SWATCH SUNDAY —Essie Gel Couture Electric Geometric (Pattern Play Collection 2022)

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Hello lovelies & happy Sunday.

I hope everyone had a lovely week. We had quite the balmy week here; Summer is in full swing. So you know I’ve been loving pops of colour on my nails! Today’s Swatch Sunday pick is so perfect for these hot July days we’ve been having: Essie Gel Setter Electric Geometric.

2 coats + Top Coat

I was kindly gifted this beauty of a shade by Essie a few months ago, when they also sent me New Highs from the Dopamine Rush collection. Electric Geometric is a beautiful fiery red cream, that applies very smoothly on the nail. 2 coats gives you fantastic opacity, which I like in a red nail polish. It was originally released as part of the Pattern Play collection in 2022, but then became part of the core collection.

I love how poppy this colour is. Red is always my go to shade, so this one is very fun to wear. It also has like a hint of pink undertones, which gives it a slight edge to my other reds (& it pairs very well also with orange/corals for nail art.)

Look at that red!

I stand by the statement that everyone needs a few good red in their collection for good measure. & if you’re looking to add to your red collection, this is a great option. I feel like this red would look fantastic on all sorts of skin tones.

Essie Gel Couture nail polishes generally retail between $11-$16 CAD, depending on where you’re buying it from. I do really like the formula on the Gel Couture line, & while I’m not sure if it lasts longer than other nail polishes — I’m very hard on my hands at work — it’s a great formula. & the top coat is awesome & dries very quickly!

What do you think about Essie Gel Couture Electric Geometric? Do you love this poppy vibrant red as much as I do? I’d love to know all your thoughts in the comments below, & what Summer-y shade you’re currently wearing on your nails!

Enjoy the rest of your week.

♥︎

Simple Daisy Accent Nails 🌿🌼

Hello loves & happy Friday. The weekend is finally here — isn’t that exciting?

Today I have a simple & beautiful nail art look to share with you, featuring just a few of my favourite things. I had this idea for a simple red manicure with a few floral accents. & what is my favourite flower of all time? Daisies of course. So I painted a few miniature daisy accent flowers, which turned. out super dainty & beautiful.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter Top Coat 
  • Base Coat: China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifier
  • NailStuff Essentials Cardinal *pr
  • OPI I Cannoli Wear OPI
  • Essie Bustling Bazaar
  • Essie Fall For NYC
  • NailStuff.ca 4mm Micro Detail Brush

Oh how cute are my little daisies.

My whole vision was I wanted a floral look that you didn’t notice at first glance, because it was small & dainty. & I think I captured that. We know, I love love love a red manicure — it’s the colour you can catch me wearing most often when I’m just doing a “quick” manicure — but sometimes I want to add something a little special.

& these daisies turned out special.

What do you think about my hand painted dainty daisies? Do you like small nail art features like these?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below — I’d love to know what you think!

Happy Friday

🖤

Purple Broken Glass Glitter Placement

Good morning lovelies — happy Friday & Happy July! Can you believe June is already over? How crazy is that. Of course, we’re starting off July foggy & lame. So much for Summer days. So I feel like this manicure is definitely matching the vibe.

June saw a lot of things, including quite the break on my ring finger, which is why I didn’t do a lot of nail art. But I did return to an old favourite design during that growing out period, & it made me realize I (still) need to get more shattered glitters for nail art, to add to my stash.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter Top Coat 
  • Base Coat: China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifier
  • OPI In The Moon For Love
  • OPI Infrared-y to Glow
  • Small dotting tool (NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio)

This design has been a go to favourite over here for a long, long time. & I’m always happy to return to them, even if I’m not finding nail polish brands making the kind of shattered glitter toppers like they used to. I mean, I could use loose glitters, but have you met me? I’m a clumsy person, & it usually results in a mess. Haha.

What do you think about this design? Are you a fan of glitter placement designs? Which glitter shade is your favourite for a design like this? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

& happy Friday.

🖤

SWATCH SUNDAY — L.A. Colors Color Craze Crackle Top Coat 🖤⚡️

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! How is everyone enjoying these last few days of June? We’re currently gearing up for the last day of school (tomorrow) in our house, & the beginning of Summer vacation. It has come so quickly!

Today I’m sharing a throwback vibe — but a currently available polish. Any of my fellow millennials will probably remember the chokehold crackle nail polish had in the early 2010s — I had every colour. So I was super excited to see it is making a resurgence. I never stopped (unironically) loving it, so whenever I see it pop up again, I can’t help but buying a bottle.

& lucky for us, L.A. Colors is bringing back crackle for us to love & enjoy!

1 thick coat

So for those who don’t remember the crackle faze of nail polish, it is a specially design nail polish that when applied over a base shade, dries down & creates a crack effect, showing the shade underneath. Lots of different brands have come out with their versions, from OPI (the first I remember) to Zoya, to Sally Hansen & Claire’s.

L.A. Colors is bring back the fun with their two Crackle Top Coats — available in black & white. I purchased mine at my local Walmart for $3.99 CAD.

As you can see, the crack effect on this pretty thick & dramatic. Depending on how much polish you have on your brush, you can have bigger thick cracks (like this) or smaller thinner cracks like this. The black polish itself is opaque, which I like. It makes the effect even more dramatic. I haven’t picked up the bottle of white yet, but I’ve heard it also is pretty opaque— so I’m curious. I used the Sally Hansen which crackle years ago, but I found it very thin so it was kind of a disappointment.

Personally, I would love to see L.A. Colors release even more shades (& finishes — like shimmers) with this crackle line. For a very affordable mainstream brand, they have some out with some beautiful finishes & styles of nail polishes, & I hope they keep them coming!

What do you think of crackle nail polish returning as a trend in 2025? Are you a fan of this style?

Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below, & if you would rock crackle again!

Happy Sunday

🖤

Lover Inspired Nails (in honour of my little birthday Swiftie)

Hello lovelies & happy Wednesday! Today is a very special Wednesday because it is my baby girls 6th birthday. 🎉 🎂

So crazy to believe that she’s 6 already!

I wanted to create some special nails in her honour, & since her favourite thing right now is Taylor Swift — well obviously taut is where my inspiration came from. She also told me I should do nails that were pink, blue & yellow with hearts — & as soon as she told me that, Taylor’s Lover era popped into my head. & since Cruel Summer has been playing on repeat at our house, it fit perfectly.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter Top Coat
  • Base Coat: China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifier
  • Essie Bikini So Teeny
  • Butter London Coming Up Roses *pr
  • Claire’s Scented Nail Polish Orange
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Violet Voltage
  • Essie Gel Couture Gossamer Garments *pr
  • Nails INC Heartfelt Holidays
  • Claire’s Mini Glitter Shade (no name)
  • Nailstuff.ca Mermaid Tail 7mm liner brush

How pretty does this manicure look? I love the Lover vibes it’s giving. If this isn’t the perfect manicure to wear while belting out Cruel Summer, I don’t know what is.

& my little girl was so excited to see these nails! She’s having a Taylor Swift inspired birthday party with her friends next month, & she is already planning her nails for the occasion.

What do you think about these Taylor Swift inspired birthday nails? Do you love them as much as I do? Would you wear them? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below!

Happy Wednesday lovelies — enjoy some cake today in honour of my little girl.

🖤