Essie – Page 75 – Coffee & Nail Polish

January 23, 2020January 23, 2020

Scattered Holo Abstract Stripes

Hello lovelies & happy Thursday! Hope everyone is having the loveliest of weeks! Today I’ve got some brand new nail art to share with you, featuring an easy technique I love to do: abstract stripes. I’ve been doing some version of this look for a couple of years now, & I think they’re such a great way to jazz up your nails — they’re also relatively easy & hard to mess up, & who doesn’t love that!

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

Base Coat: Essie Treat Love & Color Gloss Fit (clear)
Base Coat: OPI Nail Envy
Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
Quo by ORLY Breathable Kiss Me, I’m Kind
Wrenn Polish Intoxicated
Revlon Iconic
Kiss Products Nail Art Striper in Black
Kiss Products Nail Art Striper in White

First off, check out that scattered holo because it’s absolutely amazing. If you missed my earlier Swatch Sunday post on it, Intoxicated is one of the two new holographic nail polishes that Wrenn Polish released recently. It’s STUNNING. Second I’m kind of obsessed with this grey by Revlon — Iconic. I recently picked it up at my local Lawton’s for only 99 cents. It really compliments this dark purple polish & just goes so well together.

& I don’t know why, but greys are just a favourite for me this time of year (with the exception of early February for Valentine’s Day).

I feel myself digging into my past posts for inspiration lately. The (nail art) nostalgia is real. But maybe Paris Fashion week & the Oscars will give me some new nail art inspiration & inspire some fun new looks.

What do you think about these abstract stripes? What nail art trends are you excited about? Let me know!

January 16, 2020January 22, 2020

Subtle Vertical Stripes

Hello lovelies & happy Thursday! We’re back into our nail art routine & I have another fun look to share. Two things I’ve been trying to do this year: wear more of my polishes from deep in my stash, & bring my manicures back to the beginnings. Sometimes it’s fun just to go a little more simple. I’ve been seeing a few looks of simple vertical stripes — @xglitzandpolishx & @apolishedcolleen recently did beautiful versions that I’m obsessed with.

So I decided to do my own version!

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

Base Coat: Essie Treat Love & Color Gloss Fit (clear)
Base Coat: OPI Nail Envy
Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat
China Glaze Jungle Queen
China Glaze Up All Night
Straight Nail Vinyls

For this look, I decided on two shades that would compliment each other really well, but was kind of a subtle look. First I grabbed Jungle Queen because it’s a gorgeous shade which I don’t wear nearly enough & the grey-ness of it is something I love in the depth of January. It is a bit of a darker shade, so I needed to find something dark that it would still pop against. China Glaze Up All Night has been in my stash for a long time (since before baby #1) but I haven’t worn it… ever. That’s kind of crazy because it’s SUCH a pretty shade.

I think my only regret with this look is a wish I had gone with skinnier nail vinyls/striping tape. But I think these single stripe nails are so chic, & they end up making your nails look SO long. Such a fun look to wear, & there are so many different ways to wear it & so many different colour combinations.

Have you done this single stripe design yet? What do you think about this subtle version of this look? Hope over to Instagram (since my blog comments don’t seem to want to work), & let me know what you think & what colour combinations you would rock.

January 14, 2020January 22, 2020

Messy Stripes

Hello lovelies & happy Tuesday! Today I’m sharing my first official nail art of 2020! Crazy isn’t it? I’ve been slow to share nail art so far this year, not because I haven’t been doing any (I have), but because I’ve really been reflecting on where I want Coffee & Nail Polish to go this year.

Obviously nail polish is the first first love of this blog, but it’s not only where my heart lives. For a while, I’ve been thinking about expanding my content & sharing my other loves beside nail polish & my favourite caffeinated beverages — for example: fashion, other non polish beauty products, etc. & I’ve been kind of scared about expanding my content & my blog identity. But this year is all about taking chances so that is what I’m going to do! But don’t worry, if your here for nails I promise that majority of my posts are still going to be nails! Going to start off slow & see what you think!

& now to the nails!

Today’s post is all about stripes. I love a good stripe manicure. Today’s look went a little messy — I was feeling stripes but I’m out of my usual quick dry top coat so I decided to try & freehand them.

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

Base Coat: Essie Treat Love & Color Gloss Fit (cleat)
Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat
ORLY Decades of Dysfunction
Quo by ORLY Breathable The Antidote
Revlon Iconic
Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Get Mod
Quo by ORLY Breathable Sheer Luck
NailStuff.ca 7mm detail brush(COFFEE10 to save 10%)

For my thicker stripes I used the polish bottle brushes & for the thinner stripes I used my detail brush from NailStuff. They’re definitely not perfect, but I feel like the imperfection of the stripes kind of makes the whole look come together. It’s the kind of stripes you would see on a cute boho pillow or something, which is a vibe j can definitely get behind & adore. Also the grey & pink & wine combo is one that just feels so perfect for January when life just feels so much more muted, you know?

I also feel like these stripes would be the most perfect beginning to a tribal/Aztec look. Had I had more time, I probably would have tried it. But these nails were on a time crunch — which I feel like most of my manicures are lately — so I created my stripes, applied my top coat, & then hoped I didn’t ruin them as I went to sleep. I do love the lasting power of Sally Hansen MG top coat, but it really doesn’t have the super quick drying power of some of the other top coats I used. Definitely need to pick up my OG favourite, aka Essie Gel Setter, ASAP.

I’m seriously digging this look. I’m not sure what direction I want to take my nail art this year — I definitely want to create more fun looks, if you know what I mean. & floral. There is nothing more I love in the dead of winter, than a good floral design!

Have a lovely Tuesday darlings! 💜

December 30, 2019

#GlamNailsChallengeDec — Fireworks/Confetti

Good morning lovelies & Happy Monday! Today is officially the last day of #GlamNailsChallengeDec & the prompt is Fireworks/confetti. I can’t believe this is the final prompt of this month, & the final prompt of this year! I’ve had so much fun stepping out of my comfort zone to join in on these challenges, & I’m really hoping to keep going into the new year!

For today, in honour of New Years Eve tomorrow, I naturally had to go with the fireworks inspiration because who doesn’t love fireworks!

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

Base Coat: Essie Treat Love & Colour Strengthener
Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
Essie In Hot Purse-uit (Rebecca Minkoff collection)
Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Goldie Rocks
Sally Hansen MG Good As Gold
Sally Hansen MG Five Golden Blings
NailStuff.ca 7mm detail brush(COFFEE10 to save 10%)

I’ve attempted fireworks designs before, a few times, but they have never quite turned out as good as I pictured in my head… but I actually quite love how these look. I started off by drawing with my most opaque polish (Goldie Rocks), then my thinner holo glitter (Five Golden Blings) & then added some gold glitters in the middle (Good As Good). I really wanted these to look glittery, like how fireworks look right after exploding in the sky. & I think I achieved that!

How pretty is this gold against the blue. I got the Essie Rebecca Minkoff collection from my Mum for Christmas, so obviously I couldn’t wait to dive right in & try them out. & can I just say this is one coat of this blue shade! I mean… that’s amazing & it makes such a perfect base for my golden nail art!

What have you thought of this months challenge? Don’t forget to check out #glamnailschallengeDec for everyone’s final looks for this month!

I must say, even though Christmas made me fall a little behind, I had so much fun coming up with designs that I may not have come up on my own. & I love feeling inspired for nail art again!

December 27, 2019December 27, 2019

#GlamNailsChallengeDec — Presents 🎁

Good morning lovelies! I hope everyone had the most amazing Christmas & Boxing Day. Our whole family was very spoiled, & I’ve very much enjoyed celebrating in the place I spent many a Christmas as a kid. ♥️🎄 it also means I’m super late on sharing the next prompt for #GlamNailsChallengeDec: Presents!

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

Base Coat: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Strengthening Base Coat
Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
Dimension Nails Pygmy Sloth
Unnamed Mariposa metallic gold
Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Goldie Rocks
Essence Black is Back
NailStuff.ca 7mm detail brush (COFFEE10 to save 10%)

Is there anything more beautiful than red & gold. I love how the gold presents pop over this beautiful vibrant red holo polish! Feels very Christmas-y! Also any excuse to wear this amazing shade from Dimension Nails is a good excuse… it’s such a perfect glitter shade for this time of year I knew I had to incorporate it a Christmas design for this year.

Was Santa good to you? Hopefully you were spoiled not just with presents under the tree, but lots of lovely family time & memories. Those are my favourite Christmas presents.

Don’t forget to hop on over to Instagram to see the other looks for #glamnailschallengeDec. I love going through & seeing everyone’s interpretations of the same prompt! So many cute versions of the same idea.

	Christine - Dances W… on SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie You Do B…
	Christine - Dances W… on SWATCH SUNDAY — Nicole by OPI…
	Shannon Rae on SWATCH SUNDAY — Nicole by OPI…
	Christine - Dances W… on SWATCH SUNDAY — Nicole by OPI…
	Christine - Dances W… on Easy & Simple Spring Flora…