Category: Freehand

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Glam Nails Challenge August — Grapes 🍇

Hello lovelies & happy Monday!

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. We’re currently experiencing a big time heat wave here on the East Coast, but thankfully my work had the air conditioning cranked which kept my from completely melting into a big puddle. I love heat, but man the humidity is not my friend.

Today we’ve got the next prompt for Glam Nails Challenge August is grapes! I decided to go with a darker grape inspired look & created my grapes on my two accent nails.

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Essie First Base
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Pat on the Black
  • Sally Hansen CSM Trouble Maker
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Feelin’ Grape
  • Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Lacy Lilac
  • Essie Off Tropic
  • Essence The Green & the Grunge
  • Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Thyme is Money
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio
  • NailStuff.ca 7mm detail brush

How cute are these grape accent nails? I actually love how they turned out! I was inspired by this Pinterest design I found, originally done by @nailsbydaniellet. I (think) hers were supposed to be blackberries, haha, but I didn’t realize until after she inspired by grapes. I do think they turned out super cute, & all my coworkers knew exactly what they were, so I’ll take that as a win!

What do you think about this grape inspired look? Are you following along with #glamnailschallengeaug on Instagram? Let me know what you think of the designs so far this month. I can’t believe we’re already half way through the month — that’s crazy!

Have a great day lovelies!

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Glam Nails Challenge August — Coconut 🥥

Hello lovelies & happy Wednesday! Hope everyone’s week is off to a lovely start, & not nearly as ungodly humid as it’s been in Halifax lately. Today we’re sharing another fruit inspired design for GlamNailsChallangeAugust.

Today’s prompt is coconut, which I’m going to be honest was a prompt I was super nervous about. Even browsing Pinterest was not super useful, as mostly what popped up with some kind of nail art stickers. But I did find this pretty coconut look originally done by @Nailstorming, & I thought it would be a fantastic look to give my own attempt to.

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Essie First Base
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Violet Voltage
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Get Mod
  • OPI How Great Is Your Dane?
  • Sally Hansen Good. Kind. Pure Almond Tan
  • Kosmic Colours Brown (no name)
  • OPI A Great Opera-tunity
  • OPI Just Can’t Cope-acabana
  • Cosmetics Arts Lime Green (no name)
  • Essie Off Tropic
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Beatnik
  • NailStuff.ca 7mm detail brush

I’m not going to lie, a lot of polishes went into trying to create this coconut. & I thought I used a lot of nail polishes when creating floral!

But, you know — it was to totally worth it because my coconut drink turned out awesome! It totally looks like something you can sit back & relax, drinking on some tropical beach. Or, what I picture someone would sit back & drink on a tropical beach, as the closest I’ve come to a tropical vacation is lounging in an inflatable kiddie pool in my backyard.

But you know what I mean.

What do you think about this coconut nail art look? It was fun going from a more abstract interpretation to a more literal one, even if I didn’t think I was going to be successful haha. Are you following along with #glamnailschallengeaug on Instagram? I hope you’re enjoying seeing all these looks as much as I’m enjoying doing them!

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Glam Nails Challenge August — Peach 🍑

Hello lovelies & happy Monday!

Sorry for being MIA this weekend; this last week has been CRAZY & then I spent my Saturday in bed all day with a migraine, which put any blog work I was going to do on the back burner. But I’m back this morning with prompt #3 of #glamnailschallengeaug: Peach. & I decided to go with a bit of an abstract interpretation of the prompt with these peaches & cream inspired stripes.

I actually was struggling a bit with what I should do for this one. But once this idea popped into my head, I knew I wanted to do it!

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Essie First Base
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Giant Peach
  • Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Sunkissed
  • Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Day Cream
  • NailStuff.ca 7mm detail brush

Oh man, these feel kind of retro, which is really fun!

I went out & bought 3 new Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear shades at Shoppers since they were on sale for $2.99 each, it’s been a long week, & I haven’t bought new a nail polish in a while. I thought these three shades really gave me the peaches & cream feels (plus they’re very pretty colours over all). & I’ve been obsessed with these retro inspired stripes that are all over Instagram right now.

What do you think about these peaches & cream inspired stripes? Do you like my take on the prompt, or is it a little too outside the lines haha. Let me know if you’d rock this peach inspired look in your nails, down in the comments, & don’t forget to pop over to Instagram & check out the other looks using the hashtag #glamnailschallengeaug.

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Glam Nails Challenge August — Blueberries

Good Morning lovelies & happy Wednesday. We’re already halfway to the weekend! & we’re already on our second prompt for Glam Nails Challenge August!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I decided to take on a challenge for this month to inspire me to get out of my rut. The challenge this month is fruit themed, & I don’t think I’ve attempted that many fruit themed designs over the years, so I’m very excited for the challenge.

Today’s prompt is blueberries, & my design was inspired by @brydiedoesnails! I was obsessed with her blueberry & daisy design, so I decided to do my own spin on it.

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Essie First Base
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • OPI After Alter
  • Essie Gel Couture Princess Charming
  • Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Royal Hue
  • Sally Miracle Gel Beatnik
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Get Mod!
  • OPI Just Can’t Cope-acabana
  • Cosmetics Arts Lime Green (no name)
  • Essie Off Tropic
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio
  • NailStuff.ca 7mm detail brush

How freaking adorable did these blueberries turn out? I never thought of doing floral & fruit, but it turned out so perfect.

This look was surprisingly easy to do—easier than I thought it would be—& the end result turned out beautiful. I don’t think that blueberries will replace my usual floral favourites, but it’s so much fun to switch things up once in a while! Because this is a look I definitely wouldn’t have thought up on my own, without a little encouragement!

How are we feeling about this challenge so far? Do you love these blueberry nails as much as I do? Let me know all your thoughts, & keep track of everyone’s nail art looks by checking out #glamnailschallengeaug on Instagram!

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Glam Nails Challenge August — Pineapples

Hello lovelies & happy Monday! & happy long weekend to those who are celebrating.

This month I decided to do something I haven’t done in what feels like forever: GlamNailsChallenge! This month’s theme is fruit, which is a fun summery theme, so I’m excited to participate. I feel like it’ll be a fun way to get back into my nail art groove.

& the first prompt: pineapples. 🍍

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Essie First Base
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Royal Hue
  • OPI Just Can’t Cope-acabana
  • OPI How Great is Your Dane?
  • Sally Hansen I ❤️ Nail Art Pen in green
  • Cosmetics Arts Lime Green (name has long since worn off)
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio
  • NailStuff.ca 7mm detail brush

I thought a pineapple pattern look with be super cute, & I love the brightness of the yellow over the blue base. They just pop so well! It’s been a long, long time since I did a fruit themed manicure, but I think the first of this challenge is adorable. Haha I’m not sure how the rest of this challenge is going to go, but I’m excited to get planning for all the different (fruit themed) looks. It’s definitely going to be a challenge for sure!

What do you think about my first look for GlamNailsChallengeAugust? Don’t forget, you can follow along with everyone’s looks by using the hashtag #glamnailschallengeaug on Instagram. I’m definitely excited to see all the cute looks that everyone comes up with this month!