Black Diamond Studded Nails 🖤 (Makes my Emo heart happy)

Hello darlings, & happy Monday. I hope everyone had a lovely weekend, no matter what you found yourself doing. My weekend was mostly spent working, but I find the weekend rush fun.

Today I’m sharing a really fun manicure, featuring yesterday’s Swatch Sunday pick & a whole lot of black rhinestones! While swatching Dark Dahlia, I was trying to figure out a fun (but different manicure) & I stumbled across a small bag of black diamonds that I’ve never used. One thing led to another, & suddenly I was carefully placing each stud on my nail.

& I am obsessed. Actually, obsessed is an understatement! I literally want to recreate this design using every colour of the rainbow.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Strengthner
  • Top Coat: Sinful Colors Power Paint Top Coat + Essie Speed Setter
  • The Creme Shop Calcium & Protein Clear Polish (from the Hollywood Nail Art Kit)
  • CND Vinylux Dark Dahlia
  • Black Diamond Studs
  • Diamond Art grabber pen

It has been a long time since I pulled out my nail studs, & played with them. I’m not even sure why I don’t play with them more often, minus the fact I’m always worried about one popping off. Thankfully, these were nails to rock around home & not at work because I feel like they’re not the most practical…. but damn they look so cool.

Like really cool. You have no idea how bad ass I felt wearing these.

Were they a little more complicated & time consuming to do? Yes. Would I 100% do them again. Also yes.I also think the almost-black of Dark Dahlia paired with the black of the studs made the studs look better. I was kind of worried it was just going to look weird & lumpy, but it didn’t. Instead, it really did look like black diamonds on my nails.

& as an elder Emo who spent her formative years listening to Taking Back Sunday, Brand New & the Ataris while wearing exclusively black nails…. these scratch a little Emo itch that regular black nails could never.

So, what do you think about this rock star worthy manicure? Do you love it as much as I do? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below, & what polish & stud combo you would want to try!

Happy Monday My Loves!

❤︎

Dry brush & Graphic Lines

*Contains gifted product.

Hey gorgeous people! Happy Friday!

It’s a beautiful Friday & I’m enjoying this not so sticky weather we’ve been having the last few days which is a bit better than the 38+ degree weather we’ve had the last few weeks.

As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been trying to get my nail art game going again. It hasn’t been easy — really struggling with inspiration — but I’ve been coming up with some cute & fun looks. Like today’s… which is a throwback to some older designs I’ve loved to do featuring dry brush, & geometric line work.

The polishes I used for this design are:

  • Butter London Pure Colour 21X Bloomsbury
  • Butter London Pure Colour 21X Posh Petal
  • Butter London Pure Colour 21X Frozen Loch 
  • Butter London Pure Colour 21X Piccadilly Prawn.
  • Butter London Patent Shine 10x Coming Up Roses
  • Art Club Striper in Black

My Butter London shades were sitting in my stash, just staring at me, so I knew I needed to pull them out. & I’m so glad I did because they created a very pretty dry brush background for my geometric line work. It’s a simple look, but I feel like it’s very striking which I was going for!

Sometimes you just can’t over think it! You need to go back to the beginning(ish) & it works out perfectly!

What do you think of this design? What kind of nail art inspo are you feeling right now? Let me know what you’re looking for, & help me create some new designs!

Happy Friday 🖤

Some products in this post may have been gifted. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

Funky Retro Inspired Abstract Stripes

Hello lovelies & happy… Tuesday? Yes Tuesday. I swear, the Summer makes all the days flow together & I can never keep track.

I’ve been on a nail art roll, feeling inspired to do some fun stuff on my nails. I also found a great top coat combi which is helping them last a closing shift at work (more or less). Today’s look is another nail design goto of mine, but I really think this colour combination is just perfection.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Strengthner
  • Top Coat: Sinful Colors Power Paint Top Coat + Essie Speed Setter
  • Essie License to Thrill
  • Essie Frilly Lillies
  • Essie Brides No Grooms
  • Essie She’s Pampered
  • Essie You Do Blue
  • NailStuff.ca 16mm Striper Brush

I really love how these colours came together. I feel like my goal with abstract stripes is I want them to have a vintage feel, & this is giving 70s wallpaper. Maybe someday I’ll venture into another decade — like maybe some Y2K inspired ones — but for now I enjoy how these ones look.

What do you think of this look? Do you love how bold & vibrant they are! Plus I got a ton of compliments on them at work, which is always the sign of a successful manicure.

Happy Tuesday!

🖤

Glow-in-the-Dark Inspired Stars ⭐️

Hello lovelies & happy Tuesday! I hope you’re having a beautiful start to your week.

I’m starting my week off (ish) with a fun nail art look. It feels like absolute ages since I attempted any kind of nail art on my nails… I’ve mostly just been wearing solid colours, press on nails, or maybe like a glitter accent nail (very 2013). So it was kind of fun to dig into my nail desk box, find my good nail art brushes, & give some art a try.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Strengthner
  • Top Coat: Sinful Colors Power Paint Top Coat
  • Essie Bell Bottom Blues
  • OPI Suzi Shops & Island Hops
  • OPI That’s Hula-rious
  • Essie Bikini So Teeny
  • Quo by Orly Breathable De-stressed Denim
  • NailStuff Mermaid Tail Brush
  • Bobby Pin (couldn’t find my dotting tools haha)

So the inspiration behind this nail art look are glow-in-the-dark stars. Truthfully, I was seeing way too many videos of Hilary Duff’s Glow in the Dark star dress she’s wearing on tour, & this blue base was the perfect not-black shade, that I really wanted to see if I could freehand some stars on my nails!

& even though it’s been forever since I did any freehand designs on my nails, I’m so obsessed with how these turned out! Plus, I got complimented on them while out & about, so I feel pretty awesome about this nail art. They look exactly how I imagined them in my head!

What do you think about my glow-in-the-dark inspired star nails? Do these remind you of being a kid, like they do me? Would you wear this look? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below & if you love them too!

Happy Wednesday darlings.

♥︎

SWATCH SUNDAY — Nicole by OPI Scarlett || Happy 12th Birthday Coffee & Nail Polish 🎂

Hello lovelies & happy Easter Sunday! I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend, celebrating however they celebrate. But it’s not just Easter Sunday — 12 years ago today I made my very first post on Coffee & Nail Polish! So I thought it would be fun, & for this week’s Swatch Sunday I would share the first very nail polish I ever used for a manicure: Nicole by OPI (RIP) Scarlett from the Selena Gomez collection.

2 coats + top coat

This beautiful metallic pink was originally released as part of the Nicole by OPI Spring Collection which was Selena Gomez themed. I picked up this beauty at my local Lawton’s Drugs (which was one of my favourite places for clearance nail polish) for the stellar price of $2.50.

The formula on this one was slightly thin, but not too thin it made it hard to apply. 2 coats built to this perfect opacity. The finish though — the finish is my favourite. It’s this gorgeous glass fleck finish. Also I love that it sort of looks pink, but also sort of looks red.

Stunning.

Close up of this beautiful finish. I love the shimmer, the pinkish glow; all of it. It really does glow on the nail which just adds to the beauty.

& obviously, since today is the anniversary of my very first blog post, I had to do a recreation of my very first design — a red on red leopard print. Base is Scarlett & my spots were done using Nicole by OPI Basking in Gloria (from the Modern Family collection).

Unfortunately I did forget to matte-ify my design & didn’t realize until after the fact, but I still love my recreation.

What do you think about this throwback shade! I feel like the NOPI shades were definitely ahead of their time for drugstore brands. I really miss them, & cherish the shades I still have.

Happy Sunday!

Happy Easter!

🖤