Tag: beauty trends

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SWATCH SUNDAY —Essie Gel Couture Electric Geometric (Pattern Play Collection 2022)

Contains PR

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday.

I hope everyone had a lovely week. We had quite the balmy week here; Summer is in full swing. So you know I’ve been loving pops of colour on my nails! Today’s Swatch Sunday pick is so perfect for these hot July days we’ve been having: Essie Gel Setter Electric Geometric.

2 coats + Top Coat

I was kindly gifted this beauty of a shade by Essie a few months ago, when they also sent me New Highs from the Dopamine Rush collection. Electric Geometric is a beautiful fiery red cream, that applies very smoothly on the nail. 2 coats gives you fantastic opacity, which I like in a red nail polish. It was originally released as part of the Pattern Play collection in 2022, but then became part of the core collection.

I love how poppy this colour is. Red is always my go to shade, so this one is very fun to wear. It also has like a hint of pink undertones, which gives it a slight edge to my other reds (& it pairs very well also with orange/corals for nail art.)

Look at that red!

I stand by the statement that everyone needs a few good red in their collection for good measure. & if you’re looking to add to your red collection, this is a great option. I feel like this red would look fantastic on all sorts of skin tones.

Essie Gel Couture nail polishes generally retail between $11-$16 CAD, depending on where you’re buying it from. I do really like the formula on the Gel Couture line, & while I’m not sure if it lasts longer than other nail polishes — I’m very hard on my hands at work — it’s a great formula. & the top coat is awesome & dries very quickly!

What do you think about Essie Gel Couture Electric Geometric? Do you love this poppy vibrant red as much as I do? I’d love to know all your thoughts in the comments below, & what Summer-y shade you’re currently wearing on your nails!

Enjoy the rest of your week.

♥︎

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SWATCH SUNDAY — L.A. Colors Color Craze Crackle Top Coat 🖤⚡️

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! How is everyone enjoying these last few days of June? We’re currently gearing up for the last day of school (tomorrow) in our house, & the beginning of Summer vacation. It has come so quickly!

Today I’m sharing a throwback vibe — but a currently available polish. Any of my fellow millennials will probably remember the chokehold crackle nail polish had in the early 2010s — I had every colour. So I was super excited to see it is making a resurgence. I never stopped (unironically) loving it, so whenever I see it pop up again, I can’t help but buying a bottle.

& lucky for us, L.A. Colors is bringing back crackle for us to love & enjoy!

1 thick coat

So for those who don’t remember the crackle faze of nail polish, it is a specially design nail polish that when applied over a base shade, dries down & creates a crack effect, showing the shade underneath. Lots of different brands have come out with their versions, from OPI (the first I remember) to Zoya, to Sally Hansen & Claire’s.

L.A. Colors is bring back the fun with their two Crackle Top Coats — available in black & white. I purchased mine at my local Walmart for $3.99 CAD.

As you can see, the crack effect on this pretty thick & dramatic. Depending on how much polish you have on your brush, you can have bigger thick cracks (like this) or smaller thinner cracks like this. The black polish itself is opaque, which I like. It makes the effect even more dramatic. I haven’t picked up the bottle of white yet, but I’ve heard it also is pretty opaque— so I’m curious. I used the Sally Hansen which crackle years ago, but I found it very thin so it was kind of a disappointment.

Personally, I would love to see L.A. Colors release even more shades (& finishes — like shimmers) with this crackle line. For a very affordable mainstream brand, they have some out with some beautiful finishes & styles of nail polishes, & I hope they keep them coming!

What do you think of crackle nail polish returning as a trend in 2025? Are you a fan of this style?

Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below, & if you would rock crackle again!

Happy Sunday

🖤

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Hand Painted Lilac Nail Art 💜

Hello lovelies & happy Friday! Trying to get back into my regular posting schedule, so I’m excited to share a second nail art post this week! & I’m beyond in love with today’s nail art inspiration. When walking my kids to school, I couldn’t help but notice all the lilacs in bloom — & bam, I knew just the inspiration for my nails!

I’ve done a lot of floral on my nails over the years, but I’ve never taken such a literal flower to paint on my nails. But for something I’ve never attempted before, I’m so in love with the end result. & I totally think I managed to capture the inspiration as well.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Couture Top Coat 
  • Base Coat: China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifier
  • Essie Expressie IRL
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Planet Purple
  • NailStuff.ca Holographic Top Coat *
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Heather Hue
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Violet Voltage
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Lilac Insomniac
  • Essie Wind in the Willow *
  • Essie Off Tropic *
  • Nailstuff.ca Mermaid Tail 7mm liner brush
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool 

*pr/gifted

Do you think I captured the Lilac vibe correctly? I literally had pictures of lilacs in front of me while I was painting (which I don’t usually do — I kind of just wing it), but I really wanted to capture what lilacs look like correctly.

I think while a little abstract, they really do look like lilacs. & I just love the purple on purple. It all comes together so beautifully. Plus the holo comes alive in this beautiful sunshine we’ve been having.

What do you think about these lilac nails? Do you love how they look as much as I do? Like I said, I don’t often have literal picture inspiration when painting floral on my nails, but I really wanted to capture these flowers accurately. & it was kind of fun — I might it more often!

Happy Friday!

♥︎

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Ultra HD Snap! Makin’ The Most (Trying the Butter Nails 🧈 Trend)

Hello lovelies & happy Easter. I hope no matter how you celebrate, you’re enjoying the day. & the Easter Bunny left you some goodies.

Today I’m sharing another fun Revlon Ultra HD Snap! shade. I don’t know if you’ve seen all the hype about butter nails on social media — but this shade is very on trend! This is Makin’ The Most.

2 coats + top coat

This beautiful butter yellow applied to opacity in 2 coats — although it did benefit from a layer of top coat to smooth things, as it was a bit patchy. I chalk that up to the light formula more than anything. Pastels are usually a bit more patchy than darker shades, but I definitely didn’t want to do a 3 coat as it would have just been too thick.

I’m not usually much of a yellow person (except when used in nail art designs) but I do appreciate how bright & sunny these are! They’re definitely fun to wear, especially when Spring weather is more gloomy & rainy than sunny & bright.

I can definitely understand why butter nails are all the rage. We all need a little sunshine sometimes.

Revlon Ultra HD Snap! polishes retail for $10.49 CAD at my local Shoppers Drug Mart — although they’re on sale this week for $7.99 CAD. This range has a great selection of shades, but if you’re looking to jump on the butter nails trend, this is definitely a great pick!

What do you think about this shade? Have you tried the butter nails trend yet? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Have a Hoppy Easter!

🖤