SWATCH SUNDAY — OPI First Date at the Golden Gate

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! I hope everyone is having a lovely & enjoyable weekend. I’m excited because I’m really embracing all the Autumn vibes with today’s Swatch Sunday pick. I know, I know… it’s still Summer. But my pumpkin spice loving heart is ready for more, & today’s polish pick is definitely filling the void.

Today I’m rocking OPI First Date at the Golden Gate which was originally released as part of the 2013 Fall/Winter collection (so perfect for Fall almost 9 years later!) This shade came to me during a Chatters sale, although I can’t exactly remember. The bottle is dusty though, so she’s definitely been around a while.

3 coats, no top coat.

The formula on this shade is soft & smooth, & applied to the nail easily. I did have to go with 3 coats of polish, as it was a bit on the thin side, but they dried surprisingly fast. This is always a bonus when you have to apply anything more than 2 coats.

I also like how syrup-y the finish looks, even without top coat.

The colour of this one seems absolutely perfect for Fall & I can’t believe I haven’t really reached for it much this time of year. First, it’s a not-quite-red — & we all know I adore read nail polish! But the shade has this burnt quality, with brown undertones, which reminds me of when the leaves shift around the end of September, beginning of October.

& that’s my favourite time of year!

What do you think about OPI First Date at the Golden Gate? Do you have this beauty in your collection? Do you enjoy me posting these throwback Fall collection shades? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below!

Vibrant Blue Geometric Pattern Nails (featuring the new formula Sally Hansen Pacific Blue)

Hello lovelies & happy Thursday! Can you believe how quickly this week is going by? It’s been kind of rainy & gross here the last few days, which kind of had me craving some brighter colours in my life! So hence today’s nail art look.

I won’t lie — I’m still craving a lot of Fall & Autumn things right now. But every so often I like to mix things up with some not-Fall colours. & I thought this polish combo was really a lot of fun ( & the right amount of sparkle!)

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Pacific Blue (the new formula)
  • Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Rock Star Pink
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Buffalo Nickel
  • NailStuff.ca 16mm Striper Brush

How gorgeous is the combination of Sally Hansen’s new formula Pacific Blue & Rock Star Pink? I’ve owned this bottle of the new Pacific Blue for a few years, but I’m fairly certain this time is the first time I’ve actually worn it. We all know much I adore the original Pacific Blue, so I think I was just being a snob about it haha. Of course, this new version is not as perfect as the original, but it’s still a pretty polish — especially with a cost of Rock Star Pink layered overtop.

Originally I had planned on just wearing my nails plain, but I got this idea about doing some geographic lines over top, & I feel like it completed the look. Something about the contrast of the silver over the blue is just perfect. It’s a very vibrant look, & I love that.

What do you think of this nail art look? Do you love the combo of the pink glitter over the blue as much as I do? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below! & have a lovely Thursday!

Crystal Drag Marble (featuring Black Dahlia Lacquer Frozen Twilight & Winter Dusk)

PR

Features Gifted Product in Exchange for Content

Good morning lovelies & happy Tuesday! I hope everyone’s week is off to a not too stressful start. Today I’m excited because I’m sharing a stunning nail art look that I’m really, really excited about using the beautiful shades from Sunday’s Swatch Sunday post.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Black Dahlia Lacquer Frozen Twilight (NailStuff.ca exclusive)
  • Black Dahlia Lacquer Winter Dusk (NailStuff.ca exclusive)
  • NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool Trio — I used the thinnest one to make it easiest to create my drag marble

Look at the close up! I adore the look of Frozen Twilight against Winter Dusk.

I’m not going to lie — I was a bit nervous about how well these two shades were going to marble together. & quite honestly, this might be the most successful (& beautiful!) drag marble I’ve done in longer than I can remember. It sort of reminds me of when you find rocks that have geodes & crystals running through them.

It just turned out so pretty!

The jelly formula on Frozen Twilight being a bit on the thinner side meant it was also a lot easier to get the polishes swirling without things starting to dry too quickly. Nothing worse than trying to do a drag marble, & your polishes are drying as your trying to marble them! Then you get weird bald patches & have to start over. Ugh, the worst! But these two shades marbled together like a dream & I’m super happy with the end result.

What do you think about this drag marble featuring Frozen Twilight & Winter Dusk? Do you like how I paired these two shades together? Do you love the Autumn vibes that these shades are giving off? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Products featured in this post were provided in exchanged for content.  All thoughts are honest & my own.

SWATCH SUNDAY — Black Dahlia Lacquer Frozen Twilight & Winter Dusk (NailStuff.ca Exclusive Shades)

PR

Features Gifted Product in Exchange for Content

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! Can you believe that we’re already halfway through the month? That much closer to Fall. I even saw (& bought) some pumpkin spice Silk creamer for my coffee the other day. That’s how you know Autumn is quickly approaching — it’s pumpkin spice everywhere.

So obviously that means I’ve been reaching for my more Autumn-y shades more & more often. & that’s when I realized I had some beautiful PR shades in my stash from NailStuff.ca that I had totally blanked on sharing! & since they are some amazing shades perfect for Fall, I thought there was no time like the present to finally share them!

Continue reading “SWATCH SUNDAY — Black Dahlia Lacquer Frozen Twilight & Winter Dusk (NailStuff.ca Exclusive Shades)”

Stamped Red Sparkly Nails (Autumn Vibes)

Hello lovelies & happy Tuesday! I hope everyone is having a lovely start to their week, & it’s not too hard wherever you are. Today is the first day in a while that actually feels not unbearably hot — at least it does early in the morning as I write this! & even though I love love love the heat, I’m excited for a cooler day because its giving me Fall vibes, & I’m already wishing for those cooler days of boots, tights & lots of layers!

But since we still have a few weeks before it will even begin to feel cool enough to wear tights with my dresses, I guess I will need to fill my Autumn vibes with nail polish & nail art.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Red Handed
  • Quo Beauty FX Shimmer & Shine
  • Essence Shine, Last & Go Into the Unknown
  • Born Pretty Store stamping plate BP-L006 (no longer available)
  • Nailstuff.ca clear stamper & scraper set

Oh man, I am enjoying this look.

Originally I had painted my nails red, adding the sparkle, but I felt like I wanted to jazz them up a bit, & it had been a while since I did any stamping! I thought navy blue would be just enough darkness so a subtle transition manicure between Summer & Fall, & I was right. It gives me just enough of a Autumn feel, without going full on. Although I’m drinking maple pumpkin in my coffee as I write this, so I’m not really scared to go full tilt into all the Fall colours!

I also have a stamping plate I bought last year for Autumn/Thanksgiving that I never got a chance to use, so I’m pumped to be able to pull it out this year!

What do you think about this nail art look? Are you ready for all the Fall polish/nail art content? Let me know what you think, & what colours you’re excited to wear in the upcoming season!