Category: Swatch Sunday

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SWATCH SUNDAY — L’Oréal Paris Le Vernis à l’Huile by Colour Riche 554 Carmin Parisien

Hello lovelies & Happy Sunday. It’s been a busy weekend, but I can’t start a new week without a Swatch Sunday post. Quite honestly, I think they’re the most viewed posts that the blog gets, so we’ve got to keep them going!

I’ve been on a nostalgia kick this week, & that means I’ve been looking at lots of old photos. & you know what was a constant trend in my pre-nail art days? Red nail polish!

As I’ve mentioned, oh a million times, red nail polish used to be my signature during my University years — unless of course I was feeling broody, in which case I would break out the black. & even though my nail polish collection has expanded considerably over the years, red nail polish still holds my heart. Which is why I was excited to pull another red beauty from my stash to share: L’Oréal Paris Le Vernis à l’Huile by Colour Riche 554 Carmin Parisien.

2 coats + Essie Speed Setter Top Coat

Oh man, this is a beautiful cool toned red. The formula on this shade is really, really smooth which is lovely, & fairly opaque—I did two coats for full coverage, & I had no hint of visible nail line or anything. Very impressive!

I do find the colour brings out a bit of my yellow undertones, but I don’t mind it so much. As such, this is probably a red I would reach for more in the Autumn months, just as I feel the colour is a bit more suited to the cooler days. When it comes to Summer, I usually go for more orange-y/coral leaning reds as they compliment & enhance my tan a bit more.

This shade isn’t super vampy, but I do consider it a very “classy” red, if that makes sense. It has a nice creamy finish that just feels very luxurious. Plus I really like that the Color Riche line of L’Oréal polishes (or whatever the full name is) has oils infused into it. Because, when you polish your nails as much as I do, you’ll take any chance to give your nails some extra love.

What do you think of L’Oréal Color Riche 554 Carmin Parisien? Do you love a good red nail polish as much as I do? Would you be interested in seeing a post featuring my all time favourite red nail polishes? Let me know in the comments below!

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie Cacti On The Prize🌵

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! Hope everyone’s weekend is off to a lovely start. Today I have a fun swatch post that was a spur of the moment polish buy — Essie Cacti on the Prize from the Spring 2021 collection!

I found this shade on $2 clearance during a late night Shoppers trip. I had been eyeing it when it first popped up, since the name made me so happy, but didn’t end up getting around to buying it. But when I saw it sitting all lonely with the rest of the clearance cosmetics (& at only $2) I knew it needed to be mine!

2 coats + Essie Speed Setter Top Coat

First off, formula on this shade is actually pretty stellar. 2 coats builds a creamy, glossy base that has no patchiness what-so-ever. I was very, very impressed! Plus the new wider Essie brush means you very easily get the whole nail in minimal swipes. Always a very good thing in my books!

The shade itself is this beautiful muted green, with a bit of yellow undertones. You can definitely feel the desert vibes this shade (& collection) was going for. It’s not a super lush green, but oh man am I absolutely in love with it. In the bottle, I was a little unsure about whether or not I would love the colour on me… but as soon as I put it on I realized I’d been missing out!

I feel like lately I’ve been falling more & more in love with green polish. It used to be “out of my comfort zone”, but I’ve been choosing it more & more lately. Maybe it turns out, I’m a green nail polish girl after all!

What do you think about Essie Cacti on the Prize? Have you ever bought a nail polish strictly for the name? Let me know down in the comments below!

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Beyond The Nail Mermaids of The World Collection (Summer 2021)

{PR Sample/Gifted}

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! I apologize about my radio silence the last week or so—my mum & dad were visiting after 9 months of being away, so when I wasn’t working, I was spending my time with them which meant that my nails took a bit of a back seat. But I’m super excited because I have a brand new collection to share with you from Beyond the Nail: their Summer 2021 Mermaids of the World collection!

This brand new collection is made up of 6 beautiful & super glittery shades, all inspired by bodies of water around the world.

Continue reading “SWATCH SUNDAY — Beyond The Nail Mermaids of The World Collection (Summer 2021)”
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SWATCH SUNDAY — Pucker Up (Summer 2021 collection)

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday!

Another week has gone by, & somehow we’re almost in July? Half way through 2021… how did that happen? That means we’re in full Summer mode, which means I’m in full give-me-all-the-bright-nail-polish-now mode. So I thought I would actually share a fun, Summery shade that is actually from this year: Essie Pucker Up from the Summer 2021 collection. As you might remember I was gifted this beautiful shade as part of the National Nail Polish Day PR package I received, but haven’t had a chance (okay, I kept forgetting…) to share the shade until now!

2 coats + Essie Speed Setter top coat

How to describe this polish… so this beautiful bright coral leaning pink which is a pop of colour. My favourite part of, though, is this fuchsia shimmer. The colour is blindingly bright, which makes me happy in ways I can’t even describe. Like, you need sunglasses while staring at your nails. However, this is also one of those shades that looks very different depending on what light you look at it in–under my daytime light, you definitely get more of that fiery coral shade, but if you are taking pictures outside, in indirect light, then you’re going to see more of that fuchsia undertones.

Over all, the formula was pretty easy to work with. 2 easy coats, with a little bit of Speed Setter (because it was 11:30 at night 1am, & I was going to bed right after). The shade itself is very bright, & reminds me a bit of Ardene 80s Prom Dress which I swatched here, only more poppy. Obviously, being from Essie & not like 6 years old, means you can totally snag this beauty for yourself!

What do you think about Pucker Up from the Summer 2021 collection? Are you feeling these Summer vibes? What shade are you living for right now? Let me know in the comments below.

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Beatnik

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend. Mine has been very busy, to say the least, but I always find (a little) time for nail polish!

Today’s Swatch Sunday post is a throwback shade that I picked up a few years ago: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Beatnik. It was originally released in 2015 as part of the Boho collection, but I think it became a part of the permanent collection after that.

2 coats, no top coat.

The formula on Beatnik was really smooth & easy to apply. All I needed was two coats for full opacity, which is always something I love in a nail polish — especially when I’m short on time, like I have been lately. I’m also really digging this darker shade for some reason. I know I should be all about the neon, but these darker jewel tones are just calling to me. It’s a nice change from the lighter shades I’ve been wearing a lot lately.

As I mentioned, this is 2 coats without top coat. I did end up adding a coat of the Miracle Gel Top Coat for my actually wear (along with some simply nail art) which always helps with the wear. My nails get beat up bad right now while working (especially because I’m working 10+ hour days) so I need all the extra nail power I can use.

What do you think about this blue shade? Are you a fan of Sally Hansen Beatnik? What shades are you wearing on your nails right now? Let me know in the comments below!