GLAM NAILS CHALLENGE APRIL — Birds 🕊️

Hello lovelies & happy Wednesday! This post probably finds you late in the day — especially those of you not in North America. But this morning was a busy one, so my posting got messed up a smidge. Today, I have another prompt for Glam Nails Challenge April to share & it’s the second to last one of the challenge!

It’s almost May, how crazy is that?

Today’s prompt is birds. I looked through my stamping plates, because I wasn’t sure I was up to free handing a bird, & surprisingly I don’t really have many plates with bird images on them. BUT I did have an Essence one with a flying sparrow design, so I thought that would look pretty.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive Fast Dry Top
  • Kozmic Colours shimmery blue (no name — bought at Dollarama)
  • Kozmic Colours teal (no name — bought at Dollarama)
  • Kokie Professional Rock Star
  • Starrily Vantablack
  • Essence “Stamp It!” plate (no longer available)
  • Nailstuff.ca clear stamper & scraper set

I started off this design by creating a kind of “smoosh” design. My base shade was originally just the Kosmic Colours blue, but I found it a bit thin & patchy, so I decided a kind of marble base would look pretty. I smooshed a few other colours using my stamper & then sealed everything in with top coat. Then one by one, I stamped on the bird image, trying to give it the effect of them kind of flying. Simple, for sure, but I think over all the design turned out really cute.

What do you think of this bird design for Glam Nails Challenge April? Are you a fan of a simpler look like this?

I also have to say I enjoyed taking these pictures in my own garden, listening to all the birds finally fluttering around. Spring is such a beautiful time of year, & I’m excited about these warmer days!

Have a lovely day! ♥︎

Crystal Drag Marble (featuring Black Dahlia Lacquer Frozen Twilight & Winter Dusk)

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Good morning lovelies & happy Tuesday! I hope everyone’s week is off to a not too stressful start. Today I’m excited because I’m sharing a stunning nail art look that I’m really, really excited about using the beautiful shades from Sunday’s Swatch Sunday post.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Black Dahlia Lacquer Frozen Twilight (NailStuff.ca exclusive)
  • Black Dahlia Lacquer Winter Dusk (NailStuff.ca exclusive)
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio — I used the thinnest one to make it easiest to create my drag marble

Look at the close up! I adore the look of Frozen Twilight against Winter Dusk.

I’m not going to lie — I was a bit nervous about how well these two shades were going to marble together. & quite honestly, this might be the most successful (& beautiful!) drag marble I’ve done in longer than I can remember. It sort of reminds me of when you find rocks that have geodes & crystals running through them.

It just turned out so pretty!

The jelly formula on Frozen Twilight being a bit on the thinner side meant it was also a lot easier to get the polishes swirling without things starting to dry too quickly. Nothing worse than trying to do a drag marble, & your polishes are drying as your trying to marble them! Then you get weird bald patches & have to start over. Ugh, the worst! But these two shades marbled together like a dream & I’m super happy with the end result.

What do you think about this drag marble featuring Frozen Twilight & Winter Dusk? Do you like how I paired these two shades together? Do you love the Autumn vibes that these shades are giving off? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Products featured in this post were provided in exchanged for content.  All thoughts are honest & my own.

Neon Drag Marble

Good morning lovelies & happy Tuesday! Hope you’re having a lovely start to your week.

Today I’m showing off a fun drag marble design I wore recently. I haven’t really done a drag marble in a while, & I thought one featuring a few neon-ish shades would be beautiful.

The polishes I used for this manicure are:

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Get Mod
  • Sally Hansen MG Floresc-pink
  • Sally Hansen MG Electri-Lime
  • Sally Hansen MG Violet Voltage
  • Sally Hansen MG Sugar Fix
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio

I’m kind of obsessed with how these turned out! They remind me a bit of jawbreakers, which marble nails can do. I like the neon colours popping against the white base. They turned out exactly how I imagined in my head & I’m so happy about it!

Drag marble nails are one of those looks which I always think are going to be so easy, but then surprise me with difficulty, haha. In this case, I had to swirl my four polishes in the while before things started to dry… & I had to work fast! But, you know, I think in the end it gave a really cool effect, & I got lots of compliments on the finished look which always makes my day.

If I had to pick a favourite nail? Probably my middle nail. I think my swirling turned out best on that nail for sure.

What do you think about this drag marble look? Are you a fan of the neons against the white base?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below, & what colour combination you would do for a drag marble look!

Jewel Toned Drag Marble

Hello lovelies & happy Thursday. This week is almost over (& this month!) Of course, there is a crazy Winter storm headed our way this weekend, so we’re not as close to Spring like weather as one would like. & I am so over Winter! Case in point: the super short nails that I’m now rocking thanks to crazy temperature fluctuations.

I won’t like: I’ve been struggling with what to paint on my extra short nails — my inspiration is lacking. I used to be so good at this! I decided on some pretty jewel toned drag marble nails, which is something I haven’t done in a while. Plus I thought it would be a nice way to “pretty up” my super short little nubs.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Millionails
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive
  • Essie Kimono Over
  • Essie Getting Groovy
  • Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Late Night Lilac
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool TrioI used the smallest tip to get the cleanest drag.

It’s been a while since I attempted a drag marble, & my ring finger is a little rough thanks to bumping it before it had a change to dry enough. But I think all 9 other nails turned out really gorgeous. The trick I’ve learned to drag marble is less movements turn out better than a ton. You really want to keep them down to a minimum, otherwise you end up getting a swampy look.

I’ve actually been turning to drag marbles more than I’ve even been photographing — they look complicated, but with the exception of dry time, they don’t take that long. & I love love love how they look — plus I always get a ton of compliments!

What do you think about this drag marble look? Is this something that you would wear on your nails? Let me know what colour combinations you would love to see!

Greyscale Quatrefoil

Good morning lovelies & happy February! It’s officially the month of love. 💗 But before I jump headfirst into all pink, all the time, I thought I would share a look a I created a week or so ago, when I was feeling the grey January blahs.

Today’s look started out as just a grey smooshy design, which was lovely, but looked like the perfect base from some tile inspired nails! So I pulled out one of my many stamping plates I don’t use nearly enough, & switched things up!

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Essie Strong Start
  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Get Mod
  • Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Grey Area
  • Essence Rock My World!
  • Starrily Vantablack
  • NailStuff.ca Clear Stamper (COFFEE10 saves you 10%)
  • Born Pretty Store stamping plate BP-L003 (item #17921) — quatrafoil image (no longer available)

Seriously, how pretty is this greyscale look? I love how the base isn’t super in your face, & then the black really pops against it. Completely achieves the look I was trying to accomplish, & who wouldn’t want tile like this in their house? I know I certainly would! Plus it looks gorgeous posed against the greenery in my background (a plant shelf at work, right beside the window — the perfect nail art background!)

What do you think about this greyscale quatrefoil design? Would you wear something like this?