Tag: nail polish

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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 — Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Hot Cocoa Cuddles (Holiday 2024)

Good morning, & happy Sunday.

I don’t know about where you are, but here on the East Coast we’ve gone from balmy & hot to crisp sweater weather almost overnight. Which, as a girl who dreams of wearing her knee all boots, all year round, I couldn’t be happier!

So naturally that means I want to wear all the Autumn colours — or Autumn adjacent — all the time. Today’s polish pick is actually from last Winter’s Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Holiday Collection, but I feel like this colour fits in perfectly for this time of year. This is Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Hot Cocoa Cuddles.

2 coats + top coat

So I actually got this shade at my local Shoppers Drug Mart during a promotion for their Beauty Mingle Event. You pay $5 for a spin on their wheel, & you can win a prize. My Mum was playing, letting my kids each have a spin, & my daughter landed on FREE NAIL POLISH. There was a few beauties left from previous collections, but ultimately I landed on this beauty as it was the one from last year’s Holiday collection I had been most fixated on.

The formula on Hot Cocoa Cuddles is a beautiful chocolate brown shimmer, densely packed with holographic scattered glitters. It reminds me a bit of OPI My Private Jet, although the base colours are definitely different (& the scattered holographic glitters in the latter definitely apply to the nail much more densely.)

You can see the beautiful copper shimmer that comes through, with those scattered holographic glitters. I do wish the holo glitters were as dense on the nail as they are in the bottle, but you do still get those flashes of rainbow. Personally, I think this colour is perfect for Autumn! Deep reds, burnt orange, bronze-y browns, & any jewel tones — those are the shades I love for September! & Hot Cocoa Cuddles fits perfectly into that colour palette — plus the time is just too cute!

What do you think of Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Hot Cocoa Cuddles? Do you remember this shade from last year’s Holiday collection? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

&, as always, I would love to hear what you’re wearing on your nails right now, & what colours your loving right now.

Happy Sunday

♥︎

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Autumn Floral Accent Nails🌻🍂

Hello lovelies & happy Wednesday! How is everyone enjoying their week so far First full week of school for the kiddos, & today is the first day I have all to myself so I’m going to enjoy some nail painting (& much overdo room cleaning!) First up, though, I have some beautiful Fall floral accent nails I recently painted on my nails, & they turned out so beautifully. So I thought you might enjoy them!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Top Coat: Essie Good To Go Top Coat
  • Base Coat: Essie Hard to Resist (purple)
  • Essie Expressie Take The Espresso
  • Essie Fall for NYC
  • Essie Get Your Groove On
  • Essie Merino Cool
  • Essie Wind in the Willow
  • NailStuff.ca Mermaid Tail 7mm liner brush
  • NailsStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio

Look at the close up! Oh, these are the nails that make me the happiest. Floral accent nails have always been one of my favourite designs. & I think the combination of colour is absolutely Autumn on the nail. Plus it matches the Brown Eyed Susans in our garden so perfectly — they made the perfect background for my pictures.

What do you think of this Autumn inspired floral design? Are you feeling the Autumn vibes as much as I am? Our neighbours have started decorating for Fall, which makes me happy to see whenever I’m out walking. This is just my favourite time of year, & I’m ready to embrace it fully.

♥︎

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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

🖤