Category: Manicure

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Revlon Elusive (2013 Evening Opulence Collection)

Hello loves & happy Sunday!

I hope everyone is enjoying their first full weekend of September (& long weekend). I am in full Autumn swing, & enjoying a bit cooler weather. I just want to pull out all my plaid, & go on a thrift hunt for a brand new pair of knee high boots. It also means I want to wear nothing but dark tones on my nails, & today’s Swatch Sunday pick is perfect for that!

This is Revlon Elusive from the 2013 Evening Opulence Collection.

2 coats, No top coat.

This beautiful black jelly glitter was originally released back in 2013, & having Googled the collection — the advertising is very 2013, if you know what I mean. I believe it was released for Fall/Winter, so this colour is fitting in perfectly for the Autumn season, but also wouldn’t look out of place at a holiday party.

This base is a thin-ish black jelly, packed with multi-sized teal glitters. It dries matte, which I was a bit nervous about because I was worried it would be too textured, but it dried fairly smoothly for me which is a win in my books! I applied 2 thin-ish coats for coverage, although it does look a bit translucent in some photos so some people might feel more comfortable with either 3 thin coats, or 2 more thickly applied coats.

My only complaint — it did chip during my shift at work. Now that could be the fact that it’s a 13 year old polish, or it could be that my top coat is getting okay. Definitely won’t stop me from wearing it again!

Also, I had to apply top coat to see what it would look like shiny, & I do feel like it makes the glitters pop a bit better, but honestly I love it both ways. Giving me a glitter like this, & I will always be a happy girl!

What do you think about Revlon Elusive? This shade was obviously released back in 2013 so it’s no longer in circulation. I would love to see Revlon do a throwback collection with some of these glitter shades they used to do. Plus, Y2K & 2010s fashion is making a comeback, so let’s bring it back on our nails!

Have the best Sunday darlings!

♥︎

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Messy Skittle Stripe Accent Nail

Hey beauties & happy Friday! It’s crazy, & rainy, & a lot right now. But Autumn is in the air, the kids are back to school, all the coffee shops are releasing their Autumn menu — we’re featuring a spicy iced chai latte right now with pumpkin cold foam at my cafe — & I’m about ready to break out my faux Doc Martens & over the knee socks.

I’m also just loving Autumn shades on my nails. I decided I really wanted to do a skittle design, but with a little twist. & I love this combination of colours! I feel like it turned out really, really fun… even with some seriously rustic stripes.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Strengthner
  • Top Coat: Sinful Colors Power Paint Top Coat + Essie Speed Setter
  • Essie Expressie Feel The Hype
  • Essie Cacti On The Prize
  • Morgan Taylor Looking For A Wing Man
  • ORLY Buried Alive
  • Color Club Grey (No Name)
  • NailStuff 7mm Mermaid Tail Liner Brush

So when I did these nails at first, I was a bit uncertain about how they looked. But that happens sometimes, & I’m definitely in love with how they look now. & I think all the different colours look beautiful & complimentary.

What do you think about this messy strip look? It’s definitely a little rustic, but like I said… I ended up really liking the whole look.

I’d love to know what you think about this design. Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Happy Friday ♥︎

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Autumn Floral (Inspired by Christabell Nails)

Hello loves & happy Wednesday! I hope everyone is having a good start to their week (& this brand new month!) Today I’m super excited to share a manicure I recently did inspired by one of my OG Nail inspirations circa 2013-2016: Christabell Nails.

I was browsing Pinterest while trying to figure out what I wanted to paint on my nails, when I clicked over to Youtube & saw my Subscriptions & remembered Christabell! After a little scrolling, I stumbled upon her Autumn Floral Nails Tutorial , & knew I needed to recreate it on my nails immediately! It is such a pretty, but unique, design & I thought it would be a perfect September design.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Strengthner
  • Top Coat: Sinful Colors Power Paint Top Coat + Essie Speed Setter
  • Essie Silk Water Colours No Shrinking Violet
  • Essie The A-Bliss
  • Essie Blank Page
  • NailStuff 7mm Liner Brush
  • NailStuff Dotting Tool Trio (larger size)

Aren’t these fun? It definitely was a time consuming manicure to do, especially where I painted all 10 of my fingers. But I think it turned out so unique & fun. My strokes were a little messy, but I think that adds to the whole look.

Definitely a striking manicure that came together perfectly, & was absolutely worth the time it took to do!

What do you think of this design? Do you like to go back to old nail inspo, & reinsure yourself again? I feel like I might started doing it again — nail artists like pshiit_polish (her instagram is now private, but a lot of old manicures are on Pinterest!), The Nailasaurus & Lucys Stash. Maybe I’m feeling nostalgic to the olden nails of nail blogging, but it’s fun to take a trip down nail polish lane, & be inspired by what could be considered retro nail trends.

Let me know your thoughts, & where you get your nail inspo from!

❤︎

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SWATCH SUNDAY — CNDVinylux Dark Dahlia #159

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday. I hope everyone is having the best weekend possible — the last weekend of Summer vacation ( at least around here.) It’s crazy to believe August is basically over, & school starts for us this upcoming week. Autumn is quickly approaching, & you know what that means… Fall nail polish!

I haven’t had a chance to buy any new Fall colours yet, but I did some perusing of my stash & found some shades I haven’t really worn since buying them. Today’s polish pick — in particular — I think I bought last Autumn, & it’s been sitting in my stash ever since, so this last (unofficial) weekend of Summer felt like a good opportunity to pull it out.

This is CNDVinylux Dark Dahlia.

2 coats + top coat

First thing I notice about this shade is it’s very much giving the same vibe as OPI Lincoln Park After Dark — a super dark purple, so dark it almost appears black. Although, I will say… I think CND Vinylux Dark Dahlia might be even darker than LPAD.

The formula is smooth & supple, & applies to the nail very easily. In two coats, it builds to this dark shade that is so vampy. I feel like this is very much going to be my signature shade I go to this Autumn–dark purple, dark blue, dark red. Just the vampiest of nail polish colours.

What do you think about this vampy dark purple colour? Are you feeling the vamp, kind of goth vibes. I love the idea of wearing a shade that looks black from far away, but when you look at it up close you realize it’s not.

& yes, it’s getting me extra excited for Halloween. We all know how much I love Halloween!

What do you think of CND Vinylux Dark Dahlia? Are you feeling this shade as much as I do? Is it giving you warm fuzzy flannel vibes, like it is for me? Let me know your thoughts down below & share what Autumn shade/collection you’re most excited for!

Enjoy your Sunday loves.

❤︎

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Vivid Stained Glass Accent Nails 💎

Hello lovelies & happy Thursday! I hope everyone has had a peaceful week so far. I know we’ve had some super sad celebrity deaths this week (RIP Dolly & Tim Curry). This year has just been brutal when it comes to icons of my childhood.

But I’m not here for sad vibes, & I’m always hoping to perk up someone’s day with some pretty nails so let’s get into it! I’ve really been trying to do some new things lately… or old things I haven’t done in a hot minute. Stained glass nails are definitely in the latter category, & I’m excited to share my latest version because I feel like these are the closest to real, true stained glass.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Strengthner
  • Top Coat: Sinful Colors Power Paint Top Coat + Essie Speed Setter
  • OPI Black Cherry Chutney
  • OPI Cyber Cherry On Top
  • OPI Y2Slay
  • OPI My Gecko Does Tricks
  • Essie Ballet Slippers
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Ghouls Night Out
  • NailStuff.ca 11mm Mermaid Tail Liner Brush

I really love these metallic shimmer nail polishes give the effect of glass, like in a stained glass window. After I started, I realized I should have tried to do some kind of design like a heart, or a flower, but I guess I’ll have to say that for next time.

But these colours look so, so beautiful together. They’re bright & colourful, which plays off well with the darkness of OPI Black Cherry Chutney. A fun look to wear at this end of Summer season. Also staring at these made me excited for more nail art looks to come — especially as we enter my favourite time of the year — the ‘Ber months! It’s the best time of year for fun nail art looks, so I’m already saving a million ideas to give a try.

What do you think about my stained glass nails? Would you look at these & know exactly what the inspiration was? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below, & what nail art trend or design you’re excited to try for Fall (I’m definitely pumped to do anything pumpkin themed. They’re one of my favourite things to paint!)