Tag: Swatch

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Essence Colour & Go 122 Chic Reloaded (2012)

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! It is a chilly, very Autumn-y feeling Sunday. The Fall chill is definitely in the air — & I’m drinking all the pumpkin spice things. It also means I’m craving all the Fall-ish nail polish colours, so I’ve been digging through my stash looking for shades from years past to put on.

& naturally that meant perusing through my Essence stash. I’ve been a hardcore Essence lover since they had those tiny little round bottles, & it continues to this day. When looking for a fun Autumn shade, this one immediately jumped out. This is Essence Chic Reloaded.

2 coats + top coat

Chic Reloaded is a beautiful dark grey metallic duochrome, that flashes purple or blue depending on the light. Similar to Essie For the Twill of It, or OPI Peace Love OPI, it has that beautiful oil slick effect to it. However, unlike the previous two mentioned shades, I feel like Chic Reloaded has a much stronger duochrome effect! Which, for a drugstore shade that cost me maybe $2.99 CAD at the time — circa 2012 — that is pretty darn amazing!

You can really see the two different shade in the close up shot! Such a fun effect on the nails. I also like that Chic Reloaded has a darker grey base, because it feels more moody.

The formula on this guy is also super easy to apply. My only complaint has nothing to do with the polish itself, but with my topcoat which I think is getting old & caused some shrinkage. Other than that, this shade is perfection & I would love to see Essence bring back more formulas like this into their current core collection!

What do you think of Essence Chic Reloaded? Are you a fan of the Essence line of nail polishes? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below.

🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Hot Cocoa Cuddles (Holiday 2024)

Good morning, & happy Sunday.

I don’t know about where you are, but here on the East Coast we’ve gone from balmy & hot to crisp sweater weather almost overnight. Which, as a girl who dreams of wearing her knee all boots, all year round, I couldn’t be happier!

So naturally that means I want to wear all the Autumn colours — or Autumn adjacent — all the time. Today’s polish pick is actually from last Winter’s Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Holiday Collection, but I feel like this colour fits in perfectly for this time of year. This is Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Hot Cocoa Cuddles.

2 coats + top coat

So I actually got this shade at my local Shoppers Drug Mart during a promotion for their Beauty Mingle Event. You pay $5 for a spin on their wheel, & you can win a prize. My Mum was playing, letting my kids each have a spin, & my daughter landed on FREE NAIL POLISH. There was a few beauties left from previous collections, but ultimately I landed on this beauty as it was the one from last year’s Holiday collection I had been most fixated on.

The formula on Hot Cocoa Cuddles is a beautiful chocolate brown shimmer, densely packed with holographic scattered glitters. It reminds me a bit of OPI My Private Jet, although the base colours are definitely different (& the scattered holographic glitters in the latter definitely apply to the nail much more densely.)

You can see the beautiful copper shimmer that comes through, with those scattered holographic glitters. I do wish the holo glitters were as dense on the nail as they are in the bottle, but you do still get those flashes of rainbow. Personally, I think this colour is perfect for Autumn! Deep reds, burnt orange, bronze-y browns, & any jewel tones — those are the shades I love for September! & Hot Cocoa Cuddles fits perfectly into that colour palette — plus the time is just too cute!

What do you think of Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Hot Cocoa Cuddles? Do you remember this shade from last year’s Holiday collection? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

&, as always, I would love to hear what you’re wearing on your nails right now, & what colours your loving right now.

Happy Sunday

♥︎

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SWATCH SUNDAY — OPI PeePee’s Purple Passion (2011 Muppets Holiday Collection)

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday! It’s a rainy Sunday here, feeling very Autumn-y (minus how muggy it’s been). That means — more shades that just feel perfect for the season. & for today’s Swatch Sunday post I reached way, way back into my stash to find something perfect! This is OPI PeePee’s Purple Passion, from the 2011 OPI Holiday Collection.

2 coats + top coat

Firstly, this shade seems more like a dark dark red than a purple, which is why I probably initially purchased it. I’ve also heard it described as a dark raisin, which I can get behind. Regardless of what the colour is, the formula is easy to work with, & the flakies make the finish very unique. It gives a little dimension to the polish, which I like.

& for a 14 year old polish, it holds up very well. I wish I could say the same for my bottle of Rainbow Connection (from the same collection).

Oooh close up! You can really see those different flakie glitters in the formula.

Do you remember this shade from all the way back in 2011? Did you have any of the Muppets Holiday shades? I was absolutely obsessed with getting my hands on Rainbow Connection — as was everyone else — but this was definitely before my nail polish obsession fully took hold!

Happy Sunday!

🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Sally Hansen InstaDri Just In Wine 🍷

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday! What a beautiful last day of August. Can you believe that tomorrow is September 1st, & the (unofficial) start of all things Autumn! Give me all things pumpkin spice, cinnamon, apple crisp, knee high boots & crunchy leaves.

Today I’m keeping with that theme with a very on season nail polish colour. It’s also from my favourite colour family: red. This is Sally Hansen InstaDri Just in Wine.

2 coats + top coat

If you’re looking for a stunning red adjacent shade to wear this Fall, look no further than this gorgeous cream that falls somewhere between a burgundy & a cranberry. The formula goes on smooth, & dries to a nice finish. & a swipe of top coat gives it a beautiful extra glossy finish.

I looked this beauty up online, & it looks like it’s no longer in circulation which is a shame. It’s such a stunning colour, & I love the Autumn vibes it gives off. Sally Hansen InstaDri certainly has a few dupe-worthy shades that fit this Autumn aesthetic, so definitely check out the others in the line!

What do you think of InstaDri Just in Wine? Are you a fan of this Autumnal shade? Would you wear it? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below, & let me know what shade you’re excited to wear!

🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie Throw in the Towel 🕶️ (2020 Sunny Business collection)

Contains PR

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! It’s a sunny, hot & humid Sunday here — & we are still without some much needed rain unfortunately.

Today though, I’m sharing a bright & summery nail polish shade with you, that I kindly received gifted from Essie. This is Essie Throw in the Towel.

2 coats + top coat

This beautiful bright coral pink is gorgeous Summery shade! The formula was a bit on the thin side, but built easily to opacity. My nails are on the shorter side right now, so if they were longer I would probably do three coats to avoid visible nail line.

The colour is very vibrant & eye catching, which I love. I used to be all about the corals on my nails in the early days of my nail addiction, but started leaning towards more blues & purples — & I’m realizing now how much I love a bright coral on me!

You can definitely see in my close up that this shade is a big on the sheer side, but it doesn’t make me love it any less. It’s light enough I don’t find that too distracting.

Essie Throw in the Towel is part of the Essie core collection, so you can purchase it anywhere you buy your Essie nail polishes. In Canada, it usually ranges anywhere between $9.99 CAD to $14.99 CAD.

What do you think about Essie Throw in the Towel? Do you love this bright coral pink as much as I do? Doesn’t it just scream Summer? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below!

Happy Sunday!

🖤