Gold & Plum Splatter Nails

Hello lovelies & happy Tuesday! A beautiful Autumn Tuesday at that.

Today I’m showing off yet another fun splatter look, this time inspired by a tutorial by @nailsdnt on Instagram. She used a stamper & cuticle oil to achieve a fun bubbly splatter look, & as soon as I saw her tutorial I knew I needed to give it a try! I just love a good splatter design, & this seemed like such an easy way to achieve it.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Matte Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Matte Top Coat
  • Color Club Twice Bitten
  • L’Oreal Feeling Kilty
  • Nailstuff.ca clear stamper
  • Revlon Cuticle Oil

So obviously, first thing is first: I apologize for my weird cuticle area. Between an older top coat, & some weird matte top coat effect, it kind of gave me a messy finish. I’m definitely due for a new bottle of top coat.

Second, as you can see my nails did turn out pretty cool, although there are some differences between my splatter finish & the original design. While the original tutorial used a nail cuticle pen, I chose to use my bottle of Revlon cuticle oil, which I think lead to too much oil on the stamper. Her’s had more of a bubbly effect, while mine reminds me more a classic splatter.

But either way I love the end result. It’s so pretty! & the matte top coat just makes it look even more beautiful — I think the matte top coat just completes the look.

What do you think about this look? Are you enjoying these splatter nails I’ve been wearing lately? Let me know down in the comments below.

SWATCH SUNDAY — China Glaze Kiss & Spell

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday!

I hope everyone is enjoying the second week of September so far. 🍂🍁 The weather here here has been that perfect mix of no humidity & slightly cooler temperatures that always gets me excited to get dressed in the morning!

I’m also excited because today I’m sharing another dark beauty of a polish, which was originally released as part of the 2020 Halloween Spellbound collection: Kiss & Spell.

2 coats, no top coat.

How pretty is this beautiful purple-y burgundy packed with red & golden flakies. Kiss & Spell takes two coats for full opacity, & dries down to a lovely matte finish. I didn’t have any issues with application, which can sometimes happen with matte shades, & I found it dried relatively quickly. Of course, if I was wearing this for a few days, I would probably still apply a quick dry top coat, & then apply a matte top coat over that as well.

Sadly, while beautiful, the matte finish definitely hides the beauty of the glitters — applying a shiny top coat definitely shows off those flakies. You can see in my bottle shot how gorgeous the colours are!

I know a lot of people are still in Summer mode, & I don’t blame them, but wearing this polish makes me realize just how freaking excited I am for Fall, & Halloween! There is something about a deep reddish burgundy shade that is perfect for this time of year as we get those cooler mornings & evenings. This just makes me happy for knee high boots, sweaters, & tights. Plus all that Halloween candy that is just calling my name!

Do you remember China Glaze Kiss & Spell from the Halloween 2020 collection?

It feels like so long since that release. I found this beauty last Halloween at my local Winners, so if you missed out on this shade upon first release, definitely check out your local Winners/Marshalls for a lingering bottle. It is a perfect Autumn shade, & definitely perfect for spooky season.

Have a lovely day!

SWATCH SUNDAY — A Color Club Mystery

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday… the first Sunday of September. The weather has been absolutely beautiful the last couple days, & I even had a chance to break out the knee high boots & my favourite tights. & I’ve been perusing through all my deeper nail polish shades, looking for fun dark shades that are calling my name.

Today, though, I have a bit of a nail polish mystery featuring Color Club. I’ve mentioned before I’m a huge fan of buying polish at Winners, & I found this beauty in a set of 6 at my local Winners — with no name or codes or any distinguishing information. A real nail polish mystery!

2 coats + Essie Speed Setter top coat

The formula on this beautiful dark plum is super rich. I probably could have gotten away with just one coat of I had been a bit more careful — the opacity is stunning.

The colour is beautiful & dark, & perfect for Autumn. In fact, this is the exact shade I’m thinking about putting in my hair for Fall.

So after some perusing on Google, & Veronica Mars level sleuthing, I think I’ve figured out this shade is Color Club Twice Bitten from the 2016 Under My Spell Holiday collection. There were a couple I thought it might be, but after reviewing bottle shots & other swatches, I definitely think it has to be that one!

The only downside I found to this polish — it stained my nails (& fingers) really badly upon removal. Like… my finger nails & cuticle area were seriously red. Which is a shame, because the colour itself is beautiful & I love a deep dark shade like this.

What do you think about this mystery shade? Do you think I was correct in surmising that it’s Color Club Twice Bitten? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below, & if you like these mystery shade posts?

Have a great Sunday!

Autumn Vibes & Abstract Stripes 🍂

Happy September 1st! 🍂🍁

We are officially in my favourite months — the “-ber” months! & my favourite months for nail polish & nail art. We’ve got dark colours, all the knee high boots a girl could dream of, & the best season for coffee drinks! So obviously now it’s September, that means I can really dive into my favourite Fall nail art designs without feeling judged for it being “too soon”.

Today’s look is another one of those abstract stripes designs I love so much. This time, I wanted a few more Fall colours because let’s just be honest, I’m obsessed. Haha. I decided on a lighter base colour, with some darker accent stripes. & I think the combination is absolutely perfect!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Quo Beauty Just Peachy
  • Essie Under the Twilight
  • Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Zip Wine
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Ski Bunny
  • Sally Hansen MG Black-O
  • NailStuff.ca 16mm Striper Brush
  • Teeny dotting tool (NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio)

I love love love this colour combination. I know that peach is usually more of a Spring colour, but I feel like it works perfectly paired with the darkness of Zip Wine & Under the Twilight. Plus it’s a fun, easy design to do, & can pair with an assortment of outfits. For example: this cute peach dress my MIL bought for me at the thrift about a month ago. How cute do these look paired together? Who else loves parking nail art looks together with their everyday outfit choices — or is that just me?

What do you think about this Autumnal abstract stripe look? Are you happy it’s finally September? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below, & let me know what you’re most excited for in the coming months!

Vampy Deep Burgundy Dotticure 🍁

Hello beauties & happy Tuesday!

& happy Starbucks PSL release day for my fellow pumpkin spice lovers. I don’t care what anyone says, I feel like once the PSL is released, Fall is officially on its way. So honour of that, I thought why not go really hard on the Autumn colour scheme… & what is more Autumn than burgundy & gold?

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Revlon Color Stay Gel Envy Heartbreaker
  • L’oreal Feeling Kilty
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio 

Nothing like a little dotticure action to welcome a new season. I love a dotticure all year round, but especially in the cooler months, & especially when it involves a dark vampy base like this oxblood shade. Doesn’t this just make you want to curl up with a big infinity scarf & cosy knee high socks? I know it’s definitely making me excited to pull out all my Fall fashion favourites.

& there is just enough of a chill in the air to let me know it’s coming very soon!

What do you think about this vampy dotticure? Are you as ready for Fall as I am? Did you stop by Starbucks for a Pumpkin Spice latte today? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!