Category: Essie

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Nude & Gold Herringbone Nails

Hello lovelies & happy Tuesday! I hope everyone is having the best start to their week.

The weather has made a serious shift, from hot humid & sunny to rainy & wet. But the temperatures are coming down, & I can feel the pumpkin spice lattes calling. Seriously, I may just have to start my shift off at work tomorrow with one!

But I’m trying my hardest not to go full Autumn vibes on my nails, & I think this look is another good transitional design. We’re not dark & moody, but the nude & gold combo is definitely giving end of the Summer feelings. I feel like it’s been literal years since I last created a herringbone design like this, so I definitely felt rusty, but the final result turned out beautifully.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Strengthner
  • Top Coat: Sinful Colors Power Paint Top Coat + Essie Speed Setter
  • Essie Gel Couture Princess Charming
  • Essie Leggy Legend
  • Art Club Striper in Black
  • Small dotting tool

Were my lines the easiest to draw? Absolutely not. Am I super proud of how they look? Absolutely. These felt so chic to wear, & I truly forgot how much I adore a herringbone pattern nail art look.

What do you think of this nail art look? Do you enjoy simple but striking nail art designs like this? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below, & any other nail art designs you’d like to see me create!

Happy Tuesday!

♥︎

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Funky Retro Inspired Abstract Stripes

Hello lovelies & happy… Tuesday? Yes Tuesday. I swear, the Summer makes all the days flow together & I can never keep track.

I’ve been on a nail art roll, feeling inspired to do some fun stuff on my nails. I also found a great top coat combi which is helping them last a closing shift at work (more or less). Today’s look is another nail design goto of mine, but I really think this colour combination is just perfection.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Strengthner
  • Top Coat: Sinful Colors Power Paint Top Coat + Essie Speed Setter
  • Essie License to Thrill
  • Essie Frilly Lillies
  • Essie Brides No Grooms
  • Essie She’s Pampered
  • Essie You Do Blue
  • NailStuff.ca 16mm Striper Brush

I really love how these colours came together. I feel like my goal with abstract stripes is I want them to have a vintage feel, & this is giving 70s wallpaper. Maybe someday I’ll venture into another decade — like maybe some Y2K inspired ones — but for now I enjoy how these ones look.

What do you think of this look? Do you love how bold & vibrant they are! Plus I got a ton of compliments on them at work, which is always the sign of a successful manicure.

Happy Tuesday!

🖤

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Glow-in-the-Dark Inspired Stars ⭐️

Hello lovelies & happy Tuesday! I hope you’re having a beautiful start to your week.

I’m starting my week off (ish) with a fun nail art look. It feels like absolute ages since I attempted any kind of nail art on my nails… I’ve mostly just been wearing solid colours, press on nails, or maybe like a glitter accent nail (very 2013). So it was kind of fun to dig into my nail desk box, find my good nail art brushes, & give some art a try.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Strengthner
  • Top Coat: Sinful Colors Power Paint Top Coat
  • Essie Bell Bottom Blues
  • OPI Suzi Shops & Island Hops
  • OPI That’s Hula-rious
  • Essie Bikini So Teeny
  • Quo by Orly Breathable De-stressed Denim
  • NailStuff Mermaid Tail Brush
  • Bobby Pin (couldn’t find my dotting tools haha)

So the inspiration behind this nail art look are glow-in-the-dark stars. Truthfully, I was seeing way too many videos of Hilary Duff’s Glow in the Dark star dress she’s wearing on tour, & this blue base was the perfect not-black shade, that I really wanted to see if I could freehand some stars on my nails!

& even though it’s been forever since I did any freehand designs on my nails, I’m so obsessed with how these turned out! Plus, I got complimented on them while out & about, so I feel pretty awesome about this nail art. They look exactly how I imagined them in my head!

What do you think about my glow-in-the-dark inspired star nails? Do these remind you of being a kid, like they do me? Would you wear this look? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below & if you love them too!

Happy Wednesday darlings.

♥︎

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie You Do Blue 🩵

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! A beautiful, sunny Sunday. It’s been feeling like Spring (most of) this week, so I thought something Spring-y on my nails would be perfect. & what is more Spring-y than a beautiful periwinkle blue?

Without further ado, this is Essie You Do Blue.

2 coats + top coat.

The formula on this creamy blue is smooth & easy to apply to the nail. I am quite a fan of the wider Essie brushes they’ve been using in the last few years. It took me a bit to get used to them, but they are much better when it comes to application.

My favourite part of this polish, though, is that is has this gorgeous fuchsia shimmer that really pops in the sunshine. It gives the extra dimension that makes it a little extra special, & for me that makes this shade a winner. I own a lot of blue nail polishes, but the ones that have shimmer or sparkle added — especially unexpected ones — are always the ones I reach for first!

This shade was originally released, as far as I can tell, during early 2020 as part of the Flying Solo collection. I think after that it made it to the core collection, but I did pick up mine on clearance for $1 so I’m thinking it may not be in regular circulation anymore — although the Essie website does have it listed as available for sale so I could be totally wrong.

Over all, I’m totally obsessed with this colour — it’s not just the pretty periwinkle blue, but that stunning shimmer. I adore it.

What do you think of Essie You Do Blue? Do you think this shade screams Spring as much as I do? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below, & let me know your thoughts on this pretty blue shade!

Happy Sunday!

♥︎

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Easy & Simple Spring Floral 🌼

Hello lovelies — & happy Wednesday!

& Happy April 1st. I hope everyone’s week is going okay. I don’t know about where you are, but here on the East Coast of Canada the weather is miserable–which is just more reason for Spring-y designs. The flowers may not be showing themselves in our garden, but at least I can wear them on my nails.

Today’s look is me wistfully wishing for some warmer, Spring-like days. Which, obviously, means floral!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Maximum Growth
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive Gel Like Top Coat
  • OPI Infinite Shine Mariachi Makes My Day
  • OPI Infinite Shine Shaking My Sugarplums
  • Essie Willow in the Wind
  • Essie Off Tropic
  • OPI I Cannoli Wear OPI
  • OPI Where Did Suzi’s Man-go?
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Red My Lips
  • Sally Hansen Good. Kind. Pure. Peony Origins
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Montley Hue
  • NailStuff.ca 7mm Mermaid Tail Brush

This design started off as simply just a rose design, but after I had painted my roses I realized that something was missing, so I added a bit more greenery, & then a few of the white flowers (sort of daisies, but not really). & once I added my white flowers, I felt like it pulled everything together perfectly.

Is it a totally original floral look? Well, no.

Do I still absolutely adore the end result? Absolutely, yes. Especially where my nails are so short at this current moment in time, I feel like a floral design looks so beautiful & put together. Plus, the darker purple base is a little bit end of winter, with the floral adding the touch of Spring I’m desperately craving.

What do you think of this floral look? Do you like the combination of colours? Does it have you craving Spring as much as I am craving spring? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below.

& if it’s feeling like Spring where you are, I’d love to know! Give me some hope so warmer, sunnier days to come.

♥︎