because it’s not a polish but a review of some press on nails that imPRESS was lovely enough to gift to me. & seeing how my nails are currently short short short, I’m excited to show them off!
imPRESS was so kind when they sent me a whole bunch of their newly released designs, & it was hard to pick just one! The first set I decided to try out was this beautiful floral French tip design, with these very cool 3D flowers called Pastel Bloom.
Like the imPress mini x Wicked nails I did on my daughter, these are so easy to apply. Like all fake nails, I feel like I spend the longest time matching up individual nails to my nail beds, & laying them down to I can grab them easily for application. But, with the imPRESS line instead of having to mess with glue — which, I’ll admit I kind of hate — they already come with sticky pads attached! All you have to do is pull the clear tab away, & stick on your nail.
No glue mishaps to be seen!
Now, obviously using the tabs instead of glue–which covers the majority of the nail–means that they might not feel quite as secure as other press on nails which use glue. Personally, the only time I found this an issue was around the cuticle line. I didn’t find the sticky tab came down far enough, so I would–for instance–catch my hair under it. I also noticed that it was easily for dirt to slip under there as well.
Not cons enough to make me not wear them, but definitely something I know that could deter other people. Personally, these lasted for me through showers, work outs, & everyday general wear without any nails popping off. & to me, that is a huge win!
In fact, I’m loving these imPress nails so much that when I decided to take off this design that I had been wearing… I immediately put on another design! This one–called Elegance–felt very fun, & 90s inspired, which I couldn’t turn down.
How freaking cute, am I right?!
Over all, I’m a big fan of these press on designs, & the ease in which they have to put on — but also remove! As someone who likes to change her nails as much as her mind, that is a big bonus to me. If you’re curious to try out some of these nails, you can find them on their website, as well as in store. Here in my part of Canada, I’ve seen them most often for sale at Shoppers Drug Mart & Walmart.
What do you think of these imPRESS nails? Have you tried any of their press on nails, & what did you think? Let me know what you think, & if you would also wear these nails. I’d love to know your thoughts.
Coffee & Nail Polish 