Category: Freehand

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Itty Bitty Gradient Dotticure

Hello lovelies! Yes it’s me — only we’re rocking some shorties again. (Okay, & I’m drinking a matcha lemonade — my other drink aside from coffee!) I mentioned I had a patch on my middle finger nail of a bad crack. I finally decided I was over trying to keep it from cracking worse, & decided to chop my my nails down.

Today I went with a simple but fun look to wear. I love a good gradient dotticure, but I realized it’s been a long time since I actually did one. This design was actually inspired by this look from 2016. I thought since we were back down to shorties, why not find some fun nail art to do on short nails!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Londontown KUR Nail Hardener & Base Coat
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive Fast Dry Top
  • Londontown KUR Mint No Chip
  • Sally Hansen I ❤️ Nail Art pen in purple
  • Sally Hansen I ❤️ Nail Art pen in turquoise
  • Sally Hansen I ❤️ Nail Art pen in pink
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Get Mod
  • Itty Bitty Dotting Tool (NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio)

How absolutely adorable as these itty bitty polka dots? You could definitely do this with a tiny dotting tool & an assortment of polishes, but I love those Sally Hansen I ❤️ Nail Art pens because it makes it so easy! I really wish Sally Hansen would bring them back, because they’re amazing for nail art — & mine are starting to empty out after all these years.

What do you think about this Gradient dotticure? Do you think you’d wear this fun (& easy!) look? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below.

& feel free to share any nail art you’d love to see me do on my new short nails!

Happy Friday! 🖤

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Funky Bright Abstract Stripes

Hello lovelies & happy Wednesday! A beautiful sunny Spring Wednesday.

I’ve really been feeling the bright colours lately, so I decided to dig through my stash to see what fun colour combinations I could come up with. Originally I had picked out these colours to do in a moon manicure, but it was late, I was tired & I didn’t want to wait for my base to dry so I decided to do the next best thing! A fun abstract stripe look.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive Fast Dry Top
  • China Glaze Thistle Do Nicely
  • China Glaze I Got A Blue Attitude
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Blacky-O
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Let’s Snow
  • NailStuff.ca 16mm Striper Brush

I love love love these two colours together, I can’t lie. I’ve always been a fan of pairing purple/corals together. In high school, my bedroom was painted a very vibrant shade of purple, & my curtains were this coral-y orange. & I loved it!

It was the early 2000s… don’t judge haha.

Either way, this is a fun, bright look to show off on a bright & sunny day like today. Of course, when I took these pictures it was not a sunny day… but you know, this kind of look works on a cloudy, rainy day too. Really, I’ll take any excuse for bright nails right now.

What do you think of these fun, funky bright abstract stripes? Are you hearing the call of the Summer neons? I’ll be honest, I bypassed right past pastels & full on into my brightest polish shades, but I’m okay with that!

Have a happy Wednesday!

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Instagram Floral Collab 🌸🌿

Hello lovelies & happy Friday!

I’m so super excited to share today’s manicure, because I was lucky enough to get to join in on a nail art collection via Instagram. You know me — I adore a good floral design, so I was excited to join in on this challenge.

These nails scream Spring, so I’m very excited to share this design!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive Fast Dry Top
  • China Glaze Wanderlust
  • OPI One Heckla of A Color
  • OPI Gelato on my Mind
  • Essie All the Wave
  • Essie Off Tropic
  • Sally Hansen Good Kind Pure Peony Origins
  • Sally Hansen GKP Eco-Rose
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Racing Rose
  • Aco by Ardene Sour Apple
  • Aco by Ardene Jungle Green
  • OPI My Geckos Does Tricks
  • Starrily Vantablack
  • NailStuff.ca Mermaid Tail Brush
  • Dotting tool (NailStuff.ca — Dotting Tool Trio)

This design took so many polishes to create, but it was absolutely worth it. & I think I remembered all the shades I used for this design. There was quite a few of them.

I was so excited to be a part of this collaboration & join so many talented nail artists. I really love challenging myself like this, because sometimes it’s hard to come up with designs all on my own.

Please don’t forget to check out #floralnailartmanicollab2023 on Instagram to see all the other stunning floral designs!

Happy Friday loves!

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GLAM NAILS CHALLENGE APRIL — Daffodils

Good morning lovelies & happy Wednesday! I hope everyone’s week has been lovely so far. The weather has been seasonal so far, which I can’t complain about too much. & the flowers are beginning to bloom.

It’s time for the next prompt of Glam Nails Challenge April: daffodils. & I’ll be honest I was nervous, again, about this prompt. I love love love doing floral, but this was a type of flower I’d never painted before. But, you know, I think I nailed it!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive Fast Dry Top
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Glos-Sea
  • OPI Nature Strong Make My Daisy
  • Essie Fall for NYC
  • Essie Check Your Baggage
  • Essie Cliffhanger
  • ACO by Ardene Jungle Green
  • Essence Bloom Me Up! Blow My Mint
  • Essie Off Tropic
  • NailStuff.ca Mermaid Tail Brush

First off, check out this blue! I recently picked it up at Shoppers when I had some optimum points, & I’m really in love with it. It’s kind of hard to see in this lighting, but it has the prettiest pink-y shimmer in it. A fantastic colour for Spring. Also the perfect base for these beautiful yellow flowers.

Second I’m so, so proud of how these daffodils turned out. Sometimes I get self conscious when it comes to nail art I’ve never done before, but I really do love them. & it’s inspired me to do more floral again. I feel like I stopped doing florals for a while, & now that Spring is here, it’s time to pick up doing them again. Because, they really do make me so happy.

What do you think of my daffodils for Glam Nails Challenge April? Did you miss all the floral? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below.

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GLAM NAILS CHALLENGE APRIL — Tulips 💐

Hello lovelies & happy Monday! Another week is upon us, although this one isn’t looking nearly as Summer-y as the last. Today, though, I’m sharing the next prompt for Glam Nails Challenge April — tulips.

It’s kind of funny — in all the time I’ve been doing floral, I don’t think I’ve ever done a tulip design. So this was definitely a bit of a challenge for me. While it’s not my most perfect floral ever, I’m super happy with how adorable they turned out.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive Fast Dry Top Coat
  • Essie Play Date
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Jelly Belly Cotton Candy
  • Sally Hansen Good. Kind. Pure. Peony Origins
  • Sinful Colours Yolo Yellow
  • Essie First Class Affair
  • OPI Life Gave Me Lemons
  • OPI My Gecko Does Tricks
  • NailStuff.ca Mermaid Tail Brush Trio

How cute do these flowers look? I would have loved to have taken a picture of them in front of my own garden, but no tulips quite yet. A few more weeks. I think this is such a perfect Springtime look. I love how colourful these are with the purple base & the yellow & pink tulips. Yes yes yes.

What do you think about this tulip design? Do you love a good bright & vibrant Spring-y design, or do you prefer things more subtle?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below & what you’re wearing on your nails this week.

Have a great Monday! 🌷