Funky Bright Abstract Stripes

Hello lovelies & happy Wednesday! A beautiful sunny Spring Wednesday.

I’ve really been feeling the bright colours lately, so I decided to dig through my stash to see what fun colour combinations I could come up with. Originally I had picked out these colours to do in a moon manicure, but it was late, I was tired & I didn’t want to wait for my base to dry so I decided to do the next best thing! A fun abstract stripe look.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive Fast Dry Top
  • China Glaze Thistle Do Nicely
  • China Glaze I Got A Blue Attitude
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Blacky-O
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Let’s Snow
  • NailStuff.ca 16mm Striper Brush

I love love love these two colours together, I can’t lie. I’ve always been a fan of pairing purple/corals together. In high school, my bedroom was painted a very vibrant shade of purple, & my curtains were this coral-y orange. & I loved it!

It was the early 2000s… don’t judge haha.

Either way, this is a fun, bright look to show off on a bright & sunny day like today. Of course, when I took these pictures it was not a sunny day… but you know, this kind of look works on a cloudy, rainy day too. Really, I’ll take any excuse for bright nails right now.

What do you think of these fun, funky bright abstract stripes? Are you hearing the call of the Summer neons? I’ll be honest, I bypassed right past pastels & full on into my brightest polish shades, but I’m okay with that!

Have a happy Wednesday!

SWATCH SUNDAY — China Glaze I Got A Blue Attitude

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! It’s a bright, beautiful sunny Sunday here on the East Coast, & I plan on soaking up all the sunshine today! & maybe pulling out a sun dress too.

A few days ago I did a few Instagram polls to see what kind of polish people wanted to see for this week’s Swatch Sunday. The results were: something from the stash, from a limited collection, & in the blue family. So I dug through my extensive nail polish collection & decided on this beauty: China Glaze I Got A Blue Attitude from the Summer 2016 Lite Brites collection.

2 coats + Seche Vive top coat

The formula on this shade is really nice — it’s thick enough it’s almost a one coated, with perfect application. I went with two, just to make sure I had perfect coverage.

The colour is this beautiful blue leaning purple with subtle, almost hidden, shimmer. You can sort of see it in the bottle below, but I think the thicker formula causes it to be absolutely hidden on the nail itself.

I love how bright this colour is — it really is great for Summer! It’s not really neon, but it’s very bright. If I remember correctly, this was the first shade I bought from the Lite Brites collection because I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. & even after all the years, I’m still. very much in love with it.

I love a good blue, I love a good purple — so give me a blurple & I’m in heaven!

Sadly, as mentioned, this shade is from the limited edition 2016 Lite Brites collection so it’s not in current rotation — as far as I can see. There does seem to be a few listings on Google for it, so if you’re better at searching for those things than me, you might be able to track it down. But if you happen to come across it on your shopping travels, I definitely recommend picking it up, because it is a very beautiful colour!

What do you think of China Glaze I Got A Blue Attitude? Do you love this shade? Let me know down in the comments below.

Have a lovely Sunday. 💜

SWATCH SUNDAY — Essence Violet Voltage

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! I hope the weekend is treating you well. We’ve had a beautiful one here on the East Coast & I’m so happy for sunshine!

Today’s Swatch Sunday pick is a shade I picked up last Summer when Essence revamped their line. I’m always excited when they switch things up — I own a lot of Essence shades, so I love when I can add new ones to my collection!

Today’s pick: Essence Violet Voltage.

3 coats + top coat

This semi sheer pearlescent purple has a beautiful glowing blue shine that hits at just the right angle. The formula is quite thin, which is why I did 3 coats of polish. It is a bit streaky, due to the pearlescent finish, & can show flaws on your nails if you’re not careful. I have a patch on my middle finger from a bad crack in the nail, & it shows that little bit of raise in my nail in that spot.

BUT that doesn’t stop me from enjoying this shade. That glow alone makes me fall in love every time I look at my nails.

& a macro shot of course.

This shade is definitely Y2K vibes. It also works well for glazed donut nails if you use one coat. I originally used it for my Glazed Donut Half Moons last Summer & loved how it looked!

I purchased this shade at my local Shoppers Drug Mart in their Essence display. Essence is also available on their website — although this shade is currently sold out.

In Canada, you can also buy Essence at Superstore/Loblaws. You can also buy Essence nail polish through their website as well!

What do you think about Essence Violet Voltage? Are you a fan of the Essence brand of nail polishes? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Happy Sunday!

SWATCH SUNDAY — OPI Nature Strong Emflowered

pr/gifted — Features Gifted Product in Exchange for Content

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday! A beautiful sunny Spring Sunday here on the East Coast, which is lovely to see. So I thought that something bright & Springy would be perfect for this week’s Swatch Sunday post.

Today’s pick is actually a polish I’ve had in my stash since last year when I teamed up with TradeSecrets.ca & was sent some beautiful shades by them from the OPI Nature Strong line. Somehow, I completely managed to forget to share some swatches, so I thought today was the perfect day to share. Today’s pick: OPI Nature Strong Emflowered.

2 coats + OPI Nature Strong Top Coat

The formula on this shade was really easy to work with & apply. I’ve used a few of these different “natural” formulas over the years, & I’m always impressed with how you notice very little difference with these cleaner shades. It applied easily, in two coats, with full opacity. & it dried down quickly between coats as well, which is always a plus! The formula was a bit on the thinner side so I was careful not to over fill my brush, but I had no issues with cuticle flooding.

The colour of this one is definitely stunning. I love a good purple-y pink shade, & Emflowered definitely is my kind of pink. It’s vibrant & lush, & I’m kind of obsessed. Also, we’re giving off some Barbie vibes & I really like that. Maybe it’s the influence of the movie coming out soon, but I’m digging bright pinks right now.

Over all, I really like this pink, & the shades I’ve tried from the OPI Nature Strong line so far. The colours & formulas have all been spot on, & they’ve lasted pretty well on my nails, even through a long shift at work.

You can find the OPI Nature Strong line on TradeSecrets.ca, as well as a ton other OPI collections to choose from. I’ve kind of been itching to buy some new polishes, & there are a few shades calling my name (especially since @GrapeFizzNails has been sharing her own fun OPI Nature Strong shades on Instagram) so I think I might need to do a little online shopping… maybe for Mother’s Day? I’ll definitely do a haul of what I get in that case!

What do you think of this beautiful shade (or any OPI Nature Strong shades you might have tried)? Let me know down in the comments below!

Have a lovely Sunday darlings!

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

All thoughts are honest & my own.

GLAM NAILS CHALLENGE APRIL — Tulips 💐

Hello lovelies & happy Monday! Another week is upon us, although this one isn’t looking nearly as Summer-y as the last. Today, though, I’m sharing the next prompt for Glam Nails Challenge April — tulips.

It’s kind of funny — in all the time I’ve been doing floral, I don’t think I’ve ever done a tulip design. So this was definitely a bit of a challenge for me. While it’s not my most perfect floral ever, I’m super happy with how adorable they turned out.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive Fast Dry Top Coat
  • Essie Play Date
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Jelly Belly Cotton Candy
  • Sally Hansen Good. Kind. Pure. Peony Origins
  • Sinful Colours Yolo Yellow
  • Essie First Class Affair
  • OPI Life Gave Me Lemons
  • OPI My Gecko Does Tricks
  • NailStuff.ca Mermaid Tail Brush Trio

How cute do these flowers look? I would have loved to have taken a picture of them in front of my own garden, but no tulips quite yet. A few more weeks. I think this is such a perfect Springtime look. I love how colourful these are with the purple base & the yellow & pink tulips. Yes yes yes.

What do you think about this tulip design? Do you love a good bright & vibrant Spring-y design, or do you prefer things more subtle?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below & what you’re wearing on your nails this week.

Have a great Monday! 🌷