SWATCH SUNDAY — Barielle Shades Secret Encounter

Hello beauties & happy Sunday! It’s an absolutely frigid day here in Halifax — this whole weekend has been in the negatives. I’m not a fan of the cold, mostly because I’m a petite person who wears multiple layers in October. Also, the cold absolutely wrecks havoc on my nails, so we’re back to some serious shorties… again!

But you know what makes short nails so much better? A pretty polish colour. & today’s beautiful shade is also one I had to dig super deep into the stash to find: Barielle Shades Secret Encounter.

2 coats + Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat

I’m actually surprised that when I looked up this shade in previous blog entries, I haven’t posted about it! I picked up this shade in 2015, on clearance at Winners (where else). But according to the internet, this shade was originally released as part of the 2008 Fall Affair Collection. So she goes back a few years.

The colour itself is this beautiful deep cranberry with metallic shimmer. I needed two coats for full coverage but the formula was easy to apply. The brush was definitely on the thinner side, which made cuticle line application a little more difficult, but that was the trend for most bottles of nail polish back then.

I was looking for something kind of Valentines-y to wear, & I think this is a great option! Like I said, this shade is one of the older ones in my collection, but she’s held up quite well over the years. I do believe Barielle is still making nail polish, although I haven’t seen any in my neck of the woods in a long time. However, according to their website, this shade is no longer in rotation.

What do you think of Barielle Shades Secret Encounter? Do you like this throwback shade as a Valentine’s Day option? I had originally planned on doing a little heart accent on this guy, but didn’t quite have enough time. Either way, I think it’s a beautiful polish colour all on it’s own.

Happy Sunday loves!

♥︎

Kiss Products Limited Edition Halloween Press On Nails Review (A Review)

PR

Features Gifted Product in Exchange for Content

Hello loves & happy Saturday! I know, right — a Saturday post. It’s Halloween weekend, & I’m feeling wild, so I decided to share a fun post. Recently I was sent a fun PR box from Kiss — for the first time ever– which included a slew of fun press on nails, & a couple false lashes, all for Halloween. So naturally, I needed to try some of the goodies out!

Full disclosure: I don’t think I’ve worn false nails in like… 18 years? I think the last time was my cousins wedding in 2006. So it’s been a while. I started off by going through the box & deciding on what length I wanted, but also took into account while nails had a fit that matched my cuticle line the best. I ended up going with these fun witchy nails, in the XL length. I went through & found nails to fit each nail, & then set them in a line so I could apply one by one, starting from my pinky to my thumb.

It was actually an easier process then I remember — & I didn’t end up with nail glue all over my hands which was nice. It definitely got more tricky the closer I got to my thumbs, especially with this extra long length, but I managed to get all 10 applied easily.

As for wear, I wore these for 3 days of work, & while the length definitely took some adjusting to, I was really impressed with the wear of the nails. I had no lifting, no nails that popped off; they were very secure. & that was during 3 days where I was unpacking boxes, & generally being pretty hard on my nails. If I had decided to, I definitely think could have gotten a week’s wear out of them.

Removal was a little more difficult. I purchased the Kiss Glue Off, which boasts easy removal, but it definitely was a bit of a challenge getting them off, & I did end up needing to trim down my natural nails due to some damage. But I also left my natural nails long, which I think was my own fault. However, if your nails are already short, & you want to add some fun length to them, these are an awesome option for you! & they definitely have great lasting potential, with a fraction of the cost you could pay at a salon!

Overall, I was really impressed with these Kiss Press on Nails, & I had so much fun wearing them — even for a short time.

I don’t think I’m the target audience, simply because I like changing up my nail art a little more frequently, but I couldn’t get over how many compliments I received while wearing these, with a majority of people telling me how they looked like salon done nails! If you’re someone who likes having pretty nails, doesn’t want to change them too frequently, definitely check them out! Kiss Products can be purchased at your local Walmart.

Have a fun Saturday beauties!

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

GLAM NAILS CHALLENGE OCTOBER – Spiders

Hello lovelies & happy Monday! Hope everyone had a lovely weekend.

I wish I could say I did, but I’ve been fighting through a horrible sickness for the last week or so, & Saturday I worked 10 hours with laryngitis which was… not fun. I also haven’t had any time or energy for my nails, which is why it’s been so quiet on here. But I do have my next prompt for Glam Nails Challenge October, because I am dedicated to seeing it to the end.

Today’s prompt is Spiders. I decided to go with a quick & easy spider web design using these Dollarama nail art stickers.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-chip Top Coat
  • Essie Kimono-over
  • Paris Hilton Nail Polish unnamed glitter
  • Starrily Space Debris
  • Dollarama Halloween nail art stickers

These stickers are so cute, & I really like them over this sparkly purple base. I really love these glitters layered over the darkness of Essie Kimono-over — it build into such a beautiful base for me. The stickers — well while I’ve had some really good luck with other Dollarama nail art stickers, these ones might have been too big, or too stiff, but they did not want to stay on my nails at all. But at least I got enough wear out of them for this design!

Also I know it said Spiders as the prompt — but I hate spiders. Spider webs are much, much more fun for me to wear. & don’t give me the creeps.

What do you think about this nail art look for Glam Nails Challenge October? Have you been following along with the other looks on Instagram? Don’t forget, you can check out the hashtag #glamnailschallengeOct to see all the other fun designs! Only 2 more prompts to go until Halloween!

Have a lovely Monday.

SWATCH SUNDAY – Personnelle Cosmetics Daisy

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! I hope everyone is having a lovely start to their day, & is enjoying their weekend however they can. It’s a bit rainy here, but the temperatures have been very mild for October, which I’m enjoying. Perfect boots & tights weather, without needing too many layers.

Today I’m excited though, because I’m sharing a new polish with you I picked up last weekend while I was away to my parents in Northern New Brunswick. No matter where I go, I always got to check out the clearance rack, & I ended up finding this beauty at the local pharmacy (Jean Coutu) for $2.

This is Personnelle Cosmetics Daisy, which is the Jean Coutu in-house cosmetics line.

1 coat, no top coat.

Holy Moses, this is a stunning polish, & the formula is absolutely amazing! The colour is this beautiful darkened purple-y blue, with metallic finish. I was also really really impressed with how well this formula applied — I only needed one coat for each nail, which is awesome! Especially with a finish like this, because it cuts down on the amount of brush strokes you need to apply.

Just look! It’s so beautiful! & the colour is a perfect jewel tone for this time of year. & the little hint of silver sparkles is beautiful. I ended up wearing this shade for a few days, topped with Starrily Eclipse holographic top coat, & it was a stunning combination. Definitely very impressed, especially for a pharmacy nail polish that was only $2. But even at the regular price ($5.99) it’s definitely a great quality choice.

This brand is sadly only available in Ontario, Quebec & New Brunswick Canada (as far as I’m aware) so it’s a pretty limited scope, but if you’re even in a location with a Jean Coutu location, I definitely recommend popping in & checking out their cosmetics, especially their nail polish. I’ve always had good luck finding clearance nail polish there, including some Essie shades I had been coveting for years!

What do you think of Personnelle Cosmetics Daisy? Would you wear this beautiful metallic shade? Have you ever tried this brand before? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

SWATCH SUNDAY — Essence Lilac Vibes (Neon Pastels)

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! & happy Easter. I hope everyone is having a lovely holiday (if you celebrate). Today I’m celebrating another week, & another Swatch Sunday post!

This week, I pulled out this Essence beauty: Lilac Vibes. I found this shade at my local Shoppers Drug Mart last Summer, & I have been meaning to share it ever since! But I thought since Spring is in full swing, it would be a great colour pick for this week’s Swatch Sunday post.

2 coats, no top coat

The formula on this shade is super creamy, & easy to apply. I possibly could have gotten away with one coat, but I applied a second to hide a few patchy spots on the nail. It dries to a beautiful shine, as pictured, without any top coat needed — although if I’m wearing long term, I always had top coat to help my polish last.

The colour is really pretty, & vibrant. It’s not quite pink, not quite purple. But the soft shade is enough you could get away with it for a variety of occasions. It also reminds me a bit of one of my favourite ORLY shades: Scenic Route — although Violet Vibes seems to lean a bit more on the blue side.

As mentioned, I picked this shade up at my local Shoppers Drug Mart last Summer. It wasn’t part of the core Essence display, but one of those little separate displays for limited edition shades. Like all Essence polishes sold at Shoppers, it was $2.99 CAD, which is a very good price.

It’s no longer listed as available on the Shoppers Drug Mart beauty site, but I did find the shade also listed on the Essence website as available so I’m not 100% sure if it is a core shade or not, but it does look like it is still available for purchase — although I do believe that is the US site, so shipping would not be available for Canada.

What do you think about this Essence shade? Are you a fan of Essence nail polish? Let me know what you think about this fun shade down in the comments below, & what your favourite Essence shade is!