Summer Ready Vibrant Blue & Mint Ruffian Nails

You guys! I’m so excited because it was actually sunny & warm yesterday! Like warm enough I could get away with wearing just a jumpsuit & denim jacket. It was very exciting, like maybe we’ll get Spring after all. In fact this whole week is supposed to be in the double digits! I haven’t been this exciting for anything since Starbucks got almond milk! Especially exciting–I have tomorrow off work & plan on taking advantage with an outside adventure with the Bubs!

Obviously this calls for bright & colourful nails. It’s been ages since I attempted a ruffian design & I really wanted something that would pop! So I grabbed a few of my older Essence shades from deep in my stash for an eye catching ruffian.

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Nailtek 2
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Essence Always On My Mint (an Unforgettable Kiss collection)
  • Essence The Gel Lets Get Lost!

Ooooooh this colour combo works so well. This is one of my all time favourite Essence shades, & when I noticed my local Shoppers was taking it out of their Essence display (& had marked them all down to $1) I may have stocked up on extras… like 3 extra bottles… pretty much all the ones they had. It’s just such a good shade! It pairs well with pretty much every colour–purple, pink, mint, light blue, yellow. I haven’t discovered a colour combination I didn’t like. But I have to say, pairing it with mint has definitely become a favourite thanks to this design!

Oh, I’m just so excited with how my ruffian turned out. I feel like I’m getting a lot better with creating that rounded look. It definitely helps that Essence polishes have those beautiful thick brushes. Makes things so much easier! You get a lovely (complicated looking) design with not too much trouble. I love when that happens!

Who else is ready for actual Spring & Summer?! Bring on the iced coffees, sunglasses & maxi dresses. It’s about damn time!

What do you think of this ruffian design? Would you wear this look? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Negative Space Chevron Moons

Hello brightness, my old friend. 🕶 Well, bright nails at least. I was feeling some Summer colours, so I decided a colour block chevron moon design was much needed! & what better than some Summery shades to make it perfect.

I decided for this design to grab a few favourites from my stash. I feel like I have too many shades in my stash I haven’t worn yet. I have this habit of buying polishes on clearance & then promptly forgetting I bought them in the first place! For example this OPI shade (I Eat Maine-ly Lobster) that I picked up for only $4 at Lawtons. I also have about 4 others sitting untried. I really need to get on that!

For this design, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Nailtek 2
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • China Glaze I’ve Got A Blue Attitude
  • OPI I Eat Maine-let Lobster
  • The Base Coat Nail Vinyls stacked chevron vinyls

Ooooooooh I love this combination & how bright these are. I wasn’t sure at first how these colours were going to go together, but it turned out perfect! & oh so bright. Like, I need to grab my sunglasses bright. Which is perfect, since Mother Nature threw us a curve ball & had it snow yesterday. Not a lot, & it didn’t stick, but… seriously?! It’s the 21st of April! I should be wearing denim jackets & maxi skirts, not Ugg boots. Thankfully next week is calling for sunshine & warm temperatures the beginning of the week! So my Spring dresses won’t sit untouched in my closet much longer.

Is there anything better than chevron moons & negative space? I’ve been going through old manicures circa 2015 & I’m remember how much I loved doing both… I need to do them more often! Being back to work hasn’t been as easy a transition as I thought it would originally be. I need to take a little more time for doing my nails & having fun again.

what do you think of this design & colour combination? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

SWATCH SUNDAY — Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Travel in Colour collection.

PR Sample — sent to me free for testing & review.

Happy Sunday lovelies! I know this week has been pretty quiet from me (60 hour work weeks will do that to a girl) but I have some beautiful & fun swatches to share with you today! Sally Hansen has recently come up with a new Miracle Gel Spring collection called Travel in Colour, “inspired by the vibrancy of California & the liveliness of Summer music festivals”. I thought with Coachella starting this weekend it was the perfect time to share these beautiful shades! Especially as I’m sitting in below freezing temperatures with two sweaters on, wishing I was wearing flower crowns & maxi dresses.

I’m all about the Spring vibes right now & anything to get me out of that post-Winter-but-it’s-not-quite-Spring-yet state of mind. I’ve been obsessively using this collection since I received it & it’s hands down my favourite Spring collection I’ve seen so far. There is a shade from every Spring moment you might have.

Continue reading “SWATCH SUNDAY — Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Travel in Colour collection.”

SWATCH SUNDAY — Gelish Royal Temptations Spring 2018 Collection

PR Sample — sent to me free for testing & review.

Happy Sunday lovelies! I feel like it’s been ages since my last Swatch Sunday post, even though it’s only been 2 weeks. We’re currently under a snowfall warning here in Halifax (yes, in April…) so it felt like a good time to share the swatches of the Gelish Soak Off Gel Spring 2018 collection! The Royal Temptations collection is inspired by the lavish life of Marie Antionette! The colours are described as opulent pastels & according to the press release “help convey the romantic fantasy we convey with being a queen”.

Continue reading “SWATCH SUNDAY — Gelish Royal Temptations Spring 2018 Collection”

Vintage Florals & Stripes

Happy Tuesday lovelies! I hope everyone had an amazing Easter holiday/long weekend full of chocolate eggs & family fun. We had a huge Egg hunt for our little guy & all his cousins & it reminded me of the excitement of being a kid & finding those chocolate eggs on Easter morning. Plus, who doesn’t love chocolate!

Today I’m sharing more florals with you–because I just can’t stop! This design is a recreation from a few years ago. This time, though, I decided to go with blue as my base colour.

The polishes I used for this design were:

  • Base Coat: Nailtek 2
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive
  • China Glaze Boho Blues
  • Art Club Nail Art Striper in Blue Paisley
  • Quo by ORLY Nail Art Striper in White
  • Sally Hansen CSM Killer Heels
  • Sally Hansen CSM Red It Online
  • Sally Hansen CSM Rose To the Occasion
  • Sally Hansen CSM Blush Against The World
  • Sally Hansen I ♥️ Nail Art pen in green
  • Quo by ORLY Second Hand Jade
  • Bundle Monster detail brush

Ugh these roses make me so happy. In real life, I’m not really a red rose kind of girl… but when it comes to nail art I can’t get enough! I just love the love of red roses against a contrasting background colour. & it’s been forever since I pulled out my bottle of China Glaze Boho Blues, & I forgot just how pretty of a colour it was. I love it.

It also is a beautiful base colour for Florals.

Is it starting to feel like Spring where you are? We just had a few days of Spring-like weather (which meant I got to wear my new Spring jacket!) so I’m very, very excited.

what do you think of this design? Are you sick of the floral designs yet? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! 💙