Vivid Stained Glass Accent Nails 💎

Hello lovelies & happy Thursday! I hope everyone has had a peaceful week so far. I know we’ve had some super sad celebrity deaths this week (RIP Dolly & Tim Curry). This year has just been brutal when it comes to icons of my childhood.

But I’m not here for sad vibes, & I’m always hoping to perk up someone’s day with some pretty nails so let’s get into it! I’ve really been trying to do some new things lately… or old things I haven’t done in a hot minute. Stained glass nails are definitely in the latter category, & I’m excited to share my latest version because I feel like these are the closest to real, true stained glass.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Strengthner
  • Top Coat: Sinful Colors Power Paint Top Coat + Essie Speed Setter
  • OPI Black Cherry Chutney
  • OPI Cyber Cherry On Top
  • OPI Y2Slay
  • OPI My Gecko Does Tricks
  • Essie Ballet Slippers
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Ghouls Night Out
  • NailStuff.ca 11mm Mermaid Tail Liner Brush

I really love these metallic shimmer nail polishes give the effect of glass, like in a stained glass window. After I started, I realized I should have tried to do some kind of design like a heart, or a flower, but I guess I’ll have to say that for next time.

But these colours look so, so beautiful together. They’re bright & colourful, which plays off well with the darkness of OPI Black Cherry Chutney. A fun look to wear at this end of Summer season. Also staring at these made me excited for more nail art looks to come — especially as we enter my favourite time of the year — the ‘Ber months! It’s the best time of year for fun nail art looks, so I’m already saving a million ideas to give a try.

What do you think about my stained glass nails? Would you look at these & know exactly what the inspiration was? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below, & what nail art trend or design you’re excited to try for Fall (I’m definitely pumped to do anything pumpkin themed. They’re one of my favourite things to paint!)

70s Groovy Autumn Vibes 🍂✨

Hello lovelies & happy Monday. It is rainy, & gloomy, & humid outside, & I’m really not enjoying it. It has me dreaming of better days — aka, Autumn. I did my best, I tried my hardest, but honestly… I just love Fall. I love everything about Fall, & I can’t wait for it to be here! I want knee high boots, tights, & plaid skirts, okay?

So I felt like some fun Autumn-esque toned nails were exactly what I needed.

I also had a horrendous break on my middle finger while opening a bin of coffee beans at work, so a bit snip was in order. But just because my nails are super duper short, doesn’t mean they can’t be cute!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Strengthner
  • Top Coat: Sinful Colors Power Paint Top Coat + Essie Speed Setter
  • Essie Bare With Me
  • Essie Home After 8
  • Essie Frilly Lillies
  • Essie Cliffhanger
  • Essie Willow in the Wind
  • NailStuff 11mm Mermaid Tail Liner Brush

I love this colour combination together too. I picked out my colours before I knew what kind of design I was going to do, but it came together so fun! The colours work together so beautifully, & it is giving both 70s wallpaper vibes, & early Autumn.

My only gripe is a I wish I had mixed up my swirls & my flowers better so they alternated, but it’s such a small thing it doesn’t take away from how fun these look.

What do you think of this Autumn inspired look, featuring my brand new super shorties? Personally I’m really happy with how these turned out — & especially the colour combination. It’s giving just enough Fall vibes to keep this girl going until she gets her hands on her very first PSL.

Happy Tuesday!

♥︎

SWATCH SUNDAY — Orly Buried Alive (2012 Dark Shadows Collection)

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! A sunny, but chilly, Sunday. The roofs are all frosted over this morning, & it’s definitely feeling like Winter lately. However, I’m just not quite feeling that holiday nail spirit yet. Usually by this time, I’m already planning Christmas manicures — but I haven’t been feeling any Christmas vibes yet this year unfortunately.

It’s Swatch Sunday, though, & I was going through my stash & found a beauty from 2012 that I don’t think I’ve ever worn! This is Orly Buried Alive from the 2012 Dark Shadows Collection.

2 coats + top coat

This beautiful shimmery chocolate brown polish is packed full of golden flakie shimmer. I am actually so sad it’s taken me this long to wear this polish, because it’s absolutely stunning! It’s the most perfect Autumn brown. It’s shimmery on its own, but then you add in that golden shimmer & it just adds the whole other dimension to it.

The formula on this one was actually really easy to use considering it’s a 10+ year old nail polish. Maybe it’s because I haven’t cracked the bottle since I bought it.

Wow! Look at that close up!

I’m actually really sad I have dropped the ball on this shade. I guess I thought “brown polish, not going to like it” but oh boy was I wrong! I love it! The application was flawless, the colour is stunning, & it’s just such a lovely Autumn shade I wouldn’t think to reach for.

What do you think about Orly Buried Alive? Do you remember this shade, or this collection? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below — I’d love to know what you think.

& if you have any tips for getting me in the holiday spirit, I will take all the ones I can get!

Happy Sunday

♥︎

SWATCH SUNDAY — Milani 17A Deep Thoughts

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday! How are we already the second Sunday into November. I should probably start thinking about Christmas shopping soon!

Today I found a super forgotten shade in my stash, that I hadn’t realized I’d never swatched! This is Milani 17A Deep Thoughts.

2 coats + top coat

Oooooh boy this is a beautiful deep, dark purple with a stunning purple/pink shimmer. It does appear darker on my nail than in the bottle—I’m scared maybe I didn’t shake it enough to get the shimmer to show up. It’s there — it’s just a little more subtle than I would like.

But, for a 13 year old polish this beauty is still looking amazing & applying amazing! I was actually really impressed with just how flawlessly the formula applied! This shade was released sometime in 2012 (according to my internet—Google—research). Sadly, Milani has since discontinued their nail polish production, which is a shame because they did it very, very well!

Close up! One of the things I love about this colour is that from far away, it almost looks black. & then when you get closer you can see it’s dark purple colour & the subtle shimmer, & it’s really just so beautiful. I’m quite obsessed with the overall package.

What do you think about Milani 17A Deep Thoughts? Do you love this deep dark purple shade? Do you remember Milani’s line of nail polishes?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below!

🖤

Jewel Toned Autumn Abstract Stripes 💎💙

Good morning lovelies & happy Monday! It’s a chilly morning here on the East Coast — I actually broke out my winter jacket. Brrrrrrr.

With Halloween now over, we’re in that inbetween nail art stage where I’m never quite sure what to paint on my nails. But I was inspired by yesterday’s Swatch Sunday post to create a beautiful jewel toned design & I’m absolutely infatuated with how they turned out.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen InstaDri Top Coat (red bottle) 
  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Cure
  • China Glaze Emerald Fitzgerald
  • China Glaze December to Remember
  • China Glaze Up All Night
  • China Glaze Glamcore
  • China Glaze Cast A Spell
  • NailStuff 11mm Mermaid Tail brush

I won’t lie — this design was kind of time consuming. But when you look at the end result, it was totally worth it! From far away, the whole design is kind of dark, but when you look at them up close you see the details of the abstract stripes & it’s such a beautiful combination.

The colours all compliment each other really nicely, & the whole design—to me—just screams November vibes.

What do you think about this jewel toned abstract stripe design? Do you love the complexity of it, & the beautiful colours? What designs call to you during the month of November?

Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

🖤