Category: throwback

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Throwback Blue Dotticure

Good morning lovelies & happy Wednesday. I feel like it’s been a while since I did a Wednesday post. The last couple months have thrown my usual posting schedule all out of whack, but I’m really trying to get back to regular programming. (That includes regularly painting nail art on my nails instead of just wearing a single colour.)

Today’s look is another throw back to the early days of my blog, when I didn’t know much about nail art (or how to do it) but I did love polka dots. You can never go wrong with a polka dot design, so that’s what we’re rocking today!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter Top Coat 
  • Base Coat: China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifier
  • Essie Bikini So Teeny
  • Madam Glam Nail Art Pen Black *pr
  • Madam Glam Nail Art Pen White *pr
  • Madam Glam Nail Art Pen Silver *pr

Look how cute these perfect little polka dots turned out! It’s been a few months since Madam Glam so graciously sent me their nail art pens, & I just adore how easy they make polka dots nails. I’m still trying to perfect other nail art with them, but I can’t recommend them enough for creating perfect little polka dots like for this gradient dotticure. Plus — you don’t have to worry about cleaning off your dotting tool between colours.

What do you think of my gradient dotticure look? Do you love the throwback as much as I do? Do you remember when polka dot designs were the most popular look I would show off on my blog? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

♥︎

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Layla Cosmetics Hologram Effect 08 Flash Black

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday. & happy Father’s Day to those who are celebrating those Dad figures in their lives.

Today’s Swatch Sunday post is another beauty pulled straight from my stash. Years ago, my local Lawton’s Drugs used to have a crazy selection when it came to their clearance nail polish. Honestly, it was my favourite place to shop because you could always find something new & different to you (it’s one of the first places I ever found Color Club). They also used to sell a ton of shades by the brand Layla Cosmetics, which is a European brand.

Today’s polish is from the height of the initial holographic craze, circa 2014/2015 or so — although I found blog posts dating back to 2012. This is Layla Cosmetics Hologram Effect 08 Flash Back.

2 coats + Top Coat

This beautiful liner holographic nail polish is a stunning dark grey (I wouldn’t quite call it black) with a very strong & beautiful liner holograph effect. The formula was smooth & easy to apply — especially for a nail polish that is over a decade old.

The trick with holographic shades like this, is you really have to make sure your first coat is dry-dry before attempting a second coat, other wise it can drag up your first coat. But other than that, I have 0 negatives about this shade. I have 3 or 4 others from this collection, & I just love them all. They were my first real introduction to liner holographic nail polish.

Sunny days were just meant for holographic nail polishes. Look at those rainbows! 🌈

Do you remember this line of nail polishes by Layla Cosmetics — or any of their interesting polishes. I loved finding them in the clearance because they were usually $3-$4 & they had so many cool ones — thermals, spotted, etc.

What do you think about this holographic shade? Do you think it’s as fun as I do? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY — China Glaze Bizarre Blurple (2014 Halloween “Wicked” Collection)

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! It’s another rainy one here — which seems to be the trend for weekends lately. But that’s okay because it’s also National Nail Polish Day & I’m super excited to show off one of — if not my absolute — favourite nail polishes of all time.

This is China Glaze Bizarre Blurple.

2 coats + top coat

How do I describe this beautiful shimmery purple? It’s literally magical. The base is a super deep dark purple, but it is packed with this shimmery blue that gives it this incredible sparkle. & the name is so much fun — Bizarre Blurple. This is one of those shades I can just wear anytime, & it makes me so happy.

According to my Internet sleuthing skills, this shade was originally released as a part of the 2014 Halloween “Wicked” collection, so it was limited edition. My bottle was scored on clearance at my local Chatters sometime there after, during the beginnings of my nail polish obsession — so the bottle is well over 10 years old. But it still applies like magic, even if I only have about a 1/3 of a bottle left.

So I cherish it & don’t waste a single drop!

But seeing as it’s National Nail Polish Day, what better occasion to show off this beauty that means so much to me. Now, if only China Glaze could bring it back for another spin — I promise I would buy at least 5 bottles as back ups!

What do you think of this Blurple beauty? What nail polish is your number one love? We all have that special polish that is our favourite, & I love knowing the stories behind other peoples so please share down in the comments below!

🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Essence Shine, Last & Go 13 Legally Pink

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday. Well, at the very least — it’s a very rainy Sunday here. Hopefully all these April showers bring some beautiful May flowers because… I’m over it. God, I’m so over it.

But today I have another shade from the stash to share for Swatch Sunday. So many polishes from years past I’ve never shared, so I’ve been really trying to post them for you more often! Today’s pick is from Essence’s Shine Last & Go line, which (I think) was their previous nail Polish line to the current reformat.

This is Legally Pink.

2 coats + top coat

We all know I am a humongous fan of Essence Nail Polish, especially with it being affordable & so easy to grab (the Shoppers is literally in my back yard basically). So I’ve accumulated a few dozen over the years.

Legally Pink is a creamy vibrant coral pink, which — depending on the lighting — can lean very pink or more on the coral side. It is a fiery Spring pink for sure, which is probably why I bought it in the first place. Formula is smooth, & easy to apply & has a nice solid finish in two coats without looking chunky on the nail. It dried down quickly, & I finished it all off with some quick dry top coat as I was wearing it for the next day.

See what I mean about the colour shifting. In the top photo you can see how it looks coral (borderline red) on two nails, then leaning more pink on two nails. When I say this shade was so freaking impossible to photograph true to colour, you can see why. But it really, truly is just gorgeous & Summer-y so we’ll forgive her for not wanting to get her photograph taken!

Because this shade is 5 or 6 years old, she’s not available in stores where Essence is sold. I did see a few listings online for old bottles, so if you really want it, you could definitely seek it out!

What do you think of Essence 13 Legally Pink? Are you a fan of Essence’s line of nail polishes. Give me all your comments & thoughts down below — & let me know what your favourite line of affordable nail polish is!

Happy Sunday

🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie Starry Starry Night (2016 Re-release) 🌌🌠

Hello loves & happy Sunday. It’s a rainy, miserable Sunday here but I guess it beats snow. Today I decided to take a little trip to the past… all the way back to early 2016 when life was just simpler & all the crazy in the world seemed manageable.

Today’s Swatch Sunday pick is Essie Starry Starry Night from the 2016 Retro Revival Collection.

2 coats + 2 coats top coat

I’ll start off with this shade has definitely had a hard go since I bought it in 2016. While I have lots of shades over a decade old that apply perfectly, this was took some trick & finese to get a good looking application (& top coat… lots of top coat.) A little polish thinner, & I feel like she will be back to normal again.

The polish itself is a dark navy jelly base, with small silver glitters layered inside. The coats are thin enough that the glitter still peaks through, even with multiple coats.

I really like this colour & layered glitter look, which was why I originally bought it. I had no experience with the previous (original) version of this shade, but saw later people were upset about how different it was. Here is a great comparison post of the two different shades. While I love the revival version, I can see why lovers of the original could be upset, especially with change in colour & glitter size.

Do you remember this Essie shade? I kind of wish they had kept this one around rather than making it a limited edition release, but I suppose that’s how they build hype. I just find it so much more fun than a lot of the shades you see in the core collection.

What do you think? Should Essie bring this shade back (again)? Let me know what you think down in the comments below.

Happy Sunday

🖤