SWATCH SUNDAY — Claire’s Khaki Green

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday! Another beautiful sunny Sunday. I know we still have a little under a month of Summer left (according to the calendar) but man oh man, do I feel the Autumn polish vibes calling. So I decided to pull out one of those more Fall-esque shades for today’s Swatch Sunday post. 🍂🍁

This is Claire’s Khaki Green.

2 coats + top coat

I’ve written before about my absolute love of Claire’s polishes, even after all these years. Working for the company really introduced my absolute nail polish obsession, especially they were always very good for duping current trends in their polish brand — like crackle, feather, etc.

Khaki Green is a beautiful olive geeen with a stunning shimmer of golden bronze that really pops on the nail, especially in the sunshine. It is definitely giving late Summer/early Autumn, & would be the perfect addition to any Fall nail polish collection. & I love how the shimmer actually shows up better on the nail than in the bottle, which I feel like is virtually unheard of (it’s usually the other way around.)

Seriously — look at that shimmer. It’s just so stunningly beautiful!

The formula on this guy was good & easy to apply. It actually had a good shiny finish, although I did add top coat to really gloss it up. Over all, a good shade from a mainstream brand that isn’t necessarily known for their nail polish. I always love when you kind find hidden gems where you wouldn’t normally think to look.

Sadly, this shade is a few years old now so (I’m guessing) no longer in rotation. But I definitely recommend checking out the shades they release, because there are always fun colours & finishes you wouldn’t expect.

What do you think of Claire’s Khaki Green? Do you like this shade of olive green with shimmer? Is this kind of colour one you would reach for come Autumn? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments below!

Happy Sunday 🖤

Autumn Colour Blocking

Hello lovelies & happy Thursday! Switching up my posting schedule a smidge this week, just as I get back into regularly doing my nails. I’m still feeling the post-covid fatigue, so nail art is a little bit more difficult.

But I’m really excited to share today’s nail art look, because I really, really love the colour combination for this one! While I’m still sticking to easier nail designs, like this colour block design, I think this one turned out absolutely perfect! It was also done completely freehand, without any other nail art brushes or tools.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Colour Grip Primer Base Coat 
  • Top Coat: Quo by ORLY Color Amp’d Top Coat
  • OPI My Address is Hollywood
  • OPI My Private Jet
  • OPI Icelanded A Bottle of OPI

I wish it had been a bit sunnier so I could have captured the scattered holographic glitter of My Private Jet, but I think these three colours compliment each other really well. & give off all the Fall vibes, to match the cooler Fall days we’ve been having. I’m really hoping I’ll be feeling a bit more like getting back into more complicated nail art soon, but in the meantime I’m okay with this simpler design.

So if you have any simple nail art suggestions, send them my way! I could use all the inspiration I can get.

What do you think of this nail art design? Do you love this colour combination as much as I do? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Autumn Floral 🌼

Hello lovelies & happy Monday!

I hope everyone is having a lovely start to their week. I’m feeling all the Autumn vibes. I had my first pumpkin spice latte, I found my favourite Halloween candy in store; I am ready for Fall to begin. So naturally, that means I’m ready for Fall manicures & nail art to begin.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Colour Grip Primer Base Coat 
  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Glossy Top Coat
  • J Cats Beauty PNP105
  • Essie Check Your Baggage
  • Essie Chocolate Cakes
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Up to Snuff
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Thyme is Money
  • NailStuff.ca Mermaid Tail Brush Trio (11mm liner brush)

It’s been way too long since I last wore some floral on my nails, & this colour combination feels perfectly Fall inspired. It even compliments my coffee cup. The base shade has been sitting in my stash for a while — I think I scored it for like 99 cents at a random pharmacy — but I’m glad I decided to randomly pull it out to wear. The colour is very, very pretty.

What do you think about this Fall floral design? Do you like this colour combination, & does it scream Autumn to you? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below.

Fall Flakie Skittle

Hello lovelies & happy Monday. It’s a beautiful chilly Monday morning here, & I’ll have to admit it… I’m loving it. Autumn is my favourite season, the Halloween decorations have started popping up in store, & it’s officially PSL release day at Starbucks on Thursday. So I think I’m ready to (fully) embrace some Fall nail polish vibes.

The other day it was a very rainy, chilled day so I decided to grab a few Autumn-ish shades from my stash for a skittlette. I bought this Color Club set from Winners (or Marshall’s… can’t remember) last year & it has a beautiful selection of colours. None of them, however, have any names. But I really wanted to pair them together, & I think this is one of my favourite Skittle designs I’ve ever done because of how beautiful they look together!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Colour Grip Primer Base Coat 
  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Glossy Top Coat
  • Color Club blue-ish grey
  • Color Club grey
  • Color Club dusty rose
  • Color Club wine
  • Color Club dark rose
  • Essie Shine of the Times

Obviously, I had to add some sparkle to this look, & there is no better sparkle to pull out this time of year than Essie Shine of the Times. It adds the most beautiful sparkle to whatever polish to apply it to, & jazzes up every manicure!

What do you think of this Autumn skittle design? Do you love these colours together as much as I do? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Autumn Fan Brush Splatter Nail Art

Hello lovelies & happy Thursday! We’re officially a full week into September, & the Autumn vibes have been strong — with the perfect early September weather to match. I’ve been fully immersing myself in all things pumpkin spice, while wearing my absolute favourite knee high boots.

So obviously, I need some nail art to match.

I’ve been rocking some serious shorties lately, thanks in part to a wicked break on my middle finger (hence why it’s so wonky). So I’ve been feeling a bit… uninspired nail art wise. One nail art look I have been loving though is splatter nails! They’re easy, fun, & I’ve never done one that I didn’t love.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Know The Espa-Drille
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Cinna-snap
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Zip Wine
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Midnight Drive
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Golden Glow
  • Fan Brush Nail Art Brush (mine was purchased at either Claire’s or Icing)

How funky are these? I just love how fun this colour combination is together, & it’s combining all the colours I love for Autumn — but on a light base. I usually go with the Saran Wrap technique for my nail art, but I thought I would try out with a fan brush, & I’m really happy with the end result. They’re just so much fun!

What do you think about these splatter nails? Do you like this fun splatter design? Let me know what Autumn nail art you’re rocking right now — or if your holding onto Summer nails as long as possible.