GLAM NAILS CHALLENGE SEPTEMBER (2024) — Plaid

Hello lovelies & happy Monday! & Happy Labour Day! We’re jumping right into the Autumn nail art designs with this month’s Glam Nails Challenge September.

I was debating whether or not I was going to do another month, but then my first design I did happened to be a plaid design — which is the first prompt of this month, so I was like… let’s just do this! I had so much fun last month while feeling challenged creatively, I think I want to give it another go. & this month definitely has some great prompts as well!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie First Base 
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Matte Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Matte Top Coat
  • Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Just In Wine
  • Essie East Hamptons Cottage
  • Essie Mani Thanks!
  • Quo by Orly Nail Art Striper Black
  • Quo by Orly Nail Art Striper Red
  • NailStuff.ca 16mm Striper Brush

Does anyone else just immediately want to pull all the plaid out of their closet as soon as the mornings start feeling slightly cooler? I definitely do. I also want to paint plaid on my nails, because it just feels fitting. Pair these with a pair of over the knee socks, & the Autumn vibes are strong. I also feel like this is an easier, simpler design to do — albeit you do need a bit of a steadier hand for straight lines. But with a long striper brush, it does simplify the design a bit.

Definitely a design I recommend any beginner nail artist to try, & just trust the process. If you look at a plaid material, the pattern isn’t perfect so don’t worry about trying to make yours perfect. Sometimes the messier the better it turns out!

What do you think of this design? Are you excited for this month’s Glam Nails Challenge? Like I said, I was feeling inspired so I wanted to keep the good nail art going! & I feel like this is going to inspire some really beautiful nail art designs this month!

If you’re curious about the prompts to come, here is a little sneak peak of the prompts for this month.

& don’t forget to follow along with the above hashtag to see everyone’s gorgeous designs they post! Also, @glamnailschallenge reposts a lot of the beautiful designs on her page, so you can get a little snippet there as well!

Happy Monday!

♥︎

GLAM NAILS CHALLENGE AUGUST (2024) — Cactus 🌵

Good morning lovelies & happy Wednesday! Can you believe that this is it — the last prompt of this month’s challenge! Crazy to think August is almost over, & September is (basically) here. But we’re finishing out this month’s challenge strong with a handpainted cactus design, & I’m really proud of how these turned out!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie First Base 
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Quo by Orly Breatheable You’re A Gem
  • Pacifica Rainbow Gloss
  • Essie Willow in the Wind
  • Essie Turquoise & Cacaos
  • Essie Chillato
  • Essie Off Tropic
  • Essie Cute as a Button
  • Essie Set in Sandstone
  • Nailtural Keep Palm, Swim On
  • Nailstuff.ca Mermaid Tail 7mm liner brush
  • NailStuff.ca dotting tool from Dotting Tool Trio

Okay, so originally I was going to use my cactus stickers from NailStuff.ca for this design, but I could not find them anywhere! So I had to pull out my freehand skills, & freehand paint some cute cacti on my nails… & you know, I think I did a pretty good job! I’m actually super proud of these & feeling pretty in love with how beautifully they turned out.

My whole reason for doing this challenge this month was the inspire me to get out of my nail art box, & feel creative again. My favourite months of the year are coming up, & I want to be in love with nail art again; feel creative again. & I am really excited to finish the rest of this year with some fun nail art looks!

What do you think about these cactus nails for Glam Nails Challenge August? Have you enjoyed taking this nail art journey with me this month? I’m not 100% sure if I’m going to do Glam Nails Challenge for September, but either way I’m pumped to get into some fun Fall designs & colours.

Have a lovely Wednesday

♥︎

Funky Orange Abstract Stripes

Hello lovelies & happy Tuesday. Sorry for being such a stranger — I swear I’m trying to get the blog posts written, but it’s been a struggle. But I have a stash of fun designs saved up to share with you, so I’m really trying to get my butt into gear. Summer vacation has been… a struggle, to say the least.

Today’s post is one of my go to favourite designs, but I’m especially happy with how this one turned out! A retro inspired abstract stripe design is always a good decision, & the colours for this particular one just brought everything together so perfectly.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Here to Stay
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Essie Sunshine State of Mind
  • Essie Peach Side Babe
  • Essie Fall for NYC
  • Essie Sand Tropez
  • Quo by Orly Black Nail Art Striper

How much fun! Seriously, the colours just compliment each other so well. I very much adore how it turned out. Plus, it’s one of those designs which is so easy, because there is no right or wrong way to do it. You just create a kind of swirl on your nails with the different colours of polish, & it creates this fun abstract/wavy stripe effect. A perfect look for Summer!

What do you think of this abstract stripe design? Have you given this look a try, & what did you think? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below.

Happy Tuesday!

♥︎

SWATCH SUNDAY Quo Beauty Mango Tango

Hello lovelies & happy sunny Sunday. It’s hot & humid today, so I thought I would dig into my stash to find a fun Summer shade for this week’s Swatch Sunday post & this vibrant coral from Quo Beauty was the perfect pick.

This is Quo Beauty Mango Tango.

2 coats + top coat

I believe I originally picked up this shade on clearance from my local Shoppers Drug Mart last Summer (Quo Beauty is Shoppers in house beauty brand). The polish itself is a stunning fiery coral which is very, very neon. Sometimes it leans more orange, sometimes more red.

Formula was smooth & easy to apply. 2 coats for full coverage, & it dries quite quickly which is a bonus.

Does this colour not just scream summer time? I can practically smell the sunscreen. It’s also a great shade for bringing out your sun tan, or making it look like you have a suntan. My photos definitely leaned a bit more red, but it person I feel like it complimented my olive undertones to give me that mid-Summer tanned vibe I love.

What do you think about Quo Beauty Mango Tango? Do you love this juicy coral for Summer time? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below, & if you’d wear this beauty on your nails!

Happy Sunday

🖤

Blurple Colour Block Featuring OPI

Good morning lovelies & happy Tuesday… it’s been a while. This month has been so insane, & my nail painting has really fallen off. Trying my best to get back into it though, & today I have some fun (& relatively simple!) nail art to share with you.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Here to Stay
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • OPI Dining al Frisco
  • OPI Infinite Shine Sound of Vibrance
  • OPI Infinite Shine Shaking My Sugar Plums
  • Quo by Orly Striper Black

How good are these blues & purples together? I definitely feel like those are my colours lately, right down to my hair colour. But I just love a good colour block, & this design is so easy to do — & you don’t even need any nail art tools!

You definitely could use nail vinyls or tape if you’re not comfortable freehanding though. I like going over my lines with the black though, because I feel like it hides any mistakes you might have done, plus makes the blue really pop!

What do you think of this colour block featuring some fun OPI shades from my stash? Do you love how these shades pair together as much as me? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments below & what you’d like to see next?

Happy Tuesday!

🖤