Category: Manicure

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Christmas-y Abstract Stripes 🎄

Hello lovelies & happy December! We’re already three days into December, & that’s kind of crazy. & it’s feeling festive with our first bit of winter-y now (although it’s a snow/rain mix) so I guess Christmas is really coming. So naturally it felt like time to create some kind of Christmas nail art look to share with you — & what’s more Christmasy than red & green.

I wanted to create a look that was festive but I wasn’t sure what to do. These started out as some simple red & green nails, & kind of transformed from there. I ended up adding in some hints of pink as well, & I just love the whole look! Definite Christmas vibes.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Cure
  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen InstaDri Top Coat (red bottle) 
  • Butter London Pure Colour 21X Nail Lacquer Branwen’s Pearls *PR
  • Orly Color Blast Garnet Luxe Shimmer
  • China Glaze Emerald Fitzgerald
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Wrapped in Love
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Living In The Presents
  • NailStuff 11mm Mermaid Tail brush

How fun are these? Kind of gives a little bit of candy vibes — like ribbon candy, or a really fancy candy cane, or maybe just ribbon. The thought of adding like bows, to give the impression of ribbon, crossed my mind but I was scared I would ruin the whole look so maybe I can try again another time with added bows!

What do you think of these Christmas-y abstract stripes? Are you feeling the holiday vibes now & ready to rock some festive designs? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below, & if you’re currently wearing something festive on your nails I want to know! I need all the holiday nail art inspiration I can get!

Enjoy your Wednesday!

♥︎

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Avon Stardust Collection Silver Crystals

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! Can you believe tomorrow is December 1st — we officially have 32 days of 2025 left. That is just crazy!

Today I have another throwback shade from my stash to show you. I’ve been feeling glitter (a lot) lately, so that’s what I’ve been wearing! Trying to get myself hyped up for the season. & when I saw this glittery textured Polish on my stash, I knew I had to share!

2 coats + top coat

Hello textured glittery perfect. This is Avon Stardust in Silver Crystals & it’s a beautiful grey with lilac undertones & large & small glitters. It dries down to a rocky texture, but I did apply top coat to mine which smooths that texture out some, but helped with wear.

The colour is really pretty. It’s silvery, but it’s lilac, & those multi sized glitters really pop. This shade was released around 2014 (I believe) at the height, or near the end, of the textured polishes boom. I’ve always been a huge fan of these glittery textured polishes, so I’m glad I’ve kept this beauty in my stash all these years.

The close up really shows off all those beautiful glitters. & you can see that even with the layer of top coat, the textured finish comes through — just not as roughly.

The removal was a bit tricky & needed a lot of strong nail polish remover. I had glitter all over my hands afterwards, but nothing a little soap & water can’t fix. & it was totally worth it for that sparkle.

As I mentioned, this shade was released around 2014 so it is no longer available. I’m not even sure if Avon still makes nail polish anymore. But I am certainly glad to have this shade in my stash, & wearing it did make me feel a little festive.

Also: nail polish companies — bring back textured nail polish! It’s such a fun finish to wear, & I would love more shades in my collection!

What do you think about this textured shade? Do you enjoy textured nail polish? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Happy Sunday!

🖤

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Pink Glitter Snowflakes

Hello lovelies!

Happy day after (American) Thanksgiving to my American readers, & happy Black Friday! This is my first year in a while I’m not working in retail for Black Friday sales, so I’m kind of enjoying the breather.

But we can’t deny — Christmas is coming. & even though I’m feeling less than zero Christmas spirit this year, I figured it was time I at least tried to summon some Holiday/Winter spirit. So naturally I thought we’d dip our toes in with some snowflake nail art stickers.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Cure
  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen InstaDri Top Coat (red bottle) 
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Wrapped in Love
  • Ardene Dancing Queen
  • NailStuff.ca Snowflake Nail Art Stickers

First off, I’m officially petitioning for glitter pink to become an official Christmas colour. Secondly, I love how cute these are! I’ve had these nail art stickers in my collection forever, & I love that they’re still being used for cute nail art looks.

& it was way simpler than me trying to hand paint snowflakes on my nails! The white of the stickers just pop so well against that pretty pink. Definitely giving Christmas vibes — at least for me.

What do you think about these pink glittery snowflakes? Are they giving holiday vibes? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below! & how you’re getting your nails into the festive spirit.

Happy Friday

🖤

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Golden Drag Marble

Hello lovelies & happy Monday. Well, as happy as a Monday can be in November. They’re calling for snow today on my side of the country, but not sure if it’s going to amount of anything. But… can it be Summer again? I miss Summer.

Today I have a really pretty nail art look to share with you, leaning into these late Autumn vibes. 🍁🍂 The colour scheme is pure Fall, & I really enjoy how it turned out!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Cure
  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen InstaDri Top Coat (red bottle) 
  • ORLY Buried Alive
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Terra Coppa
  • Essie Frock ‘n Roll
  • Essie Nail Art Studio Cosmic Chrome
  • Wide Nail Art Brush

So I tried a bit of a different technique for this marbling, with a wider nail art brush (like the side of a clean up brush) versus the skinny dotting tool I usually use, & I like the effect it gave me. Kind of reminds me more of a real stone. Sometimes I find with a dotting tool I end up muddling my marble a bit, but this way didn’t do that which I really like!

& the colours compliment each other so well. I love the bronze-y golden look of it all together. It’s definitely giving Autumn vibes.

What do you think of this golden drag marble design? Do you like the kind of wider marble effect versus my usual drag marble designs?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below!

Happy Monday 🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Orly Buried Alive (2012 Dark Shadows Collection)

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! A sunny, but chilly, Sunday. The roofs are all frosted over this morning, & it’s definitely feeling like Winter lately. However, I’m just not quite feeling that holiday nail spirit yet. Usually by this time, I’m already planning Christmas manicures — but I haven’t been feeling any Christmas vibes yet this year unfortunately.

It’s Swatch Sunday, though, & I was going through my stash & found a beauty from 2012 that I don’t think I’ve ever worn! This is Orly Buried Alive from the 2012 Dark Shadows Collection.

2 coats + top coat

This beautiful shimmery chocolate brown polish is packed full of golden flakie shimmer. I am actually so sad it’s taken me this long to wear this polish, because it’s absolutely stunning! It’s the most perfect Autumn brown. It’s shimmery on its own, but then you add in that golden shimmer & it just adds the whole other dimension to it.

The formula on this one was actually really easy to use considering it’s a 10+ year old nail polish. Maybe it’s because I haven’t cracked the bottle since I bought it.

Wow! Look at that close up!

I’m actually really sad I have dropped the ball on this shade. I guess I thought “brown polish, not going to like it” but oh boy was I wrong! I love it! The application was flawless, the colour is stunning, & it’s just such a lovely Autumn shade I wouldn’t think to reach for.

What do you think about Orly Buried Alive? Do you remember this shade, or this collection? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below — I’d love to know what you think.

& if you have any tips for getting me in the holiday spirit, I will take all the ones I can get!

Happy Sunday

♥︎