Category: Purple Nails

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Glam Nails Challenge August — Grapes 🍇

Hello lovelies & happy Monday!

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. We’re currently experiencing a big time heat wave here on the East Coast, but thankfully my work had the air conditioning cranked which kept my from completely melting into a big puddle. I love heat, but man the humidity is not my friend.

Today we’ve got the next prompt for Glam Nails Challenge August is grapes! I decided to go with a darker grape inspired look & created my grapes on my two accent nails.

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Essie First Base
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Pat on the Black
  • Sally Hansen CSM Trouble Maker
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Feelin’ Grape
  • Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Lacy Lilac
  • Essie Off Tropic
  • Essence The Green & the Grunge
  • Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Thyme is Money
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio
  • NailStuff.ca 7mm detail brush

How cute are these grape accent nails? I actually love how they turned out! I was inspired by this Pinterest design I found, originally done by @nailsbydaniellet. I (think) hers were supposed to be blackberries, haha, but I didn’t realize until after she inspired by grapes. I do think they turned out super cute, & all my coworkers knew exactly what they were, so I’ll take that as a win!

What do you think about this grape inspired look? Are you following along with #glamnailschallengeaug on Instagram? Let me know what you think of the designs so far this month. I can’t believe we’re already half way through the month — that’s crazy!

Have a great day lovelies!

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Glam Nails Challenge August — Coconut 🥥

Hello lovelies & happy Wednesday! Hope everyone’s week is off to a lovely start, & not nearly as ungodly humid as it’s been in Halifax lately. Today we’re sharing another fruit inspired design for GlamNailsChallangeAugust.

Today’s prompt is coconut, which I’m going to be honest was a prompt I was super nervous about. Even browsing Pinterest was not super useful, as mostly what popped up with some kind of nail art stickers. But I did find this pretty coconut look originally done by @Nailstorming, & I thought it would be a fantastic look to give my own attempt to.

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Essie First Base
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Violet Voltage
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Get Mod
  • OPI How Great Is Your Dane?
  • Sally Hansen Good. Kind. Pure Almond Tan
  • Kosmic Colours Brown (no name)
  • OPI A Great Opera-tunity
  • OPI Just Can’t Cope-acabana
  • Cosmetics Arts Lime Green (no name)
  • Essie Off Tropic
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Beatnik
  • NailStuff.ca 7mm detail brush

I’m not going to lie, a lot of polishes went into trying to create this coconut. & I thought I used a lot of nail polishes when creating floral!

But, you know — it was to totally worth it because my coconut drink turned out awesome! It totally looks like something you can sit back & relax, drinking on some tropical beach. Or, what I picture someone would sit back & drink on a tropical beach, as the closest I’ve come to a tropical vacation is lounging in an inflatable kiddie pool in my backyard.

But you know what I mean.

What do you think about this coconut nail art look? It was fun going from a more abstract interpretation to a more literal one, even if I didn’t think I was going to be successful haha. Are you following along with #glamnailschallengeaug on Instagram? I hope you’re enjoying seeing all these looks as much as I’m enjoying doing them!

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SWATCH SUNDAY — China Glaze Grape Juice

Hello beauties & happy Sunday! & happy first day of August!

How is everyone’s weekend — is it a long weekend where you are? It is here in Nova Scotia, & (I think) most of Canada? It also always feels like the beginning of the end of Summer. I know that we still have 4 weeks left, but man, there is something about August which always gets me in an Autumn mindset.

Today’s polish pick for Swatch Sunday still feels Summery enough though! & it was originally released as part of the China Glaze Summer Days (2009) collection: China Glaze Grape Juice.

2 coats

This polish went on easily in 2 coats, although the formula went on a little thicker for coat #2. The colour is a really vibrant, although slightly darker, purple with a beautiful silvery shimmer — I also saw some flecks of blue in there too.

You can really, really see all the shimmer in the macro shot. It’s very densely packed, which I really like! I also can’t believe I haven’t featured this yet for Swatch Sunday! It’s been in my stash for years, but with the exception of nail art, I haven’t worn it a to. Which is actually a travesty, because it is such a fantastic colour! It’s also just dark enough to keep me from full out craving Autumn, while also keeping bright-ish for Summer.

Sadly, it looks like this shade has been discontinued, but I did find a few listings online for it like Sparkle Canada but I don’t think it’s an easy find. However, if you do happen to come across it, you should totally pick it up because it’s such a lovely shade.

What do you think about China Glaze Grape Juice? Do you have this purple beauty in your stash? Which shades are you loving as we inch towards Autumn? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to know what you’re wearing right now.

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Blue, Mint & Purple Colour Block

Hello lovelies & happy Thursday. We’re that much closer to the weekend, which is pretty exciting. Also how is this month almost over?

Wasn’t it just the beginning of May, like a week ago?

Today I’ve got a brand new look to share with you that was inspired by @nailsuponatime on Instagram. She recently posted a very pretty pastel geometric look, & I was inspired to fancy up my shorties with my own colour block look.

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Essie All The Wave
  • Essie Mint Candy Apple (greener version)
  • Essie Worth The Tassel

First off, an apology for my rough looking cuticles. Trying to remember my cuticle oil during the day, but when it gets busy at work — & I mean BUSY — it definitely is the last thing I concentrate on haha.

Next up, it’s been a while since I attempted some freehanded straight lines like this, so I feel like they aren’t perfect. But I do love this colour combination. I always forget to wear Mint Candy Apple from Essie — I have both versions of it, & I do adore the colour, but for some reason always forget I own it. So silly.

What do you think about this colour combination & colour blocking? What colours are you loving right now? I’ve been feeling a lot of blues & purples right now (if you haven’t noticed) so I might have to kick up the neons really soon! It’s been too long.

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Yves Saint Laurent Violine Surrealiste

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday!

Today we’re starting off a brand new week with another polish swatch: Yves Saint Laurent Violine Surrealiste. I’ve had this shade a long, long time in my stash, but I’ve never done a legit swatch post for it, & it’s such a fun shade for (almost) Summer, so I wanted to share!

3 coats + Essie Gel Setter

Originally, this shade was gifted to me circa 2014 by a family friend, along with a great selection of other YSL nail polish shades. I think it was originally released in 2013, but I’m not 100% sure.

The formula itself is crelly-like — it’s not quite a jelly, & not quite cream. I applied 3 thin coats for full opacity, although you could probably get away with two with just a hint of visible nail line. Obviously you can see my nails are very short right now, so I don’t have very much nail line going on. That being sad, I liked the almost gel like finish I got with 3 coats, finishing off with my Essie Gel Setter.

I’m not going to lie, trying to photograph this colour was a bit tricky, but I think I captured it the most accurately. I really do love this fuchsia shade a lot as well — it’s a beautiful much needed pop of colour that my itty bitty nubs need badly. I’ve been really uninspired since I broke my nail & had to file the rest down, but this colour makes me very happy! & hopefully I’ll feel like some real nail art very soon!

What do you think about this gorgeous vibrant shade? Are you a fan of YSL nail polishes? Would you like to see more shades from my collection? Let me know in the comments below!

Sadly this particular shade is no longer available, as far as I could find, but you can find a ton of other gorgeous shades via YSLbeauty.ca if you’re in the mood for some high end nail polish!