Category: nail polish

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SWATCH SUNDAY — OPI OPI Red

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday!

I hope this past week wasn’t too tough on anyone. Are you ready for this week, & Valentine’s Day? I work in a Candy Store, so you know we’re going to be busy with last minute Valentine’s Day shopping! Today, though, I thought I would share a beautiful red that would be perfect for any Valentine’s Day plans you may have this week.

This is OPI OPI Red.

2 coats + top coat.

I actually shared this shade on my Instagram a few weeks ago, but I feel like it deserves its own special post because it really is the perfect red shade for Valentine’s Day. & we know I love a good red, no matter the occasion. OPI Red is a pink toned red, with this beautiful but very subtle shimmer.

The formula on OPI Red is actually incredible, especially for a red nail polish. It’s almost a one coater, but I added two just for a more plush look. It also levels out really, really well so you don’t have any streakiness. I did add top coat to my swatches, but that was mostly because I was wearing these before I was able to take photos & I didn’t want to bang them up.

If I had any complaints about this beautiful red, it would be I wished the shimmer was more visible on the nail. Other thank that, this is quite possibly the perfect red nail polish. & well know how much I love red nails.

I purchased my bottle of OPI Red at my local Marshall’s but you can find it listed online on a number of websites including this one & this one. For my gel polish lovers, I also found the Gel Version on the Trade Secrets website. It is out of stock on the actual OPI website, but I’m hoping that doesn’t mean it’s discontinued.

What do you think about OPI OPI Red? Is this a shade you could see yourself wearing? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

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Simple Pink & Holo Glitter Nails

Good morning lovelies & happy Monday! We’re still digging out from the snowpocalypse over the weekend but thankfully I have some manicures from last week (when I wasn’t posting) to share with you this week!

Today’s look is a super simple one, but I actually really love it. This would be a great Valentine’s Day look to wear for any fun date (or girls night!) you have planned. It’s also a super simple look to create.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifer
  • Top Coat: China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat
  • Butter London Pistol Pink
  • OPI I Snow You Love Me
  • Dotting tool

I haven’t worn this pink in ages & I totally forgot how beautiful it was! I don’t often wear just pink nails on their own, so naturally I had to add a little extra sparkle. Originally, I wanted to use heart glitters — but my bottle is all dried up & needs some nail polish thinner — so I decided to go with the next best thing which is this glitter from OPI.

It gives the effect of rhinestones on your nails, without having to worry about hitting them against something & knocking them off! Just such a cute easy nail art look to wear!

What do you think about this simple chic pink nail art look? Would you wear this design on your nails? As always, I love to hear what you think in the comments so please share below!

Enjoy your Monday 🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie Chocolate Cakes

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! It’s a blustery snow day here on the East Coast.

I apologize for my unannounced absence this week. The beginning of 2024 was a lot, & I didn’t realize I needed a week just to not do anything. But I’m back, & I have some new (shorter) nails to share with you to start off this new week. I’ve actually been loving darker shades a lot lately — January vibes.

For today’s Swatch Sunday pick, I grabbed an older shade from my stash — Essie Chocolate Cakes.

2 coats + top coat

This shade originally came to me in a set with Essie Ballet Slippers that I bought post-Christmas a few years ago. I remember loving the dark reddish brown shade, but being confused because I’d never heard of an Essie shade called Chocolate Cakes. I’m still not 100% sure which collection it was originally released with.

The formula though, is nice. This is two coats for full coverage. It was a bit thin, so I did find I needed the two to make sure I had no patchiness. It also pooled slightly at the cuticle line, so I had to make sure that I was careful with application. Mine came in what I think is an Expressie bottle, so it had the same wider brush which I always like.

I saw it described as a creamy dark chocolate shaded, but the red undertones really show up for me so I feel like it’s more a deep dark burgundy. We all know my love affair with red nail polish, so this is such a good alternative or option. Like I said, I’ve been wearing this shade for the last 3 days, so I’m really loving it.

I did find a few sites through Google that had this shade listed for sale, but I don’t know how reputable they are, so I’ll avoid posting them. However, I feel like this shade isn’t 100% unique, so you could definitely find a common dupe easily to get the vampy dark vibe this shade is giving off.

What do you think about Essie Chocolate Cakes? Are you a fan of this deep dark reddish brown? Do you remember this shade upon its original released? I always get excited when I find new to me shades, so I’m curious about the collection it was originally released with!

Have a lovely Sunday!

♥︎

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Blue Marble

Hello lovelies & happy Friday. I know it’s been a quiet week here. I’ll be honest, it’s been a rough week on my end, so blogging hasn’t really been my main priority. But—it’s almost the weekend & I’m feeling better, so let’s share some nails, shall we?

Today’s look is an easy marble effect I did using my favourite Saran Wrap splatter effect. These are giving deep space/ deep ocean vibes, & I quite love it.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifer
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Ardene Electric Chic
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Cosmic Blue
  • OPI I Cannoli Wear OPI
  • Crinkled Saran Wrap

I went a little heavier with my dabbing for this look, layering the colours over one another, which is what I think gave it the cool marble effect.

What do you think about these marble nails? Are you a fan of looks like these, or do you prefer more detailed nail art? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below.

🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Belle of the Ball

Hello loves & happy Sunday! I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend (& staying warm if you happen to be suffering under that arctic vortex taking over right now!) Today, I’m sharing a beautiful polish I can’t believe I haven’t swatched yet!

This is Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Belle of the Ball. I was originally gifted this by Sally Hansen in 2018 as part of their REDesign Collection, but as I was newly pregnant & constantly sick, I didn’t get a chance to swatch the whole collection. However, this shade found it’s way into Sally’s permanent CSM line up — & is still in rotation!

2 coats + top coat

This beautiful darkened plum is packed with a surprising red shimmer that looks beautiful depending on you move your fingers. It gives the polish a beautiful dimension which makes it more than just a simple purple nail polish. It was originally released as part of the Sally Hansen REDesign collection, but I was always confused by that as I don’t consider it a red (personally).

But it’s very, very pretty. & even after 5 years the formula in bottle is easy application perfection. Smooth, easy to build opacity. & thanks to those wide brushes, takes barely any time to apply at all. I also found the dry time, even before I applied my quick dry top coat, to be pretty speedy — I had no issues with polish bleeding onto my top coat brush when I applied it.

As mentioned, this shade is still in rotation (at least in Canada), & can be found with other Sally Hansen CSM polishes. For my fellow Canadians, Sally Hansen can be purchased c/o: Shoppers Drug Mart for $13.49 CAD. It can also be found on Amazon.ca. I’ve also seen it at my local Walmart as well.

Sadly, I didn’t find this shade listed on the actual Sally Hansen website, so I hope it’s not on the verge of being discontinued, because it really is stunning!

What do you think of Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Belle of the Ball? Is this a shade that you would wear on your own nails? Are you a fan of the Sally Hansen CSM line? I do have quite a few of this line in my stash, & I’ve always been a fan.

Happy Sunday ♥︎