Tag: Swatch Sunday

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SWATCH SUNDAY — China Glaze Grape Juice

Hello beauties & happy Sunday! & happy first day of August!

How is everyone’s weekend — is it a long weekend where you are? It is here in Nova Scotia, & (I think) most of Canada? It also always feels like the beginning of the end of Summer. I know that we still have 4 weeks left, but man, there is something about August which always gets me in an Autumn mindset.

Today’s polish pick for Swatch Sunday still feels Summery enough though! & it was originally released as part of the China Glaze Summer Days (2009) collection: China Glaze Grape Juice.

2 coats

This polish went on easily in 2 coats, although the formula went on a little thicker for coat #2. The colour is a really vibrant, although slightly darker, purple with a beautiful silvery shimmer — I also saw some flecks of blue in there too.

You can really, really see all the shimmer in the macro shot. It’s very densely packed, which I really like! I also can’t believe I haven’t featured this yet for Swatch Sunday! It’s been in my stash for years, but with the exception of nail art, I haven’t worn it a to. Which is actually a travesty, because it is such a fantastic colour! It’s also just dark enough to keep me from full out craving Autumn, while also keeping bright-ish for Summer.

Sadly, it looks like this shade has been discontinued, but I did find a few listings online for it like Sparkle Canada but I don’t think it’s an easy find. However, if you do happen to come across it, you should totally pick it up because it’s such a lovely shade.

What do you think about China Glaze Grape Juice? Do you have this purple beauty in your stash? Which shades are you loving as we inch towards Autumn? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to know what you’re wearing right now.

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SWATCH SUNDAY — L’Oréal Paris Le Vernis à l’Huile by Colour Riche 554 Carmin Parisien

Hello lovelies & Happy Sunday. It’s been a busy weekend, but I can’t start a new week without a Swatch Sunday post. Quite honestly, I think they’re the most viewed posts that the blog gets, so we’ve got to keep them going!

I’ve been on a nostalgia kick this week, & that means I’ve been looking at lots of old photos. & you know what was a constant trend in my pre-nail art days? Red nail polish!

As I’ve mentioned, oh a million times, red nail polish used to be my signature during my University years — unless of course I was feeling broody, in which case I would break out the black. & even though my nail polish collection has expanded considerably over the years, red nail polish still holds my heart. Which is why I was excited to pull another red beauty from my stash to share: L’Oréal Paris Le Vernis à l’Huile by Colour Riche 554 Carmin Parisien.

2 coats + Essie Speed Setter Top Coat

Oh man, this is a beautiful cool toned red. The formula on this shade is really, really smooth which is lovely, & fairly opaque—I did two coats for full coverage, & I had no hint of visible nail line or anything. Very impressive!

I do find the colour brings out a bit of my yellow undertones, but I don’t mind it so much. As such, this is probably a red I would reach for more in the Autumn months, just as I feel the colour is a bit more suited to the cooler days. When it comes to Summer, I usually go for more orange-y/coral leaning reds as they compliment & enhance my tan a bit more.

This shade isn’t super vampy, but I do consider it a very “classy” red, if that makes sense. It has a nice creamy finish that just feels very luxurious. Plus I really like that the Color Riche line of L’Oréal polishes (or whatever the full name is) has oils infused into it. Because, when you polish your nails as much as I do, you’ll take any chance to give your nails some extra love.

What do you think of L’Oréal Color Riche 554 Carmin Parisien? Do you love a good red nail polish as much as I do? Would you be interested in seeing a post featuring my all time favourite red nail polishes? Let me know in the comments below!

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie Cacti On The Prize🌵

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! Hope everyone’s weekend is off to a lovely start. Today I have a fun swatch post that was a spur of the moment polish buy — Essie Cacti on the Prize from the Spring 2021 collection!

I found this shade on $2 clearance during a late night Shoppers trip. I had been eyeing it when it first popped up, since the name made me so happy, but didn’t end up getting around to buying it. But when I saw it sitting all lonely with the rest of the clearance cosmetics (& at only $2) I knew it needed to be mine!

2 coats + Essie Speed Setter Top Coat

First off, formula on this shade is actually pretty stellar. 2 coats builds a creamy, glossy base that has no patchiness what-so-ever. I was very, very impressed! Plus the new wider Essie brush means you very easily get the whole nail in minimal swipes. Always a very good thing in my books!

The shade itself is this beautiful muted green, with a bit of yellow undertones. You can definitely feel the desert vibes this shade (& collection) was going for. It’s not a super lush green, but oh man am I absolutely in love with it. In the bottle, I was a little unsure about whether or not I would love the colour on me… but as soon as I put it on I realized I’d been missing out!

I feel like lately I’ve been falling more & more in love with green polish. It used to be “out of my comfort zone”, but I’ve been choosing it more & more lately. Maybe it turns out, I’m a green nail polish girl after all!

What do you think about Essie Cacti on the Prize? Have you ever bought a nail polish strictly for the name? Let me know down in the comments below!

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Beyond The Nail Mermaids of The World Collection (Summer 2021)

{PR Sample/Gifted}

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! I apologize about my radio silence the last week or so—my mum & dad were visiting after 9 months of being away, so when I wasn’t working, I was spending my time with them which meant that my nails took a bit of a back seat. But I’m super excited because I have a brand new collection to share with you from Beyond the Nail: their Summer 2021 Mermaids of the World collection!

This brand new collection is made up of 6 beautiful & super glittery shades, all inspired by bodies of water around the world.

Continue reading “SWATCH SUNDAY — Beyond The Nail Mermaids of The World Collection (Summer 2021)”
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SWATCH SUNDAY — Pucker Up (Summer 2021 collection)

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday!

Another week has gone by, & somehow we’re almost in July? Half way through 2021… how did that happen? That means we’re in full Summer mode, which means I’m in full give-me-all-the-bright-nail-polish-now mode. So I thought I would actually share a fun, Summery shade that is actually from this year: Essie Pucker Up from the Summer 2021 collection. As you might remember I was gifted this beautiful shade as part of the National Nail Polish Day PR package I received, but haven’t had a chance (okay, I kept forgetting…) to share the shade until now!

2 coats + Essie Speed Setter top coat

How to describe this polish… so this beautiful bright coral leaning pink which is a pop of colour. My favourite part of, though, is this fuchsia shimmer. The colour is blindingly bright, which makes me happy in ways I can’t even describe. Like, you need sunglasses while staring at your nails. However, this is also one of those shades that looks very different depending on what light you look at it in–under my daytime light, you definitely get more of that fiery coral shade, but if you are taking pictures outside, in indirect light, then you’re going to see more of that fuchsia undertones.

Over all, the formula was pretty easy to work with. 2 easy coats, with a little bit of Speed Setter (because it was 11:30 at night 1am, & I was going to bed right after). The shade itself is very bright, & reminds me a bit of Ardene 80s Prom Dress which I swatched here, only more poppy. Obviously, being from Essie & not like 6 years old, means you can totally snag this beauty for yourself!

What do you think about Pucker Up from the Summer 2021 collection? Are you feeling these Summer vibes? What shade are you living for right now? Let me know in the comments below.