SWATCH SUNDAY — BlackHeart Metallic Purple Blue Galaxy (Hot Topic Brand)

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend so far — can you believe this is the last Sunday of September? Where has this month gone? It’s passed by very quickly.

Today I’m excited because I’m sharing a shade I’ve had in my stash all Summer, but have been waiting to share because it felt more Autumn-esque. At the beginning of Summer I was browsing my local Hot Topic, & as always, I have to look at the nail polish! They had some fun colours in those skull shaped bottles, & I ended up buying two since they were buy one get one 1/2 price!

This is Blackheart Metallic Purple Blue Galaxy.

2 coats over NailStuff Essentials Raven + Top Coat

So first thing I noticed when I checked the formula was that it is very, very thin, & therefore very sheer. As a result, I made the choice to apply over a base of black just to avoid needing 4+ coats. Personally, I like the plain black base as it made the purple & blue shimmer the easiest to see.

The colour itself (to me) is the textbook definition of a blurple, which we all know is one of my favourite kind of polishes. The duo-chrome effect flashes either purple or blue depending on how you shift the nail. The colour feels very Halloween-adjacent, which — as a girl who loves Halloween — I’m absolutely here for. & obviously the skull shape of the bottle also adds to the Halloween-y vibes.

Check out that shifty glitter. It’s beautiful. The base of this shade is more of a jelly, so for me I really liked to have the black base so I don’t have to do quite so many coats.

Absolutely gorgeous, & I total win!

Hot Topic’s Blackheart Nail Polish retails for $6.50 CAD but often has a deal like BOGO 50% off which brings the price down. The formula’s & colours are my favourite though because they’re fun finishes, which I’m all about. & obviously, the Skull shaped bottle makes me happy.

Have you ever tried Hot Topic’s nail polish? What do you think of the brand? I’ll definitely be checking back into my local store, as I saw a pink & black glitter online, & I need it. So stay tuned!

& happy Sunday!

♥︎

SWATCH SUNDAY — China Glaze First Class Ticket (Fall 2010 Vintage Vixen Collection)

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! The weather is absolutely perfect Autumn vibes right now — I wore tights yesterday with my favourite denim skirt. I felt so Fall.

Obviously, I’ve been perusing my stash for past Fall shades I haven’t shared yet with everyone, & stumbled across this beauty in my China Glaze drawer. Yes, I have a whole drawer full of China Glaze nail polishes… a drawer & a half if we’re being technical. But I was excited to stumble across this beauty, & I realized that I haven’t shared it yet!

This is China Glaze First Class Ticket.

2 coats + top coat

This beautiful deep metallic purple is filled with a stunning blue micro glitter which gives it the most stunning blurple effect. We all know I love a deep purple, & a jewel tone, & these are so perfect for this time of year. Formula was smooth & easy to apply — Obviously I still needed two coats for full opacity, but I had no problem with streakiness, or brushstrokes.

Close up really shows how that blue micro glitter gives a glow to the polish. I used flash for my photographs, but even without you can see that blurple effect.

I feel like this shade is very 2010s China Glaze — when to me, their polishes were at the peak. Obviously I still love the brand, but nothing compares to my shades from the early to mid 2010s. That was when China Glaze was the IT GIRL nail polish brand, & I truly adore all of my shades that I collected during those years. It was a beautiful time.

What do you think about China Glaze First Class Ticket? Do you love this shade as much as I do?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below! & have the best Sunday lovelies.

♥︎

Onyx Drag Marble Gemstone Nails

Hello loves & happy Wednesday! I hope everyone is having a lovely start to their week so far. Somehow I blinked, & we’re already half way through the week… & through September. It’s crazy how quickly time is passing.

Today I’ve got a great dry marble look to share with you! I’ll never be able to perfect water marbling…. but a dry/drag marble I can do! & I really like how these turned out because I really have been leaning into the darker nail pallet lately.

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
  • NailStuff Essentials Raven
  • Essie Get Your Groove On
  • Essie Dive Bar
  • Small dotting tool (also from NailStuff)

Close up really shows off the three distinct colour I used for this look. It looks like a dark & beautiful gemstone, & I really love it. Super easy to do (at least for me) & I love how unique every design like this turns out. & personally, I feel like the clean up with this kind of look is always super minimal, as opposed to trying to water marble.

You maybe not know this… but I hate messy manicures which require any kind of clean up. It’s probably why I haven’t attempted a gradient in years. I just can’t be bothered to sit there & clean up the mess I made, & all my cuticle barriers have definitely dried up. So give me a fun, & somewhat complicated design, without needing to spend an hour cleaning up around my cuticles.

What do you think of this drag marble look? Would you wear this design? What are your thoughts on drag marbles? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below… I would love to know what you think!

Enjoy your day lovelies!

♥︎

SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie High Voltage Vinyl (Essie Fall 2021 Collection)

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday. I hope everyone is having a beautiful weekend! The weather here is perfect Autumn weather — cool enough to wear a light jacket, but not too cold I can’t still wear my favourite skirts. Definitely my favourite time of year.

So naturally, let’s show off some Fall nail polish. & I feel like I’ve found the perfect shade for the occasion: Essie High Voltage Vinyl.

2 coats + top coat

Described on the Essie site as a “warm rockin’ onyx green nail polish amped up with refined gold pearl” I feel like this colour screams early Autumn. The green is a beautiful dark green which is complimented perfectly by the bronze-y gold. The dark shimmer is really pretty, & applied surprisingly smooth with subtle brush strokes (it kind of just looks more like the finish, & less like me mucking up.)

Green isn’t usually a colour I reach for to wear on its own, but I like that this one is a little bit different & that underlying gold shimmer is doing something to me! It just screams Autumn, & sweater weather. Could you imagine this guy with a coat of Essie Shine of the Times over top? I bet it would be absolutely stunning (& I wish I had thought of it when I put this shade on… rather than when I was writing this blog post! Next time!)

Sadly, looking online it doesn’t look like this shade is available for purchase, which makes me sad because it’s such a fun shade for this time of year. I’m sure there is a beautiful dupe out there though!

What do you think of Essie High Voltage Vinyl? Do you think it’s a beautiful Autumnal shade? Would you wear this unique green nail polish?

I’d love to know your thoughts & what you’re currently wearing on your nails right now.

Happy Sunday!

♥︎

Tiny Galaxies On My Nails 🪐✨

Hello lovelies & happy Monday. & happy Labour Day.

I hope everyone had a good weekend. It was rainy, & wet, & a bit spooky… very Autumn. I even broke out the tights which was exciting (minus the rain). Today is supposed to be a seasonable nice day, & no rain, so I’m going to enjoy it.

Today though, I have some cute nails to show. How long has it been since I did a galaxy look? A while for sure. These cute little galaxies were super simple to do, & I didn’t even use any sponges or anything. The only tools I had was my detail brush for the stars.

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
  • Essie Home by 8 *pr
  • ACO by Ardene Unnamed Shimmery Blue
  • Essie Nail Art Studio Lustrous Luxury
  • Essie Cosmic Chrome *pr
  • NailStuff 7mm Liner Brush

Oh I love how these turned out.

I knew I wanted to do a galaxy look, but I decided it at 9:30pm & then realized I didn’t have any sponges so I had to pivot. But I”m actually really happy with the effect it created. It is absolutely giving Space 🌌 & I love love love them.

What do you think of my tiny little galaxies? Would you wear this nail art look?

Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below, & enjoy the beginning of your week!

♥︎