SWATCH SUNDAY — ACO by Ardene Bonne Nuit

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend. We’re halfway through January & that’s kind of crazy.

But everyone in my social media feeds keep taking nostalgic trips back to 2016, so I thought I would do the same — only with nail polish! & back on 2016 I was all about the Ardene brand of nail polishes, so I thought I would share a beauty from that time: Aco by Ardene Bonne Nuit.

1 coat over Rimmel Blue Eyed Girl + top coat.

So yes, I did use some under-polish for swatching this beauty because it. is. thin. But I think it applies beautifully & you really get that shift of colour from blue to a purple hue. There is a nice micro glitter shimmer as well, which I remember loving a lot in the mid-2000s!

Now this shade is definitely a relict of another time, because Ardene no longer sells this brand of nail polish. I still have a drawer of this brand in my stash, that I stare at frequently, & every so often pull out for nostalgia sake. I also love that they were so trendy when it came to finishes, at a very affordable price point!

What do you think of this very mid-2010s nail polish? Do you remember what shades you were obsessed with circa 2016? Let me know what shades you were obsessed with back then, & if they are still top of your list 10 years later!

Happy Sunday loves!

🖤

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!

♥︎

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.

♥︎

Cute Candy Cane Nails (featuring Butter London Winter 2025 shades) ❄️

Contains PR

Hello lovelies & happy Monday! It’s a very, very snowy Monday here… & I won’t lie, it’s kind of nice. Giving me a few Christmas vibes, I won’t lie.

So naturally that means let’s share some more holiday inspired nails. & I couldn’t not use my two new Butter London shades I featured yesterday — with the help of another Butter London shades in my stash.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Cure
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Butter London Frozen Loch *pr
  • Butter London Branwen’s Pearls *pr
  • Butter London Saucy Jack
  • NailStuff.ca 4mm Micro Detail Brush

I just love a dainty candy cane look, & this one turned out just how I imagined it in my head. The pearlescent finish of Branwen’s Pearls was the perfect base for my tiny little candy canes, & the blue base of Frozen Loch helped them pop on the nail!

I got so many compliments on these at work, which always makes me happy! It always makes my day when someone else notices — & loves — a design I’ve created.

So what do we think of these cutie candy cane nails? Do you think they’re fun & dainty? I’m really trying to come up with some fun holiday nail art looks — maybe even some I’ve never tried before — to end off this year with a bang, so please let me know what nail art designs you’d like to see!

Enjoy your Monday

🖤

SWATCH SUNDAY — Butter London Pure Colour 21X Winter 2025 Shades (gifted)

Contains PR

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday. It’s a bit of a snowy Sunday here, with a bit of snow on the ground which actually feels very festive. & they’re calling for more snow tomorrow! So maybe we’ll have a white Christmas — who knows. But it is giving me a flickering of holiday spirit, I won’t lie.

Today I’m excited because I got a bit of an early Christmas present c/o: Butter London. They sent me an amazing PR package containing two limited edition Pure Colour 21X shades for Winter: Branwen’s Pearls, & Frozen Loch. Two gorgeous Winter-y shades that are absolutely perfect for the winter season.

So let’s take a look!

Continue reading “SWATCH SUNDAY — Butter London Pure Colour 21X Winter 2025 Shades (gifted)”