SWATCH SUNDAY— OPI Big Apple Red 🍎

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday! & happy early Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians. We’re looking at a very, very rainy Canada Day which is kind of lame, but that’s Nova Scotia for you.

I am very excited because I was at the thrift store on Friday & they sometimes have barely used nail polish there, so I always check it out. That’s when I stumbled across this beauty: this is OPI Big Apple Red.

2 coats + top coat

In a surprising turn of events, OPI Big Apple Red is one of those red nail polishes that I didn’t yet own. It’s a gorgeous cherry red nail polish, which a smooth application & cream finish.

According to Google, Big Apple Red was voted as the most iconic red nail polish of all time — so the fact I didn’t yet own this shade is actually a crime.

We all know red is definitely my favourite nail colour, & this is an absolutely stunning red. It had perfect coverage in two coats, which I’m all for when it comes to a red. It also garnered a ton of compliments & “nice nails” while I was at work, so that is always an indication of a beautiful polish.

What do you think of this iconic OPI red? Do you have Big Apple Red in your collection? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below & what nail polish shade you consider “iconic”!

🖤

SWATCH SUNDAY — OPI Infinite Shine I’m Really An Actress

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday! Another beautiful sunny Sunday, which I will take after torrential rain yesterday (when I snapped the photos for this post FYI haha).

I haven’t really bought any new polish in a while, so I’ve really been trying to dig into my stash & pull out all the shades that I don’t wear very frequently ( or at all). As I’ve mentioned previously, I do have a lot of these mini bottles of OPI shades that I’ve scored at Marshall’s & Winners, so I thought I would pull one out for this weeks post!

This is OPI Infinite Shine I’m Really An Actress from the OPI Spring 2021 Hollywood Collection.

2 coats + top coat

This beautiful reddish-pink metallic base is packed full of scattered holographic glitters. The formula was relatively opaque, which meant I only needed 2 coats for full coverage. I’ve seen swatches of the non-Infinite shine version of this polish, & it seems more red than mine, which is strange but maybe it’s just the lighting.

Close up so you can really see those scattered holo glitters. I tried so hard to get them to really show, but even using my flash for pictures it was not working. They are there, though, & they’re beautiful. I can’t believe I haven’t worn this shade more, especially since it’s a real upgrade from my usual go-to red nails. These feel much more glam & dramatic, which I like. I’m all about the glitter right now.

& in case you’re wondering, this shade is still in permanent rotation so you can also pick up the polish & add it to your stash! I found it available on TradeSecrets.ca, Chatters, Beyond Polish (regular formula) & the OPI website (regular formula).

What do you think of OPI I’m Really A Waitress? Do you have this shade in your collection? Like I said, I can’t believe I haven’t worn this shade more because it’s the perfect upgrade to my usual go to red manicure, so I might have to buy myself a big bottle of it for once my mini bottle runs out. I think this is going to become a Summer staple shade for me!

Have a lovely Sunday ♥︎

SWATCH SUNDAY — Icing Stores Chips n Dip

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday! After some rainy & chilly days we’re finally back to beautiful sunshine, & I couldn’t be happier.

For today’s Swatch Sunday post, I decided to do some serious digging through my stash & found a very throwback shade circa 2013 (I’m guessing). I wanted something bright & vibrant & Summery, & I think that I was very successful.

This is Icing Stores Chips n Dip.

3 coats + Top Coat

This beautiful fiery coral applied in 3 thin coats, which usually would be a no for me, but because the formula is quite thin, it dried down very quickly so I didn’t have to worry about wait time — especially after applying a quick dry top coat. It’s a cruelly formula, definitely leaning more on the jelly side of that occasion which I like.

The colour is bright & I love that. I’m always drawn towards anything in the red or red leaning family, & this is a fantastic Summer option. Like could you imagine this as a pedicure colour? So perfect for the beach.

Look how bright this is! Definitely looking more on the red side in these photos, but the coral really comes through in person.

My only complaint — & it’s probably an issue due to how long I’ve owned this shade — is handle of the brushes on the bottles have kind of melted over the years so they’ve gotten really sticky & I absolutely hate it. Not sure what to do to fix the stickiness, so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know! Because I would love to use this shade (& others from this brand in the same style of bottle) but the sticky issue keeps me from reaching for them.

What do you think about Icing Stores Chips N Dip? Does this shade scream Summer to you as much as it does to me? Have you ever tried an Icing brand polish? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below.

Happy Sunday! ♥︎

Y2K Inspired Half Moons & Floral 🌸

Hello lovelies & happy Friday! I hope your week has been going beautifully. The weather has been pretty stunning the last couple days (minus the rain currently falling) & it’s feeling like Spring. So let’s break out the Spring nail art designs!

Today’s look is a combination of a design I quite love (half moons) with a little twist. I was checking out 2024 nail art trends, & saw that Y2K was trending — so, as a millennial who grew up during the height of Y2K — I wanted to relive my pre-teen/teenage years.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifer
  • Top Coat: LA Girl Rapid Dry Top Coat 
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Red It Online
  • Essie Swoon in the Lagoon
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Pretty Peony
  • Essie Muchi, Muchi
  • Nailstuff.ca Mermaid Tail 7mm liner brush

I think these turned out so, so cute!

When I paired the red & pink together I was a little scared it would look a bit Valentine-y, but with the added flowers it came out super cute. & I think it channels Y2K without being too over the top. It is also giving Spring vibes, which I’m here for. I’ve been wearing a lot of my floral dresses lately, so it pairs perfectly!

What do you think about these half moons? Do you like the combination of nail art? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below, & share what nail art trends you’re loving right now!

Enjoy your Friday. 🖤

Happy 10th Birthday Coffee & Nail Polish! ✨🌈

Hello my loves & happy Friday. Not just any Friday — we are celebrating the birthday of this little nail blog of mine. 10 years of fun nail art, pretty polish & my love of combining the two. & it’s been quite the journey since my very first blog post! We’ve seen new jobs, weddings, babies, a pandemic, & a whole lot of nail shape changes!

& if you’ve been here since the beginning — thank you!

I thought to mark this occasion I needed some pretty floral (my go to favourite since the beginning) featuring my all time favourite nail shade: red.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifer
  • Top Coat: China Glaze Fast Forward Top 
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Cherry Delightful
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Heather Hustle
  • OPI Sickeningly Sweet
  • OPI Nature Strong Emflowered
  • OPI Nature Strong Make My Daisy
  • Essie Muchi Muchi
  • Essie Willow in the Wind
  • Essie Off Tropic
  • BKIND Sauble Beach
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio
  • Nailstuff.ca Mermaid Tail 7mm liner brush

Obviously I had to do some floral to celebrate this next decade of Coffee & Nail Polish. My favourite back then, my favourite now! & I’m particularly in love with how these turned out over this beautiful red from Sally Hansen.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart everyone who has joined this nail journey with me. It means so much to see the likes, the comments, the love. It means so much & I hope you stick around to see what the next ten years brings.

🌸💗