Category: NOTD

Posted on

SWATCH SUNDAY— Essence Sea You Soon 🌊

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! It’s a bit of a chilly one here on the East Coast. It’s been feeling more & more like Fall. Although, I got to break out one of my favourite blazers this morning so I’m not complaining too much.

Today I’m excited to share a shade from my stash that I feel could go either way in terms of season — great for Summer or the cusp of Autumn. This is Essence Sea You Soon.

2 coats + top coat

I’ve been an Essence girlie for a long time. It was one of the brands that got me into the nail polish community because I would usually pick one every time I went to Shoppers Drug Mart (which is where they are sold in Canada). They did another bottle revamp last Summer, so naturally that meant I needed to add some to my collection.

Sea You Soon is a beautiful sapphire blue with lighter blue shimmer. The formula is easy to apply, thin but not runny, & reaches a nice opacity in two coats. It also dries relatively quickly, especially once top coat is applied.

The thing I like about Essence nail polish is that it’s a great core collection of colours at an affordable price point. They go for $3.99 CAD which is a good price point. It’s especially a good price point if want to pay a reasonable price for shades like white, black or neutral without overspending.

Being a nail polish addict can definitely get pricey, so it’s nice to find quality products at a price that doesn’t mean you have to skip lunch that day.

As mentioned, you can purchase Essence Nail Polish at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada — as well I do believe some Loblaws locations that have cosmetics also sometimes sell Essence. It can also be purchased direct from the website, though I’m not sure pricing on shipping.

What do you think of Essence Sea You Soon? Are you a fan of this beautiful blue? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below! & get excited because next Sunday I have the whole Sally Hansen x Sesame Street InstaDri collection to share!

Posted on

Glittery Chevron Claws

Hello beauties & happy Friday. It’s kind of a miserable day here in Halifax, with another rainfall warning. Blah. But I’m not going to focus on the drab weather — instead I’m going to obsess about a fun manicure I wore this week!

It’s been forever since I last rocked some chevron claws. Once upon a time chevron moons/claws were my manicure go to, & I kind of miss those days. So I was happy to pull out this old favourite to rock once again!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Colour Grip Primer Base Coat 
  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Glossy Top Coat
  • Essie No Ex-pectations
  • Nicole by OPI Kendall on the Katwalk
  • Snail Vinyls Deep Chevron Vinyls

Look at that sparkle! I kind of like how it’s sort of a peek-a-boo look because the purple in the glitter matches pretty closely with my base shade. I probably could have went with something with more of the bang, but I like this look better!

& yes, my shade selection lately has definitely been going more cooler/Autumn toned. I tried to fight it, but the pumpkin spice is just calling to me. I’m already using my Halloween reusable cup, & I’ve been wearing tights with dresses. I’m a Fall girlie at heart, always. 🖤🎃

What do you think of my chevron claws? Do you like the subtlety of the glitter over the similar toned based shade, or do you prefer more of a pop? Let me know all your thoughts down below!

Happy Friday!

Enjoy your weekend!

Posted on

Blue Matte Leopard Print

Hello lovelies & happy Wednesday! We are half way to the weekend, woo-hoo!

Today I’m sharing another fun look that I’m kind of obsessed with. I saw this manicure on Pinterest, & knew immediately I needed to recreate it! I love a good leopard print, & it’s been a while since I had done one, & the bright matte blue was just too good.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Colour Grip Primer Base Coat 
  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Glossy Top Coat
  • Matte Top Coat: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Matte Top Coat
  • Essie All The Wave
  • Essie Mosaic On Down
  • Sally Hansen I ❤️ Nail Art Pen in Black (Round)
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio

I love the gold over the bright cobalt blue. It looks so good!

I’ve always been a fan of leopard print nails, even in the early days of this blog. I don’t do them nearly as often as I should, but they’re definitely in my top five favourite nail art styles. There are endless colour options, pattern options — plus it’s an easy nail art style I feel like even the most beginner nail artist can do.

What do you think about this funky bright blue leopard print? Are you a fan of leopard designs? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Posted on

Purple Glitter Sparkle Gradient

Hello lovelies & happy Monday! A brand new week to enjoy. Today, I’m sharing a little bit of sparkle with you to start off this week. I recently was feeling stuck for inspiration, so I decided to grab one of my favourite purple OPIs Dutch You Just Love OPI?, & a pretty glitter OPI, & create a quick, easy glitter gradient!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Colour Grip Primer Base Coat 
  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Glossy Top Coat
  • OPI Dutch You Just Love OPI?
  • OPI Charmmy & Sugar
  • Latex free make up sponge (mine are from Dollarama)

Check out that sparkle! I love it. I don’t know if I’ve ever worn this pretty sparkle before (it’s from the 2016 OPI x Hello Kitty collaboration) but I think it looks incredible over this purple. I love a good glitter gradient, & sometimes you find two polishes that just go together so perfectly. I love that moment.

What do you think of this quick & simple nail art look to start off your Monday? I know it’s not the most exciting of manicures, but sometimes you just want a little bit of sparkle.

Let me know what you think down in the comments below.

Posted on

SWATCH SUNDAY — China Glaze High Hopes

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday! I feel like it’s been a while since I did a Swatch Sunday post, even though it’s only been 2 weeks. Today I dug deep deep into the stash for a bit of an oldie shade: China Glaze High Hopes.

2 coats + top coat

According to Google, this shade was originally released as part of the Spring 2010 Up & Away Collection. I believe I purchased this bottle myself circa 2013/2014, although I’m not 100% sure. It’s been in my stash a while though.

Formula on this beauty is smooth & easy to apply. The colour is a beautiful vibrant coral that was a smidge hard to photograph accurately. But I feel like these photos capture it most accurately.

The bright colour feels perfect for Summer, but would be easy to transition into Fall by pairing it with a deep burgundy. Yes, my mind is going there. I’m trying my best not to start thinking about Autumn, but our local Dollarama has Halloween already popping up, & Halloween is my favourite season!

But back to High Hopes! This shade is lovely & the colour is a great alternative to my usual go-to red manicure that I love so much.

I did find a few listings online for this shade — Sparkle Canada has it listed for sale, as well you can find the Gelaze version on the China Glaze website. I also found an Amazon listing, but I’m not sure if it’s a secondhand seller or not. However, there are definitely a few listings floating around for this fun vibrant shade!

What do you think about this beautiful vibrant coral shade? Do you have China Glaze High Hopes in your nail polish stash?

Let me know all your thoughts, & what shade you’re currently loving this week!

🖤