Category: throwback

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SWATCH SUNDAY — OPI Designer Series DS Classic

Hello lovelies& happy Sunday! It’s another cloudy rainy Sunday here so I decided to cheer myself up with a little holographic sparkle for this week’s Swatch Sunday post.

This is OPI Designer Series DS Classic

2 coats + top coat

This gorgeous gold holographic polish was released as part of OPI’s now discontinued Designer Series collection of nail polishes which were more extravagant than their core line — think lots of glitter, especially holographic! The polishes looked like jewels on your nails, which I’m guessing was the idea. I have a few of their shades from this collection — including DS Extravagance which I was gifted for my birthday in the beginning of my nail polish journey.

DS Classic was a shade I sought out, & actually had my local Chatters specifically order in for me because I needed it so badly.

Look at that freaking sparkle. I used my flash to really capture just how much this glitter sparkles on your nails. It’s absolutely gorgeous. & I’m so glad I added it to my collection all those years ago, because I still wear it very regularly.

What do you think of OPI Designer Series DS Classic? Do you own any of the Designer Series shades in your stash? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments below!

Happy Sunday!

🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY— Essie Viva Antigua! (Summer 2016)

Good morning, happy Sunday! It’s been a beautiful, warm & busy week for me — hence the lack of nail art posts! I was super busy at work, plus prepping for my little girls birthday party yesterday, so I had no time for any nail art at all! It’s been kind of crazy!

But today I’ve got some swatches to share of an Essie shade from 2016 that I remember I was absolutely obsessed with when I first purchased it. This is Essie Viva Antigua!

2 coats + Essie Gel Setter

This beautiful turquoise has a relatively thin formula which is perfect for showing off the glass flakes scattered throughout. It was super easy to apply, no issues with formula — which is pretty much perfect! It also dries down super quickly, even without applying your top coat.

Look at that glass flake finish! Doesn’t it just remind you of tropical waters? I was obsessed back in 2016 when I first bought this beauty, & I’m obsessed with it now. It’s such a beautiful fun colour with a very unique finish.

& it totally screams Summer, don’t you think?

What do you think about Essie Viva Antigua! from the Summer 2016 collection? Do you remember this unique fun shade, or have it in your stash? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below.

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Icing Stores Chips n Dip

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday! After some rainy & chilly days we’re finally back to beautiful sunshine, & I couldn’t be happier.

For today’s Swatch Sunday post, I decided to do some serious digging through my stash & found a very throwback shade circa 2013 (I’m guessing). I wanted something bright & vibrant & Summery, & I think that I was very successful.

This is Icing Stores Chips n Dip.

3 coats + Top Coat

This beautiful fiery coral applied in 3 thin coats, which usually would be a no for me, but because the formula is quite thin, it dried down very quickly so I didn’t have to worry about wait time — especially after applying a quick dry top coat. It’s a cruelly formula, definitely leaning more on the jelly side of that occasion which I like.

The colour is bright & I love that. I’m always drawn towards anything in the red or red leaning family, & this is a fantastic Summer option. Like could you imagine this as a pedicure colour? So perfect for the beach.

Look how bright this is! Definitely looking more on the red side in these photos, but the coral really comes through in person.

My only complaint — & it’s probably an issue due to how long I’ve owned this shade — is handle of the brushes on the bottles have kind of melted over the years so they’ve gotten really sticky & I absolutely hate it. Not sure what to do to fix the stickiness, so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know! Because I would love to use this shade (& others from this brand in the same style of bottle) but the sticky issue keeps me from reaching for them.

What do you think about Icing Stores Chips N Dip? Does this shade scream Summer to you as much as it does to me? Have you ever tried an Icing brand polish? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below.

Happy Sunday! ♥︎

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Pacific Blue (OG Formula!) 🌊💙

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! I hope you’re having a beautiful weekend. It’s been a bit of everything this weekend — rain, sunshine, wind. That’s Nova Scotia weather for you!

Today though I have a special cult classic polish to share with you that I think most will definitely recognize! This the original Sally Hansen Pacific Blue.

1 coat + Top Coat

You may remember I did a comparison post featuring this shade circa 2019, but I never realized that I hadn’t shared full swatches of it! Considering we’re coming up on ten years since the untimely formula switch of Pacific Blue, I really wanted to throw this beauty on.

For those who don’t know the backstory, in 2014 Sally Hansen reformulated the original Pacific Blue, going from the beautiful creamy cobalt blue to.. something else. & nail polish aficionados were mad. We also scrambled to find as many back up bottles of the original shade to hoard.

The formula on this shade is about as close to perfect as you can find. One coat of creamy beautiful blue goodness. Even after 10 years, it still applies flawlessly. & unlike some similar shades—*cough* Butler Please *cough*—I never have any issues with premature chipping. & it kind of makes me remember why I fell in love with nail polish & nail blogging in the first place.

Do you remember the original Pacific Blue? Do you have a bottle of this beauty in your nail polish stash? Sadly, after 10 years since of being discontinued, I think the only place you might find a bottle of the OG is on EBay, or places like Poshmark where I found a bottle of the Original formula for $20.

Have a beautiful Sunday!

🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Color Club A Warm Place

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday. I hope where ever you are, it’s been a beautiful week. We’ve had a little bit of every season this week, which always sends me into a spiral. Winter is my least favourite season, & I can’t wait for nicer days to come.

Today though, I’ve got a hot polish shade to share with you.

Color Club A Warm Place.

2 coats + no top coat

This beautiful warm red applied like a dream, for a polish that is definitely (more than) a few years old — peep that old school Color Club label! The colour is definitely more on the warm side, with a bit of a pink undertone so it compliments the olive tones in my skin well.

It had a nice shine, even without applying top coat, but obviously if I was wearing it out & about I would seal it in with a glossy top coat. I was very happy to see that it was quite opaque, & only needed 2 coats for full, solid coverage.

I picked up this bottle at my local Lawtons a while ago — they haven’t sold Color Club in years — but when looking it up online I couldn’t find much about this shade aside from a few scattered bottles for sale.

So if anyone has any information on when this shade was released, collection info, etc — let me know!

What do you think about Color Club A Warm Place? Do you love a good red as much as I do? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below! ♥️

Happy Sunday