Category: Shimmer

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Glitter Gradient Sparkle Nails ✨

Hello lovelies & happy Friday! I hope your week has been not too stressful — it was back to school week here, so it’s been busy-busy. But it’s feeling like Autumn, & I’m excited to break out my favourite Fall fashion items.

Today’s nail art look feels very Autumn to me. Give me all the shimmers & all the glitters. I love a good glitter gradient, so I really enjoy this one. Plus it gave me a chance to use the 2nd of the LA Colors Colour Shifting toppers I recently bought!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Top Coat: Essie Good To Go Top Coat
  • Base Coat: Essie Hard to Resist (purple)
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Zip Wine
  • LA Colors Color Shifting Topper Nova
  • ‘Ard As Nails Fairy Flakes

I’m obsessed with this combination. First off, Nova is a gorgeous topper which transforms a cream polish. The glitter then gives it an extra pow! & sparkle. It creates a beautiful purple-y colour. Very Autumn-y.

& of course, I got lots of compliments on this look while working, which always makes my whole day! There is nothing that makes my day more than random compliments on my nails.

What do you think about this glitter gradient? Do you love it as much as I do?! You have to let me know what you think!

Happy Friday

🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY — LA Colors Gel Color Craze Color Shifting Top Coat Retrograde

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! A beautiful sunny Sunday once again. I know I shouldn’t complain about the beautiful weather — especially since we’ve been having cooler morning & evenings which are giving me all the Autumn vibes — but we’re still desperate for rain on the East Coast with all the fires we’ve been having.

Today though, it’s all about nail polish & I’m excited because I found a new & fun shade while perusing my local Walmart! They’ve recently– in like the last year or two — started selling LA Colors & I always love checking out what new shades they have in the display. I noticed these Color Shifting Toppers the last time I was there, so I decided to pick up two of them. The first one I’m excited to share is this green to blue shifty duochrome called Retrograde.

2 coats applied over Essie Frock n Roll + Top Coat

For this application, I applied two coats of Retrograde over a dark base — in this case, I picked Essie Frock n Roll. The base of Retrograde is fairly thin, as you would want a topper to be, but it has a fun metallic duochrome effect that builds very nicely. I feel like you could almost wear a couple coats of it on it’s own, since the base layer definitely disappears beneath the topper.

The shift is also gorgeous — there are flashes on blue & green, as the main ones, but you also get purples as well. Very mermaid-y, which I love, but the jewel tone is perfect for this time of year. I’m not usually someone who reaches for green very often, as well all know (& I’ve said plenty of times) but a shade like this with the multichrome shift is definitely one I will wear. In fact, I wore this manicure for almost 5 days!

LA Colors shades retail at Walmart for $3.97 CAD — which is a pretty awesome deal! The Color Shifting Topper line has 10 shades to choose from, all with celestial names. I picked up Retrograde & Nova, but I’m definitely going to be going back for more shades! They are all such fun colours, & I love anything that can switch up shades already in my collection with a fun twist. Also, I bet these would look beautiful swirled into a drag marble design. That might have to be my next thing to try!

What do you think of LA Colors Gel Color Shifting Topper? Are you a fan of the LA Colors brand? Like I said, I love how affordable these shades are — &, like the crackle shades they’ve released, I find they’re really stepping up their game! So many fun options you can play around with.

Happy Sunday!

♥︎

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Villain-esque Half Moons

Hello loves & happy Friday! & happy first day of August — how crazy is that?

How is everyone enjoying their week so far? I’ve been enjoying the very warm temperatures while simultaneously dreaming about pumpkin spice lattes & Halloween costumes. I’m a complicated girl, what can I say. I’ve also found myself thinking about Autumn-y nails & nail designs.

Today’s look, I guess, you could call somewhat Autumn inspired. I was thinking about a red on red half moon idea… but then added some shifty top coat, & they turned into something different entirely. I’m calling them villain-esque, because they totally look the part.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Top Coat: Essie Good To Go Top Coat
  • Base Coat: China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifier
  • Butter London Saucy Jack
  • Essie Tailored By Twilight *pr
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat Moonlight
  • Paper hole reinforcements

What do you think about this combination? I really like the dark red over the light red, but the addition of the golden shimmer topper really gives it an extra something. Obviously, this look is a little dark for the hot days of August… but I’m a risk taker.

Also I will never not love a half moon manicure. It’s also reminding me I really, really need to play with my nail vinyls more. I have so many just sitting untouched in my folder, waiting to be used. I need to rectify that soon (&maybe get some new ones that are fall themed for the ‘ber months.)

What do you think about these half moons? Do you like this design as much as I do? Are you a fan of the half moons for easy nail art?

Happy Friday! Enjoy your weekend!

♥︎


	


	





		

		
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SWATCH SUNDAY — Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Garnish Attention (2018 Decadence Collection)
	


	
	

		






Hello my beauties! I hope everyone had a beautiful week. Mine was busy, busy as I started at a new cafe part time as a barista, & it’s been a while since I did that! My hands are feeling the need for a little TLC, but I think I’ll save that for another post. 





Today we’re all about the polish, & this one in particular— Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Garnish Attention from the 2018 Decadence collection. This shade was one of the limited edition shades released for the Holidays that year. 















2 coats + top coat 





This beautiful dark navy blue is enhanced with a gorgeous green shimmer. It’s kind of giving me Wicked vibes, a little bit. Or maybe like Maleficent (from Sleeping Beauty). It’s definitely feeling a bit villainy, which I adore. That’s the kind of vibe we all need going into this new year.  As for formula, first coat was definitely thin & streaky, but two builds to perfect opacity, & that’s what we like to see. 





I also had no problems with removal, & no staining. 















Look how pretty this is! That too shot just looks like some kind of rare sapphire, & I want it. Garnish Attention is absolutely stunning on the nails, even the short little nubby nails I’m currently rocking. I just love that bright greenish shimmer that comes out through the dark navy blue. 










Sadly, this beauty was a limited edition released as part of the Holiday 2018 collection, so it’s not in current rotation. But maybe if we all ask for it, Sally Hansen could bring it back (even under another name) because I believe she deserves her moment in the spotlight! 





What do you think of Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Garnish Attention? Would you wear this shade? Let me know in the comments below! 





Happy Sunday 





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SWATCH SUNDAY — OPI Cyber Cherry On Top 🍒
	


	
	

		






Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! I hope everyone is having a great start to the New Year. Mine started… roughly but I’m excited to put that all behind me, & focus on the good things that 2025 will hopefully hold — like new (to me) nail polishes. 





Today is one of those shades! This one was picked up along with last week’s polish pick, for only $5 at my local Shoppers Drug Mart on clearance. I love this time of year because you can always find past collections being cleared out to make room for the new year & new releases. Today we have OPI Cyber Cherry On Top from the Fall 2024 Metallic Mega Mix Collection. 















2 coats + top coat





Oh wow! Cyber Cherry On Top is a beautiful cherry pink-red with a fuchsia flash with a bit of micro shimmer. It’s definitely a fun not-red red option, & we all know I cannot say no to a red. & with Valentine’s Day a month away, I’m going to be all about pinks & red leading up to it. The formula was smooth & easy to apply & built to pretty good opacity with two coats. There was minimal nail line visible, but with a shade like this it doesn’t bother me as much as it used to. 





My own complaint with this shade was I found it was a tad thin, so you can easily floor your cuticles if you’re not careful. Just not one of those shades you can apply in a rush, but I honestly find that with most red polishes.















This colour! Wow, it’s just so beautiful. Is it red? Is it a hot pink? Like I don’t know but I adore it, especially with that bit of shimmer. It’s a step up from my usual red manicure.





As OPI Cyber Cherry On Top was released as part of the Fall collection, I’m not sure about its current circulation. It looks like it’s still available for sale on the OPI Website (also available in gel), as well as the TradeSecrets website (for my Canadian friends). I also found it online at Sally Beauty, so you might be able to find it in store. & of course, check the clearance sections at your local stores that sell polish, as they could be marked down.










What do you think of OPI Cyber Cherry On Top? Did you pick up this shade when it was released, & what do you think? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below, & let me know what your favourite shades to wear during January are!





Happy Sunday





♥︎