Hello loves & happy Sunday! I know we may be sick of the Sally Hansen x InstaDri content this week, but I’m just so excited to share the shades from this collection with you!
The Sally Hansen x Sesame Street InstaDri collection consists on 10 polishes — 4 creams, 2 glitter toppers, 2 metallic/shimmery shades, & 2 jelly glitters. It’s a great assortment of different shades brought together under one great collection. There is also a fun set of press on nails as part of their Salon Effect Perfect Manicure line (although I won’t be featuring those as part of my swatches.
Each shade is based around a corresponding Sesame Street character (or, characters) which is a fun idea. & I think all the polishes fit perfectly!
Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! It’s a bit of a chilly one here on the East Coast. It’s been feeling more & more like Fall. Although, I got to break out one of my favourite blazers this morning so I’m not complaining too much.
Today I’m excited to share a shade from my stash that I feel could go either way in terms of season — great for Summer or the cusp of Autumn. This is Essence Sea You Soon.
2 coats + top coat
I’ve been an Essence girlie for a long time. It was one of the brands that got me into the nail polish community because I would usually pick one every time I went to Shoppers Drug Mart (which is where they are sold in Canada). They did another bottle revamp last Summer, so naturally that meant I needed to add some to my collection.
Sea You Soon is a beautiful sapphire blue with lighter blue shimmer. The formula is easy to apply, thin but not runny, & reaches a nice opacity in two coats. It also dries relatively quickly, especially once top coat is applied.
The thing I like about Essence nail polish is that it’s a great core collection of colours at an affordable price point. They go for $3.99 CAD which is a good price point. It’s especially a good price point if want to pay a reasonable price for shades like white, black or neutral without overspending.
Being a nail polish addict can definitely get pricey, so it’s nice to find quality products at a price that doesn’t mean you have to skip lunch that day.
As mentioned, you can purchase Essence Nail Polish at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada — as well I do believe some Loblaws locations that have cosmetics also sometimes sell Essence. It can also be purchased direct from the website, though I’m not sure pricing on shipping.
What do you think of Essence Sea You Soon? Are you a fan of this beautiful blue? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below! & get excited because next Sunday I have the whole Sally Hansen x Sesame Street InstaDri collection to share!
Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday! I feel like it’s been a while since I did a Swatch Sunday post, even though it’s only been 2 weeks. Today I dug deep deep into the stash for a bit of an oldie shade: China Glaze High Hopes.
2 coats + top coat
According to Google, this shade was originally released as part of the Spring 2010 Up & Away Collection. I believe I purchased this bottle myself circa 2013/2014, although I’m not 100% sure. It’s been in my stash a while though.
Formula on this beauty is smooth & easy to apply. The colour is a beautiful vibrant coral that was a smidge hard to photograph accurately. But I feel like these photos capture it most accurately.
The bright colour feels perfect for Summer, but would be easy to transition into Fall by pairing it with a deep burgundy. Yes, my mind is going there. I’m trying my best not to start thinking about Autumn, but our local Dollarama has Halloween already popping up, & Halloween is my favourite season!
But back to High Hopes! This shade is lovely & the colour is a great alternative to my usual go-to red manicure that I love so much.
I did find a few listings online for this shade — Sparkle Canada has it listed for sale, as well you can find the Gelaze version on the China Glaze website. I also found an Amazon listing, but I’m not sure if it’s a secondhand seller or not. However, there are definitely a few listings floating around for this fun vibrant shade!
What do you think about this beautiful vibrant coral shade? Do you have China Glaze High Hopes in your nail polish stash?
Let me know all your thoughts, & what shade you’re currently loving this week!
Hello lovelies & happy Sunday. I hope everyone had a wonderful week — & is ready for the new month! I truly can’t believe it’s almost August. Wasn’t it just June? This Summer is definitely speeding by & I’m trying to soak in every sun soaked moment.
After a whole lot of neon, though, I thought I’d switch things up a bit with a more neutral shade. I recently picked up 2 new shades at my local Shoppers Drug Mart that were on clearance for $2! As soon as I saw this blushy neutral I knew I needed it in my collection.
2 coats + top coat
According to my internet research, Essie Bare With Me was released in 2017 as part of the Wild Nudes collection — & is now, sadly, discontinued. Online, it’s described as an apricot, but I feel it’s more pinky/blushy myself.
The formula was easy to apply & smooth, & dried down without much patchiness. I did smooth things a bit with top coat, but it does dried relatively shiny on its own. I just much prefer my nail polish with top coat.
Bare With Me is a very complimentary to my own skin tone, which I really like. It’s nice & subtle — which is not a look I tend to go for, but sometimes you just need to switch things up. I actually ended up wearing this shade for a few days with a coat of Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Moonlit Top Coat over it, & it looks absolutely gorgeous together.
Unfortunately, like I said, this shade has been discontinued— probably why I scored it for $2 — but if you do track it down it’s definitely a lovely soft shade to have in your collection. I also think it’ll make a great base for some naked, but not really naked, floral designs.
What do you think of Essie Bare With Me? Do you like a good neutral shade on occasion? What is your personal favourite neutral to wear? Let me know down in the comments below!
Hello lovelies & happy Friday! It’s a fantastic Friday here… especially since the countdown to our family vacation has officially hit one week, & I could not be more excited! It’s also been hot & beautiful this week, meaning I’m all about the neon. Good thing I reverently received a fun package from Sally Hansen, huh? I wanted to create a beautiful stained glass inspired look since the formula on the shades I received would be perfect for it… & I was not disappointed.
The polishes I used for this manicure are:
Base Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Colour Grip Primer Base Coat
Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Glossy Top Coat
I’m not going to lie, I’m absolutely obsessed with this nail art look. I wore it from Tuesday to Thursday, & was actually sad to take it off! This is not my first version of this design, but it might be my most favourite I’ve done.. at least in a while! The colours blended so beautifully together, & I think my lines turned out really good. Anytime I freehand a clean line manicure, I always feel some crazy pride!
Especially since it doesn’t always happen, haha.
What do think of this fun stained glass look? Are you feeling the neon shades this weekend? Would you wear a bright & eye-catching look like this? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!
Coffee & Nail Polish 