Geometric Colour Blocking (Autumn inspired)

Hello lovelies & happy Wednesday! I hope everyone is having a lovely week so far. The excessively humid heat we’ve been having here seems to have broken, & the weather has that hint of Fall weather that always starts around the end of August.

I’m so ready for Sweaters, scarves & my favourite knee high boots.

& Fall nail art, of course.

I’m already making plans for September nail art & joining in for next month’s Glam Nail Art Challenge. But, in the mean time, I’m feeling a little more creative than I’ve felt most of this Summer. & today’s nail art look is a fun nail art look that makes me feel like old school nail art Shannon (circe 2015-2016).

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Quo Beauty Tint of Mint
  • Quo Beauty Whistler
  • Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Zip Wine
  • Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Petal to the Metal
  • NailStuff.ca 4mm Micro Detail Brush

Okay, so I’m obsessed. Originally this look started off as just a Autumn themed colour block, but I felt like something was missing — which happens a lot. I added an outline of the rose gold (Petal to the Metal) & then decided to get risky & add a few chevrons over the mint. It looked so good, I did the same thing on the block of grey, & tada! Freehand nail art perfection!

& all done completely freehand.

What do you think of this Autumn toned geometric colour block? Are you feeling the Autumn shades yet, or are your strictly Summer until September? Let me know what you think, & what nail art/nail polish collections you’re looking forward to this upcoming season!

SWATCH SUNDAY — OPI First Date at the Golden Gate

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! I hope everyone is having a lovely & enjoyable weekend. I’m excited because I’m really embracing all the Autumn vibes with today’s Swatch Sunday pick. I know, I know… it’s still Summer. But my pumpkin spice loving heart is ready for more, & today’s polish pick is definitely filling the void.

Today I’m rocking OPI First Date at the Golden Gate which was originally released as part of the 2013 Fall/Winter collection (so perfect for Fall almost 9 years later!) This shade came to me during a Chatters sale, although I can’t exactly remember. The bottle is dusty though, so she’s definitely been around a while.

3 coats, no top coat.

The formula on this shade is soft & smooth, & applied to the nail easily. I did have to go with 3 coats of polish, as it was a bit on the thin side, but they dried surprisingly fast. This is always a bonus when you have to apply anything more than 2 coats.

I also like how syrup-y the finish looks, even without top coat.

The colour of this one seems absolutely perfect for Fall & I can’t believe I haven’t really reached for it much this time of year. First, it’s a not-quite-red — & we all know I adore read nail polish! But the shade has this burnt quality, with brown undertones, which reminds me of when the leaves shift around the end of September, beginning of October.

& that’s my favourite time of year!

What do you think about OPI First Date at the Golden Gate? Do you have this beauty in your collection? Do you enjoy me posting these throwback Fall collection shades? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below!

Stamped Red Sparkly Nails (Autumn Vibes)

Hello lovelies & happy Tuesday! I hope everyone is having a lovely start to their week, & it’s not too hard wherever you are. Today is the first day in a while that actually feels not unbearably hot — at least it does early in the morning as I write this! & even though I love love love the heat, I’m excited for a cooler day because its giving me Fall vibes, & I’m already wishing for those cooler days of boots, tights & lots of layers!

But since we still have a few weeks before it will even begin to feel cool enough to wear tights with my dresses, I guess I will need to fill my Autumn vibes with nail polish & nail art.

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 Red Handed
  • Quo Beauty FX Shimmer & Shine
  • Essence Shine, Last & Go Into the Unknown
  • Born Pretty Store stamping plate BP-L006 (no longer available)
  • Nailstuff.ca clear stamper & scraper set

Oh man, I am enjoying this look.

Originally I had painted my nails red, adding the sparkle, but I felt like I wanted to jazz them up a bit, & it had been a while since I did any stamping! I thought navy blue would be just enough darkness so a subtle transition manicure between Summer & Fall, & I was right. It gives me just enough of a Autumn feel, without going full on. Although I’m drinking maple pumpkin in my coffee as I write this, so I’m not really scared to go full tilt into all the Fall colours!

I also have a stamping plate I bought last year for Autumn/Thanksgiving that I never got a chance to use, so I’m pumped to be able to pull it out this year!

What do you think about this nail art look? Are you ready for all the Fall polish/nail art content? Let me know what you think, & what colours you’re excited to wear in the upcoming season!

Autumn Plaid 🍂🍁

Hello lovelies & happy Wednesday! & happy first day of Fall! It’s true — Summer is officially over. Which means we are just that much closer to Halloween.

Today I thought I would celebrate the occasion with some plaid nails. This has basically become a yearly tradition (in fact, I posted another plaid on this date last year), & this year I decided on some neutral toned plaid.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie First Base
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive
  • China Glaze The Snuggle is Real
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Get Mod
  • Starrily Vantablack
  • Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Zip Wine
  • Color Club Art Club Pink Pastel
  • NailStuff.ca 16mm Striper Brush

I decided to go with China Glaze The Snuggle Is Real for my base shade, because bit is such a lovely neutral, & then added the little bits of pink & maroon for accents. I think this colour scheme is a perfect every day plaid look, & I got so many compliments on it when I wore it to work! It was very exciting.

What do you think about this plaid look? Do you enjoy plaid nails for Fall? What plans do you have to celebrate Autumn? Let me know in the comments below!

Glam Nails Challenge September — Scarecrow

Hello lovelies & Happy Tuesday!

Haha I’m totally thrown off because of the holiday yesterday, & prepping for my little guy’s first day of school today! That’s the reason why this design is a few days late. But I’m super excited for these scarecrow inspired nails for the next Glam Nails Challenge prompt — I’m so about Fall right now, & these nails scream Fall to me! I’ve been absolutely loving all the Autumn shades I’ve recently picked up, so I loved combining them all into one design.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie First Base
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive
  • Sinful Colours Essenchills Chamomile Calm
  • China Glaze Spice To Meet You
  • Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Cinnasnap
  • Essie Get Your Groove On
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Blacky-O
  • NailStuff.ca 16mm Striper Brush
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio

I’m so excited with how this look turned out! The colours go so well together, & I feel like they give off Scarecrow vibes from the combination. I’ll be honest, it’s been a while since I’ve been up close & personal with a scarecrow, but I felt like these orange-y & yellow tones really worked for the look. Also, there was no way I was going to be able to successfully freehand a scarecrow. But over all I’m so beyond happy with the end result!

What do you think about these scarecrow inspired nails? Are you following along with Glam Nails Challenge September? Are you excited about all the designs this month?

I’m really, really pumped for all the designs, so you definitely need to tuned!