Tag: Holiday

Posted on

GLAM NAILS CHALLENGE OCTOBER — Spider Web 🕸️

It’s that time of year my loves! It’s Glam Nails Challenge October!

I haven’t been doing these challenges a lot recently, just due to time constraints, but I couldn’t let October pass by without joining in. For those who don’t know, Glam Nails Challenge is a monthly challenge hosted by @nbnailart where they post a series of prompts for the month. I find it’s an awesome idea to jump in when I’m feeling stuck for nail art inspiration, or when it’s a month like October with a holiday theme.

& the first prompt of this month: Spider Webs.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Colour Grip Primer Base Coat 
  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat
  • Cadillacquer Aghast
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Electri-Lime
  • NailStuff.ca 16mm Liner Brush

As soon as I put on Cadillacquer Aghast for yesterday’s Swatch Sunday post, I knew it would be the perfect base for this spider web look (with green spider webs). Obviously, my nails were in the cold state for these pictures, as they usually are, but I like how it makes the lime green spider webs pop. If I had been thinking, I could have added some glow in the dark to the spiderwebs, but it didn’t occur to me until after.

But It would make for an awesome Halloween night design!

What do you think about this fun spider web Halloween design? Are you excited for a whole month of Halloween-y designs? Have you decided what you’re dressing up as for Halloween yet? Let me know down in the comments below!

Posted on

Happy Canada Day Nails 🇨🇦

Good morning lovelies & happy Friday!

It’s almost the weekend. & here in Canada, it’s almost our nation’s birthday. So obviously, I needed some cute Canada Day nails to celebrate the occasion (& the day off work!) I still have a good haul of my Canada Day vinyl stencils from a few years ago, so I decided I should put them to good use.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Londontown KUR Nail Hardener & Base Coat 
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive Fast Dry
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel x Friends He’s Her Lobster
  • Sally Hansen MG x Friends A Moo Point
  • Sally Hansen MG Red It Twice
  • What’s Up Beauty Canada Flag Stencils (c/o: NailPolishCanada circa 2018)

Please excuse the raindrops on my nails — I took these between bouts of torrential rain. But even the damp conditions couldn’t take away from how cute these turned out! & they were so easy to do with my nail stencils! I definitely couldn’t think about freehanding these maple leaves.

& I got so many compliments when I wore them to work! Which always makes me feel good.

What do you think of my cute Canada Day nails? Let me know in the comments below. & to my fellow Canadians — enjoy your holiday tomorrow!

Posted on

GLAM NAILS CHALLENGE APRIL — Easter Eggs

Good morning lovelies & happy Monday? Anyone else rocking a post Easter sugar hangover? I was pretty reserved in my treat eating yesterday, but my two kids definitely are feeling the post Sugar Rush crash.

Today is also the last kind of Easter-y prompt for Glam Nails Challenge April — the rest of the month is more Spring inspired. I’m going to kind of miss the Easter designs, but I’m also excited to focus on Spring too… especially since we’re expected to have very nice Spring temperatures coming up this week!

Today’s prompt: Easter Eggs.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Seche Vive Fast Dry Top Coat
  • Matte Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Matte Top Coat
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Racing Rose
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Crying Out Cloud
  • Sally Hansen MG Sweet Pea
  • Sally Hansen MG Sun-Shower
  • Crinkled Saran Wrap

This look was inspired by those dip dyed eggs people do for Easter. This look, in particular, was my inspiration for this look — although I decided to go more pastel. I’ve never done them, mostly because I do like getting my hands dirty, but I do think they look so cool! So why not attempt the look on my nails! & I have to say, I really like how they turned out.

I used my go to Saran Wrap splatter technique to achieve these. I switched up my base colour on each nail, too, which I thought gave a fun effect.

What do you think about these Easter Egg inspired nails? Are you following around with #glamnailschallengeApril on Instagram to see all the fun designs for this month (so far)? Are you excited to see what the rest of the month brings? Let me know down in the comments below, & have a lovely Monday!

Posted on

SWATCH SUNDAY — Sally Hansen Peeps x InstaDri 717 PEEPS Classic Chick 🐥

Hello lovelies & HAPPY EASTER! I hope the Easter bunny found you okay, & that you’re getting to enjoy some family time on this lovely Sunday. Today, I’m keeping the Easter vibes going with a nail polish I have been searching for, ever since I saw the swatches of it: The Peeps x Sally Hansen InstaDri collaboration for 2023.

If you didn’t know — Sally Hansen has once again teamed up with everyone’s favourite Easter candy for some fun nail polish vibes. & even more fun; they’re textured. I’ve been on the hunt for these polishes for weeks, but they kept seeming to allude me. I finally tracked down a display at my local Shoppers Drug Mart, but sadly it was very picked over so I was limited in my choices. I decided finally on a classic Peeps look: 717 PEEPS Classic Chick.

4 coats, no top coat.

These brand new Peeps polishes are textured, so the formula is very, very thin. Normally I would say no to any polish that requires FOUR coats of polish, but because of the thin form, it dries down very quickly, leaving you with a fun textured finish that is designed to mimic your classic Peeps marshmallow. The yellow, too, is spot on to the yellow of those Peeps chicks & bunnies, which made me super happy. The finish is also kind of semi-matte, which adds to the Peeps effect.

I was very impressed, too, by how quickly these dried. Obviously, I’m used to applying a quick dry top coat to my polish before wearing it, but where I wanted to let the textured finish show, I needed to let it dry on its own. But I had no issues with sheet marks, or smudging, even though I did these about an hour before I went to bed.

A close up of the textured finish. This is giving me 2012 textured polish vibes, & I’m not mad about it. In fact, it’s reminding me of a LA Girl Sand Blast polish I used to be obsessed with (Green Sand) & it kind of makes me wish this nail polish trend could make a resurgence.

I’m not usually a yellow kind of girl, but I actually really enjoyed wearing this polish. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this, but I started working in a candy store before Christmas, & so with Easter we’ve been selling a ton of Peeps! So it was fun comparing my nails to those classic yellow Peeps.

I think I might be a yellow girl now. At the very least, this will not be the last time I rock this yellow polish in the coming weeks.

& for fun, my nails & the freeze dried birthday cake Peep I enjoyed while at work.

Have you seen these Sally Hansen Peeps x InstaDri shades in store? Were there any you were desperate to get your hands on. I’m still kind of bummed my store was out of the pink, blue & purple shades but they did have Cotton Candy so I might have to go back & grab that one too just because I forgot how much I love textured shades!

Happy Easter loves ♥︎ I hope you have the most beautiful Sunday.

Posted on

SWATCH SUNDAY — Pure Ice Cookies ‘N Cream

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! The first Sunday of April at that — can you believe it? I mean, I feel like I’m always saying this, but I can’t get over how quickly this year is passing. I’m happy that we’re that much closer to Summer dress weather, but wow… this year is already 1/4 over! That is crazy.

Today I’m going old school though, with a polish from deep in my stash. I’ve been living for speckled nail looks lately, so obviously that means pulling out some from deep in the past. You might remember, a few years ago, the brand Pure Ice released a collection of speckled nail polishes that I think were based on nail polishes. Naturally, I bought three at the time. I don’t often pull them out, with the exception of this time of year because I feel like they’re absolutely perfect for Easter nails.

2 coats, no top coat.

As the name implies, Cookies ‘N Cream is a white base with multisized hex glitters that gives the impression of cookies & cream ice cream.

I applied 2 coats of polish for my application — a thinner first coat, followed by a thicker second coat which gave exactly the opacity I was hoping for. The base is thin enough that the black glitters show through perfectly, giving you the multi layered effect. It also dried down quickly. which left a semi textured in some places, thanks to the layered glitters, but this could easily be fixed with a thick coat of glossy top coat.

I really, really love the different sized glitters in this polish ( & its sister shades I own Boysenberry & Orange Sorbet) versus a speckled polish like Deborah Lippmann Polka Dots & Moonbeams. & it really does look like ice cream, which just makes me think of Summer, & I can’t wait for Summer days.

It also kind of makes me wish I had scooped up all 6 shades in the collection back in 2015 because every time I wear one I realize just how much I freaking love speckled nail polish, & this trend needs to make a comeback!

What do you think about Pure Ice Cookies ‘N Cream? Do you love these speckled polishes as much as I do? Are there any nail polishes you’re hoping the Easter Bunny brings you next weekend? Let me know down in the comments below!