Crimson Stripes

Hello beauties & happy Friday! It’s officially the weekend (basically), & that means we need to cap off this week with some more nails. I’ve really been trying to do my nails as much as possible — both for the challenge this month, & then sneaking in some non-GlamNails nails as well.

Today’s look is a simple one, but I just love it because it’s been a while since I did stripes on my nails. & I just adore the subtle effect.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie First Base 
  • Base Coat: LA Colors Mega Grow Treatment 
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri CinnaSnap
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Zip Wine
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Just In Wine
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat Moonlight
  • NailStuff.ca 16mm Striper Brush

Oh man, I just love stripes! & these ones are subtle but then you get that sparkle from Moonlight & it shows up so well. I love it.

Plus, we all know I love a red nail moment. Red nails will forever be a favourite of mine, even when I’m like 80! I’m never ever going to grow tired of them. But it is fun to find a way to spice them up a little bit every so often.

What do you think of this crimson stripe look? Do you like it as much as I do? It feels like a good amount of Autumn vibes, which is perfect because our weather is finally feeling Fall-like again, after some seriously balmy temperatures. & considering how much I live for Fall fashion, I’ll take it.

Happy Friday!

🖤

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) —Plants 🌿🌱

Hello lovelies & happy Monday! I know, how long has it been since I did a Monday post. But I’m really excited for August because I am dedicated to doing another round of Glam Nails Challenge & this month is the month! So let’s go!

The first prompt of the month is plants. & I thought it was the perfect reason to break out these Born Pretty Store holographic stickers I had in my collection! These pretty tropical leaves stickers were the perfect look for my first prompt of Glam Nails Challenge August.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: LA Colors Mega Grow Base Coat
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Essie U Wish
  • Born Pretty Store Holographic Tropical Leaves Stickers

How pretty are these stickers! I received these for review forever ag0 ( I think right when I got pregnant with my daughter) so I never got a chance to really review them because I got so sick. They’re easy to apply–the trick is you really have to make sure you press down hard on them, & there is no air bubbles or gaps.

The gold looks so nice against the burnt red of Essie U Wish. I quite enjoy this combo. I tried to get a picture of these in the sunshine, but the holographic effect almost did a disservice to the manicure. But they’re very fun! In fact, it’s reminding me I’m going to need to order some Autumn/Halloween nail stickers from NailStuff.ca very, very soon!

What do you think about this nail art look for the first prompt of Glam Nails Challenge August? Are you as excited as I am for this month? Let me know what you think down in the comments below. I’ll post all the prompts for this month, so you can follow along too!

& check back on Wednesday because I am really, really excited for the next manicure!

Enjoy your Monday

♥︎

SWATCH SUNDAY — Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Pucker Up

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday! I hope you’re having a lovely weekend. This Summer has been so busy I feel like I’ve been neglecting my blog responsibilities & dropping the ball on posting — really hoping August will be better for me! In the meantime, I dig into my stash to find a fun, Summer appropriate colour to share!

This is Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Pucker Up.

3 coats + top coat

Pucker Up is a vibrant cherry red with a creamy crelly formula. By that, I mean it has both qualities but leans a bit more in the creme direction when it comes to finish. It did, however, take 3 coats for almost full opacity, but with the thin formula it didn’t take long to dry.

Using a quick dry top coat did help with drying, however it caused some serious shrinkage at my tips & around the cuticles that I’m not happy about.

We all know I love a good red nail polish year round — it’s usually my go to colour when I don’t know how to paint my nails. & this vibrant red is just perfect for Summer. I also think it compliments my skin tone very well.

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Pucker Up is part of the Xtreme Wear core line, so it’s available where ever you purchase your Sally Hansen nail polishes. I picked up my bottle at my local Walmart — I think it was something like 2 for $6 CAD which is a pretty good deal

What do you think of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Pucker Up? Do you like this vibrant red? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below & let me know what your favourite Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear shade!

Dainty Red Dotticure ♥️

Good morning lovelies, happy Tuesday & happy July! We’re officially 1/2 way through the year, & that just seems insane to me. It’s officially Summer vacation for my kids, which means the free time to myself I have (when they’re not asleep) becomes much more limited!

So simple nail art becomes a bit more necessary. But simple does not need to mean boring, & I feel like today’s look is anything but boring!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Here to Stay
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Essie She’s Pampered
  • Sally Hansen I ♥️ Nail Art pen in pink
  • Color Club Top Shelf
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio (tiniest size)

This beautiful polish is another thrift store score that I was not expecting, but I quite love. It looks much more pink in the bottle, but on my nail it’s giving all the way red. But I’ll never say no to a red nail polish — that is well established by now.

I added some pink polka dots over my base shade, with a colour sparkly ones just for fun! I think this look turned out chic & classic, but it’s also fun. From far away you get red nails, but up close you get the full fun look. & I love a nail art design like that! Polka dots were one of the first designs I ever taught myself, & they remain one of my favourites.

What do you think about this chic dainty dotticure? Are you a fan of a subtle look like this? Let me know what you think in the comments below & please — PLEASE — let me know any nail art looks you’d like to see me attempt!

🖤