Drippy Glitter Blood Nails ✨🩸

Hello lovelies & happy Friday. & Happy Halloween Eve! Can you believe that Halloween is just 1 day away? This month has sped by, & holiday items are already starting to sneak into stores. Even though I had to see my favourite holiday almost be over, there is a small part of me so excited for the Christmas season. This will be our first time (ever) living right downtown at Christmas time, & I can’t wait to see the city come alive for it!

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It’s still spooky season for a couple more days, & naturally I need to sneak in one more spooky design!

If you’ve been here a while, I love a drippy blood look for Halloween. & it occurred to me… I’ve never done a negative space base for this look.

The polishes I used for this manicure are:

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
  • Top Coat: Sinful Colors Power Paint Top Coat + Essie Good To Go
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Society Ruler
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Red It Twice
  • NailStuff 7mm Mermaid Tail Liner Brush

Sometimes I get nervous about using a negative space base, because I’m a little self conscious about my yellowed nails. I know it’s a result of painting my nails… a lot. But sometimes I wish they were more pink & less yellow.

However, I think this look is so fun! I’ve always loved a drippy blood manicure for Halloween, & this one is perfect. & I feel like my free handing has got so much more natural & really looks like it could be blood dripping down my nails… glittery, sparkly blood.

What do you think of this design? Would you wear this look? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below.

& happy Halloween! 🎃 👻

Chic Red & Gold Fall Dotticure

Hello loves & happy Wednesday. I hope everyone’s had a fantastic start to their week so far. To say I’ve been enjoying the Fall weather & chill in the air would be an understatement.

I’m also enjoying all the deep, dark Autumn polishes. This is the time of year where my nail art creativity thrives. I want to do all the designs! Today’s one is a simple look, but chic & classic.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Strengthner
  • Top Coat: Sinful Colors Power Paint Top Coat + Essie Speed Setter
  • Quo by Orly Trust Fund over Berry Cobbler
  • Morgan Taylor Just Tutu Much
  • NailStuff.ca dotting tool

Oh I love a good dotticure. They’re just so classic. & I’ve been in a real red polish era lately.

Red nail polish will always be my favourite.

What do you think about this classic red dotticure? Do you love the simplicity & chicness of this design? Let me know what you think, & if you’d also wear this design!

🖤

SWATCH SUNDAY — China Glaze The Heat is On (Desert Heat 🏜️ Collection 2015)

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday. It’s been a while since I posted a Swatch Sunday post! So I’m excited to jump back in, & for this one I’m throwing it way, way back to 2015 with a gorgeous China Glaze shade I bought as part of a mini set: The Heat Is On.

2 coats + top coat

I was thinking about this shade, & kind of nervous about its state (I feel like these mini bottles dry up way faster than normal sized bottles) but she was in great shape, & I was so excited to wear it.

The shade is a beautiful vibrant red with an undertone of orange. The formula was creamy, & easy to apply; it had a glossy finish even before I applied top coat. I like that it has just a hint of a jelly formula, because it really does make it look juicy on the nails.

I was so obsessed with this shade when I first bought my mini set of this collection, & all these years later — 11 to be exact — I still love it. It really makes me wish I had a full sized bottle, but sadly it was a limited release. I have found a few bottles online for sale… & I won’t lie, it’s tempting.

What do you think of this shade? Do you think it’s as fun & lush as I do? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below.

& stay tuned — because I have my eyes open for any Fall collections popping up in store, & I’m ready for full on Autumn vibes.

Happy Sunday!

SWATCH SUNDAY — Nicole by OPI Scarlett || Happy 12th Birthday Coffee & Nail Polish 🎂

Hello lovelies & happy Easter Sunday! I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend, celebrating however they celebrate. But it’s not just Easter Sunday — 12 years ago today I made my very first post on Coffee & Nail Polish! So I thought it would be fun, & for this week’s Swatch Sunday I would share the first very nail polish I ever used for a manicure: Nicole by OPI (RIP) Scarlett from the Selena Gomez collection.

2 coats + top coat

This beautiful metallic pink was originally released as part of the Nicole by OPI Spring Collection which was Selena Gomez themed. I picked up this beauty at my local Lawton’s Drugs (which was one of my favourite places for clearance nail polish) for the stellar price of $2.50.

The formula on this one was slightly thin, but not too thin it made it hard to apply. 2 coats built to this perfect opacity. The finish though — the finish is my favourite. It’s this gorgeous glass fleck finish. Also I love that it sort of looks pink, but also sort of looks red.

Stunning.

Close up of this beautiful finish. I love the shimmer, the pinkish glow; all of it. It really does glow on the nail which just adds to the beauty.

& obviously, since today is the anniversary of my very first blog post, I had to do a recreation of my very first design — a red on red leopard print. Base is Scarlett & my spots were done using Nicole by OPI Basking in Gloria (from the Modern Family collection).

Unfortunately I did forget to matte-ify my design & didn’t realize until after the fact, but I still love my recreation.

What do you think about this throwback shade! I feel like the NOPI shades were definitely ahead of their time for drugstore brands. I really miss them, & cherish the shades I still have.

Happy Sunday!

Happy Easter!

🖤

SWATCH SUNDAY — Orly Naughty

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! I feel like it’s been ages since my last Swatch Sunday post (because I took last Sunday off) but we’re back, & back to business!

As is tradition, I was gifted some Winners/Marshalls gift cards for Christmas, so naturally I always have to peruse the nail section to see what they have going on. I’m always looking for shades that are different from ones I already own, but within my wheelhouse, & when I saw this shade on the shelf I knew I needed to add it to my stash.

This is Orly Naughty.

2 coats + top coat

This beautiful reddish brown shade is deep, & dark with a creamy formula. I did find this formula patchy, so I had to be careful with my application — especially around the cuticle line. I did find on a few nails I had to go back & carefully fill in where it was looking thin. But once I applied my top coat, it did smooth everything down nicely.

I love this colour so much! It’s deep, dark, & vampy. It fits the January vibe that this year has started with. I do love a dark nail. I did end up adding some glitter on top of this guy — Essie Nail Art Studio Lustrous Luxury which gave it more of a purple look. I’ve actually been wearing that for the last 3 days because I couldn’t figure out any nail art to wear over it, & can’t bare to take it off!

What do you think about this Orly shade? Are you a fan of this deep, dark shade? I don’t often see Orly popping up at Winners, hence why I was exciting to pick it up when I saw it. Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

Happy Sunday

♥︎