Category: NOTD

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie Gel Couture Rock The Runway

*contains PR

Hello beauties & happy Sunday.

I hope everyone has had a lovely week so far. Mine has been non-stop between my two jobs, hence the lack of posting on my part. I’m really hoping I can figure out a better schedule for posting, as I miss sharing my nails with you! Today, though, I thought I would grab one of the beautiful polishes I was gifted courtesy of Essie & L’Oreal — especially since it’s the perfect Valentine’s Day red. This is Essie Gel Couture Rock The Runway.

2 coats + top coat

Okay, we know… we know. I love red nail polish. So whenever I add a new red to my vast collection, I get excited. This one, which is part of the Gel Couture Line, is a smooth to apply bright red, which actually has very nice coverage in two coats. It has a bit of an orange undertone, which kind of brings out the yellow in my skin tone — depending on the lighting you’re looking at the polish in. This is a red that I think would be very complimentary on many different skin tones — which is kind of the beauty of a red nail. It truly looks good on everyone!

Essie Gel Couture Rock The Runway was one of the original shades released as part of the Gel Couture line, & it remains part of the core collection. I actually really love this line; it took me a while to introduce myself to it, but I’ve been impressed with every shade from the line that I’ve tried. The top coat is also great, & I know a lot of nail bloggers consider it the GOAT.

Essie Gel Couture Rock The Runway can be purchased wherever Essie nail polishes are found. In Canada, they tend to retail for around $11 – $17 CAD depending on where you’re shopping.

What do you think about Essie Gel Couture Rock The Runway? Are you a fan of this shade, & this line? Which colour is your favourite? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Happy Sunday

♥︎

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Valentine’s Day Heart Glitter Placement 🤍💜🩷💙

Hello beauties & happy Tuesday. What a Tuesday it is… it’s getting so chilly here. Ugh. Have I mentioned I’m really, really not a winter person? So why not brighten things up a little bit, & maybe start early on the Valentine’s Day looks!

I picked up a Nails INC gift pack at my local Shoppers Drug Mart on clearance for $10 recently, that I thought would be perfect for Valentine’s Day! While the gift pack was meant for Christmas, the colours just scream V-Day to me — especially this heart glitter topper.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: NailStuff Essentials Base Coat *
  • Top Coat: Essence Colour Shield Top Coat (I ran out of my NailStuff one & need to make an order!)
  • Nails INC Nutcracker Nouveau
  • Nails INC Heartfelt Holidays
  • Small dotting tool for glitter placement (I use the NailStuff.ca dotting tool from Dotting Tool Trio)
    **PR/gifted 

Firstly, this light pink shade, Nutcracker Nouveau, is absolutely stunning & a great pre-spring shade. I love a good pastel. Secondly, these heart glitters are too freaking cute.

I will be honest, they were not the easiest to fish from the bottle — there are lots in there, but it took me a few tries to pull some out on my brush. That is part of the reason why I went with placing my glitters individually, rather than brushing them up. The other was wanting to make sure I got a different variety of colours on each nails. & I think the end result is adorable.

I’m such a sucker for glitter toppers, especially in unique shapes like these hearts!

What do you think of these easy & adorable Valentine’s Day nails? These are honestly something so quick easy & fun you can rock for the occasion. & you know I just love a festive manicure with a theme!

Let me know what you think of this design! & Enjoy the rest of your day loves.

🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie Starry Starry Night (2016 Re-release) 🌌🌠

Hello loves & happy Sunday. It’s a rainy, miserable Sunday here but I guess it beats snow. Today I decided to take a little trip to the past… all the way back to early 2016 when life was just simpler & all the crazy in the world seemed manageable.

Today’s Swatch Sunday pick is Essie Starry Starry Night from the 2016 Retro Revival Collection.

2 coats + 2 coats top coat

I’ll start off with this shade has definitely had a hard go since I bought it in 2016. While I have lots of shades over a decade old that apply perfectly, this was took some trick & finese to get a good looking application (& top coat… lots of top coat.) A little polish thinner, & I feel like she will be back to normal again.

The polish itself is a dark navy jelly base, with small silver glitters layered inside. The coats are thin enough that the glitter still peaks through, even with multiple coats.

I really like this colour & layered glitter look, which was why I originally bought it. I had no experience with the previous (original) version of this shade, but saw later people were upset about how different it was. Here is a great comparison post of the two different shades. While I love the revival version, I can see why lovers of the original could be upset, especially with change in colour & glitter size.

Do you remember this Essie shade? I kind of wish they had kept this one around rather than making it a limited edition release, but I suppose that’s how they build hype. I just find it so much more fun than a lot of the shades you see in the core collection.

What do you think? Should Essie bring this shade back (again)? Let me know what you think down in the comments below.

Happy Sunday

🖤

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Icy Blue Half Moons (With Holo Diamond Accents 💎)

Hello loves & happy Friday!

This has been a very busy week for me, so I apologize for the (still) sporadic posting schedule. Eventually I’ll figure it out, but it might not be until next month. Haha. However, I have some cute nails to share with you!

Today’s look is an easy but striking one. I love a good half moon, as we all know, but I decided to jazz it up with a little holo diamond(ish) accents.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: NailStuff Essentials Base Coat *
  • Top Coat: Essence Colour Shield Top Coat (I ran out of my NailStuff one & need to make an order!)
  • OPI Y2Slay
  • OPI Suzy & the Arctic Fox
  • OPI I Snow You Love Me
  • Paper Hole Reinforcements
  • Dotting tool (I use the NailStuff.ca dotting tool from Dotting Tool Trio)

**PR/gifted

How freaking beautiful is this combination? I love the little holo Diamond accent over these two very cool blues. Y2Slay was another clearance find at my local Shoppers Drug Mart. I’ve been having very good luck their lately — in fact I just found a NailsInc Holiday pack there for only $10 which has some pretty polishes perfect for Valentine’s Day Nail Art!

What do you think about my half moons? Is this colour combination perfect for these cool January days (& nights!) Let me know everything you think down in the comments below!

Happy Friday

🖤

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Moody January Stripes

Hello lovelies & happy Tuesday! A busy Tuesday at that! Even though January can sometimes be the worst month, this one is definitely turning out to be a crazy one for me.

So my nail art is tending to fall on the easy side of things. As you could probably tell from my previous post, I did a big chop on my nails. Not only do I like to start a new clean with a fresh canvas, I also started a second job working at a cafe as a barista, so I wanted to trim back my nails as I get used to that (after 2 years being away!)

But just because I have short nails doesn’t mean I can’t have cute nail art!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: NailStuff Essentials Base Coat *
  • Top Coat: Essence Colour Shield Top Coat (I ran out of my NailStuff one & need to make an order!)
  • Essie Expressie Take The Espresso
  • Essie Skirting the Issue
  • Essie Sable Collar
  • Londontown USA Opal
  • Quo by Orly Black Striper
  • NailStuff 4mm Micro Detail Brush  

**pr/gifted

How cute are these short little stripe-y nails? The colours are also kind of dark & gloomy, great for these gloomy days. & I do love a dark nail. The combination of Essie Skirting the Issue over Expressie Take The Espresso makes for such a dark Ox blood red. I adore it.

What do you think of these moody stripes on my new shorties? Do you like these darker manicures? We’re a month away from Valentine’s Day, so I’ll have to start thinking up some designs for that now!

Have an amazing Tuesday.

🖤