Drippy Glitter Blood Nails ✨🩸

Hello lovelies & happy Friday. & Happy Halloween Eve! Can you believe that Halloween is just 1 day away? This month has sped by, & holiday items are already starting to sneak into stores. Even though I had to see my favourite holiday almost be over, there is a small part of me so excited for the Christmas season. This will be our first time (ever) living right downtown at Christmas time, & I can’t wait to see the city come alive for it!

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It’s still spooky season for a couple more days, & naturally I need to sneak in one more spooky design!

If you’ve been here a while, I love a drippy blood look for Halloween. & it occurred to me… I’ve never done a negative space base for this look.

The polishes I used for this manicure are:

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
  • Top Coat: Sinful Colors Power Paint Top Coat + Essie Good To Go
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Society Ruler
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Red It Twice
  • NailStuff 7mm Mermaid Tail Liner Brush

Sometimes I get nervous about using a negative space base, because I’m a little self conscious about my yellowed nails. I know it’s a result of painting my nails… a lot. But sometimes I wish they were more pink & less yellow.

However, I think this look is so fun! I’ve always loved a drippy blood manicure for Halloween, & this one is perfect. & I feel like my free handing has got so much more natural & really looks like it could be blood dripping down my nails… glittery, sparkly blood.

What do you think of this design? Would you wear this look? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below.

& happy Halloween! 🎃 👻

SWATCH SUNDAY — OPI DS Bold (Designer Series)

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! It’s beautiful & sunny, but with that Autumn crisp chill that makes bundling in layers necessary! But it’s worth it for that crisp sound as you walk over fallen leaves.

It’s Sunday, so you know what that means: Swatch Sunday! I missed last week, so I hope some sparkle from (a few) years ago will make up for it. & since October is also my birthday month, I thought some sparkle was in order!

This is OPI DS Bold from the Designer Series collection.

2 coats + top coat

I can’t remember exactly when I picked this shade up — I do know it was either a Winners or Marshall’s find — but it was originally released in 2011 as part of the Designer Series. It is a very tricky packed jelly red… which also gives a little pink depending on the light, with a lot of tiny silver microglitters.

According to the release I read, it’s packed with “diamond dust”.

The formula on this guy is pretty thick after all these years, but not too thick I couldn’t get a good base. The glitters were definitely a bit difficult to remove — as are many glitters — but that could always be remedied with a peel off base coat of you only wanted to wear it for a night.

The glitter is definitely fun & vibrant & was a nice choice to wear. I kind of wish I had the other colour from the same release (Temptation) which is a beautiful indigo purple with the same densely packed glitter finish.

So what do you think of OPI DS Bold? I seriously feel like OPI needs to bring this collection back, because it contains so many fun & unique shades — with a little extra pizzazz.

Happy Sunday!

🖤

Chic Red & Gold Fall Dotticure

Hello loves & happy Wednesday. I hope everyone’s had a fantastic start to their week so far. To say I’ve been enjoying the Fall weather & chill in the air would be an understatement.

I’m also enjoying all the deep, dark Autumn polishes. This is the time of year where my nail art creativity thrives. I want to do all the designs! Today’s one is a simple look, but chic & classic.

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
  • Quo by Orly Trust Fund over Berry Cobbler
  • Morgan Taylor Just Tutu Much
  • NailStuff.ca dotting tool

Oh I love a good dotticure. They’re just so classic. & I’ve been in a real red polish era lately.

Red nail polish will always be my favourite.

What do you think about this classic red dotticure? Do you love the simplicity & chicness of this design? Let me know what you think, & if you’d also wear this design!

🖤

SWATCH SUNDAY — China Glaze The Heat is On (Desert Heat 🏜️ Collection 2015)

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday. It’s been a while since I posted a Swatch Sunday post! So I’m excited to jump back in, & for this one I’m throwing it way, way back to 2015 with a gorgeous China Glaze shade I bought as part of a mini set: The Heat Is On.

2 coats + top coat

I was thinking about this shade, & kind of nervous about its state (I feel like these mini bottles dry up way faster than normal sized bottles) but she was in great shape, & I was so excited to wear it.

The shade is a beautiful vibrant red with an undertone of orange. The formula was creamy, & easy to apply; it had a glossy finish even before I applied top coat. I like that it has just a hint of a jelly formula, because it really does make it look juicy on the nails.

I was so obsessed with this shade when I first bought my mini set of this collection, & all these years later — 11 to be exact — I still love it. It really makes me wish I had a full sized bottle, but sadly it was a limited release. I have found a few bottles online for sale… & I won’t lie, it’s tempting.

What do you think of this shade? Do you think it’s as fun & lush as I do? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below.

& stay tuned — because I have my eyes open for any Fall collections popping up in store, & I’m ready for full on Autumn vibes.

Happy Sunday!

SWATCH SUNDAY — Nicole by OPI Scarlett || Happy 12th Birthday Coffee & Nail Polish 🎂

Hello lovelies & happy Easter Sunday! I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend, celebrating however they celebrate. But it’s not just Easter Sunday — 12 years ago today I made my very first post on Coffee & Nail Polish! So I thought it would be fun, & for this week’s Swatch Sunday I would share the first very nail polish I ever used for a manicure: Nicole by OPI (RIP) Scarlett from the Selena Gomez collection.

2 coats + top coat

This beautiful metallic pink was originally released as part of the Nicole by OPI Spring Collection which was Selena Gomez themed. I picked up this beauty at my local Lawton’s Drugs (which was one of my favourite places for clearance nail polish) for the stellar price of $2.50.

The formula on this one was slightly thin, but not too thin it made it hard to apply. 2 coats built to this perfect opacity. The finish though — the finish is my favourite. It’s this gorgeous glass fleck finish. Also I love that it sort of looks pink, but also sort of looks red.

Stunning.

Close up of this beautiful finish. I love the shimmer, the pinkish glow; all of it. It really does glow on the nail which just adds to the beauty.

& obviously, since today is the anniversary of my very first blog post, I had to do a recreation of my very first design — a red on red leopard print. Base is Scarlett & my spots were done using Nicole by OPI Basking in Gloria (from the Modern Family collection).

Unfortunately I did forget to matte-ify my design & didn’t realize until after the fact, but I still love my recreation.

What do you think about this throwback shade! I feel like the NOPI shades were definitely ahead of their time for drugstore brands. I really miss them, & cherish the shades I still have.

Happy Sunday!

Happy Easter!

🖤