Category: Freehand

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Spring Floral with Peak-a-Boo Holo

Hello lovelies & happy Wednesday!

I’ve been slacking a bit on my posting this week, haha. Sometimes real life just gets in the way of blog life. But I’ve got a big, big coffee to start my day, & I’m finally sharing this floral I teased on my Instagram stories last week. 💗🌸

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle
  • Top Coat: Essie Good to Go
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel In The Sheer
  • Starrily Eclipse
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Orchid-ing Aside
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Violet Voltage
  • Sally Hansen I ♥️ Nail Art pen in Pink
  • Sally Hansen I ♥️ Nail Art pen in Blue
  • Sally Hansen I ♥️ Nail Art pen in Turquoise
  • Sally Hansen Insta-Dri VaVa Violet
  • Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Thyme is Money
  • Sally Hansen CSM Let’s Snow
  • Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Black Heart
  • Essie Off Tropic
  • Essie In The Cabana
  • Color Club Art Club Pink Pastel
  • NailStuff.ca 7mm detail brush
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio

Whew, this was a lot of polishes to bring it alive, but the end result…. well I think it speaks for itself! Also check out that peak-a-boo holo! I’m kind of a obsessed with dainty holographic looks over a nude-ish base. It’s a nice introduction to Spring, & since here on the East Coast it’s apparently going to be above average temperatures for the next 3 months, I think we’re going to have an early Spring! Which, you know… I’m okay with. Give me Spring dresses, no snow, & pastels, & I’ll be happy. It’s the least 2021 can do for us after the dumpster fire that was last year.

What do you think about this Spring floral, & it’s sneaky holo base? Are you, too, ready for more Spring? Let me know what you are looking forward to the most about Spring down in the comments below!

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#GlamNailsChallengeFeb — Plants 🪴

Hello lovelies & happy Tuesday. I’m totally late posting this manicure thanks to a crazy work weekend! But late is better than never.

The next promo for #glamnailschallengeFeb is plants! & I am definitely plant obsessed, so I was excited for this prompt. Plus anything floral or plant related are definitely favourites for me to create on my nails. For this particular look, I decided to go with my pothos & philodendrons for inspiration.

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle
  • Top Coat: Essie Good to Go
  • Matte Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Matte Top Coat
  • Quo by ORLY Planita
  • Essie Off Tropic
  • Essence The Green & The Grunge
  • Essie First Timer
  • NailStuff.ca 7mm detail brush(COFFEE10 to save 10%)

Oh man, I love a dainty manicure, & I feel like these vine-y leaves are super dainty & beautiful. They were also super easy to do… well relatively easy to do. You just have to kind of work with your brush, & it really makes it easier to create the leave shape.

Also how perfect does this design look against my heart leaf philodendron. It was the perfect prop for my photos! He loves in our living room window in one of my macrame hangers, & gives my morning coffee some serious jungle vibes. 🪴 I love him.

What do you think about this plant design? Do you think I nailed the prompt? Let me know what your favourite plant is down in the comments below!

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#GlamNailsChallengeFeb — Mandala

Hello lovelies & happy Wednesday! Hope everyone’s week is off to a good start. We had another stormy day here in Halifax yesterday—lots of freezing rain. Seriously ready for it to be Spring already!

Today I have another new design for #GlamNailsChallengeFeb! Today’s prompt is Mandala. & I’ll be honest—this was not an easy prompt for me. Originally I tried stamping because I have a plate that has a few mandala patterns, but that did not work out, so then I tried free handing a pattern, which was also a fail. But when I typed “mandala nails” into Pinterest, I saw a few beautiful looks using dots, so I decided that would probably be my easiest (& least frustrating) option!

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle
  • Top Coat: Essie Good to Go
  • L’Oréal Vintage Vinyl
  • Sally Hansen CSM So Much Fawn
  • Sally Hansen Good.Kind.Pure. Almond Tan
  • Essie Mosaic on Down
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio (COFFEE10 saves you 10%!)

As you can see from my close up, this isn’t the most perfect mandala pattern, but I’m still happy with how it turned out. I was originally inspired by this Pinterest post, but obviously I need more practice (& maybe not to start at 11pm) to get mine to look as beautiful as that! But you know, doing this challenge is all about testing myself, & that means even those manicures I’m not 100% comfortable with!

What do you think about this “Mandala” look? Is this dotticure version something that you would try yourself? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below!

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#GlamNailsChallengeFeb — Hearts 💕

Hello lovelies & happy day after Valentine’s Day (aka 50% off Chocolate Day!).

Today I’m sharing my design for yesterday’s prompt for GlamNailsChaengeFeb: Hearts! Which is a very fitting prompt for February 14th. 💗 This look was one of those ones that kind of just came to me as I was doing it, which are definitely the best kind. & I just adore the end result.

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle
  • Top Coat: Essie Good to Go
  • L’Oréal Jardin Des Roses
  • OPI Koala Bear-y
  • L’Oréal Royalty Reinvented
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Get Mod
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Cherry Delightful
  • NailStuff.ca 4mm Micro Detail Brush (COFFEE10 saves you 10%!)

As you can see from my close up, this isn’t the most perfectly clean freehanding, but I kind of like it. It works with this kind of design. It sort of reminds me of another Valentine’s Day nail art look I did a few years back which was inspired by napkins I saw out & about.

What do you think about this hearts look? I’m definitely ready to be done with pink for a while — I think I’ve pink-ed myself out. Haha. But I’ve got a whole bunch more prompts to come, so stay tuned for some beautiful (not pink) nail art looks to come!

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#GlamNailsChallengeFeb — Roses

Hello lovelies & happy Wednesday lovelies!

As you can see from the background of my nail art pictures today, it’s Winterland here in Halifax! But on my nails, it’s totally Spring. Today is prompt #3 for GlamNailsChallengeFeb, & it is Roses! & as you know, if you’ve been around the blog a while, roses are one of my favourite things to paint on my nails!

This time I decided to go with a vintage inspired rose look. Usually I tend to go for a more realistic looking floral, but I wanted to try something different!

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle
  • Top Coat: Essie Good to Go
  • Matte Top Coat : Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Matte Top Coat
  • Essence shine last & go! Take Me To Heaven
  • L’Oréal Jardin Des Roses
  • Sally Hansen CSM So Much Fawn
  • OPI Koala Bear-y
  • Starrily Vantablack
  • Essence Gel Nail Polish The Green & the Grunge
  • Sally Hansen MG Wet My Whistle
  • NailStuff.ca 4mm Micro Detail Brush (COFFEE10 saves you 10%!)
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio

How pretty did these roses turn out with the black accents. It gives them almost a sketched effect, which I really like. It reminds me a bit of a manicure I did a few years back, obviously with a different colour scheme (& a bit more nail art practice!)

This is my first time wearing this Essence shade in a manicure, I think. I really like the blue background against the brightness of the pink roses. I really think this is a super cute design, both for Valentine’s Day, & Spring in general.

Yep, already dreaming of Spring. Winter can be over now!

What do you think of this rose design for #GlamNailsChallengeFeb? Are these giving you Valentine’s Day feels? Would you wear this look for a Valentine’s Day date?

Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!