SWATCH SUNDAY — L’Oréal Paris Le Vernis à l’Huile by Colour Riche 554 Carmin Parisien

Hello lovelies & Happy Sunday. It’s been a busy weekend, but I can’t start a new week without a Swatch Sunday post. Quite honestly, I think they’re the most viewed posts that the blog gets, so we’ve got to keep them going!

I’ve been on a nostalgia kick this week, & that means I’ve been looking at lots of old photos. & you know what was a constant trend in my pre-nail art days? Red nail polish!

As I’ve mentioned, oh a million times, red nail polish used to be my signature during my University years — unless of course I was feeling broody, in which case I would break out the black. & even though my nail polish collection has expanded considerably over the years, red nail polish still holds my heart. Which is why I was excited to pull another red beauty from my stash to share: L’Oréal Paris Le Vernis à l’Huile by Colour Riche 554 Carmin Parisien.

2 coats + Essie Speed Setter Top Coat

Oh man, this is a beautiful cool toned red. The formula on this shade is really, really smooth which is lovely, & fairly opaque—I did two coats for full coverage, & I had no hint of visible nail line or anything. Very impressive!

I do find the colour brings out a bit of my yellow undertones, but I don’t mind it so much. As such, this is probably a red I would reach for more in the Autumn months, just as I feel the colour is a bit more suited to the cooler days. When it comes to Summer, I usually go for more orange-y/coral leaning reds as they compliment & enhance my tan a bit more.

This shade isn’t super vampy, but I do consider it a very “classy” red, if that makes sense. It has a nice creamy finish that just feels very luxurious. Plus I really like that the Color Riche line of L’Oréal polishes (or whatever the full name is) has oils infused into it. Because, when you polish your nails as much as I do, you’ll take any chance to give your nails some extra love.

What do you think of L’Oréal Color Riche 554 Carmin Parisien? Do you love a good red nail polish as much as I do? Would you be interested in seeing a post featuring my all time favourite red nail polishes? Let me know in the comments below!

Red, Navy & White

Hello lovelies & happy Thursday! Can’t believe this week is going by so quickly. But also, I have the next two days off work so I have big BIG plans. Cupboard organizing plans. It’s very exciting.

But first, how about some nail art? That’s what you’re all here for, right?

I finally decided to pull out my nail vinyls, because it’s been a while, haha. I was feeling coral/red with some stripe-y accent nails, so that’s exactly what I did. Actually I was inspired by this look after some Pinterest-ing, & thought it was be an excellent nail art combo.

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Illamasqua Aorta
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Get Mod!
  • Essie After School Boy Blazer
  • SnailVinyls straight nail vinyls (multiple thickness)

Such a classic combo, & I really like it. I feel like I’ve been neglecting my vinyls so much so it was nice to pull them out again. Plus I could never even attempt to freehand lines this straight. I also really like how simple this colour combo is, but that the red gives you that bright pop of colour. It’s definitely a fun combination. I might not wear a head to toe coral suit with striped shirt, but I can definitely achieve a similar look in my nails!

What do you think about this look? Wojld you wear a combination like this? Let me know in the comments below. & speaking of nail vinyls — I just stocked up on some mermaid vinyls from Beyond the Nail, so stay tuned for some fun mermaid nails to come!

SWATCH SUNDAY — OPI My Chihuahua Bites!

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday!

Today I’m pulling one of my favourite OPI shades out of my stash: OPI My Chihuahua Bites! As I’ve mentioned in the past, oh, a million times (roughly), this is one of absolute my favourite coral-y red shades.

2 coats, no top coat

This shade was originally released as part of the 2006 Mexico City collection. I found it at Winners a few years ago, & was very excited because it was on my nail polish wish list.

You’re looking at 2 coats of polish, no top coat. I’m really impressed with the shine without any top coat added. The formula was fantastic—easy to apply, no streakiness. There is a reason why this is my favourite. In fact, I really need to get myself another back up bottle, just in case.

This is an amazing Summer shade. It’s been while since I pulled it out, & I’m honestly glad that I did. We’ve had some seriously crappy, dull weather the last few days so this bright pop of colour is exactly what I need right now.

What do you think of this shade? Are you ready for fun Summer colours? Let me know in the comments below!

Christmas-y Snowflake Sweater Nails

Good morning lovelies & Happy Friday! It’s a snowy Friday here on the East Coast, which is giving me serious holiday feels for the first time all month! ❄️ There is something about a blanket of freshly fallen snow that can make the biggest Grinch feel holly & holly. (Unless of course, you have to shovel it. Haha)

Today I thought I’d share some more pretty Christmas/Winter/Holiday nails. & yep, more stamping. A large majority of my stamping plates are Christmas related, hence why I tend to stamp more this time of year (also, it’s fast too, which I need when working 10 hour days haha.)

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Hard As Nails
  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Glossy Top Coat
  • Matte Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Matte Top Coat
  • Deborah Lippmann Through the Fire
  • Essie No Place Like Chrome
  • Born Pretty Store Stamping Plate (no longer available)
  • NailStuff.ca Clear Stamper

Such a cute look for Christmas, or Winter in general. & a sweater inspired look is definitely a go-to design for me during this time of year. I’m just sad this particular stamping plate is no longer available, although I’m sure there are 1000 similar ones you can definitely find online. I just adore the little hearts in this pattern! 💗❄️ & of course, have to finish everything with a swipe of matte top coat, because it just completes the whole look!

What do you think about these cozy nails? Are you more of a fan of stamping, freehand, or nail vinyls? Let me know in the comments below!

#GlamNailsChallengeDec — Reindeer 🦌

Hello lovelies & happy Wednesday. We’re officially halfway through December & Christmas is a week away! How did that even happen? But I’m loving just all the Christmas nail art looks I’ve been wearing — definitely the most wonderful time of year for nail art!

Today we have another #GlamNailsChallengeDec look to share! Today’s prompt is Reindeer, so naturally that meant I needed to pull out my favourite reindeer stamping plate design for some Rudolph nails!

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Hard As Nails
  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Glossy Top Coat
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Good Cheer-y
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Goldie Rocks
  • Essie Mosiac On Down
  • Essence Give Me Nude, Baby
  • Zoya Ray
  • OPI How Great Is Your Dane?
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio (COFFEE10 saves you 10%!)
  • Born Pretty Store Stamping plate BP-L032 (item #23268)
  • NailStuff.ca Clear Stamper

Oh man, this look is just classic Christmas, & I love it! It was also a really easy look to do — the hardest part was the stamping, but as you can see, it turned out perfect! If you don’t have a stamping plate (or don’t like stamping), a nail vinyl would work just as easily! A perfect look for Christmas morning. 🎄

What do you think of this reindeer look? Do you enjoy these festive designs I’ve been sharing for #GlamNailsChallenge? Don’t forget to check out all the lovely looks people have been sharing.

Have a lovely Wednesday!