Tag: nail art

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Summer Ready Vibrant Blue & Mint Ruffian Nails

You guys! I’m so excited because it was actually sunny & warm yesterday! Like warm enough I could get away with wearing just a jumpsuit & denim jacket. It was very exciting, like maybe we’ll get Spring after all. In fact this whole week is supposed to be in the double digits! I haven’t been this exciting for anything since Starbucks got almond milk! Especially exciting–I have tomorrow off work & plan on taking advantage with an outside adventure with the Bubs!

Obviously this calls for bright & colourful nails. It’s been ages since I attempted a ruffian design & I really wanted something that would pop! So I grabbed a few of my older Essence shades from deep in my stash for an eye catching ruffian.

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Nailtek 2
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Essence Always On My Mint (an Unforgettable Kiss collection)
  • Essence The Gel Lets Get Lost!

Ooooooh this colour combo works so well. This is one of my all time favourite Essence shades, & when I noticed my local Shoppers was taking it out of their Essence display (& had marked them all down to $1) I may have stocked up on extras… like 3 extra bottles… pretty much all the ones they had. It’s just such a good shade! It pairs well with pretty much every colour–purple, pink, mint, light blue, yellow. I haven’t discovered a colour combination I didn’t like. But I have to say, pairing it with mint has definitely become a favourite thanks to this design!

Oh, I’m just so excited with how my ruffian turned out. I feel like I’m getting a lot better with creating that rounded look. It definitely helps that Essence polishes have those beautiful thick brushes. Makes things so much easier! You get a lovely (complicated looking) design with not too much trouble. I love when that happens!

Who else is ready for actual Spring & Summer?! Bring on the iced coffees, sunglasses & maxi dresses. It’s about damn time!

What do you think of this ruffian design? Would you wear this look? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Negative Space Chevron Moons

Hello brightness, my old friend. 🕶 Well, bright nails at least. I was feeling some Summer colours, so I decided a colour block chevron moon design was much needed! & what better than some Summery shades to make it perfect.

I decided for this design to grab a few favourites from my stash. I feel like I have too many shades in my stash I haven’t worn yet. I have this habit of buying polishes on clearance & then promptly forgetting I bought them in the first place! For example this OPI shade (I Eat Maine-ly Lobster) that I picked up for only $4 at Lawtons. I also have about 4 others sitting untried. I really need to get on that!

For this design, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Nailtek 2
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • China Glaze I’ve Got A Blue Attitude
  • OPI I Eat Maine-let Lobster
  • The Base Coat Nail Vinyls stacked chevron vinyls

Ooooooooh I love this combination & how bright these are. I wasn’t sure at first how these colours were going to go together, but it turned out perfect! & oh so bright. Like, I need to grab my sunglasses bright. Which is perfect, since Mother Nature threw us a curve ball & had it snow yesterday. Not a lot, & it didn’t stick, but… seriously?! It’s the 21st of April! I should be wearing denim jackets & maxi skirts, not Ugg boots. Thankfully next week is calling for sunshine & warm temperatures the beginning of the week! So my Spring dresses won’t sit untouched in my closet much longer.

Is there anything better than chevron moons & negative space? I’ve been going through old manicures circa 2015 & I’m remember how much I loved doing both… I need to do them more often! Being back to work hasn’t been as easy a transition as I thought it would originally be. I need to take a little more time for doing my nails & having fun again.

what do you think of this design & colour combination? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Neon(ish) Stars ⭐️

Happy Wednesday loves… I mean, I think it’s Wednesday. My days have been blurring into each other which has made it hard to keep things straight! I’m trying my best to keep to my posting schedule, but right now things are a wee bit hectic. & by wee bit, I mean life is all around insane. But just because I’m working 50+ hours a week doesn’t mean I don’t have time for pretty nails!

Who needs sleep anyways? That’s why they invented coffee!

Today’s nails were based on the fact I wanted pretty nails, with a pop of colour, that were relatively easy. I realized I hadn’t used my stamping plates in forever, so it felt like a good opportunity. Plus I love the look of a pop of colour over a neutral sheer base–@oliveandjune is always posting amazing inspiration on Instagram that I’m constantly saving, so I decided to try the look out. & I love it.

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Nailtek 2
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel In the Sheer
  • Sally Hansen Insta-dri Va-Va Violet
  • Born Pretty Store Image Plate BP-L006 (item #17924)
  • Born Pretty Store small clear jelly stamper
  • Edge Perfection Cuticle Barrier

I was in serious need of something bright & colourful to cheer myself (& my nails) up! Even with obsessive moisturizing, a ton of cuticle oil, & anything else moisturizing I can find, my hands have been hurting the last few weeks. The up & down temperature changes have been the main culprit I think, plus the fact that work is dry as heck. They’re not used to not being babied like they were! Plus paper cuts are seriously the devil. Still working on testing out my own hand pampering mask recipe, so once I find one I want to share I will make sure to post it! Also if you have any favourite hand treatments to share, let me know in the comments below!

What’s your favourite “cheer up” manicure to do when you’re feeling down? share it in the comments below!

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Zig Zag Chevron Accent Nails

Happy Monday lovelies! Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. ♥️ Mine was… short! But it’s a brand new week & I have a brand new manicure to start it off with. I’m still obsessing over these new Sally Hansen Miracle Gel polishes, so I have yet another design to share with you featuring them. This time, I used some brand new (to me) vinyls from The Base Coat to create some funky chevron zig zag accent nails.

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Nailtek 2
  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat
  • Sally Hansen MG Lilac Insomniac
  • Sally Hansen MG Little Peony
  • Sally Hansen MG Sugar Fix
  • Sally Hansen MG Sweet Tea
  • The Base Coat Nail Vinyls Chevron/Zigzag (wide)
  • NailStuff.ca square stud from mixed decoration wheel (gold).
  • Small dotting tool.

First off, these nail vinyls are so much fun & I love how they look. I’ve been obsessed with shopping from throw pillows lately (as we continue to decorate our new house) & this colour combination & pattern looks a lot like the patterns I continuously find myself drawn to. & obviously I had to throw some studs as an accent in there because it’s been a while since I used my favourite nail stud wheel from NailStuff.ca!

I have to say, I just love how cleanly the lines on these chevrons came out. The vinyls from The Base Coat definitely stick to the nail very well when you use them. No flooding under the vinyl & creating a big mess! Really, really just loving this whole look from the chevron zig zags, to the colours. It feels Summery & fun… which I think all of us need right now.

What do you think of this chevron design? What is your favourite nail nail vinyl pattern? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Vine Nail Art inspired by @ameliasaccount & @polishpeach

Happy Tuesday lovelies. Craving some serious greenery nails because Mother Nature decided to curse us with a whole ton of snow on Sunday… like 20cm of snow. So that’s fun! Just when it was starting to feel like Spring (for real) Mother Nature decided to ruin everything. That’s why I definitely needed something Spring-like on my nails.

I’ve done this design once before, & it’s originally inspired by @ameliasaccount who was inspired by @polishpeach. Instead of a white base, I decided to go with a brand new polish I recently picked up at Shoppers Drug Mart called Thyme is Money. It’s a beautiful pale green that’s part of the newly formulate Insta-Dri line & holy is it ever lovely!

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Nailtek 2
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Thyme is Money
  • Sally Hansen I ❤️ Nail Art pen in green
  • Quo by ORLY Second Hand Jade
  • YSL Beauty Vert D’Orient
  • Sally Hansen I ❤️ Nail Art pen in black
  • Small detail brush from Bundle Monster

Seriously, I can’t even begin to describe how much I love the outcome of these. Definitely achieved a much more delicate design versus my first attempt at this manicure. & the green of the leaves pop so well against the pale base polish.

I spent my Sunday off from work out shopping for new plants to fill our house with & I’m just loving the look of fresh greenery in every room. We’re trying to find the perfect hanging plant/vines for in the living room, but in the mean time at least I can enjoy them on my nails.

Here’s hoping that these nails inspired Mother Nature to get her act together. After all, nobody wants to deal with shoving the driveway when they would much rather be basking in the mildly pleasant Spring sunshine. Here’s hoping the snow will be melted in a few short days, & I can go back to wearing flats & the occasional Spring dress.

What do you think of my version of the vine design? Have you tried this shade from Sally Hansen yet? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below!