Category: Essence

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Moody January Stripes

Hello lovelies & happy Tuesday! A busy Tuesday at that! Even though January can sometimes be the worst month, this one is definitely turning out to be a crazy one for me.

So my nail art is tending to fall on the easy side of things. As you could probably tell from my previous post, I did a big chop on my nails. Not only do I like to start a new clean with a fresh canvas, I also started a second job working at a cafe as a barista, so I wanted to trim back my nails as I get used to that (after 2 years being away!)

But just because I have short nails doesn’t mean I can’t have cute nail art!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: NailStuff Essentials Base Coat *
  • Top Coat: Essence Colour Shield Top Coat (I ran out of my NailStuff one & need to make an order!)
  • Essie Expressie Take The Espresso
  • Essie Skirting the Issue
  • Essie Sable Collar
  • Londontown USA Opal
  • Quo by Orly Black Striper
  • NailStuff 4mm Micro Detail Brush  

**pr/gifted

How cute are these short little stripe-y nails? The colours are also kind of dark & gloomy, great for these gloomy days. & I do love a dark nail. The combination of Essie Skirting the Issue over Expressie Take The Espresso makes for such a dark Ox blood red. I adore it.

What do you think of these moody stripes on my new shorties? Do you like these darker manicures? We’re a month away from Valentine’s Day, so I’ll have to start thinking up some designs for that now!

Have an amazing Tuesday.

🖤

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Black Friday Half Moons 🖤🌛

Happy Black Friday lovelies!

I suppose “happy” is a subjective term. But it is Black Friday, & that means that the holiday season is about to kick into high gear. I work in retail, though, which means I’m just trying to survive the weekend! So in honour of this crazy day, I thought I would create a black manicure to represent the day.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Colour Grip Primer Base Coat 
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive
  • Mary Kay Salon Direct Moonlight
  • Essence Here’s My Number
  • Paper Hole Reinforcements

I wanted black nails, but with a twist, & I think this nail art look was just what I needed. I used a lot of top coat to smooth out Essence Here’s My Number as it’s a sparkle sand effect polish. I think the subtle pearlescent shimmer of Moonlight pairs really well with the more obvious sparkle of Here’s My Number. It’s a very chic look, which half moon designs always are to me, but then you have the black & white pairing, which just makes it feel even more chic.

Also it’s a very easy look, that anyone can do. The perfect nail art look for going into battle for retail war.

What do you think of these Black Friday half moons? Do you think this is as chic a look as I do? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Happy Shopping darlings! 🖤

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GLAM NAILS CHALLENGE OCTOBER—Zombie 🧟‍♀️

Hello lovelies & happy Monday! & happy Halloween Eve!

Today is our last prompt for Glam Nails Challenge October! Can you believe it?! This is kind of crazy. But I’m very excited because the prompt is Zombie & it gave me an opportunity to recreate a design I saw earlier this month on the Essie instagram.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essence Colour Grip Base Coat 
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive
  • Matte Top Coat: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Matte Top Coat
  • Essie Willow in the Wind
  • Essie (Un)Guilty Pleasures
  • Essie No More Film
  • NailStuff.ca 7mm Mermaid Tail Liner Brush

When I saw I’m obsessed with this design, I am obsessed. This turned out better than I could have ever imagined, & totally gives off the zombie design I was going for. This is a fantastic Halloween look, & it might be my favourite of all the designs I’ve done this month!

Have you enjoyed seeing all the designs for Glam Nails Challenge October? Was there a design that stood out to you as a favourite? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Enjoy your Monday!

♥︎

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GLAM NAILS CHALLENGE OCTOBER — Black Cats 🐈‍⬛

Hello lovelies & happy Wednesday! It’s already mid-week, & I’m super excited for this weekend because not only am I going to a wedding on Saturday, & then it’s my birthday on Sunday. So it will be a good weekend.

Today, though, we have another fun prompt for Glam Nails Challenge October — Black Cats. Now, I’ve got a soft spot for black cats so I was very excited to create a black cat themed manicure. This time I decided to go with a bit more glam look, instead of scary & spooky.

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
  • Essence Beam Me Up
  • Starrily Eclipse
  • Acrylic Paint
  • NailStuff.ca Mermaid Tail Brush Trio (11mm liner brush)

It’s been a while since I last painted nail art with acrylic paint, & I kind of forgot that it makes nail art so much easier (sometimes) compared to nail polishes, especially for something like this. It also makes for fixing mistakes a lot easier too.

& I just love my little peeking black cats. Reminds me of my own black kitties — who have both sadly passed away. But I definitely want another one, eventually. Black cats are just the most special.

What do you think of my black cat design? Already 4 prompts in — that’s super exciting. This month is going to be very, very fun for nail art, I can feel it already.

Have the best Wednesday loves! 🖤

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GLAM NAILS CHALLENGE OCTOBER—Trick or Treat ☠️🍬

Hello loves & happy Thankgiving Monday! I hope everyone. had the most fabulous weekend, & is enjoying their Monday so far — especially if you happen to be off today. I’m excited to share off the next manicure for Glam Nails Challenge October, especially because I found this one a bit tricky… no pun intended. Haha. Here are my Trick or Treat nails.

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
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Fiery Island
  • Sally Hansen CSM Blush Around the World
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Ghouls Night Out
  • Essie Amuse, Myself
  • Essie No Shrinking Violet
  • Essence “Stamp It!” Stamping plate
  • Color Club Skull Stamping Plate
  • NailStuff.ca Clear Stamper & Scraper Set
  • NailStuff.ca 4mm Micro Detail Brush

I had this idea of combining something sweet (like Candy) with something scary & spooky to convey the idea of Trick or Treat, & I think I was successful. Originally, I had just the black stamping my nails but it seemed a bit plain, so I went in with the two Essie water colour shades to fill them in & add a little bit of extra pop & I think it was exactly what it needed!

I cannot say enough how much I love these. A fun little manicure, perfect for Halloween.

What do you think about this trick or treat design? Did you get it as soon as you saw it? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below, & let me know what your favourite Halloween candy of all time is! If I had to choose, I would probably say sour patch kids!

♥︎