Tag: Swatch Sunday

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SWATCH SUNDAY— Essie Viva Antigua! (Summer 2016)

Good morning, happy Sunday! It’s been a beautiful, warm & busy week for me — hence the lack of nail art posts! I was super busy at work, plus prepping for my little girls birthday party yesterday, so I had no time for any nail art at all! It’s been kind of crazy!

But today I’ve got some swatches to share of an Essie shade from 2016 that I remember I was absolutely obsessed with when I first purchased it. This is Essie Viva Antigua!

2 coats + Essie Gel Setter

This beautiful turquoise has a relatively thin formula which is perfect for showing off the glass flakes scattered throughout. It was super easy to apply, no issues with formula — which is pretty much perfect! It also dries down super quickly, even without applying your top coat.

Look at that glass flake finish! Doesn’t it just remind you of tropical waters? I was obsessed back in 2016 when I first bought this beauty, & I’m obsessed with it now. It’s such a beautiful fun colour with a very unique finish.

& it totally screams Summer, don’t you think?

What do you think about Essie Viva Antigua! from the Summer 2016 collection? Do you remember this unique fun shade, or have it in your stash? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below.

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SWATCH SUNDAY — OPI Infinite Shine I’m Really An Actress

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday! Another beautiful sunny Sunday, which I will take after torrential rain yesterday (when I snapped the photos for this post FYI haha).

I haven’t really bought any new polish in a while, so I’ve really been trying to dig into my stash & pull out all the shades that I don’t wear very frequently ( or at all). As I’ve mentioned previously, I do have a lot of these mini bottles of OPI shades that I’ve scored at Marshall’s & Winners, so I thought I would pull one out for this weeks post!

This is OPI Infinite Shine I’m Really An Actress from the OPI Spring 2021 Hollywood Collection.

2 coats + top coat

This beautiful reddish-pink metallic base is packed full of scattered holographic glitters. The formula was relatively opaque, which meant I only needed 2 coats for full coverage. I’ve seen swatches of the non-Infinite shine version of this polish, & it seems more red than mine, which is strange but maybe it’s just the lighting.

Close up so you can really see those scattered holo glitters. I tried so hard to get them to really show, but even using my flash for pictures it was not working. They are there, though, & they’re beautiful. I can’t believe I haven’t worn this shade more, especially since it’s a real upgrade from my usual go-to red nails. These feel much more glam & dramatic, which I like. I’m all about the glitter right now.

& in case you’re wondering, this shade is still in permanent rotation so you can also pick up the polish & add it to your stash! I found it available on TradeSecrets.ca, Chatters, Beyond Polish (regular formula) & the OPI website (regular formula).

What do you think of OPI I’m Really A Waitress? Do you have this shade in your collection? Like I said, I can’t believe I haven’t worn this shade more because it’s the perfect upgrade to my usual go to red manicure, so I might have to buy myself a big bottle of it for once my mini bottle runs out. I think this is going to become a Summer staple shade for me!

Have a lovely Sunday ♥︎

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Icing Stores Chips n Dip

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday! After some rainy & chilly days we’re finally back to beautiful sunshine, & I couldn’t be happier.

For today’s Swatch Sunday post, I decided to do some serious digging through my stash & found a very throwback shade circa 2013 (I’m guessing). I wanted something bright & vibrant & Summery, & I think that I was very successful.

This is Icing Stores Chips n Dip.

3 coats + Top Coat

This beautiful fiery coral applied in 3 thin coats, which usually would be a no for me, but because the formula is quite thin, it dried down very quickly so I didn’t have to worry about wait time — especially after applying a quick dry top coat. It’s a cruelly formula, definitely leaning more on the jelly side of that occasion which I like.

The colour is bright & I love that. I’m always drawn towards anything in the red or red leaning family, & this is a fantastic Summer option. Like could you imagine this as a pedicure colour? So perfect for the beach.

Look how bright this is! Definitely looking more on the red side in these photos, but the coral really comes through in person.

My only complaint — & it’s probably an issue due to how long I’ve owned this shade — is handle of the brushes on the bottles have kind of melted over the years so they’ve gotten really sticky & I absolutely hate it. Not sure what to do to fix the stickiness, so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know! Because I would love to use this shade (& others from this brand in the same style of bottle) but the sticky issue keeps me from reaching for them.

What do you think about Icing Stores Chips N Dip? Does this shade scream Summer to you as much as it does to me? Have you ever tried an Icing brand polish? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below.

Happy Sunday! ♥︎

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Pacific Blue (OG Formula!) 🌊💙

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! I hope you’re having a beautiful weekend. It’s been a bit of everything this weekend — rain, sunshine, wind. That’s Nova Scotia weather for you!

Today though I have a special cult classic polish to share with you that I think most will definitely recognize! This the original Sally Hansen Pacific Blue.

1 coat + Top Coat

You may remember I did a comparison post featuring this shade circa 2019, but I never realized that I hadn’t shared full swatches of it! Considering we’re coming up on ten years since the untimely formula switch of Pacific Blue, I really wanted to throw this beauty on.

For those who don’t know the backstory, in 2014 Sally Hansen reformulated the original Pacific Blue, going from the beautiful creamy cobalt blue to.. something else. & nail polish aficionados were mad. We also scrambled to find as many back up bottles of the original shade to hoard.

The formula on this shade is about as close to perfect as you can find. One coat of creamy beautiful blue goodness. Even after 10 years, it still applies flawlessly. & unlike some similar shades—*cough* Butler Please *cough*—I never have any issues with premature chipping. & it kind of makes me remember why I fell in love with nail polish & nail blogging in the first place.

Do you remember the original Pacific Blue? Do you have a bottle of this beauty in your nail polish stash? Sadly, after 10 years since of being discontinued, I think the only place you might find a bottle of the OG is on EBay, or places like Poshmark where I found a bottle of the Original formula for $20.

Have a beautiful Sunday!

🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY — China Glaze Coconut Kiss

Good morning beauties, & happy sunny Sunday. The weather is feeling more & more Summer like. A girl could get used to sunshine like this! Obviously that meant I needed to dig through my stash for something summery that I haven’t shared yet.

& China Glaze Coconut Kiss is obviously the perfect choice!

2 coats + top coat

China Glaze Coconut Kiss is a beautiful deep purple with a metallic finish. The formula was on the thinner side, which meant the application was easy & built to opacity in just two coats. I love the deeper purple shade, but it also has a stunning flash of lighter purple/fuchsia depending on how you move your hand.

The shimmer just brings this polish to the next level!

Like come on, how pretty is the polish?

& the great new is this shade is part of China Glaze’s permanent collection so it’s easily available anywhere you buy China Glaze nail polish.

What do you think about China Glaze Coconut Kiss? Are you a fan of this pretty purple polish, or have it in your own collection? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!