Category: Swatch Sunday

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SWATCH SUNDAY — (part of) the Essie Rocky Rose collection

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Hello lovelies & Happy Sunday! & Happy Thanksgiving weekend to my fellow Canadians–I hope you’re enjoying a lovely feast with friends & family. Today I’m very thankful for everyone who takes the time to sit & read the blog, & comment & like. I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for you guys. & I wouldn’t have the opportunities I have if it wasn’t for you guys.

Like being sent PR packages from Essie!

Today I have a couple of polishes that we’re so kindly gifted to me from Essie themselves! They sent me 4 shades from the Rocky Rose collection from this past Summer. The collection itself features 9 neutral toned shades & is described in the PR materials as “a collection that harnesses the sun-saturated grandeur of the iconic desert landscape.”

Can’t get more awesome than that!

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For my swatches, I received the shades The A-bliss, Cliff Hanger, Set in Sandstone & No Shade Here. I will add, only two of the bottles came with the actual polish names on the bottom so I’m guessing based on the other swatches I’ve seen.

Now let’s get to the swatches.

Continue reading “SWATCH SUNDAY — (part of) the Essie Rocky Rose collection”

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SWATCH SUNDAY—China Glaze Choo Choo Choose You

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Happy Sunday everyone! Can you believe it–the first week of October is finished–how crazy is that? It also means we’ve got our first Swatch for October & today I went with an older Fall polish that I just absolutely love: China Glaze Choo Choo Choose You.

If you’ve been around the blog for a while, you might remember I posted this polish over 5 years ago, so if you’re in the mood for some hilarious throwback, definitely check out that old post.

& now for an update swatch post for this gorgeous shade.

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For my swatches, I did my usual base coat, applied two coats of colour, & finished off with my go to top coat (Essie Speed Setter). Looking at my pictures though, I probably should have done three, because I can see a bit of nail line peeking through. The base is this Smokey grey, with a gorgeous bronze-y shimmer that transforms depending on which was you move your hand, with even the occasional flash of green.

It’s very pretty.

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For a 5 year old polish, the formula on this one is still as good as the day I bought it. The first coat goes on a bit streaky, as most polishes like this do, but you have almost complete opacity on the second coat. & shorter nails could definitely get away with just two, I just think it’s longer nails that might need 3 for full coverage.

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& naturally because I couldn’t help but notice the similarities between China Glaze Cowboy Bye (from the Gone West collection) & Choo Choo Choose You, I needed to pair the two side by side. Obviously Cowboy Bye has that beautiful holo scattered glitter, but I feel like the two bases of the shades are very very similar, which could explain why I love Cowbye Bye so much.

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What do you think about this shade? Do you own Choo Choo Choose You? What is your favourite older Fall shade that you return to year after year?

Let me know down below in the comments!

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SWATCH SUNDAY — OPI Black Cherry Chutney

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Hello lovelies! Today I’m keeping the Fall mood going with what could quite possibly be the most perfect dark maroon for Autumn: OPI Black Cherry Chutney.

I know everyone has their opinions on what colours & polishes call to them this time of year, but I don’t think anyone can deny that maroon is definitely an autumn shade. There are quite a few beautiful picks for this time of year (OPI Every Month is Oktoberfest is one that I see pop up a lot this time of year) & Black Cherry Chutney is one of my favourites.

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For my swatches I did a base coat, 2 coats of colour & finished with glossy top coat (Essie Gel Setter).

First coat was streaky & not full coverage at all, but with the second coat everything hit perfect opacity. The base is fairly dark, but it’s the shimmer that steals the show. Literally, this is just Fall in the bottle–you can’t deny that it is perfect for a cool October day, snuggled up in cosy socks, with a pumpkin spice latte or apple cider in hand.

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Down below, I have a macro shot of Black Cherry Chutney which shows off the raspberry shimmer.

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& for fun, a shot of this manicure in full sunshine, which is where I think it really transforms. You go from these deep vampy nails to BAM!

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What do you think about OPI Black Cherry Chutney? 🍂🍁 Do you have this polish in your stash? What shade is your “it’s Fall” polish pick? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Quo by ORLY Breathable Freudian Flip

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Good morning loves! It’s that time of week again: Swatch Sunday. & today I’ve got a brand new polish to share with you that I literally just bought from Shoppers Drug Mart: Quo by ORLY Breathable in Freudian Flip, which appears to be a brand new addition to the Quo by ORLY collection exclusive to Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada.

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For complete opacity, you’re looking at two coats of polish. & what you get is a beautiful teal metallic shimmer. I was a little nervous because metallic shades like this can sometimes have a thin formula which is hard to build up, or works best layered over dark undies, but Freudian Flip needed neither of those things. I was also pleasantly surprised that there were no glaring brush strokes when it dried.

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Of the two new metallic foil-y shades that is part of this new Quo by ORLY Breathable release, this is definitely the one I was the most excited about. So I was a little disappointed that the Duochrome shift that is so prevalent in the bottle doesn’t as show as much on the nail, at least in the light of lightbox. However, that being said, this is a seriously gorgeous polish, in a fun colour I don’t wear that often. & because it’s part of the Breathable line, I can feel good about wearing it because it’s design to be good for my nails.

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For my Canadian friends, you can currently pick up this shade at your local Shoppers Drug Mart & online at Beauty Boutique… & it’s currently on sale for $9.99! For my American friends, ORLY has their version of this shade (also named Freudian Flip FYI) which can be purchased online at their official website, NailPolishCanada & Amazon. So if you are looking at this polish thinking “Oh My God! I need it!” you are in luck because there are lots of places to buy it from!

& trust me, you definitely need this polish.

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What do you think about this polish? Are you as love in it as I am? I’m loving that Quo by ORLY has come out with some really fun shades in their Breathable line, & I can’t wait to go back & pick up the other duochrome shade I saw You’re a Gem. I’m such a sucker for these foil duochrome shades.

Let me know if you would add this polish to your collection & what was the latest polish you bought! 💎

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SWATCH SUNDAY — ORLY Plum Sugar

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Good morning lovelies & Happy Swatch Sunday! Today I pulled from deep in my stash for some deep & dark Fall inspiration.

Today I’m wearing ORLY Plum Sugar, which was originally released as part of the Spring 2015 Sugar High Collection. This shade came to me thanks to the Marshall’s clearance section, one of my favourite places to find hidden polish gems. & even though this shade was originally released as part of a Spring polish collection, to me it is the perfect Autumn polish pick!

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Plum Sugar is a super rich purple cream with a fantastic formula. For my swatches I did two coats of polish over my base, & finished everything off with a thick coat of glossy top coat (Essie Gel Setter). On the first coat, the polish was a bit streaky, but once you apply your second swipe, you have perfect opacity.

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Seriously, how gorgeous is this purple? I love a good purple polish & I’ve definitely been craving vampy shades lately. & Plum Sugar is just the perfect gateway shade for these almost-Fall days. You would have seen this pretty purple base as the background of my Fall inspired bestie twin floral that I posted yesterday. 🍂🌼🍁

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Oh gosh, I’m just absolutely obsessed with this polish! Hence why I took about 50 thousand pictures of it. I just couldn’t stop staring it at! If you’re interested in adding this shade to your collection, I found it for sale at NailPolishCanada.com, as well as on Amazon (link through my Amazon Shop).

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What is your favourite perfect purple for Fall? Have you already started breaking out the vampy shades for Fall, or are you still holding onto those last days of Summer?

Let me know what your wearing on your nails this week down in the comments below!