Tag: Swatch

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Layla Cosmetics Hologram Effect 08 Flash Black

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday. & happy Father’s Day to those who are celebrating those Dad figures in their lives.

Today’s Swatch Sunday post is another beauty pulled straight from my stash. Years ago, my local Lawton’s Drugs used to have a crazy selection when it came to their clearance nail polish. Honestly, it was my favourite place to shop because you could always find something new & different to you (it’s one of the first places I ever found Color Club). They also used to sell a ton of shades by the brand Layla Cosmetics, which is a European brand.

Today’s polish is from the height of the initial holographic craze, circa 2014/2015 or so — although I found blog posts dating back to 2012. This is Layla Cosmetics Hologram Effect 08 Flash Back.

2 coats + Top Coat

This beautiful liner holographic nail polish is a stunning dark grey (I wouldn’t quite call it black) with a very strong & beautiful liner holograph effect. The formula was smooth & easy to apply — especially for a nail polish that is over a decade old.

The trick with holographic shades like this, is you really have to make sure your first coat is dry-dry before attempting a second coat, other wise it can drag up your first coat. But other than that, I have 0 negatives about this shade. I have 3 or 4 others from this collection, & I just love them all. They were my first real introduction to liner holographic nail polish.

Sunny days were just meant for holographic nail polishes. Look at those rainbows! 🌈

Do you remember this line of nail polishes by Layla Cosmetics — or any of their interesting polishes. I loved finding them in the clearance because they were usually $3-$4 & they had so many cool ones — thermals, spotted, etc.

What do you think about this holographic shade? Do you think it’s as fun as I do? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below!

🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY — China Glaze Tropic Like It’s Hot

Good morning lovelies & happy Sunday. Not so much a sunny Sunday, but I feel like today’s Swatch Sunday pick makes up for that!

I haven’t really been buying much nail polish— seeing as I have quite the stash already — but I’ve been working hard lately & needed a little pick me up so I headed to my local Walmart & decided to treat myself to a couple new Summery China Glaze shades I don’t yet own.

Today’s pick — Tropic Like It’s Hot 🌴☀️

3 coats + top coat

The first thing I thought when I picked up this shade was “that’s a fun shade, but it’s not me.” However, my husband’s immediate reaction was “whoa that’s really cool” — & he rarely has reactions like that to polishes like that — so I decided to bust out of my comfort zone & pick it up — & I’m really glad I did!

This beautiful neon yellow had a surprisingly smooth & un-patchy. I did find I needed 3 coats to really make the colour pop though, but thankfully they dried fairly quickly thanks to thin coats.

The polish itself is a funky highlighter yellow, with just a touch of green to it. If I had to compare it to anything, I would say it reminds me a tennis ball for sure. & how Summer-y is that?

Tropic Like It’s Hot is absolutely a sunglasses necessary neon, in the best possible way. It’s blinding! & I love that. The perfect colour to show off your Summer tan & invoke all the beach vibes you can handle!

I purchased my bottle at Walmart 2 for $14 CAD (I also bought Summer Reign which I’m currently wearing on my toes.) I believe outside the deal, they are $7.97 CAD each.

What do you think of China Glaze Tropic Like It’s Hot? Do you love this punchy neon shade as much as I do? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below!

Happy Sunday!

🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY — China Glaze Bizarre Blurple (2014 Halloween “Wicked” Collection)

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday! It’s another rainy one here — which seems to be the trend for weekends lately. But that’s okay because it’s also National Nail Polish Day & I’m super excited to show off one of — if not my absolute — favourite nail polishes of all time.

This is China Glaze Bizarre Blurple.

2 coats + top coat

How do I describe this beautiful shimmery purple? It’s literally magical. The base is a super deep dark purple, but it is packed with this shimmery blue that gives it this incredible sparkle. & the name is so much fun — Bizarre Blurple. This is one of those shades I can just wear anytime, & it makes me so happy.

According to my Internet sleuthing skills, this shade was originally released as a part of the 2014 Halloween “Wicked” collection, so it was limited edition. My bottle was scored on clearance at my local Chatters sometime there after, during the beginnings of my nail polish obsession — so the bottle is well over 10 years old. But it still applies like magic, even if I only have about a 1/3 of a bottle left.

So I cherish it & don’t waste a single drop!

But seeing as it’s National Nail Polish Day, what better occasion to show off this beauty that means so much to me. Now, if only China Glaze could bring it back for another spin — I promise I would buy at least 5 bottles as back ups!

What do you think of this Blurple beauty? What nail polish is your number one love? We all have that special polish that is our favourite, & I love knowing the stories behind other peoples so please share down in the comments below!

🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie Gel Couture New Highs 💙(Dopamine Rush Collection 2025)

PR/Gifted

Hello lovelies & happy Sunday. Unfortunately, it’s a pretty blah rainy Sunday (again). But I thought I would punch things up with a fun Essie colour I was recently sent for PR! This is Essie New Highs from the newly released 2025 Gel Couture Dopamine Rush collection.

2 coats + Essie Gel Couture Top Coat

Described as a “Ultramarine” Blue on the Essie website, I feel like this blue is much more exciting on the nail than in the bottle. The formula is on the thinner side, so two coats was a must for opacity. The formula dries quickly, but an added coat of top coat gave it a more plush finish.

The colour is really nice. It’s not a navy, but it’s not a cobalt. It feels bright, even though it’s on the darker spectrum of blue shades. & I quite enjoy it! Also, looking at the rest of the shades in the collection, I might have to search out a couple more to add to my stash.

Essie Gel Couture shades are available anywhere you buy Essie, ranging in price from $11.49 CAD to $16.49 CAD (when not on sale).

What do you think of Essie Gel Couture New Highs? Are you a fan of this vibrant blue? What are your thoughts on the Essie Gel Couture line? I was definitely late to trying it, but I’m a huge fan of the formula & love all the colours I own! & I especially adore the top coat! It has a great lasting quality & dries quickly.

Let me know what you think down in the comments below!

Enjoy your Sunday!

🖤

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SWATCH SUNDAY — Olive & June Gel Polish XOXO & Pink Goldfish

PR/Gifted

Hello my lovelies & happy Sunday! May is very quickly speeding along — can you believe it? Summer is almost here.

Today I’m excited to share some more polishes I was recently gifted from Olive & June. They reached out to me about trying their Gel Polish system, & I said yes! While I don’t use gel polishes a lot, I’m always curious. They sent me a beautiful PR package with everything I could need to create a beautiful gel manicure, & I’m excited to share two shades with you (& a little review) today!

Products used for this manicure:

  • Olive & June qPeel Off Base Coat
  • Olive & June Gel Polish Base Coat
  • 2 coats Olive & June Gel Polish XOXO
  • 1 coat Olive & June Gel Polish Pink Goldfish
  • Olive & June Gel Polish Top Coat

I’m not well versed with gel polishes — it’s not my usual medium — but I will say I found this system easy to use. I used the provided peel off base coat for easy removal, & then followed directions.

The gel polish itself is pretty opaque. 2 coats of the pink polish XOXO, curing for the 2 minutes between each coat, & then I topped it with the shimmer Pink Goldfish. & then I finished it off with one coat of the Gel top coat.

You have no idea how many compliments I got on this colour! I’ll probably do a quick tutorial video the next time I go to apply this polish just to show how easy the whole system is to use.

The most important steps are cleaning up your cuticles, remembering to remove any oils from your nails with acetone, & making sure not to floor the sides with gel polish. For a first try, with this system I think I did awesome! & I can’t wait to try out all the colours they sent me a— maybe I’ll do a skittle look next!

I’m also so glad for the peel off base coat, because I HATE removing gel polish, so I love an easy removal option.

What do you think of these polishes from Olive & June’s Gel Polish line? Have you tried out their new system yet? Tell me all your thoughts down in the comments below.

🖤