Category: Bronze

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie Sable Collar

Hello & happy Sunday!

We finally have some nice Winter sun today which is nice after a week of not the greatest weather. Today, I’m pulling out an oldie Essie shade I’ve own for a long time: Sable Collar. I actually picked up this shade at my local Dollarama circa 2015 & I remember being so excited to find this shade.

2 coats + top coat

Sable Collar was originally released as part of the 2013 Essie Winter Shearling Darling collection. It is this beautiful smokey reddish brown, with an irresistible shimmer. It’s been so. long since I put this shade on, I totally forgot how gorgeous it is. The epitome of a winter shade (in my opinion). These are exactly the kind of shades that make me think of January.

The formula was pretty easy to apply on this one — two coats needed for full opacity. The first coat was definitely streaky, but upon the second we got the beautiful finish you see in my swatches. I did apply Essie Speed Setter top coat over my swatches, mostly because this ended up being my manicure for the last few days.

A nice close up of the finish.

Below you can really see the reddish brown shimmer in the bottle. I’m kind of obsessed — which is funny, because I’ve owned this bottle of polish almost a decade, but this is. the first real time I’ve worn it all on its own. & it’s giving me the cosiest vibes.

What do you think about Essie Sable Collar? Do you remember this shade from its original release? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below & if this shade is giving you the same Winter vibes I’m feeling.

Happy Sunday! ♥︎

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Claire’s Venomous

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday. It’s an especially beautiful Sunday because it’s my birthday! Okay, so I’ve never really been a birthday person — even before I hit my 30s — but I do love a free Starbucks drink so I’l celebrate it slightly.

Today though, we have another Swatch Sunday & I dug & dug through my nail polish stash to find an Halloween-esque nail polish shade, & I found this very special shade circa 2010/2011. This is Claire’s Venomous.

2 coats over OPI Black Cherry Chutney + top coat

So a little back story on this shade. I purchased this during the beginnings of my nail polish addict stages. I remembered reading this Claire’s (which I worked at during this time) had released some nail polishes that were dupes for the MAC Venomous Villian’s collection, so naturally I knew I needed them. I only have 2/3 shades (I believe) but they are prized treasures in my nail polish stash.

Now, for my swatches I did two coats over a one coat of Black Cherry Chutney. The formula is very, very thin — requiring 3-4 coats — so I always prefer to add some undies. (If you want to see swatches on this shade layered, check out Deez Nailz post. ) I love the foiled finish of this shade, & how the polish shifts depending on how you move your hand. Depending on the undies you choose, you can bring out more of the green shift you see in the bottle.

As above, you can see a good example of how the shade shifts on the nails. I wrote in a previous post about Quo by ORLY Wrong so Right that they were dupes, but looking at the close up above I feel like you get a lot more of the gold/green flash with this shade which I quite like. This was actually the colour I chose for my nails for a wedding I attended this weekend, & I thought it was the perfect colour for Autumn. & the nail is very Halloween-y, obviously.

What do you think about Claire’s Venomous? What is your oldest/most prized nail polish in your nail polish collection? Do you think this is a great Halloween-y polish? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Happy Sunday Everyone. ♥︎

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Golden Leaf Freehand Nails ✨🍂

Hello lovelies & happy (almost) end of September. It’s hard to believe we’re just 2 days away from October — the best month of the year — but it’s true! I will definitely be participating in Glam Nails Challenge October again, so look forward to some fun & spooky nails to come!

Today though, I’ve got another dark Autumn design to share with you. I’ve really been feeling myself drawn to my darker, more moody shades lately — feeling very Vampy. & what is more Halloween-y than that!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Colour Grip Primer Base Coat 
  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat
  • Essie Frock ‘n Roll
  • Essie Leggy Legend
  • Essie Shine of the Times
  • NailStuff.ca 16mm Liner Brush

When I say I’m obsessed with how these turned out, I’m serious. I love the bronze-y gold over the dark base, the shimmer from Shine of the Times (which sadly didn’t translate as well in pictures) — everything! This is the epitome of chic Fall nail art, & I didn’t want to take these off at all.

What do you think of this dark vampy look? Are you a fan of these darker nail polishes as well? Let me know what you think down in the comments below!

& have a lovely weekend. 🖤

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Blue Jewel Drag Marble Nails 💎

Hello lovelies & happy Friday. & Happy September 1st! It maybe not be Fall to most people — or, okay, the calendar, but September 1st definitely feels like the beginning of Fall to me. So you can probably look forward to seeing more & more Autumn-eque designs moving forward.

Today’s look was what happens when it’s late at night & I’m stick on nail ideas. I wanted to paint my nails, but I was uncertain with what I should do. Naturally, I decided on a drag marble. I think they turned out really pretty, so I’m excited to share them with you!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Colour Grip Primer Base Coat 
  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Glossy Top Coat
  • Essie License to Thrill
  • Essie Get Your Grove On
  • Essie Merino Cool
  • Smallest dotting tool (NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio)

How beautiful did this turn out? Honestly, sometimes I do drag marbles & I hate the result –they get a bit muddled — but I think the colours on this one really compliment each other, & it turned out really looking like some kind of stone/marble.

What do you think of this drag marble design? Do you like this colour combination as much as I do? How does the beginning of a new month have you feeling? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below!

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Autumnal Knit Sweater Nails 🍂🌻

Happy Tuesday Lovelies!

I’m very happy to be writing from the world of power, which is a very lovely place to be. We survived our off grid experience, & I feel very lucky to have power, & warm food, because a lot of my fellow Atlantic Canadians are still going without.

Today I’m showing off some fun Autumnal nails I did pre-Hurricane. This look was actually inspired by a nail art look I did last year, & the year before — which was originally inspired by one of my favourite nail bloggers on Instagram: @xglitzandpolishx.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Fast Dry Top Coat
  • Giorgio Armani #214 Woodstone
  • Essie Mosiac On Down
  • NailStuff.ca 4mm Micro Detail Brush

This is such an easy, fun look to wear. I decided that the gold with the shimmery bronze-y brown would be the perfect Fall combination, & I was right! It just screams AUTUMN VIBES to me, & that makes me so happy. I mean, this is my favourite time of year, & I’m feeling inspired to paint my nails, which is always a good thing. Sure, it means there are probably a whole lot of herringbone & sweater nail art looks headed your way, but that’s not a bad thing! Plus we’re days away from October, & I’ll be participating in Glam Nails Challenge October since it’s a Halloween theme.

So more fun nail art is coming!

What do you think about this version of the knit sweater nails? Would you wear this nail art look? What nail art/colour are you rocking this week? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below — including what colour combination I should try next!