Tag: NOTD

Posted on

SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie Chocolate Cakes

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! It’s a blustery snow day here on the East Coast.

I apologize for my unannounced absence this week. The beginning of 2024 was a lot, & I didn’t realize I needed a week just to not do anything. But I’m back, & I have some new (shorter) nails to share with you to start off this new week. I’ve actually been loving darker shades a lot lately — January vibes.

For today’s Swatch Sunday pick, I grabbed an older shade from my stash — Essie Chocolate Cakes.

2 coats + top coat

This shade originally came to me in a set with Essie Ballet Slippers that I bought post-Christmas a few years ago. I remember loving the dark reddish brown shade, but being confused because I’d never heard of an Essie shade called Chocolate Cakes. I’m still not 100% sure which collection it was originally released with.

The formula though, is nice. This is two coats for full coverage. It was a bit thin, so I did find I needed the two to make sure I had no patchiness. It also pooled slightly at the cuticle line, so I had to make sure that I was careful with application. Mine came in what I think is an Expressie bottle, so it had the same wider brush which I always like.

I saw it described as a creamy dark chocolate shaded, but the red undertones really show up for me so I feel like it’s more a deep dark burgundy. We all know my love affair with red nail polish, so this is such a good alternative or option. Like I said, I’ve been wearing this shade for the last 3 days, so I’m really loving it.

I did find a few sites through Google that had this shade listed for sale, but I don’t know how reputable they are, so I’ll avoid posting them. However, I feel like this shade isn’t 100% unique, so you could definitely find a common dupe easily to get the vampy dark vibe this shade is giving off.

What do you think about Essie Chocolate Cakes? Are you a fan of this deep dark reddish brown? Do you remember this shade upon its original released? I always get excited when I find new to me shades, so I’m curious about the collection it was originally released with!

Have a lovely Sunday!

♥︎

Posted on

Blue Marble

Hello lovelies & happy Friday. I know it’s been a quiet week here. I’ll be honest, it’s been a rough week on my end, so blogging hasn’t really been my main priority. But—it’s almost the weekend & I’m feeling better, so let’s share some nails, shall we?

Today’s look is an easy marble effect I did using my favourite Saran Wrap splatter effect. These are giving deep space/ deep ocean vibes, & I quite love it.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifer
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Ardene Electric Chic
  • Sally Hansen InstaDri Cosmic Blue
  • OPI I Cannoli Wear OPI
  • Crinkled Saran Wrap

I went a little heavier with my dabbing for this look, layering the colours over one another, which is what I think gave it the cool marble effect.

What do you think about these marble nails? Are you a fan of looks like these, or do you prefer more detailed nail art? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below.

🖤

Posted on

SWATCH SUNDAY — Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Belle of the Ball

Hello loves & happy Sunday! I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend (& staying warm if you happen to be suffering under that arctic vortex taking over right now!) Today, I’m sharing a beautiful polish I can’t believe I haven’t swatched yet!

This is Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Belle of the Ball. I was originally gifted this by Sally Hansen in 2018 as part of their REDesign Collection, but as I was newly pregnant & constantly sick, I didn’t get a chance to swatch the whole collection. However, this shade found it’s way into Sally’s permanent CSM line up — & is still in rotation!

2 coats + top coat

This beautiful darkened plum is packed with a surprising red shimmer that looks beautiful depending on you move your fingers. It gives the polish a beautiful dimension which makes it more than just a simple purple nail polish. It was originally released as part of the Sally Hansen REDesign collection, but I was always confused by that as I don’t consider it a red (personally).

But it’s very, very pretty. & even after 5 years the formula in bottle is easy application perfection. Smooth, easy to build opacity. & thanks to those wide brushes, takes barely any time to apply at all. I also found the dry time, even before I applied my quick dry top coat, to be pretty speedy — I had no issues with polish bleeding onto my top coat brush when I applied it.

As mentioned, this shade is still in rotation (at least in Canada), & can be found with other Sally Hansen CSM polishes. For my fellow Canadians, Sally Hansen can be purchased c/o: Shoppers Drug Mart for $13.49 CAD. It can also be found on Amazon.ca. I’ve also seen it at my local Walmart as well.

Sadly, I didn’t find this shade listed on the actual Sally Hansen website, so I hope it’s not on the verge of being discontinued, because it really is stunning!

What do you think of Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Belle of the Ball? Is this a shade that you would wear on your own nails? Are you a fan of the Sally Hansen CSM line? I do have quite a few of this line in my stash, & I’ve always been a fan.

Happy Sunday ♥︎

Posted on

Chic Gold Stripe Nails

Hello lovelies & happy Friday! The weekend is almost here.

Today I’m sharing a quick & simple look with you I’ve been wearing for the last few days. I have posted a few different versions of this look over the years, & it just never gets boring to me. You can freehand you lines, like I did here, or use striping tape/straight nail vinyls for a little bit of ease. Either way, it’s a not too difficult design that looks chic & classic — & always eye catching.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifer
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Milani Nail Polish Deep Thoughts
  • Bourjois Paris Perle Illusion
  • Sally Hansen Five Golden Blings
  • Nailstuff.ca 16mm striper brush

You can’t really see the holo sparkle of Five Golden Blings but it’s there! I really like this simple single line. I was also really excited with how straight my lines turned out! That isn’t always the case. Even though I’ve come a long way with my straight nails, that doesn’t mean they’re always perfect! So when I do get them right… oh boy, does it make me excited!

Probably the reason why this manicure is on day three!

What do you think about these simple gold stripes? Do you like this chic design? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below. & share which colour combination you’d wear for a simple stripe design like this.

Have a great Friday loves ♥︎

Posted on

Pink & Purple Half Moons

Hello lovelies & happy Wednesday! I hope the week has been treating everyone lovely so far. Today I’ve got another nail art look to share, & this time we’re going bright!

I was really in the mood for some pink & purple half moons — kind of an early Valentine’s Day look — mostly because I love a good half moon design.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifer
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Essie Expressie IRL
  • Quo Beauty Show Stopper
  • Paper Hole Reinforcements

Gosh, I will never not love a half moon design — especially when it turns out this clean! Plus pink & purple are just the perfect combination. I thought about adding a little matte top coat as well, but I think the shiny is just too good together. 💜💗

What do you think about my half moon design? Do you love the pink & purple together as much as I do? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Enjoy your Wednesday loves! 🖤