Category: NOTD

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SWATCH SUNDAY — China Glaze Thistle Do Nicely

The first official Swatch Sunday post of 2019! It’s just like old times! & naturally I had to go with someone super bright & neon because I wanted to start things off with a bang! 💥

Today’s Swatch selection is China Glaze Thistle Do Nicely which was originally released as part of the City Flourish collection circa Spring 2014. I didn’t get this collection when it was originally released (or since… haha) but it was gifted to me from @helloluli_ back at the end of Summer. & I feel so lucky to have it as part of my collection, because it’s such a pretty polish!

What you’re looking at it two coats, plus top coat. On its own, the polish dries to a matte finish, but I was feeling shiny so I added a coat of Essie Speed Setter. Usually, when I wear matte polish I tend to add a coat of glossy top coat & finish off with a matte top coat… counter productive, maybe? But seems to make it so the polish will last longer on me.

This is such a crazy colour… it just made my camera go crazy. The neon is intense & sometimes it looks pink & sometimes it looks coral. But it’s definitely the perfect polish for anyone craving Summer shades already (& when it’s -11 outside, I need something Summery to dream about because I don’t like cold.) Not to mention, it makes me look super tanned, even when the truth is I haven’t been outside in the Sun in about a year haha. I can’t wait to make this a frequently worn pedicure colour come this Summer.

what do you think of this shade? What is your favourite neon? Share all your thoughts in the comments below!

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Hearts & Zig Zags

You know when you get a nail art look in your head & you want to try & make it work on your nails… there is nothing more satisfying than bringing it to life & it turning out better than you expected!

This look was one I wanted to try but I wasn’t sure what colours to go with. Thanks to some Pinterest stalking, I figured out exactly the colour combination I wanted! I wanted something that would fit my January mood, especially since I didn’t want my nails to look too Valentine-y.

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Essie Grow Stronger
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Ardene Day Dreamer
  • Essie Mint Candy Apple
  • Quo by ORLY Diva
  • Quo by ORLY Breathable Fairy Godmother
  • The Base Coat Regular Chevron/Zig Zag Vinyls
  • The Base Coat Heart Vinyls
  • NailStuff.ca dotting tool set

I seriously think these turned out so, so cute! It feels like absolute ages since I pulled out my Vinyls & I have to admit… I missed them. I also love this combination of dark teal, grey & mint. I never know what colours to wear on my nails this time of year, but darker shades are definitely calling my name more often!

What do you think of this look?

You could definitely adapt it & turn it into a Valentine’s Day look with some pink & red polishes. & it was surprisingly easy (if a little bit time consuming) to do. ♥️

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Subtle Winter Ruffian ❄️

Good morning lovelies, & welcome to the second week of 2019! How crazy is that. Has everyone kept up with their New Year’s resolutions so far? I’m trying to keep up with mine & I have brand new nails to share with you.

Today I’m showing off this subtle ruffian design I wore last week. I was still feeling the darker moody shades & I really like the combination of these two polishes. Originally I thought about a dotticure because they’re so easy, but after stalking Pinterest (my favourite late night activity) & ended up being inspired to go with a ruffian.

For this design, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Essie Grow Stronger
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Couture Top Coat
  • Essie Cashmere Bathrobe
  • Essie Suite Retreat

I love how this looks! The blue with the grey has that moody January vibe I think everyone is feeling after the holidays. I don’t know about anyone else, but I find it so difficult trying to come up with nail art looks this time of year… Christmas is over, it’s too soon for Valentine’s Day.

Also please excuse my weird lighting… I’ve been taking pictures at work haha. But I have my light box all set up again so I should be able to get some better pictures soon. I just have to remember to take them before I leave for work.

What do you think of this nail art look? What is your favourite January nail art look? Share your ideas down below on what you go-to this time of year!

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Matte Floral over Coral 🌸

First nail art of this brand new year… & obviously I had to go with floral! Who says you can only wear flowers on your nails in Spring & Summer… floral is an all year nail art trend for me. Also, I have to admit, it feels really nice to be feeling up to doing my nails again. & even though I’m a wee bit rusty, it’s like riding a bike how easy it is to get back into the routine again.

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Essie Grow Stronger
  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat
  • Matte Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Matte Top Coat
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Malibu Peach
  • Essie 5th Avenue
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Sweet Tea
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Red It Online
  • Essie Suite Retreat
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Sugar Fix
  • Essie Off Tropic
  • Essie First Timer
  • Essie Fashion Playground

    I love how this turned out & how the red & blurple flowers pop over the coral polish. This was definitely one of those manicures I went into with no real “plan” but kind of kind winged it… & it turned out so pretty to me! Also it was so exciting to finally get to test out my new nail art tools from NailStuff.ca.

    what do you think of this look? What nail art looks are you excited to try out this year? Maybe I’ll give watermarbling another try!

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    Pantone Nails with Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Malibu Peach(& a new matte top coat!)

    Hello lovelies & happy 2019! I hope everyone had a fantastic start to the new year… I certainly enjoyed having two days off in a row! Today I’m starting off the new year not only by blogging (oh how I’ve missed you) but with a post featuring a shade inspired by the Pantone 2019 shade of the year Living Coral — Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Malibu Peach.

    I have to be honest, I’m not always drawn to these specially selected shades, but I am seriously in love with everything about this shade. It’s such a bright, happy shade, & I want to pain my house in in.

    For my swatches, I did three coats of Malibu Peach followed by the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat to seal it in. The formula was a little bit tricky on this guy, which is why it took so many coats to have the polish not look streaky, but the end result was definitely worth it. & the top coat left the polish looking shiny & fabulous.

    However, this time of year always leaves me craving matte nails, & Sally Hansen is releasing a BRAND NEW matte top coat, this time in their Miracle Gel formula! I am always impressed with how long I can get the Miracle Gel shades to last on my nails (especially when I’m so hard on my nails… that’s retail life for you!) So to say I was excited to see how well this matte top coat would last was an understatement.

    Matte perfection.

    In my original test run of this combo, I had my manicure last 5 days during Christmas craziness before any major chipping happened, which for a matte manicure is pretty impressive. There was the unavoidable tip wear, but as far as the whole nail it remained relatively intact. The only thing I did notice was that I seemed to have some cracks on the nail when I looked closely, but other than that it held up really well!

    If you want to check out this new topcoat, Sally Hansen will be releasing this Miracle Gel Matte Top Coat in Canada stores this month & should retail for the same price as the other Miracle Gel shades.

    Are you a fan of matte nails–are you excited to try out this new Matte Top Coat? Share your thoughts down in the comments below!