SWATCH SUNDAY — Nailtural Keep Palm, Swim On

Happy Sunday lovelies!

It feels like ages since my last Swatch Sunday post. I was feeling something lush for these early Spring days, & I found this beautiful green sitting untouched in my stash which I thought would be perfect!

This is Nailtural Keep Palm, Swim On.

2 coats + top coat

The formula on this shade was quite nice, smooth, & easy to apply. I was happy to see I had perfect coverage in 2 coats. The colour is a beautiful green with a slight blue undertone. I don’t often reach for green, but I quite liked the shade of this one.

I also like that the brand touts itself as a more natural option, vegan & free of some nasty ingredients.

Seriously, just how lush is this colour!

I purchased my bottle of Nailtural Keep Palm, Swim On at my local Shoppers Drug Mart. Sadly, last time I was there I didn’t see this particular colour, but I do know they have a bunch of their other shades on sale currently for $6.99. I actually have 3 shades from the brand, & I like them all, so definitely check them out if you’re looking to try a new brand.

What do you think of Nailtural Keep Palm, & Swim On? Do you like this fun shade for Spring? What colours are you loving right now? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below! & enjoy your Sunday!

💙

Instagram Nail Art Collab — Clover 🍀

Good morning lovelies & happy Friday! I hope everyone had a lovely week. I’m definitely excited for the weekend to be here. Today I’m excited because I finally was able to join in another of the Instagram nail art collaborations hosted by @essieyall & @petitenaillover. I always love taking part in these collaborations — it’s so much fun teaming up with a great group of artists, & seeing everyone’s take on the same prompt.

This month’s prompt is clover. So I decided to go with a fun scattered clover look over a semi-naked base.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifer
  • Top Coat: China Glaze Fast Forward Top 
  • Essie Expressie FX Iced Out
  • Essie Off Tropic
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Electri-Lime
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio
  • Nailstuff.ca Mermaid Tail 7mm liner brush

My clovers didn’t exactly turn out how I imagined (I wish they had) but I still really love how they look. The green also really pops against the shimmery naked base, which was what I wanted. It’s a fun St Patrick’s Day look to wear, which is perfect for this month.

What do you think about this fun clover design? If you want to check out all the fun nail art looks created for this month’s prompt, check out the hashtag #clovernailartmanicollab on Instagram.

Have a beautiful Friday!

Merry Christmas Penguin Accent Nail 🐧🎅

Good morning lovelies & merry Christmas Eve Eve. Can you believe Christmas Eve is tomorrow? Who else has copious amounts of wrapping to do?

Today though, I have another cute nail art look to share. I was wearing this incredible sparkly green already, & decided I needed something fun over top so I decided to add a cute penguin accent nail!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifer
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Beyond The Nail Caribbean
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Ghouls Night Out
  • OPI I Cannoli Wear OPI
  • ORLY Garnet Luxe Shimmer
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Pump-kid
  • OPI Unfrost My Heart
  • NailStuff.ca 4mm detail brush
  • Small dotting tool (NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio)

Okay, seriously — how cute is he, all dressed in his little Santa hat? I did do a version of this penguin look in 2018, but I think this year’s version hits the mark so perfectly!

 I decided to add a bit of a scattered dotticure at my cuticle line to give off the effect of snow falling, & I think it made this look even more fun. This is my manicure for my last day of work before the holidays, & I think it’s a fun design for what will probably be the busiest shopping day of the whole year. 

What do you think of my little penguin accent nail? Do you think this is a fun Christmas look? It was actually surprisingly easy to do, which was awesome because the only thing keeping me conscious right now is caffeine! Hopefully Santa will slip a few Energy Drinks in my stocking to keep me awake over the next few days.

Have a fantastic Saturday, & if you’re venturing out to finish up shopping be safe. It’s going to be a zoo out there!

♥︎

Christmas Ribbon Candy Swirls

Hello beauties & happy Friday! It’s almost the weekend, & not just any weekend, but Christmas weekend! That’s insane but exciting. I had to keep my holiday inspired nail art going with some more abstract nail art.

The first thing this design made me think of after I did it was the Ribbon Hard Candy you get around Christmas. I’m sure you know the stuff, but if not it’s this stuff.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifer
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • OPI I Cannoli Wear OPI
  • OPI Unfrost My Heart
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel 5 Golden Blings
  • Red & Green Acrylic Paint
  • 16mm Striper Brush from Nailstuff.ca

I decided to use a combination of acrylic paint & nail polish for this design to make it a bit easier for me. Sometimes, I find when I’m doing bigger stripes, my polish starts drying a bit too quickly, but you don’t have the same issue with acrylic paint.

I really, really like how these stripes turned out. I know, I know — I say this every time. But I don’t think there is anything wrong with being proud about your nail art! For a long time, I was extra critical of my work, so I’m glad to enjoy what I do. & it is a little bit different from typical Christmas nail art.

What do you think about these ribbon candy inspired abstract swirls? Do you like the holiday vibes they are giving off? Would you wear these for any Christmas celebrations you’re partaking in this weekend? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Happy Friday 🎄

Instagram Nail Art Collab — Evergreen 🌲

Hello lovelies & happy Friday! & happy Hanukkah to all that celebrate! Today I’m excited to share the manicure I did for the Evergreen Nail Art Collab on Instagram, hosted by the ever so lovely @essieyall & @petitenaillover.

This month’s theme is Evergreen, & so I decided to go simple with some hand painted bare evergreen branches.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Colour Grip Primer Base Coat 
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive
  • Color Club Label-less grey
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Me, My Elf & I
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Wet My Thistle
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Jazzy Jade
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Oh My Coffee
  • NailStuff.ca 7mm liner brush

I’ve done some version of this manicure every Winter/Christmas for the last couple years, but it never gets dull or old to me. This version is a bit more subdued than previous versions, but I love how it turned out. I’m always so excited to participate in this monthly challenge, & create something fun with the prompt given.

If you want to check out the other gorgeous manicures & nail artist participating, check out #evergreennailartmanicollab2023 on Instagram!

What do you think of my evergreen nails? Do they feel festive to you? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Happy Friday! 🖤