Teal & Blue Colour Block French Manicure

Good morning loves & happy Thursday. It’s almost the weekend!

I hope everyone’s week is not too crazy. I’ve just been wistfully sitting here, wishing for Spring. Every time I look at the dresses in my closet, I can’t help but wonder… how much longer? So I decided another bright & colourful manicure was in order. But… I’ll be honest. I’ve been very wrapped up in all the Vanderpump Rules drama going on, so I also needed something not too involved.

So naturally I decided a bright & colourful colour block French design would be perfect. Quick, easy, & gorgeous!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel X FRIENDS The One With The Teal (PR/gifted)
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Beatnik

Okay, so I did this look completely 100% freehand, & even I can’t believe how clean & straight I managed these lines. Also, I really like the kind of asymmetrical look of this design, as opposed to my usual (similar) colour block looks. But the colours — the colours are definitely my favourite part. This pop of colour is exactly what I needed, & I didn’t even realize it. I’m obsessed.

It’s just a really fun, easy look with an endless possibility of colour combinations. I’m so happy with how they turned out.

What do you think about this colour block French manicure look? Do you think this is a great design & pop of colour for Spring? I’d love to know what colour combination you would choose for this look, so let me know down in the comments below!

Have a lovely Thursday! ♥︎

SWATCH SUNDAY — Quo Beauty Green With Envy

Good morning lovelies, & happy first official Sunday of December! It’s time.

Every year, I try & find shades that are Christmas-y/seasonal to share during my December Swatch Sunday posts. I’m going to be honest — I don’t have as many Christmas collections as I thought I did, so I’ve started having to get creative with my picks. Also, I definitely plan on making my way to the Chatters by my work day to see if they have any new collections to check out.

This week’s pick is a relatively new shade from Quo Beauty: Green with Envy.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Quo Beauty brand, it’s the in-house brand for the Canadian Pharmacy Shoppers Drug Mart. The collections range in price between $12.49 CAD to $13.99 CAD depending on the finish, but they do semi-frequently go on sale which will usually save you a few dollars. I also love to wait for when the Quo Beauty nail polishes go on clearance, because I’ve scored shades for anywhere between $1-$3 before!

2 coats, no top coat.

First coat went on surprisingly thin, especially for a matte polish — I always find matte shades have relatively thicker formulas, but this one left a little to be desired on the first coat. Second coat, though, left me with perfect opacity, & full nail coverage.

Dry time, like most matte shades, was pretty quick, I like the soft finish with little bit of shimmer giving that velvet effect. The whole combination gives Green with Envy the effect of a beauty velvet Christmas dress, like the matching ones my Mom used to dress me & my sister in when we kids. Hence why I picked it for this week’s Swatch Sunday pick.

What do you think of Quo Beauty Green with Envy? Do you like these kind of velvet effect matte polishes for the holiday season? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below, & if you’ve tried any of the Quo Beauty nail polishes before. Also — if you can think of any 2022 holiday shades I must track down to swatch for this year, let me know! Still on the hunt for the Sally Hansen Merry & Bright shades I didn’t get to swatch yet, but they seem to be the most popular ones.

Happy Sunday loves!

SWATCH SUNDAY — Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Merry & Bright Collection (Holiday 2022)

PR — Features Gifted Product

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday!

Can you believe it’s already the 20th of November? Like… it’s almost December! This year is almost over. Which means it’s my favourite time of year — Holiday nail polish collection time! & I was super excited, & grateful, because my besties over at Sally Hansen were kind enough to send me 4 of the beautiful shades from the new Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Merry & Bright Collection for Holiday 2022. They also sent me a gorgeous gold & green stone happy face bracelet which I’m absolutely loving.

But let’s get onto the swatches, shall we?

Continue reading “SWATCH SUNDAY — Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Merry & Bright Collection (Holiday 2022)”

Shimmery Subtle Ruffian Nails

PR — Features Gifted Product

Hello beauties & happy Thursday. Hope everyone is having a good week so far. I had a very exciting week because I received the most amazing PR package from Sally Hansen Canada featuring 4 shades from their Miracle Gel Holiday 2022 collection. I’m sure I’ve said it before, but Sally probably makes my favourite Holiday collections, & I always feel so lucky when I receive any PR from them this time of year.

I have a fun unboxing Reel on my Instagram if anyone wants a sneak peak. Swatches are coming this Sunday!

In the meantime, I had to try out one of the shades I received, & decided to use as the base for this shimmery, & subtle, ruffian nails.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-chip Top Coat
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Shine Bright Like a Menorah (Merry & Bright Holiday 2022 collection) •pr sample•
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Garnish Attention
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Unicorn Top Coat

Another super simple look that has a very striking effect — that would be perfect holiday party nails. Listen, I don’t have a holiday party to go to, but that doesn’t mean my nails can’t look like I do! & I know lots of people do, & will be looking for nail polish/art ideas.

The most difficult part of these is getting that second rounded swipe. I find the Miracle Gel brushes can be a bit trickier for that, but only because my nails are pretty thin & small, & they are very wide so they almost cover too much of the nail! Just takes a bit of practice, but if you get it right… well, it looks pretty beautiful. & the subtle ruffian effect is a perfect touch of nail art. You could also do the opposite, & put the glitter as the base, which would also have a similar peek-a-boo subtle look.

What do you think about this subtle shimmery ruffian look? I really like how the combination turned out, & it’s a fun look to wear! If there is one thing about the cold, dark months of late-Autumn/Winter I enjoy, it’s that there is no better time to pull out all the pretty dark sparkly shades that have been hiding in my stash untouched for months! So expect a lot more shimmer & sparkle on this blog!

It’s long overdue.

Have a fantastic Thursday!

Crystal Drag Marble (featuring Black Dahlia Lacquer Frozen Twilight & Winter Dusk)

PR

Features Gifted Product in Exchange for Content

Good morning lovelies & happy Tuesday! I hope everyone’s week is off to a not too stressful start. Today I’m excited because I’m sharing a stunning nail art look that I’m really, really excited about using the beautiful shades from Sunday’s Swatch Sunday post.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Black Dahlia Lacquer Frozen Twilight (NailStuff.ca exclusive)
  • Black Dahlia Lacquer Winter Dusk (NailStuff.ca exclusive)
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio — I used the thinnest one to make it easiest to create my drag marble

Look at the close up! I adore the look of Frozen Twilight against Winter Dusk.

I’m not going to lie — I was a bit nervous about how well these two shades were going to marble together. & quite honestly, this might be the most successful (& beautiful!) drag marble I’ve done in longer than I can remember. It sort of reminds me of when you find rocks that have geodes & crystals running through them.

It just turned out so pretty!

The jelly formula on Frozen Twilight being a bit on the thinner side meant it was also a lot easier to get the polishes swirling without things starting to dry too quickly. Nothing worse than trying to do a drag marble, & your polishes are drying as your trying to marble them! Then you get weird bald patches & have to start over. Ugh, the worst! But these two shades marbled together like a dream & I’m super happy with the end result.

What do you think about this drag marble featuring Frozen Twilight & Winter Dusk? Do you like how I paired these two shades together? Do you love the Autumn vibes that these shades are giving off? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Products featured in this post were provided in exchanged for content.  All thoughts are honest & my own.