Category: Shoppers Drug Mart

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie Revenge’s a Beach (Summer 2022)

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday.

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend so far & that the weather, where you are, is not apocalyptic.

Today’s Swatch Sunday post is decidedly Summer appropriate. I posted last weekend about the other polish I picked up during my small Shoppers haul, & here she is: Essie Revenge’s A Beach from the Summer 2022 collection.

2 coats + top coat

I’ve been eyeing this shade in their clearance bin for a month or so, but I’ll be honest — the price wasn’t right. But when I saw it for $3 on my last visit, I knew it was coming home with me.

Formula is pretty good on this one — I could almost do one coat, but I applied a second for full coverage. It dried down a bit flat, but adding top coat gave it that glossy finish you see. The colour is a beautiful blue leaning teal that you just know needs careful removal because it’ll be a stainer. I’m still wearing this shade, so we’ll see how it goes when I attempt to remove it tonight!

It really is a beautiful colour. Definitely a little bit bluer than Essie Garden Variety & a little more teal & darker than Essie Strut Your Stuff. It also definitely appears lighter in my light box versus natural lighting. Not necessarily a colour I immediately reach for in the Summer, but I very much get the beach vibes they were aiming for.

Obviously, as this was part of last years Summer collection, availability is limited. I did find it still available on NailPolishCanada.com, & I have no doubt if you Google around you can find more. My best advice is check the clearance section at your favourite place to buy nail Polish — that’s where I usually score finds like this. It’s also possible it will pop up at your local Winners/Marshal’s, as mine always seems to get in these previous collections.

What do you think of Essie Revenge’s A Beach from the Summer 2022 collection? Are you feeling the beach vibes? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below!

Happy Sunday! 🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Pacifica Plant Magic Mermaid Tail

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday. This weekend has been a bit exhausting, but I did managed to get a brand new polish to share for this week’s Swatch Sunday.

(& one for next week too — stay tuned!)

I was perusing my local Shoppers Drug Mart & noticed that they are clearing out their section of Pacifica nail polishes. I’ve been curious about these shades for a while, but the price tag was a bit steep, so when I saw them for 50% off, I decided now was the time! & the shade I picked? No surprise there: Mermaid Tail.

2 coats + top coat

The formula on this shimmery shade is pretty thin. The first coat is almost Smokey, but the second coat definitely builds. Personally, seeing it under my light, I kind of wish I had done one more coat, just because I feel like it would have built the colour a bit more solidly.

If your nails are longer, I would definitely recommend a third coat.

The base is a deep green, with a bright turquoise shimmer. The bottle shows off a bit of purple shift too, but that never showed up on the nail sadly. However — the colour is very pretty, & I can see why it has the name Mermaid Tail. It’s very fitting.

Not a colour I would usually pick, but it is very pretty. & I like the fact it’s 16 Free, so I feel safe using it on my little girls nails (she’s who I really bought it for — she’s obsessed with all things mermaid!)

The Pacifica Plant Magic shades are currently $7.49 CAD at Shoppers Drug Mart. It’s categorized as clearance, so it definitely looks like a deal you want to take advantage of while you still can. I didn’t see Mermaid Tail listed online, but they had plenty in store, so if you have a Shoppers near you, I’d definitely check out the selection.

Have a lovely Sunday! 🖤

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Negative Space Purple Moons

Hello lovelies & happy freaking Friday! The weekend is upon us, & the end of the month is quickly approaching. I feel like May just started, & now it’s almost June? Crazy!

Today I’m showing off another fun Spring/Summer look that’s actually super easy to do. I’ve kind of been leaning back into my easier nail art, mostly because sometimes (or, a lot of the time) I’m quite tired at the end of the night when I go to do my nails. So I’ve been leaning back on go to easy nail art looks. It’s a combination of easy to do, but also super cute! The best kind of nail art.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Londontown KUR Nail Hardener & Base Coat 
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive Fast Dry Top
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri VaVa Violet**
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Glos-Sea**
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio
  • Paper Hole Reinforcements

**Both purchased at Shoppers Drug Mart & currently in stock

How cute are these two colours together? My original plan had been to use Glos-Sea as the moon, topped with Va Va Violet but it was already pretty late at night, & I was feeling sleepy, so I decided a negative space moon would look great… & I was right! I think I like it even more than if I had used the blue for my moon.

What do you think about these negative space moons? Do you like this colour combination? What is your favourite colour combination together for a look like this? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Have a happy Friday ♥︎

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Essence Violet Voltage

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! I hope the weekend is treating you well. We’ve had a beautiful one here on the East Coast & I’m so happy for sunshine!

Today’s Swatch Sunday pick is a shade I picked up last Summer when Essence revamped their line. I’m always excited when they switch things up — I own a lot of Essence shades, so I love when I can add new ones to my collection!

Today’s pick: Essence Violet Voltage.

3 coats + top coat

This semi sheer pearlescent purple has a beautiful glowing blue shine that hits at just the right angle. The formula is quite thin, which is why I did 3 coats of polish. It is a bit streaky, due to the pearlescent finish, & can show flaws on your nails if you’re not careful. I have a patch on my middle finger from a bad crack in the nail, & it shows that little bit of raise in my nail in that spot.

BUT that doesn’t stop me from enjoying this shade. That glow alone makes me fall in love every time I look at my nails.

& a macro shot of course.

This shade is definitely Y2K vibes. It also works well for glazed donut nails if you use one coat. I originally used it for my Glazed Donut Half Moons last Summer & loved how it looked!

I purchased this shade at my local Shoppers Drug Mart in their Essence display. Essence is also available on their website — although this shade is currently sold out.

In Canada, you can also buy Essence at Superstore/Loblaws. You can also buy Essence nail polish through their website as well!

What do you think about Essence Violet Voltage? Are you a fan of the Essence brand of nail polishes? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Happy Sunday!

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Sally Hansen Peeps x InstaDri 717 PEEPS Classic Chick 🐥

Hello lovelies & HAPPY EASTER! I hope the Easter bunny found you okay, & that you’re getting to enjoy some family time on this lovely Sunday. Today, I’m keeping the Easter vibes going with a nail polish I have been searching for, ever since I saw the swatches of it: The Peeps x Sally Hansen InstaDri collaboration for 2023.

If you didn’t know — Sally Hansen has once again teamed up with everyone’s favourite Easter candy for some fun nail polish vibes. & even more fun; they’re textured. I’ve been on the hunt for these polishes for weeks, but they kept seeming to allude me. I finally tracked down a display at my local Shoppers Drug Mart, but sadly it was very picked over so I was limited in my choices. I decided finally on a classic Peeps look: 717 PEEPS Classic Chick.

4 coats, no top coat.

These brand new Peeps polishes are textured, so the formula is very, very thin. Normally I would say no to any polish that requires FOUR coats of polish, but because of the thin form, it dries down very quickly, leaving you with a fun textured finish that is designed to mimic your classic Peeps marshmallow. The yellow, too, is spot on to the yellow of those Peeps chicks & bunnies, which made me super happy. The finish is also kind of semi-matte, which adds to the Peeps effect.

I was very impressed, too, by how quickly these dried. Obviously, I’m used to applying a quick dry top coat to my polish before wearing it, but where I wanted to let the textured finish show, I needed to let it dry on its own. But I had no issues with sheet marks, or smudging, even though I did these about an hour before I went to bed.

A close up of the textured finish. This is giving me 2012 textured polish vibes, & I’m not mad about it. In fact, it’s reminding me of a LA Girl Sand Blast polish I used to be obsessed with (Green Sand) & it kind of makes me wish this nail polish trend could make a resurgence.

I’m not usually a yellow kind of girl, but I actually really enjoyed wearing this polish. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this, but I started working in a candy store before Christmas, & so with Easter we’ve been selling a ton of Peeps! So it was fun comparing my nails to those classic yellow Peeps.

I think I might be a yellow girl now. At the very least, this will not be the last time I rock this yellow polish in the coming weeks.

& for fun, my nails & the freeze dried birthday cake Peep I enjoyed while at work.

Have you seen these Sally Hansen Peeps x InstaDri shades in store? Were there any you were desperate to get your hands on. I’m still kind of bummed my store was out of the pink, blue & purple shades but they did have Cotton Candy so I might have to go back & grab that one too just because I forgot how much I love textured shades!

Happy Easter loves ♥︎ I hope you have the most beautiful Sunday.