Category: Spring

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GLAM NAILS CHALLENGE APRIL — Butterfly 🦋

Hello lovelies & happy May 1st! Can you believe we’re almost half way into this year? It’s crazy. But before I jump head first into a new month, I want to finish off Glam Nails Challenge April with the last prompt — Butterfly.

There were so many ideas that popped into my head with this prompt, but in the end I decided I wanted to do a neutral, almost naked, base with a little sparkle & shimmery butterflies. & I’m so beyond happy with the end result.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive Fast Dry Top
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Frill Seeker
  • Color Club On The List
  • Starrily Vantablack
  • Essence Violet Voltage
  • OPI My Gecko Does Tricks
  • Nailstuff.ca clear stamper & scraper set
  • Unknown stamping plate (which I bought as part of a set at Dollarama years ago.)

How pretty did these turn out. I just knew I wanted my butterflies to have a little bit of colour & I adore the shimmery purple & green together. It’s a very pretty combination. Works very well with the little bit of holographic glitter on the base shade. It’s subtle but also eye catching at the same time.

I’m kind of obsessed!

I can’t believe another month is behind us! Kind of crazy. I had so much fun with the challenge this month, & I hope you enjoyed all the manicures too!

Did you have a favourite design? Let me know in the comments below.

Happy Monday!

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GLAM NAILS CHALLENGE APRIL — Birds 🕊️

Hello lovelies & happy Wednesday! This post probably finds you late in the day — especially those of you not in North America. But this morning was a busy one, so my posting got messed up a smidge. Today, I have another prompt for Glam Nails Challenge April to share & it’s the second to last one of the challenge!

It’s almost May, how crazy is that?

Today’s prompt is birds. I looked through my stamping plates, because I wasn’t sure I was up to free handing a bird, & surprisingly I don’t really have many plates with bird images on them. BUT I did have an Essence one with a flying sparrow design, so I thought that would look pretty.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive Fast Dry Top
  • Kozmic Colours shimmery blue (no name — bought at Dollarama)
  • Kozmic Colours teal (no name — bought at Dollarama)
  • Kokie Professional Rock Star
  • Starrily Vantablack
  • Essence “Stamp It!” plate (no longer available)
  • Nailstuff.ca clear stamper & scraper set

I started off this design by creating a kind of “smoosh” design. My base shade was originally just the Kosmic Colours blue, but I found it a bit thin & patchy, so I decided a kind of marble base would look pretty. I smooshed a few other colours using my stamper & then sealed everything in with top coat. Then one by one, I stamped on the bird image, trying to give it the effect of them kind of flying. Simple, for sure, but I think over all the design turned out really cute.

What do you think of this bird design for Glam Nails Challenge April? Are you a fan of a simpler look like this?

I also have to say I enjoyed taking these pictures in my own garden, listening to all the birds finally fluttering around. Spring is such a beautiful time of year, & I’m excited about these warmer days!

Have a lovely day! ♥︎

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GLAM NAILS CHALLENGE APRIL — Rainbow 🌈

Hello lovelies & happy Monday! I hope your day is starting off beautifully. Today I’m in a great mood because I’m sharing another beautiful manicure for Glam Nails Challenge April.

& what is the next prompt? Rainbow 🌈

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive Fast Dry Top
  • Holographic Top Coat: Starrily Eclipse
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Cerulean (pinky)
  • Sinful Colours Fitspo
  • OPI Nature Strong Make my Daisy (middle)
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Fiery Island (pointer)
  • Essie Too Too Hot (thumb)

How pretty is this rainbow? I thought about hand painting a rainbow, but there is just something about a skittle design. I totally could have freehanded little white ‘s’ in the middle of each nails, & they would have been legit skittles! Simple, but effective.

Also the kiddos loved the look so much, they asked me to give them both rainbow nails! So here is a bonus shot of their fun rainbow nails. Even though I sometimes get a little on edge painting their nails — mostly because they hate sitting still — I do adore anytime they ask for me to paint their nails!

What do you think of these rainbow nails? Are you a fan of a rainbow skittle look? Let me know down in the comments below!

& just for fun: what is your favourite skittle flavour. I’m controversial because I will die on the hill that the green apple skittle was the best, especially in sour, but I know not everyone shares that opinion.

Have a lovely Monday!

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SWATCH SUNDAY — OPI Nature Strong Emflowered

pr/gifted — Features Gifted Product in Exchange for Content

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday! A beautiful sunny Spring Sunday here on the East Coast, which is lovely to see. So I thought that something bright & Springy would be perfect for this week’s Swatch Sunday post.

Today’s pick is actually a polish I’ve had in my stash since last year when I teamed up with TradeSecrets.ca & was sent some beautiful shades by them from the OPI Nature Strong line. Somehow, I completely managed to forget to share some swatches, so I thought today was the perfect day to share. Today’s pick: OPI Nature Strong Emflowered.

2 coats + OPI Nature Strong Top Coat

The formula on this shade was really easy to work with & apply. I’ve used a few of these different “natural” formulas over the years, & I’m always impressed with how you notice very little difference with these cleaner shades. It applied easily, in two coats, with full opacity. & it dried down quickly between coats as well, which is always a plus! The formula was a bit on the thinner side so I was careful not to over fill my brush, but I had no issues with cuticle flooding.

The colour of this one is definitely stunning. I love a good purple-y pink shade, & Emflowered definitely is my kind of pink. It’s vibrant & lush, & I’m kind of obsessed. Also, we’re giving off some Barbie vibes & I really like that. Maybe it’s the influence of the movie coming out soon, but I’m digging bright pinks right now.

Over all, I really like this pink, & the shades I’ve tried from the OPI Nature Strong line so far. The colours & formulas have all been spot on, & they’ve lasted pretty well on my nails, even through a long shift at work.

You can find the OPI Nature Strong line on TradeSecrets.ca, as well as a ton other OPI collections to choose from. I’ve kind of been itching to buy some new polishes, & there are a few shades calling my name (especially since @GrapeFizzNails has been sharing her own fun OPI Nature Strong shades on Instagram) so I think I might need to do a little online shopping… maybe for Mother’s Day? I’ll definitely do a haul of what I get in that case!

What do you think of this beautiful shade (or any OPI Nature Strong shades you might have tried)? Let me know down in the comments below!

Have a lovely Sunday darlings!

Products featured in this post were provided in exchanged for content. 

All thoughts are honest & my own.

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GLAM NAILS CHALLENGE APRIL — Daffodils

Good morning lovelies & happy Wednesday! I hope everyone’s week has been lovely so far. The weather has been seasonal so far, which I can’t complain about too much. & the flowers are beginning to bloom.

It’s time for the next prompt of Glam Nails Challenge April: daffodils. & I’ll be honest I was nervous, again, about this prompt. I love love love doing floral, but this was a type of flower I’d never painted before. But, you know, I think I nailed it!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive Fast Dry Top
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Glos-Sea
  • OPI Nature Strong Make My Daisy
  • Essie Fall for NYC
  • Essie Check Your Baggage
  • Essie Cliffhanger
  • ACO by Ardene Jungle Green
  • Essence Bloom Me Up! Blow My Mint
  • Essie Off Tropic
  • NailStuff.ca Mermaid Tail Brush

First off, check out this blue! I recently picked it up at Shoppers when I had some optimum points, & I’m really in love with it. It’s kind of hard to see in this lighting, but it has the prettiest pink-y shimmer in it. A fantastic colour for Spring. Also the perfect base for these beautiful yellow flowers.

Second I’m so, so proud of how these daffodils turned out. Sometimes I get self conscious when it comes to nail art I’ve never done before, but I really do love them. & it’s inspired me to do more floral again. I feel like I stopped doing florals for a while, & now that Spring is here, it’s time to pick up doing them again. Because, they really do make me so happy.

What do you think of my daffodils for Glam Nails Challenge April? Did you miss all the floral? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below.