SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie Swoon in the Lagoon

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday!

It’s a sunny Sunday here on this side of the world, & it’s been super beautiful & warm, & very summery the last few days which I can’t get enough of. Which also means I’ve been really feeling the Summer nail art shades, & thanks to some awesome tips from work (from some crazy days), I managed to pick up some brand new Essie shades last week.

First up, this beautiful originally released as part of the Spring 2022 collection: Swoon in the Lagoon.

2 coats, no top coat.

Oh my gosh, I’m obsessed with this colour. The formula on this shade is really easy to apply, & smooth. I needed two coats for full coverage, but I always feel most comfortable applying 2 coats anyways. I love the vibrant fuchsia shade. It’s a perfect pop of colour for summer, even if this shade was originally released as a Spring shade.

Look at that beautiful colour! I like how it almost looks neon, but without the matte finish of a neon shade.

I picked up this shade at my local Shoppers Drug Mart for $9.99 on sale. It looks like it’s become part of the core collection, as it was in the main section, as well as a side cap. I love when that happens because it means I get a chance to get polishes I might have missed on the first release.

What do you think about this shade? Do you have Swoon in the Lagoon in your collection? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below.

SWATCH SUNDAY — Sally Hansen x Friends Miracle Gel Collection

PR

Features Gifted Product in Exchange for Content

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday!

It’s been super quiet on the blog front this week — there was a lot going on behind the scenes, so nail polish had to take a bit of a step back. But I’m super excited because not only am I starting with a very exciting Swatch Sunday post, but I’m starting with a very exciting, absolutely jammed pack Swatch Sunday post featuring the brand new Sally Hansen Miracle Gel x Friends collection!

To say I’m excited would be an understatement. As soon as I saw the collection being released — and heard the names — I was so hoping I would get a chance to get my hands on some of this collection. & Thanks to the absolute dolls at Sally Hansen, they gifted me with the most amazing PR package featuring all these beautiful shades. CLICK HERE to see a InstaReel featuring the whole fun package they sent me!

& now… let’s get onto some swatches!

Continue reading “SWATCH SUNDAY — Sally Hansen x Friends Miracle Gel Collection”

SWATCH SUNDAY — China Glaze Shocking Pink

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday!

It’s the first week of June, which means it’s only a couple weeks of Summer here in this part of the world. & that means I want all the neon I can get my hands on!

Todays Swatch Sunday pick is a classic from my stash: Shocking Pink. Yep… we’re all about the pink again!

3 coats, matte top coat

First things first, the formula on this shade was a bit complicated to work with. I ended up needing 3 coats for full coverage, but it was a bit thick, & had a little bit of trouble smoothing (you can see it a bit in some of the pictures.) Like many neons, it does dry to a soft matte on its own. I added matte top coat to smooth things out while keeping the matte finish the polish has.

The colour is definitely tricky to photograph. If you look online, I feel like everyone’s swatches of this are just a little bit different. It looks lighter, or darker, depending on the lighting. The colour though, is definitely Summer in a bottle. It’s bright & blinding, & the kind of pink you throw on your toes while laying on the beach, sunglasses on, soaking in the Summer (while wearing a high SPF, don’t get too crazy!)

This was the first time, that I can remember, I’ve put this shade on as a full manicure — I’ve usually only grabbed it for nail art accents. With the bit of trouble I had applying it, I’m not 100% sure it would be my first pick for my nails, as I change them so often. But I definitely think it is a great pedicure choice, & I’m definitely saving it for my next one.

I found a few places where you can purchase Shocking Pink:

Do you have China Glaze Shocking Pink in your stash?

Let me know what you think about this shade down in the comments below, & share your favourite neon shade for Summer!

Pink & Purple Leopard Print

Hello lovelies & happy end of May!

Can you believe this month is officially on its way out? Summer is here — & I’ve been living for these warm Summer dress worthy days. Today I’m showing off a fun, bright look to perfectly compliment the weather: a pink & purple leopard print.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine
  • Top Coat: Essence Extreme GEL Top
  • LA Girl Extreme
  • Essence Lilac Vibes
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Blacky-O
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio
  • NailStuff.ca 4mm Micro Detail Brush

I love how this pink pops against this grey-ed out purple. It makes it look really vibrant. I featured this purple base for Swatch Sunday a few weeks back, & I’m glad I decided to do some nail art with it! It was the perfect base for this leopard print. This colour scheme is great!

What do you think of this leopard print look? Are you a fan of the pink against the purple base? What are you wearing to celebrate Summer days? Let me know in the comments below!

Bright & Summery Saran Wrap Splatter

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Hello lovelies & happy Thursday! It’s a beautiful sunny Thursday here, which is super exciting! It’s actually supposed to be warm & sunny. So naturally that means I need nails that are bright & fun to match.

Recently I teamed up with TradeSecrets.ca, which is a Canadian based online seller, & I picked a few new fun Spring/Summery nail polishes to add to my stash (along with a base coat & top coat). While I’ve followed along with TradeSecrets on Instagram, mostly for their hair products — because we all know I’m hair product obsessed — I was really excited to see all the fun nail related items they sell as well. They also have free shipping on all orders.

For my first look using these shades, I decided to go with a fun & easy Saran Wrap Splatter look.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: OPI Natural Nail Base Coat
  • Top Coat: OPI Nature Strong Top Coat
  • OPI Nature Strong Make My Daisy
  • OPI Nature Strong Cactus What You Preach
  • OPI Nature Strong Emflowered
  • Saran Wrap or some kind of crinkled thin plastic (I used some of an apple bag)

I really, really need to do a video tutorial for these, but I keep forgetting I want to until after I’ve painted my nails. But how fun did these turn out? I’m really loving these three shades! When I was browsing the TradeSecrets website, these were the three colours that screamed Summer to me most, so obviously I needed them in my life!

I definitely suggest trying out TradeSecrets.ca if you’re looking for a new place to easily pick up nail polish. They have a huge selection of OPI polishes, but also sell ORLY & Dip polish kits for those who like a longer lasting manicure. They were also kind enough to send along some hair products my way, so let me know if you’d like to see my thoughts on those as well!

What do you think about this cute design? Are you feeling these bright summery colours? Let me know what you think down in the comments below!

Products featured in this post were provided in exchanged for content.

All thoughts are honest & my own.