Category: Essie

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Groovy Abstract Stripes

Hello lovelies & happy Tuesday! Hope everyone has had a lovely start to their week. We had another beautiful almost Spring like day yesterday, which gives me hope that maybe — maybe — one day soon, Spring will be here to stay. I just keep longingly staring at the clothes in my closet, dreaming of the day when it’s warm enough to wear them!

In the meantime, how about some Spring on the nails! I’ve definitely been feeling myself drawn to my more Spring looking nail polishes. I just need a little brightness in my life!

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Good Kind Pure Hardener
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Essie Mint Candy Apple (the blue version)
  • Essie Splash of Grenedine
  • Essie Blank Page
  • Essie Bobbing for Baubles
  • Nailstuff.ca 11mm Liner Brush (COFFEE10 to save 10%) {gifted}

I love abstract stripe designs so so so much, especially when they turn out as perfect as these did! These totally remind me of one of those gorgeous abstract Pucci designs. The swirly lines & bright colours — perfect for Spring! Also I love the brighter pop of pink over the paler blue base. What is it about this colour combo? It makes me so happy!

If this doesn’t make you feel ready for Spring, I don’t know what will. I also just feel so proud of how these turned out too — it might just be the best version of the abstract stripe design I’ve done yet! & yeah, it kind of makes me want to do another!

What do you think about this look? Are you feeling these Spring-y colours? Let me know what you think down in the comments below!

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Classic Marble Nails

{GIFTED}

Good morning lovelies & happy Tuesday! Here in Halifax, we’ve been having a surge of almost Spring like weather, which leaves me feeling refreshed & hopeful! I’m totally going to ignore the Winter storm heading our way in a couple days, & just pretend that Spring is on it’s way.

Today’s look feels very refreshing & Spring like as well. I decided to wanted to try & create a “classic” looking marble.

For this manicure, the polishes I’m wearing are:

  • Base Coat: Essie Treat & Colour Gloss Fi
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Essie Ballet Slippers
  • White Acrylic Paint
  • Black Acrylic Paint

For this look, I started off with a base of Ballet Slippers, & then watered down some acrylic paint & brushes it along the nail using my skinner brush. If I felt like my lines were too harsh, I’d take my round clean up brush, dip it in water, & water down the paint on my nails (or remove it completely, which is the benefit of using acrylic paint!)

& then obviously I needed some gold. & these gold flakies from NailStuff are kind of my new obsession. They’re so beautiful!

What do you think about this look? What is your favourite technique for creating marble nails? Let me know in the comments below!

Some items were gifted in exchange for content. All opinions are genuine & my own.

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Valentine’s Day 💕 Glitter Gradient

Hello lovelies! Happy Tuesday!

Today I’m getting in the Valentine’s Day mood! I’ve had this polish — OPI Bearest of them All — in my stash for going on 5 years, but somehow hadn’t thought to use it in a glitter gradient! But since I’m all about speedy designs right now, I thought this would be the perfect Valentine’s Day nail art look when you need something quick & beautiful!

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Essie Treat Love & Colour Gloss Fit
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Essie Haute in the Heat
  • OPI Bearest of them All
  • Latex Free make up sponge

How cute as these little heart glitters?! I won’t lie, this wasn’t the easiest glitter gradient I’ve ever done. Basically, I had to sponge the smaller glitters onto my nail in the gradient, & then fished my heart glitters out of the polish to apply onto the nail. Not the easiest to do, but you can’t lie about how freaking adorable the outcome is! I’m absolutely in love with how this looks! & still super quick to do.

I feel like usually I’m more on the ball about doing Valentine’s Day looks, but I just haven’t been as into it this year. I had plans to do some love heart nails & a few others, but I just wasn’t as inspired as I usually feel. I do have one more look to share on Thursday, but this year seems to be more about simple Valentine’s-esque designs more than blatant heart designs.

What do you think about this glitter gradient? Do you have this limited edition OPI in your stash — have you ever thought to use it this way? Let me know what you think in the comments below!

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Dainty Polka Dots (take 2)

Hello lovelies & Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone’s week is off to a fantastic start — we had some beautiful, dare I say Spring-like, weather yesterday which has me feeling excited. I am not a Winter person at all. It’s just too cold & wet, & the days are too short & dark. With the exception of snow for Christmas, I really can’t deal with it at all. I miss my flats.

But you know what cheers me up? Pretty nails! & it’s be eons since my last true dotticure so I thought some simple & chic polka dots were in order. Plus I got this neat Essie Christmas set at Walmart for 50 % off, & I really wanted to pair these two polishes together.

I seriously love a good deal, & when I saw this set of two mini polishes plus my beloved Gel Setter top coat for $7.50, I knew I needed it. I also did not yet own Ballet Slippers (crazy I know), so it was a deal I couldn’t pass up.

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Essie Treat Love & Colour in Gloss Fit
  • Base Coat: OPI Nail Envy
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Essie Ballet Slippers
  • Essie Chocolate Cakes
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio (COFFEE10 to save 10%)

I don’t think I can begin to describe how much I love a good dotticure, & this one is particularly lovely. The darker dots just pop against the delicate base of Ballet Slippers & gives it such a girly feel overall. It’s such an easy look to wear for everyday, or maybe for a date with a special someone for Valentine’s Day (which is quickly coming up!) Also I always feel like a dotticure is such a perfect option for someone who isn’t into nail art or doesn’t have time for complicated nail art — they’re easy to do, but not super flashy! You could even go with a paler dot colour — white or blush — if you needed something even more office appropriate & no one would really be able to tell you had nail art on!

What do you think about this dotticure? Are you a fan or is it too simple for you? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below! & share what Valentine’s Day nails you’re thinking about wearing (or anti-Valentine’s Day nails if you’re not into the whole thing 🖤)

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie Garden Variety

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! Hope everyone is excited for the LAST week of January! It’s also our last Swatch Sunday of January, which means we’re that much closer to Spring. & oh boy am I ready to get into Spring. So that means it’s time to dive into my nail polish stash & start pulling out my favourite blues!

I did an Instagram poll yesterday on my Instagram stories — @coffeeandnailpolish — & asked which of two Spring-y blue polishes people wanted to see for today’s post, & with a 58% of the vote Essie Garden Variety was the resounding winner!

2 coats

Essie Garden Variety was originally released as part of the Spring 2015 collection, but has stayed on as part of the permanent collection. It has the most incredibly smooth formula, so it applied in just two easy swipes. This is pre-top coat, but still super glossy & shiny & perfect.

Now this is definitely a very difficult polish to capture on film — it can lean really blue at time which is hard to avoid. It’s definitely a little bit darker than you’re seeing in my pictures, but I tried not get the photos to show as close to reality as possible because it really is one of the prettiest teal-y blues that I own. & I don’t have anything else quite like it.

Just look at that beauty — it’s perfect! Oh man, doesn’t it just make you think of Summer dresses & sunglasses & the beginning of flowers budding in the garden. I know we’re only at the end of January, but I need to dream of Spring days to get me through these dreary snow filled grey days. It gives me something to look forward to! (Like the days when I don’t have to worry about layering as many pairs of tights under my jeans as I can fit… & wearing something other than layers of sweaters.)

Like I mentioned, Garden Variety is part of the permanent Essie collection, so you can find the beauty whenever Essie is sold. For those who don’t feel like venturing out to the store, but need this bright beautiful shade in your life there are a few online places you can purchase Essie:

What do you think about Essie Garden Variety? Do you have this shade in your collection? What is your favourite Spring-y blue? Let me know down in the comments below!