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SWATCH SUNDAY — OPI Lincoln Park After Dark

Hello lovelies & Happy Sunday. Yes, it’s happened… I’ve stumbled into the Fall polishes, & I’m not even upset about it. In fact, I’m quite giddy about it!

Today I have an exciting Swatch Sunday pick to share with you, because it is a time honoured classic OPI shade & it always happens to be a favourite Fall favourite of mine: Lincoln Park After Dark.

2 coats + Essie Speed Setter top coat

This deep purple shade is so dark it’s almost black, which is the perfect combination of witchy & vampy for the Autumn season. In the bottle you can see the dark grape-y purple tones, but on the nails it definitely pulls more black-y.

Application was pretty easy; base coat, two coats of polish, & finished with top coat. It built to even opacity, which I’m always happy about. & I’ve never had any issues with removal, which again is always a plus when it comes to a dark polish like this.

I just absolutely adore this not-black shade. It’s silky, it’s sexy, & it’s pairs perfectly with a pumpkin spice latte & my favourite Fall plaid dress.

What do you think about OPI Lincoln Park After Dark? Do you have this classic OPI shade in your collection? Have you already started pulling out the darker Autumn shades from your collection? Let me know down in the comments below!

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FASHION FRIDAY —OOTD: A Vintage Flashback

Hello lovelies & happy Friday. It’s been a while since I posted a OOTD post, so I thought it would be fun to share a new outfit post!

Recently, I’ve been going through my closet rediscovering old clothing all over again. I have the worst habit of wearing the same favourites over & over again, so I’ve been making an effort to grab shirts I haven’t worn in a long time. & today’s look is featuring a very old shirt I’ve had since my university days, & was actually my Mom’s in the 80s!

Shirt: Vintage

Jeans: Ardene High Waisted Flare Cut ( Similar ones from the Gap here)

Shoes: Ardene Strappy Sandals (similar ones here)

Earrings: Claire’s Lace Cut Gold Earrings (Similar ones here)

Not even lying, slipping into this shirt was a serious trip back to my University years (click here to see baby Shannon rocking this shirt circa 2009). This shirt used to be one of my go to shirts during those years, & I feel like I haven’t worn it nearly enough in the last 10ish years. The shirt was actually found deep in my Mom’s old clothing stash, & I think technically it was a PJ shirt. But I think it makes the most boho blouse ever, & it’s so much fun to wear!

& I think pairing it was my favourite flare jeans & gladiator sandals really completes the look. Also I’m glad flare jeans are making a comeback, because man I love them so much. They’re definitely my favourite jean style!

What do you think about this look? What item of clothing from your closet have you not grabbed in a while? Let me know in the comments! I

definitely encourage you to grab that shirt/dress/whatever from the recesses of your closet & give it a spin! It’s fun talking a trip down outfits past for sure!

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Mint & Floral 🌿🌸

Hello lovelies & Happy Thursday. It’s been a minute since my last floral design, so I thought I was more than overdue. Truthfully, this started out as just a look featuring vining, but something felt like it was missing. So I freehanded a few roses & BAM! The look was complete!

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Hard As Nails
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Thyme Is Money
  • Sally Hansen CSM One In A Melon
  • OPI Suzy Shops & Island Hops
  • Essie Stop Drop & Shop
  • Quo by Orly Diva
  • Essie After School Boy Blazer
  • Essence Black is Back
  • NailStuff.ca 4mm Micro Detail Brush (COFFEE10 saves you 10%!)
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio

You know I love a good floral — clothing, nails, phone cases. Give me all the floral! Also I really love the look of a pink floral over a pale blue or green vase — it really makes the flowers pop! Also using the micro detail brush from NailStuff really makes a difference when I’m free handing florals. The roses turned out so realistic! I’m so absolutely in love with them.

What do you think about this freehand floral? Have you missed seeing floral on my blog? Let me know down in the comments below!

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Freehand Moroccan Tile Accent Nails

Hello lovelies & Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone is enjoying the beginning to their week. Today I’m sharing a nail art look I did last week on a whim. I was just playing around with some lines, practicing, & ended up dreaming up these black & white Moroccan tile inspired accent nails.

& honestly, they turned out even more perfect than I had imagined!

  • Base Coat: OPI Nail Envy
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • L’Oréal Totally Turquoise
  • Sally Hansen CSM Let’s Snow
  • Essence Black Is Back
  • NailStuff.ca 4mm Micro Detail Brush (COFFEE10 saves you 10%!)
  • Small dotting tool (NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio)

First off, I have to be honest & say that while this L’Oréal shade Totally Turquoise is beautiful, oh boy is she a stainer upon removal. Which sucks, because she’s such a beautiful colour! Secondly, I am so so so happy with how these accent nails turned out. They’re definitely a little bit different for me, but that’s why I love them! Especially the pinky, & they totally turned out like what I imagined in my brain.

Ahhh, they look so cool! & even though my line work isn’t 100% perfect, I think it adds to the design. They looks a little rustic, which is neat!

What do you think of this accent nail design? Do you like the black & white against the turquoise? Share all your thoughts down in the comments below!

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Morgan Taylor Looking For A Wingman

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday!

I had originally had different plans for my Swatch Sunday post — I had done a couple Insta-polls asking what people wanted to see for this post, & the consensus was still Summer-y & something new… but life got in the way (aka my 1 year old refusing to sleep) so instead I grabbed an untried shade from my stash that I bought pre-COVID times. & I think today’s shade is perfect for impending Fall weather: Morgan Taylor Looking For A Wingman.

Looking For A Wingman was originally released in 2016 as part of their Fall Sweetheart Squadron Collection. The shade is a beautiful (slightly) pink leaning burgundy cream, which is absolutely perfect for Fall!

For my swatches, I did 2 coats over my base coat, plus finished it with Essie Speed Setter top coat. Usually I would use Gel Setter, as it gives the glossiest finish, but my local Shoppers was all out when I went to pick some up.

The formula was really easy to work with, & the opacity built easily in two coats with no weird patchiness. Reds always seem to be hit or miss in formula, I find, so I’m very happy when I find an easy to apply one! As you know, I’m such a sucker for a good red!

What I really like about this shade is even though I would consider this a Fall shade, the colour itself is bright enough that it works as a good transitional shade. Am I the only one who has colours she prefers for seasons? I feel like people think I’m a little strange because I have set “Spring/Summer” shades & “Fall/Winter” shades. Maybe it’s my years of retail seeping into my brain?

I did find a few places online where it appears this shade is still available including, NailPolishDirect (UK based), but a lot of the places seem be for beauty professionals, so I’m not sure how easy it is to track this shade down.

What do you think about this Morgan Taylor shade? Have you started embracing the Fall vibes? Are you dreaming about Pumpkin Spice yet? Let me know down in the comments below!