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SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie You Do Blue 🩵

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! A beautiful, sunny Sunday. It’s been feeling like Spring (most of) this week, so I thought something Spring-y on my nails would be perfect. & what is more Spring-y than a beautiful periwinkle blue?

Without further ado, this is Essie You Do Blue.

2 coats + top coat.

The formula on this creamy blue is smooth & easy to apply to the nail. I am quite a fan of the wider Essie brushes they’ve been using in the last few years. It took me a bit to get used to them, but they are much better when it comes to application.

My favourite part of this polish, though, is that is has this gorgeous fuchsia shimmer that really pops in the sunshine. It gives the extra dimension that makes it a little extra special, & for me that makes this shade a winner. I own a lot of blue nail polishes, but the ones that have shimmer or sparkle added — especially unexpected ones — are always the ones I reach for first!

This shade was originally released, as far as I can tell, during early 2020 as part of the Flying Solo collection. I think after that it made it to the core collection, but I did pick up mine on clearance for $1 so I’m thinking it may not be in regular circulation anymore — although the Essie website does have it listed as available for sale so I could be totally wrong.

Over all, I’m totally obsessed with this colour — it’s not just the pretty periwinkle blue, but that stunning shimmer. I adore it.

What do you think of Essie You Do Blue? Do you think this shade screams Spring as much as I do? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below, & let me know your thoughts on this pretty blue shade!

Happy Sunday!

♥︎

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Spring Perfect Pastel Stripes 🌸🌼

Hello lovelies & happy Easter Monday (to those who celebrate!) It’s a brand new week, & the first full week of April. Maybe we’ll finally feel some more Spring-like temperatures, or — then again — maybe we won’t. But what I can definitely confirm is that I’m going to have some Spring-y nail art designs to share!

Starting with some fun Easter-esque Spring stripes. These kind of feel Easter egg adjacent, but I think the colours themselves are the just right amount of brightness for this time of year.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Maximum Growth
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive Gel Like Top Coat
  • OPI Where’s Suzi’s Man-go
  • OPI Gargantuan Green Grape
  • OPI Nature Strong Emflowered
  • OPI Nature Strong Cactus What You Preach
  • OPI Nature Strong  Make My Daisy
  • OPI Sickeningly Sweet
  • OPI Altar Ego
  • NailStuff.ca 16mm Striper Brush

So many pretty colours paired together. I ended up adding a swipe of OPI Altar Ego over my stripes to give it a bit of a muted, subdued look which I think added to the over all look of everything & gave it that more subtle Spring colour effect (if you know what I mean.)

Do you think these stripes are giving Spring/Easter? Do you like the muted effect I created using Altar Ego over top? Would you wear this look? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Enjoy your Monday!

♥︎

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Nicole by OPI Scarlett || Happy 12th Birthday Coffee & Nail Polish 🎂

Hello lovelies & happy Easter Sunday! I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend, celebrating however they celebrate. But it’s not just Easter Sunday — 12 years ago today I made my very first post on Coffee & Nail Polish! So I thought it would be fun, & for this week’s Swatch Sunday I would share the first very nail polish I ever used for a manicure: Nicole by OPI (RIP) Scarlett from the Selena Gomez collection.

2 coats + top coat

This beautiful metallic pink was originally released as part of the Nicole by OPI Spring Collection which was Selena Gomez themed. I picked up this beauty at my local Lawton’s Drugs (which was one of my favourite places for clearance nail polish) for the stellar price of $2.50.

The formula on this one was slightly thin, but not too thin it made it hard to apply. 2 coats built to this perfect opacity. The finish though — the finish is my favourite. It’s this gorgeous glass fleck finish. Also I love that it sort of looks pink, but also sort of looks red.

Stunning.

Close up of this beautiful finish. I love the shimmer, the pinkish glow; all of it. It really does glow on the nail which just adds to the beauty.

& obviously, since today is the anniversary of my very first blog post, I had to do a recreation of my very first design — a red on red leopard print. Base is Scarlett & my spots were done using Nicole by OPI Basking in Gloria (from the Modern Family collection).

Unfortunately I did forget to matte-ify my design & didn’t realize until after the fact, but I still love my recreation.

What do you think about this throwback shade! I feel like the NOPI shades were definitely ahead of their time for drugstore brands. I really miss them, & cherish the shades I still have.

Happy Sunday!

Happy Easter!

🖤

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Easy & Simple Spring Floral 🌼

Hello lovelies — & happy Wednesday!

& Happy April 1st. I hope everyone’s week is going okay. I don’t know about where you are, but here on the East Coast of Canada the weather is miserable–which is just more reason for Spring-y designs. The flowers may not be showing themselves in our garden, but at least I can wear them on my nails.

Today’s look is me wistfully wishing for some warmer, Spring-like days. Which, obviously, means floral!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Maximum Growth
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive Gel Like Top Coat
  • OPI Infinite Shine Mariachi Makes My Day
  • OPI Infinite Shine Shaking My Sugarplums
  • Essie Willow in the Wind
  • Essie Off Tropic
  • OPI I Cannoli Wear OPI
  • OPI Where Did Suzi’s Man-go?
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Red My Lips
  • Sally Hansen Good. Kind. Pure. Peony Origins
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Montley Hue
  • NailStuff.ca 7mm Mermaid Tail Brush

This design started off as simply just a rose design, but after I had painted my roses I realized that something was missing, so I added a bit more greenery, & then a few of the white flowers (sort of daisies, but not really). & once I added my white flowers, I felt like it pulled everything together perfectly.

Is it a totally original floral look? Well, no.

Do I still absolutely adore the end result? Absolutely, yes. Especially where my nails are so short at this current moment in time, I feel like a floral design looks so beautiful & put together. Plus, the darker purple base is a little bit end of winter, with the floral adding the touch of Spring I’m desperately craving.

What do you think of this floral look? Do you like the combination of colours? Does it have you craving Spring as much as I am craving spring? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below.

& if it’s feeling like Spring where you are, I’d love to know! Give me some hope so warmer, sunnier days to come.

♥︎

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Bright & Funky Abstract Stripes (2000s Inspired)

*contains PR/gifted items

Hello loves & happy Monday!

I am still over here desperately craving Spring weather — while the actually weather does not cooperate. You would think I would be used to it by now (after all these years), & yet every year I get enraged when Spring doesn’t come quick enough. But… I digress. You’re here for nails, & I absolutely love today’s design!

I’m calling these Pucci-esque–not to be confused with Color Club Pucci-licious–& they’re giving me mid-2000s vibes. Specifically: Emilio Pucci’s Spring 2005 collection. I wanted something absolutely bright & colourful, that just screamed Spring, & this combination delivered.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Maximum Growth
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive Gel Like Top Coat
  • Butter London Pure Colour 21X Bloomsbury
  • Essie You Do Blue
  • Sally Hansen Good. Kind. Pure. Peony Origins
  • Essie Willow in the Wind
  • OPI I Cannoli Wear OPI
  • Quo by Orly Nail Art Striper in black
  • NailStuff.ca Mermaid Tail 7mm Liner Brush

Okay — how gorgeous & fun are these nails? I love the combination of colours & how they pop on the nails. They’re just so sunny, & bright which is exactly what my days need when it’s quite a bit below freezing today. I need a little hit of Spring, even if it’s only on my nails (while I stare wistfully at the Spring dresses hanging in my closet, just waiting for me.)

What do you think of these bright & colourful nails? Do you love the colourful combination as much as I do? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below, & if you would rock this look on your own nails!

Happy Monday

♥︎