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SWATCH SUNDAY — China Glaze The Heat is On (Desert Heat 🏜️ Collection 2015)

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday. It’s been a while since I posted a Swatch Sunday post! So I’m excited to jump back in, & for this one I’m throwing it way, way back to 2015 with a gorgeous China Glaze shade I bought as part of a mini set: The Heat Is On.

2 coats + top coat

I was thinking about this shade, & kind of nervous about its state (I feel like these mini bottles dry up way faster than normal sized bottles) but she was in great shape, & I was so excited to wear it.

The shade is a beautiful vibrant red with an undertone of orange. The formula was creamy, & easy to apply; it had a glossy finish even before I applied top coat. I like that it has just a hint of a jelly formula, because it really does make it look juicy on the nails.

I was so obsessed with this shade when I first bought my mini set of this collection, & all these years later — 11 to be exact — I still love it. It really makes me wish I had a full sized bottle, but sadly it was a limited release. I have found a few bottles online for sale… & I won’t lie, it’s tempting.

What do you think of this shade? Do you think it’s as fun & lush as I do? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below.

& stay tuned — because I have my eyes open for any Fall collections popping up in store, & I’m ready for full on Autumn vibes.

Happy Sunday!

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Dry brush & Graphic Lines

*Contains gifted product.

Hey gorgeous people! Happy Friday!

It’s a beautiful Friday & I’m enjoying this not so sticky weather we’ve been having the last few days which is a bit better than the 38+ degree weather we’ve had the last few weeks.

As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been trying to get my nail art game going again. It hasn’t been easy — really struggling with inspiration — but I’ve been coming up with some cute & fun looks. Like today’s… which is a throwback to some older designs I’ve loved to do featuring dry brush, & geometric line work.

The polishes I used for this design are:

  • Butter London Pure Colour 21X Bloomsbury
  • Butter London Pure Colour 21X Posh Petal
  • Butter London Pure Colour 21X Frozen Loch 
  • Butter London Pure Colour 21X Piccadilly Prawn.
  • Butter London Patent Shine 10x Coming Up Roses
  • Art Club Striper in Black

My Butter London shades were sitting in my stash, just staring at me, so I knew I needed to pull them out. & I’m so glad I did because they created a very pretty dry brush background for my geometric line work. It’s a simple look, but I feel like it’s very striking which I was going for!

Sometimes you just can’t over think it! You need to go back to the beginning(ish) & it works out perfectly!

What do you think of this design? What kind of nail art inspo are you feeling right now? Let me know what you’re looking for, & help me create some new designs!

Happy Friday 🖤

Some products in this post may have been gifted. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

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Funky Retro Inspired Abstract Stripes

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.

Happy Tuesday!

🖤

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August Plaid Nails

Hello lovelies & happy August!

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!

Happy Thursday.

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Glow-in-the-Dark Inspired Stars ⭐️

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!

Happy Wednesday darlings.

♥︎