Category: Essie

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Smooshy Marble Nails (inspired by @grapefizznails)

Hello lovelies & Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone is having a lovely week so far. Here on the East Coast you can feel that Winter is quickly approaching — it was downright cold this morning. & I am not a girl who enjoys the cold! Especially because it absolutely wreaks havoc on my nails if I get busy, & forget to keep up with my nail care routine!

But enough about the cold, let’s concentrate on the good stuff: this icy smoosh design inspired by @grapefizznails! Anne is a fellow Canadian nail guru who creates the most stunning smoosh nails I’ve ever seen! Literally, it’s like witchcraft I swear. As soon as I saw her latest smoosh design I knew I needed to attempt a recreation ASAP.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie First Base
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive
  • Essie Under The Twilight
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Tutu Ballet
  • Sally Hansen MG Get Mod
  • Essie Getting Groovy
  • Sinful Colors Twilight Twinkles
  • NailStuff.ca Clear Stamper

How absolutely gorgeous did this turn out? Obviously nothing compared to the original, but I think I channeled my inspiration very well. It gives me a nice Fall Icy feel, which works well with these chilly November days. It was also pretty easy to create as well. Anne has some pretty awesome tutorials on her instagram on how she creates her smoosh marbles, as well as drip marbles & other nail art! So definitely check them out, especially if you want to recreate this look as well.

What do you think about this smooshy marble design? Do you think my recreation lived up to its inspiration? Would you wear this look on your nails as well? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

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Gold & Burgundy Colour Block

Hello lovelies & happy Monday! I hope everyone had a lovely weekend.

Myself — I worked all weekend, so it was very busy. The holiday season is full effect, especially in retail, so I’ve really been feeling somewhat pre-Christmas vibes. & I’m showing it off on my nails! Today’s look was really me just feeling some holiday colours. I wanted to pull out some of my more holiday-esque shades, but without going to fall into Christmas land. This feels like a good balance between Fall & the holidays.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie First Base
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive
  • China Glaze Screen Vixen
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Pat On The Black
  • Finger Paints Piece De Resistance

Who doesn’t love red/burgundy & gold paired together? I think it’s such a beautiful combination. I also haven’t worn one of these colour block looks in a long time, & it’s such an easy look to pair together. &, like so many nail art designs that I love, an unlimited amount of colour combinations. You know that I’ll be doing a full Christmas colour block once we get into December (or at least slightly closer to December).

What do you think of this colour block design? Leet me down in the comments below, & let me know what colours you would like to see me do next!

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Purple & Gold Freehand Swirls

Hello lovelies & happy Wednesday!

Hope everyone is having a very lovely week so far! We’ve actually been having a beautiful weather here in Halifax — very un-November like weather! It’s been absolutely beautiful… which has kind of made being inspired for nail art a little difficult. So I decided for my latest mani to go with a look I used to do all the time — this freehand dainty swirl look.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie First Base
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive
  • OPI Ink
  • Essie Getting Groovy
  • NailStuff.ca 7mm detail brush

Back in circa 2014-2015, I used to love freehanding these swirly looks, so I decided since I wasn’t feeling all that inspired, it was a great look to go with.

I really love the look of the gold over the shifty purple base of OPI Ink. I feel like this look is very regal — it also gives me slight wrapping paper vibes, but I’m not mad about it. I think it looks very beautiful. It was definitely a good nail art choice in this in between time when it doesn’t quite feel like Fall, but is too early (in my eyes, anyways) for Christmas.

What do you think about this nail art look? What designs are you wearing right now? Have you started thinking about Christmas nail art? Let me know in the comments below!

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Matte Knit Sweater Nails

Hello lovelies & happy November… officially. We’re three days into the month, & I’m already feeling those post Halloween, pre-holiday vibes. Maybe it’s the fact every store has already decked their Halls fully, but you can definitely feel a shift in the air.

& you know what that means… sweater nails!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie First Base
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive
  • Matte Top Coat: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Matte Top Coat
  • China Glaze Intelligence, Integrity & Courage
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Zip Wine
  • NailStuff.ca 7mm detail brush

This look was a design that was inspired originally by @xglitzandpolishx & I did a version of it last year. I loved that one so much, I really needed to recreate it again… this time with a difference colour scheme. November brings greyer skies, so I thought I would paint my nails to match… with just a smidge of colour. &, of course, I had to add some matte top coat. It’s my favourite top coat in the cooler months, not sure why.

Also, sad to say… this was my last design I did with my longer nails. The cooler weather brings on easier breaks, so I’m now rocking some shorties. But that’s okay! Bring on the fun Fall designs for short nails! I’m actually really excited for some pre-holiday designs, cosy knit nails, & lots of jewel tone nail polishes!

What do you think about this knit sweater look? What are your favourite nail art designs for November? Are you already jumping on the Christmas polishes/looks, or do you like to wait until December? Let me know what you’re looking forward to seeing down in the comments below!

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Glam Nails Challenge October— Mummy

Good morning lovelies & happy Thursday! Yes… it’s Thursday already! & Halloween is only 3 days away.

Is everyone ready?

I don’t know about where you are, but stores around here are almost cleared out for Halloween & it’s like Christmas exploded in every store. But I’m still here for Halloween & have a few more Halloween looks to share! First up, the next prompt for GlamNailsChallenge October: Mummy.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie First Base
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive
  • Sally Hansen CSM Off The Shoulder
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Get Mod
  • Essence Dare It Nude
  • China Glaze The Snuggle is Real
  • OPI Chiffon My Mind
  • NailStuff.ca 7mm detail brush

Please excuse the cruddy lighting — it was a rainy miserable day when I was attempting to take these pictures. The joys of late October in Nova Scotia, haha.

For my mummy look, I wanted to go with a more subtle mummy look — like if an Egyptian princess was being mummified & wanted her nails to be featured. Haha. My look definitely ended up a bit more subtle than I had originally wanted, but that was a lot to do with my base shade. I feel like I might have wanted a bit more of a contrasting colour. But I’m still really happy with how they turned out.

What do you think about this “mummy” look? Can you believe that Halloween is almost here (& over!) What is your favourite Halloween candy? L

et me know in the comments below!