Hand-painted Jack O Lanterns 🎃✨

Hello lovelies & happy Tuesday.

I know my posting schedule is all over the place, but between life, family, sickness & work, I’m just trying to make sure this blog gets my attention — even if it’s not on the same schedule I have been posting! Especially this month, my favourite month. I have been busy busy busy on Pinterest saving a lot of Halloween nail art ideas, & then enviably spending a lot of time narrowing down which one I want to do first.

Naturally, I decided to start with pumpkins. I’m a basic bitch who loves her pumpkin spice, so it just felt very fitting.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Maximum Growth Base Coat 
  • Top Coat: Sinful Colors Power Paint Top Coat + Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat
  • OPI I Sing In Color
  • Essie Sparkle On Top
  • Essie Handmade With Love
  • Essie Fall for NYC
  • Essie Willow in the Wind
  • OPI Barefoot in Barcelona
  • Essie Cliffhanger
  • NailStuff Essentials Raven
  • NailStuff 7mm Liner Brush

I created my base with Sparkle on Top over I Sing In Color, & then sat back & tried to think what would look best over top. But pumpkins/jack-o-lanterns just felt like the obvious choice. I painted my pumpkins first, & then decided a few of them needed faces, so added them after the fact.

What do you think of these Halloween jack-o-lanterns? Do you like this handprinted design? I’d love to know what you think about this look & if you would wear this design on your nails!

To me, it’s the perfect look for spooky season!

♥︎

SWATCH SUNDAY — OPI I Sing In Color

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! Officially celebrating the first Sunday of October — & spooky season! I love spooky season.

I was perusing my nail polish stash, trying to find a shade I haven’t yet shared for Swatch Sunday. I have a lot of shades from the beginning of my nail polish obsession I never shared swatches of, so I enjoy going back & pulling them out.

Take today’s pick: originally released as part of the Holiday 2014 collection, I feel like it’s the perfect dark burgundy for October. This is OPI I Sing In Color.

2 coats + top coat

One word: obsessed.

This dark burgundy, so dark it could look black from far away, has a beautiful cream formula that builds effortlessly. To me, this is the definition of an Autumn manicure — dark, cosy & a little bit moody.

Look at that beautiful smooth formula! For a shade that is almost in its teenage years, she’s holding up stunningly.

Actually, I’m surprised that I don’t pull this out more! I think it’s just been hiding in my OPI stash, so I kept missing it — but I rearranged all my polishes after we moved, so she was more front & centre. & thank goodness for that because I’m so excited to share how beautiful it is!

Do you remember OPI I Sing In Color? Sadly, we’re another discontinued shade so finding her for purchase might prove difficult. But OPI just released a collection for Fall 2026 featuring some highly requested shades, so maybe we’ll get a re-release in the not too distant future!

A girl can dream.

Happy Sunday loves.

🖤

Recreating my Wedding Nails (on my shorties) 11 years later! ✨👰🏻‍♀️💅💍

Hello lovelies & Happy Saturday! I know I don’t often post on Saturday, but today was a special exception with a special nail design!

I really wanted to recreate my wedding nails in honour of my wedding anniversary, especially as I’m rocking some serious shorties right now. So in honour of the occasion, here’s a brand new version of a very special 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 You Do Blue!
  • OPI I Cannoli Wear OPI
  • China Glaze Champagne Bubbles
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Good As Gold
  • Essie Brides No Grooms
  • Essie She’s Pampered
  • Essie Into the A-Bliss
  • Essie Willow in the Wind
  • Essie Sew Psyched
  • Essie Off Tropic
  • NailStuff dotting tool
  • NailStuff 7mm Liner Brush

For those curious, here are my original nails I painted for my wedding day, & my recreation I did in 2018.

I was absolutely obsessed with my original nails that I painted back in 2015 for my wedding day — it was really important to me to create a beautiful design I would love for years, & years to come. & again, when I recreated them I equally loved the design!

But you know what? I think I love them the most on short nails! Long nails look beautiful no matter what, but trying to recreate the exact same look on nails 1/2 the size really makes them pop! The only thing from my recreation I’m not 100% sold on is the much more yellow gold, but it definitely gives it a more colourful vibe. (& the right amount of sparkle! ✨)

What do you think about this anniversary look? Do you love a floral look as much as I do? I’d love to know if this design holds up all these years later. I certainly adore them as much as I did all those years ago & wouldn’t change a thing about the nails I had on my wedding day.

Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

🖤

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!)

Glow-in-the-Dark Inspired Stars ⭐️

Hello lovelies & happy Tuesday! I hope you’re having a beautiful start to your week.

I’m starting my week off (ish) with a fun nail art look. It feels like absolute ages since I attempted any kind of nail art on my nails… I’ve mostly just been wearing solid colours, press on nails, or maybe like a glitter accent nail (very 2013). So it was kind of fun to dig into my nail desk box, find my good nail art brushes, & give some art a try.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Strengthner
  • Top Coat: Sinful Colors Power Paint Top Coat
  • Essie Bell Bottom Blues
  • OPI Suzi Shops & Island Hops
  • OPI That’s Hula-rious
  • Essie Bikini So Teeny
  • Quo by Orly Breathable De-stressed Denim
  • NailStuff Mermaid Tail Brush
  • Bobby Pin (couldn’t find my dotting tools haha)

So the inspiration behind this nail art look are glow-in-the-dark stars. Truthfully, I was seeing way too many videos of Hilary Duff’s Glow in the Dark star dress she’s wearing on tour, & this blue base was the perfect not-black shade, that I really wanted to see if I could freehand some stars on my nails!

& even though it’s been forever since I did any freehand designs on my nails, I’m so obsessed with how these turned out! Plus, I got complimented on them while out & about, so I feel pretty awesome about this nail art. They look exactly how I imagined them in my head!

What do you think about my glow-in-the-dark inspired star nails? Do these remind you of being a kid, like they do me? Would you wear this look? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below & if you love them too!

Happy Wednesday darlings.

♥︎