SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie Gel Couture New Highs 💙(Dopamine Rush Collection 2025)

PR/Gifted

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday. Unfortunately, it’s a pretty blah rainy Sunday (again). But I thought I would punch things up with a fun Essie colour I was recently sent for PR! This is Essie New Highs from the newly released 2025 Gel Couture Dopamine Rush collection.

2 coats + Essie Gel Couture Top Coat

Described as a “Ultramarine” Blue on the Essie website, I feel like this blue is much more exciting on the nail than in the bottle. The formula is on the thinner side, so two coats was a must for opacity. The formula dries quickly, but an added coat of top coat gave it a more plush finish.

The colour is really nice. It’s not a navy, but it’s not a cobalt. It feels bright, even though it’s on the darker spectrum of blue shades. & I quite enjoy it! Also, looking at the rest of the shades in the collection, I might have to search out a couple more to add to my stash.

Essie Gel Couture shades are available anywhere you buy Essie, ranging in price from $11.49 CAD to $16.49 CAD (when not on sale).

What do you think of Essie Gel Couture New Highs? Are you a fan of this vibrant blue? What are your thoughts on the Essie Gel Couture line? I was definitely late to trying it, but I’m a huge fan of the formula & love all the colours I own! & I especially adore the top coat! It has a great lasting quality & dries quickly.

Let me know what you think down in the comments below!

Enjoy your Sunday!

🖤

Neon Glitter Gradient 🕶️

Hello lovelies & happy Wednesday! Did everyone survive the holiday & all that chocolate! My kids had chocolate for breakfast a few mornings but now we’re back to normalcy.

Today I’m showing off some very bright & very vibrant nails. The sun was shining, so naturally I needed a manicure to match. & you know what that means — neon! 🕶️☀️

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Couture Top Coat 
  • Base Coat: China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifier
  • ORLY Put The Top Down
  • ACO by Ardene What DaFaq

Don’t these just scream Summer vibes? While the weather hasn’t quite felt like Summer — there has been a lot of rain this month — a couple sunny days just make me hopeful for the months to come. Just give me some sunshine, plus 20 degree days (Celsius) & I will be a very happy girl.

What do you think about this neon glitter gradient? Is it giving you some much needed Summer vibes as well? Let me know what you think down in the comments below!

& tell me what your favourite summer activities are!

Happy Wednesday

SWATCH SUNDAY — Revlon Ultra HD Snap Blue My Mind

Hello lovelies & happy sunny Sunday ☀️

It’s a beautiful Spring-y day here on the East Coast, which is good because I’m pretty sure we have a bunch of nasty weather heading our way. So naturally, I needed something bright & beautiful to wear on my nails.

I picked up a couple of the Revlon Ultra Snap HD shades last year (I think) but I haven’t really pulled them out to wear. But I thought this bright blue would be the perfect shade to show off. This is Blue My Mind.

2 coats + Top Coat

First thing I noticed about this shade is the formula is really smooth, & really easy to apply. It’s thick enough it doesn’t flood your cuticles but thin enough it applies smoothly on the nail. The formula boasts a quick dry time, too, which I love. I did apply top coat over it, but even without it did seem to be pretty speedy on drying.

This colour reminds me a lot of Essie In My Cab-Ana, which is one of my favourite Essie blues of all time. I just love a bright blue!

Revlon Ultra HD Snap shades are available wherever you buy your nail polishes. Mine were purchased at my local Shoppers Drug Mart & they retail for $10.49 CAD when not on sale.

What do you think of this bright & beautiful blue? Does this shade made you think of Sunny days too? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Happy Sunday

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Dark Blue & Pink Glitter Gradient ✨

Good morning loves & happy Tuesday. A chilly, cold, wet January Tuesday. But crazily enough, this month is almost over! So hard to believe that February is almost here, & in turn, lots of Valentine’s Day looks. Well, at least a few.

Today though, I’m keeping with the bit of a blue trend I’ve been feeling this month with a quick & easy glitter gradient. Working two jobs has meant less time for fun nail art, & I’m still working on finding a good balance so I have “Me time” for nail art! (I’m desperately craving some floral on my nails, I just need the time & energy.)

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: NailStuff Essentials Base Coat *
  • Top Coat: Essence Colour Shield Top Coat 
  • Finger Paints Queen for a Night
  • Revlon Nail Art Duo 350 Ulterior Motif  (just the side with the pink glitter)

I really forgot how pretty Finger Paints Queen for a Night was. I just love a beautiful jewel toned blue on my nails. While purple is my favourite colour in regular life, & red is my go to I-Don’t-Know-What-to -Wear nail polish colour, blue has always been one of my favourite colour to grab in general. Next to red, it’s probably the colour I own the most shades of! & I always love how it looks on my nails.

Also I swear that I used to buy Finger Paints polishes every time I went to Sally Beauty. Does Sally’s still sell Finger Paints? I’ll have to go check.

What do you think of these glitter gradient nails? I feel like we all need a little extra glitter in our lives during these dark winter months — jazz up the moody days. It may not solve all of the problems in the world, but it certainly makes me feel better!

Happy Tuesday

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie Starry Starry Night (2016 Re-release) 🌌🌠

Hello loves & happy Sunday. It’s a rainy, miserable Sunday here but I guess it beats snow. Today I decided to take a little trip to the past… all the way back to early 2016 when life was just simpler & all the crazy in the world seemed manageable.

Today’s Swatch Sunday pick is Essie Starry Starry Night from the 2016 Retro Revival Collection.

2 coats + 2 coats top coat

I’ll start off with this shade has definitely had a hard go since I bought it in 2016. While I have lots of shades over a decade old that apply perfectly, this was took some trick & finese to get a good looking application (& top coat… lots of top coat.) A little polish thinner, & I feel like she will be back to normal again.

The polish itself is a dark navy jelly base, with small silver glitters layered inside. The coats are thin enough that the glitter still peaks through, even with multiple coats.

I really like this colour & layered glitter look, which was why I originally bought it. I had no experience with the previous (original) version of this shade, but saw later people were upset about how different it was. Here is a great comparison post of the two different shades. While I love the revival version, I can see why lovers of the original could be upset, especially with change in colour & glitter size.

Do you remember this Essie shade? I kind of wish they had kept this one around rather than making it a limited edition release, but I suppose that’s how they build hype. I just find it so much more fun than a lot of the shades you see in the core collection.

What do you think? Should Essie bring this shade back (again)? Let me know what you think down in the comments below.

Happy Sunday

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