Author: Shannon Rae

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Sally Hansen Brewberry

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday! The very first Sunday of January — & the very first Swatch Sunday of 2026.

& I’m excited because I have a brand new polish to share with you that I was gifted by my husband for Christmas. It’s not often he buys polish for me without me asking, as he’s always worried that he’s going to buy one I already own. So you imagine my surprise when I opened my Christmas present, & found this beauty looking back at me!

This is Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Brewberry.

2 coats + top coat

This beautiful deep dark pink/fuchsia applied beautifully in 2 coats, with great opacity. I like that it has a bit of a blue tone to it, because I feel like it compliments my skin tone really well.

The formula was smooth, easy to apply, & dried to a relatively shiny finish even before I applied top coat. My internet research tells me this shade was part of the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Birthday collection in 2024, but I’m glad to see it was added to the permanent core collection.

Close up!

The formula really is one of my favourite parts of the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel line. The brush is also a favourite because it’s wide, & makes for a quick application. It also makes for a lovely, smooth cuticle line — although sometimes I get the wonky brush, which makes application a bit more complicated. But Sally Hansen Miracle Gel is one of my favourite nail lines to purchase from, so I’m always excited when someone else buys me a shade from the line — as they have gotten a bit pricey in recent years.

I’m just loving how beautiful this shade is — a stunning jewel tone for this time of year. Brightens up these dark depressing January days post the holidays.

What do you think of Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Brewberry? Do you love the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel line as well? Did you get any fun nail polishes for the holidays? Let me know down in the comments below!

Happy Sunday ♥︎

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Sideways Glitter Gradient using Olive & June’s New Flash Glitter Gel Polishes

contains PR/gifted product

Hello lovelies & Happy 2026! We made it!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas season, & holiday. It was definitely a weird one this year, but we survived & it’s a brand new year. I decided to take a bit of a break at the end of the year, BUT I did end 2025 with sparkle. Just before Christmas, I was sent some amazing nail mail from Olive & June featuring their brand new Flash Glitter Gel nail polishes — which was an amazing Christmas surprise!

So naturally I needed to wear these gorgeous shades for New Years Eve, & I decided to attempt a gradient using all these shades. I’ve not done a ton of nail art with gel polish, but I’m so happy with my sideways gradient! It looks like a rainbow going across my nails. I was definitely a little nervous going in, but I am so beyond in love with how this design turned out!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Olive & June Peel Off Base Coat
  • Base Coat: Olive & June Gel Base Coat
  • Top Coat: Olive & June Gel Top Coat
  • Olive & June Gel Sparkly Pink Drink (rose gold)
  • Olive & June Gel Pop Fizz Mani (gold)
  • Olive & June Gel Mani on the Dance Floor (grey silver)
  • Olive & June Gel Karaoke is a Good Time (purple)
  • Olive & June Gel Out Past Curfew (black)
  • Olive & June Gel Rosé Rhymes with Partay (pink)
  • Flat Nail Art Brush

I have to say — creating this gradient was not as hard as I thought it would be. The longest process was curing between each layer, but they came together so beautifully. & compared to other gradients, they were much harder to mess up. I used a flat nail art brush (clean up brush) to blend the two shades together, & it worked so perfectly. I’m kind of sad I wore these with a peel off base coat, because I could have easily worn these for a full week instead of just the night.

This was my first experience with flash glitter, & I get it now! The way it sparkles under flash is incredible. It makes me feel like a disco ball in the best possible way — & I think we all need to sparkle a little more this year. That’s definitely on my list of New Years resolutions for this year.

If you’re interested in trying out these Olive & June Glitter Flash Gel polishes, they have the whole set listed online (including gel lamp), or you can purchase the shades individually. They also have really cool Flash Glitter press on nails which I have not tried, but look really really cool, & would be a great option for someone who doesn’t want to (or cannot) wear gel nail polish!

What do you think about my New Years Eve nails — did I start my 2026 on the right foot finger? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below, & what your resolutions are for this year!

♥︎

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Instagram Collab — Mix & Match Christmas Pattern Nails

Hello beauties & happy Friday! & Happy boxing day. I hope everyone who celebrates had a wonderful, festive Christmas. This year has definitely been the least Christmas-y feeling Christmas in a long, long time — but I still wanted to make sure I had some festive nails for the occasion.

It’s been a long time since I participated in one of the Instagram Nail Art collabs hosted by @essieyall & @petitenaillover. So I really wanted to join in for one final collab for this year! & end the right right.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Cure
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Essie Gel Couture Wider Than I Seam
  • Essie Nail Art Studio Lustrous Luxury
  • Essie Expressie Feel The Hype
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel A Moo Point
  • NailStuff.ca 4mm Micro Detail Brush

How cute did my little freehand shapes turn out? I’ll wanted a fun Christmas-y look without using red & green. & I had found some (new to me) shades at Shoppers Drug Mart on wicked clearance –like $3 a bottle! — so they inspired me to create this mix & match Christmas design for the collab.

& I really love how they turned out.

Wishing everyone the happiest holiday season ever, & a safe end to 2025. This year has been such a struggle, so I look forward to the New Year, & everything that 2026 holds.

& don’t forget to click over to Instagram & check out the hashtag #christmasnailartmanicollab2025 to see all the other amazing gorgeous designs & nail artists. You might find a new artist you love!

♥︎

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Navy Freehand Snowflake Accent Nails ❄️

Hello lovelies & happy Monday! & happy Holiday week. Sending lots of beautiful wishes to everyone preparing for Christmas, or celebrating Hanukkah, or whatever brings you joy this time of year. The crunch is on right now to finish up this year, so I apologize for my sporadic posting schedule.

Today I’m sharing a freehand nail art Winter look I recently did. It’s not December/Christmas until I paint some freehand snowflakes, & I’m very proud of this design!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Cure
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Dark Hue-mor
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel It’s a Moo Point
  • Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Strobe Light
  • NailStuff.ca 4mm Micro Detail Brush

I always get scared to freehand something delicate like this, because in case you didn’t know — I can be kind of a perfectionist. But I’m trying to work on that, & challenge myself, & I’m really proud of my snowflakes. They’re dainty, & cute, with just the right amount of glitter.

These are just such fun winter-y Holiday nails. I love how they turned out. Also I’ve been really, really feeling blue lately which is funny, because it’s not the most Christmas heavy colour. But I think for a design like this it’s perfect. & I got lots of compliments when I wore these nails to work, which always makes my whole day when someone notices them.

What do you think about these blue snowflake nails? Do you think it’s a fun, pretty design for the holidays? Are you all ready for the holidays? Let me know what you think down in the comments below.

& good luck to all my fellow last minute shoppers out there! I’ll be right out in the crowds finishing up my shopping, just like you.

♥︎

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Kiss Products Voguish Fantasy Press On Nails — Christmas Party Ready Nails

•contains pr/gifted items

Good morning lovelies & happy Tuesday!

Kiss once again spoiled me, & recently sent me a box of Christmas cheer in the shape of their Press On Nails & False lashes! The perfect thing to help me get Holiday ready quickly.

Sunday night I had a get-together with my former Candy Store coworkers, so I thought a set of nails would be perfect for the occasion — & who can say no to candy cane inspired nails!

These nails were fairly easy to apply. The trick is to make sure you pick out the size/style you need for each nail prior to starting your application, & laying them out in order. Then, start from your pinky nails & work your way to your thumb. I find this especially important to do when you’re doing nails with any significant length — like these ones!

Now for these nails I was only planing on wearing them for the night, so instead of using the included glue, I chose to use sticky tabs to apply them which I find a better option for shorter term wear. Each pack does come with the Kiss Nail Glue, which from my previous experience does last really well & holds up against every day use.

What do you think about these Kiss Voguish Fantasy nails? Would you rock press on nails like this for a super quick & easy party look? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below!

🖤