SWATCH SUNDAY — China Glaze I Got A Blue Attitude

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! It’s a bright, beautiful sunny Sunday here on the East Coast, & I plan on soaking up all the sunshine today! & maybe pulling out a sun dress too.

A few days ago I did a few Instagram polls to see what kind of polish people wanted to see for this week’s Swatch Sunday. The results were: something from the stash, from a limited collection, & in the blue family. So I dug through my extensive nail polish collection & decided on this beauty: China Glaze I Got A Blue Attitude from the Summer 2016 Lite Brites collection.

2 coats + Seche Vive top coat

The formula on this shade is really nice — it’s thick enough it’s almost a one coated, with perfect application. I went with two, just to make sure I had perfect coverage.

The colour is this beautiful blue leaning purple with subtle, almost hidden, shimmer. You can sort of see it in the bottle below, but I think the thicker formula causes it to be absolutely hidden on the nail itself.

I love how bright this colour is — it really is great for Summer! It’s not really neon, but it’s very bright. If I remember correctly, this was the first shade I bought from the Lite Brites collection because I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. & even after all the years, I’m still. very much in love with it.

I love a good blue, I love a good purple — so give me a blurple & I’m in heaven!

Sadly, as mentioned, this shade is from the limited edition 2016 Lite Brites collection so it’s not in current rotation — as far as I can see. There does seem to be a few listings on Google for it, so if you’re better at searching for those things than me, you might be able to track it down. But if you happen to come across it on your shopping travels, I definitely recommend picking it up, because it is a very beautiful colour!

What do you think of China Glaze I Got A Blue Attitude? Do you love this shade? Let me know down in the comments below.

Have a lovely Sunday. 💜

SWATCH SUNDAY — Essence Violet Voltage

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! I hope the weekend is treating you well. We’ve had a beautiful one here on the East Coast & I’m so happy for sunshine!

Today’s Swatch Sunday pick is a shade I picked up last Summer when Essence revamped their line. I’m always excited when they switch things up — I own a lot of Essence shades, so I love when I can add new ones to my collection!

Today’s pick: Essence Violet Voltage.

3 coats + top coat

This semi sheer pearlescent purple has a beautiful glowing blue shine that hits at just the right angle. The formula is quite thin, which is why I did 3 coats of polish. It is a bit streaky, due to the pearlescent finish, & can show flaws on your nails if you’re not careful. I have a patch on my middle finger from a bad crack in the nail, & it shows that little bit of raise in my nail in that spot.

BUT that doesn’t stop me from enjoying this shade. That glow alone makes me fall in love every time I look at my nails.

& a macro shot of course.

This shade is definitely Y2K vibes. It also works well for glazed donut nails if you use one coat. I originally used it for my Glazed Donut Half Moons last Summer & loved how it looked!

I purchased this shade at my local Shoppers Drug Mart in their Essence display. Essence is also available on their website — although this shade is currently sold out.

In Canada, you can also buy Essence at Superstore/Loblaws. You can also buy Essence nail polish through their website as well!

What do you think about Essence Violet Voltage? Are you a fan of the Essence brand of nail polishes? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Happy Sunday!

SWATCH SUNDAY — Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Orchid Around

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday!

& a bright, sunny, warm Sunday at that. Finally, it’s starting to feel like Spring. So naturally, I needed to pick out some kind of Spring-esque shade for this week’s Swatch Sunday polish pick.

After perusing my polish stash for a while, I decided on this pastel beauty from Sally Hansen: Orchid Around from the Xtreme Wear line.

2 coats + Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat

How pretty is this beautiful pastel is somewhere between pink & pale purple, with a very pretty shimmer which — sadly — is hard to actually see on the nail unless you’re really looking for it.

The formula was a good consistency & easily applied in 2 coats. I did need to apply top coat to smooth things out, as I found it had some streakiness, but since I always add top coat when I’m wearing nail polish anyways, it’s not a big deal — & definitely not a deal breaker.

You can see that pretty shimmer in my macro shot! I just wish it was more visible.

The colour is so perfect for Spring! & I’m always here for a pretty pastel shade to inspire warmed days. This would be the perfect base for some Easter nail art (which, is less than a month away!) I’ve always had good luck with the Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear line in terms of wearability, which is awesome because it’s a great affordable option.

What do you think of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Orchid Around? Would you wear this shade for Spring? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Have a lovely Sunday! 🌸

Purple & Gold Colour Blocking

Hello beauties & happy Thursday! I hope everyone is having a lovely week so far. Mine has been busy, & we’re anxiously awaiting another snowstorm. But at least I have some cute nails to show off!

Today’s look was kind of an experiment, I guess. I was just playing around on my nails, but I liked them so much I decided to wear them as a full manicure. I love when that happens! Especially because I am in a nail art rut right now, & struggling with ideas.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat
  • Quo by ORLY Breathable You’re A Gem
  • Quo by ORLY Colour Amp’d Venice
  • Quo by ORLY Colour Amp’d Stadium Way
  • Quo by ORLY Breathable Fairy Godmother
  • NailStuff.ca 16mm Striper Brush

This feels very regal, like something you would see on the dress of Victorian royalty. The colours, & the gold accents — it all feels very royal. It’s a fun look, & relatively quick to do. I also haven’t really dug into my old Quo by ORLY polishes in a while, so I was happy to pull out a few I haven’t worn in a while.

Purple & gold is always a solid colour combination.

What do you think about this colour combination & nail art look? Are you a fan of this purple & gold combination? Let me know all your thoughts down below, & let me know what you’re wearing on your nails lately.

I’ve been starting to feel myself drawn to neon lately, so I would be prepared for some fun neon looks in the future!

Purple & Gold Matte Geometric Stripes

Hello loves & Happy Tuesday.

Anyone else feeling the full on February blahs? I feel like it’s translating to my nails, because post-Valentine’s Day, I’m struggling to think of what to wear on my nails! Too early to go too hard on the Spring looks, but I don’t really want to do Winter designs either.

I am feeling stumped.

But you know what never fairs me? My striper brush. I had painted my nails & thought about doing a single gold line — like this — but decided I was feeling something a bit more abstract so that’s what we went with! & I love how they turned out, especially with the addition of the matte top coat.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat
  • Matte Top Coat: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Matte Top Coat
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Trouble Maker
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Goldie Rocks
  • NailStuff.ca 16mm Striper Brush

How beautiful is this dark purple & gold together? I’m kind of sad that Trouble Maker was discontinued from the Sally Hansen CSM line, because it’s such a beautiful perfect purple. & my bottle is starting to sadly get low. That’s the hardest part of being a nail polish addict… you find those polishes that you love to wear so much, & they never stick around forever. Although Essie Kimono Over is a close second in my heart, so at least I still have her for my dark purple craving days!

What do you think about this purple & gold geometric look? Are you a fan of these kinds of designs, or do you prefer a bit more complicated nail art? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below, & what nail art you think that February calls for!

Have a lovely day!♥︎