Tag: fall nails

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Deep Wine Red with Sparkly Glitter Placement

Good morning lovelies & happy Friday! & happy The Life of a Showgirl release day to my fellow swifties! I’m going to one of the showings tonight with a friend for the album, after I get off work, & we decided to go in blind without pre-listening, so today is going to be a serious test of my willpower!

But in the meantime, how about a little sparkle. We are in full October vibes now, & while I am having so much fun doing Halloween designs for the Glam Nails Challenge, I thought I would switch it up a bit with just a little dark glitter placement.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen InstaDri Top Coat (red bottle)
  • Base Coat: Essie Hard to Resist (purple)
  • Revlon Color Stay Gel Envy Heartbreaker
  • Essie Nail Art Studio Glitter Separated Starlight

Okay I don’t want to sound too conceited, but like how freaking glamorous do these nails look? I absolutely adore how they turned out. The sparkle is kind of subtle, but not subtle. It’s definitely an everyday kind of glamour, & perfect for these Autumn October days! Also, no tools required which I always love because sometimes I’m just too tired to spend an hour on something more complex (especially when I have to be up at 5:30am to get ready for work!)

So what do you think of this design? I know it’s not a groundbreaking nail art look, but I think it just looks so pretty. Definitely my go to when I want something chic, but not complex. & just a little bit subtle.

Happy Friday!

🖤

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Autumn Abstract Stripes

Hello beauties & happy Monday.

I know — two posts in two days, who is she? But after a rough month with little nail painting motivation, I’m really trying to get back into doing it again. Nail art is my antidepressant, & my brain is so much calmer when I’m regularly creating beautiful designs! I plan on starting Glam Nails Challenge October on Wednesday as well, so prepare for a month of fun prompts & even more fun designs!

Today’s look — a favourite: abstract stripes. But with an Autumnal flair.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Top Coat: Essie Good To Go Top Coat
  • Base Coat: Essie Hard to Resist (purple)
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Berry Fancy
  • Revlon Black Cherry
  • OPI Icelanded a Bottle of OPI
  • Quo Beauty Shimmer & Shine
  • Nailstuff.ca Mermaid Tail 7mm liner brush

At first, I thought about doing classic (straight) stripes — but there is something about abstract stripes that just feel fancier to me. Especially now that my nails are feeling so short. They just look way fancier (& complicated!) than they actually are, which I love.

What do you think of my Autumnal abstract stripes? Are you a fan of these designs? Also, are you excited for October & Halloween designs?! Let me know in the comments below.

Happy Monday

🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Essence Colour & Go 122 Chic Reloaded (2012)

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! It is a chilly, very Autumn-y feeling Sunday. The Fall chill is definitely in the air — & I’m drinking all the pumpkin spice things. It also means I’m craving all the Fall-ish nail polish colours, so I’ve been digging through my stash looking for shades from years past to put on.

& naturally that meant perusing through my Essence stash. I’ve been a hardcore Essence lover since they had those tiny little round bottles, & it continues to this day. When looking for a fun Autumn shade, this one immediately jumped out. This is Essence Chic Reloaded.

2 coats + top coat

Chic Reloaded is a beautiful dark grey metallic duochrome, that flashes purple or blue depending on the light. Similar to Essie For the Twill of It, or OPI Peace Love OPI, it has that beautiful oil slick effect to it. However, unlike the previous two mentioned shades, I feel like Chic Reloaded has a much stronger duochrome effect! Which, for a drugstore shade that cost me maybe $2.99 CAD at the time — circa 2012 — that is pretty darn amazing!

You can really see the two different shade in the close up shot! Such a fun effect on the nails. I also like that Chic Reloaded has a darker grey base, because it feels more moody.

The formula on this guy is also super easy to apply. My only complaint has nothing to do with the polish itself, but with my topcoat which I think is getting old & caused some shrinkage. Other than that, this shade is perfection & I would love to see Essence bring back more formulas like this into their current core collection!

What do you think of Essence Chic Reloaded? Are you a fan of the Essence line of nail polishes? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below.

🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY — OPI PeePee’s Purple Passion (2011 Muppets Holiday Collection)

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday! It’s a rainy Sunday here, feeling very Autumn-y (minus how muggy it’s been). That means — more shades that just feel perfect for the season. & for today’s Swatch Sunday post I reached way, way back into my stash to find something perfect! This is OPI PeePee’s Purple Passion, from the 2011 OPI Holiday Collection.

2 coats + top coat

Firstly, this shade seems more like a dark dark red than a purple, which is why I probably initially purchased it. I’ve also heard it described as a dark raisin, which I can get behind. Regardless of what the colour is, the formula is easy to work with, & the flakies make the finish very unique. It gives a little dimension to the polish, which I like.

& for a 14 year old polish, it holds up very well. I wish I could say the same for my bottle of Rainbow Connection (from the same collection).

Oooh close up! You can really see those different flakie glitters in the formula.

Do you remember this shade from all the way back in 2011? Did you have any of the Muppets Holiday shades? I was absolutely obsessed with getting my hands on Rainbow Connection — as was everyone else — but this was definitely before my nail polish obsession fully took hold!

Happy Sunday!

🖤

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Glitter Gradient Sparkle Nails ✨

Hello lovelies & happy Friday! I hope your week has been not too stressful — it was back to school week here, so it’s been busy-busy. But it’s feeling like Autumn, & I’m excited to break out my favourite Fall fashion items.

Today’s nail art look feels very Autumn to me. Give me all the shimmers & all the glitters. I love a good glitter gradient, so I really enjoy this one. Plus it gave me a chance to use the 2nd of the LA Colors Colour Shifting toppers I recently bought!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Top Coat: Essie Good To Go Top Coat
  • Base Coat: Essie Hard to Resist (purple)
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Zip Wine
  • LA Colors Color Shifting Topper Nova
  • ‘Ard As Nails Fairy Flakes

I’m obsessed with this combination. First off, Nova is a gorgeous topper which transforms a cream polish. The glitter then gives it an extra pow! & sparkle. It creates a beautiful purple-y colour. Very Autumn-y.

& of course, I got lots of compliments on this look while working, which always makes my whole day! There is nothing that makes my day more than random compliments on my nails.

What do you think about this glitter gradient? Do you love it as much as I do?! You have to let me know what you think!

Happy Friday

🖤