Cutesy Valentines Nail Art (Using Nail Stickers) 💗💘

Good morning loves & happy Thursday. I know, I know. It’s been a while. Remember when I said February was going to hopefully be an easier month? Well… not so much. Just not in the way I was expecting.

Anyways though — let’s not worry about that & instead focus on my nails! Because that’s why everyone is here, isn’t it? & it’s almost Valentine’s Day, which means I get to show off some V-Day inspired nails. 💅 💘 & I have lots more love inspired looks to come.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: NailStuff Essentials Base Coat *
  • Top Coat: Essence Colour Shield Top Coat 
  • Essie Gel Couture Rock the Runway *
  • Ellen Tracy Gold Glitter Topper (no name, my mum got it for me in a set from Winners)
  • Valentine’s Day Nail Art Stickers (I don’t remember the brand, but I bought them at Indigo on clearance for like $5)
  • Kiss Products rainbow & heart stickers

You would not believe the amount of nail art stickers & decals I have at my disposal that I onlh get to bring out a few times of years. But I do get excited when I have an excuse to use them! Stickers are such a great option when you’re short on time, or tired, or just feeling uninspired or lazy.

That’s why they’re one of my favourite nail art tools!

What do you think of these quick & easy Valentine’s Day nails using these cute graphic stickers? Do you love them as much as I do? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments below, & share your favourite brands of nail art stickers in the comments below.

Happy Thursday

🖤

Dark Blue & Pink Glitter Gradient ✨

Good morning loves & happy Tuesday. A chilly, cold, wet January Tuesday. But crazily enough, this month is almost over! So hard to believe that February is almost here, & in turn, lots of Valentine’s Day looks. Well, at least a few.

Today though, I’m keeping with the bit of a blue trend I’ve been feeling this month with a quick & easy glitter gradient. Working two jobs has meant less time for fun nail art, & I’m still working on finding a good balance so I have “Me time” for nail art! (I’m desperately craving some floral on my nails, I just need the time & energy.)

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: NailStuff Essentials Base Coat *
  • Top Coat: Essence Colour Shield Top Coat 
  • Finger Paints Queen for a Night
  • Revlon Nail Art Duo 350 Ulterior Motif  (just the side with the pink glitter)

I really forgot how pretty Finger Paints Queen for a Night was. I just love a beautiful jewel toned blue on my nails. While purple is my favourite colour in regular life, & red is my go to I-Don’t-Know-What-to -Wear nail polish colour, blue has always been one of my favourite colour to grab in general. Next to red, it’s probably the colour I own the most shades of! & I always love how it looks on my nails.

Also I swear that I used to buy Finger Paints polishes every time I went to Sally Beauty. Does Sally’s still sell Finger Paints? I’ll have to go check.

What do you think of these glitter gradient nails? I feel like we all need a little extra glitter in our lives during these dark winter months — jazz up the moody days. It may not solve all of the problems in the world, but it certainly makes me feel better!

Happy Tuesday

🖤

SWATCH SUNDAY — Essie Starry Starry Night (2016 Re-release) 🌌🌠

Hello loves & happy Sunday. It’s a rainy, miserable Sunday here but I guess it beats snow. Today I decided to take a little trip to the past… all the way back to early 2016 when life was just simpler & all the crazy in the world seemed manageable.

Today’s Swatch Sunday pick is Essie Starry Starry Night from the 2016 Retro Revival Collection.

2 coats + 2 coats top coat

I’ll start off with this shade has definitely had a hard go since I bought it in 2016. While I have lots of shades over a decade old that apply perfectly, this was took some trick & finese to get a good looking application (& top coat… lots of top coat.) A little polish thinner, & I feel like she will be back to normal again.

The polish itself is a dark navy jelly base, with small silver glitters layered inside. The coats are thin enough that the glitter still peaks through, even with multiple coats.

I really like this colour & layered glitter look, which was why I originally bought it. I had no experience with the previous (original) version of this shade, but saw later people were upset about how different it was. Here is a great comparison post of the two different shades. While I love the revival version, I can see why lovers of the original could be upset, especially with change in colour & glitter size.

Do you remember this Essie shade? I kind of wish they had kept this one around rather than making it a limited edition release, but I suppose that’s how they build hype. I just find it so much more fun than a lot of the shades you see in the core collection.

What do you think? Should Essie bring this shade back (again)? Let me know what you think down in the comments below.

Happy Sunday

🖤

Icy Blue Half Moons (With Holo Diamond Accents 💎)

Hello loves & happy Friday!

This has been a very busy week for me, so I apologize for the (still) sporadic posting schedule. Eventually I’ll figure it out, but it might not be until next month. Haha. However, I have some cute nails to share with you!

Today’s look is an easy but striking one. I love a good half moon, as we all know, but I decided to jazz it up with a little holo diamond(ish) accents.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: NailStuff Essentials Base Coat *
  • Top Coat: Essence Colour Shield Top Coat (I ran out of my NailStuff one & need to make an order!)
  • OPI Y2Slay
  • OPI Suzy & the Arctic Fox
  • OPI I Snow You Love Me
  • Paper Hole Reinforcements
  • Dotting tool (I use the NailStuff.ca dotting tool from Dotting Tool Trio)

**PR/gifted

How freaking beautiful is this combination? I love the little holo Diamond accent over these two very cool blues. Y2Slay was another clearance find at my local Shoppers Drug Mart. I’ve been having very good luck their lately — in fact I just found a NailsInc Holiday pack there for only $10 which has some pretty polishes perfect for Valentine’s Day Nail Art!

What do you think about my half moons? Is this colour combination perfect for these cool January days (& nights!) Let me know everything you think down in the comments below!

Happy Friday

🖤

Moody January Stripes

Hello lovelies & happy Tuesday! A busy Tuesday at that! Even though January can sometimes be the worst month, this one is definitely turning out to be a crazy one for me.

So my nail art is tending to fall on the easy side of things. As you could probably tell from my previous post, I did a big chop on my nails. Not only do I like to start a new clean with a fresh canvas, I also started a second job working at a cafe as a barista, so I wanted to trim back my nails as I get used to that (after 2 years being away!)

But just because I have short nails doesn’t mean I can’t have cute nail art!

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: NailStuff Essentials Base Coat *
  • Top Coat: Essence Colour Shield Top Coat (I ran out of my NailStuff one & need to make an order!)
  • Essie Expressie Take The Espresso
  • Essie Skirting the Issue
  • Essie Sable Collar
  • Londontown USA Opal
  • Quo by Orly Black Striper
  • NailStuff 4mm Micro Detail Brush  

**pr/gifted

How cute are these short little stripe-y nails? The colours are also kind of dark & gloomy, great for these gloomy days. & I do love a dark nail. The combination of Essie Skirting the Issue over Expressie Take The Espresso makes for such a dark Ox blood red. I adore it.

What do you think of these moody stripes on my new shorties? Do you like these darker manicures? We’re a month away from Valentine’s Day, so I’ll have to start thinking up some designs for that now!

Have an amazing Tuesday.

🖤