Nail Art | Daisy

The 90s are back! I've don't think I have the guts to do a full-on retro ensemble, but I have been dabbling with the occasional throwback. The choker, a denim jacket tied around the waist, daisy prints... I mean nail art + daisies are a classic 90s combination.

I went with a bold purple background of Zoya Serenity. A black background or even a nude would also look cute! For the flower, I used Wet n Wild French White Creme and Butter London Pimms and a couple of dotting tools. Depending on how big you draw your flower, you could do a couple on nail for an accent or do an all over pattern. Perfect for spring/summer!

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Nail Art | Amethyst Geode

I didn't know how this nail art would turn out when the thought came into my head. I just love a gemstone mani. I've done turquoise nails and marble nails in the past (and need to again, I can't believe how old those posts are!) I've shown how to get an amethyst mani quickly with Zoya Carter, and here is the nail art way. I think this would be a great idea for so many of your glitter polishes.

I used two coats of Zoya Finley for my sparkly purple base. Then, I just took a brush to paint around my nail in a rough outline shape to look like the gray outside of a geode. I used Zoya August for the gray and the black creme shade from Wet n Wild. I used black on the outside, a mix of gray & black for the middle, and the gray shade for the closest concentric ring. I did all different shapes on the nail. Some purple completely outlined, while other nails were left open. I think my favourite design was the first one I did on the ring finger. It was quick to do-no straight lines needed-and you can be as messy as you want.

Over the weekend, I had an amethyst latte which went perfectly with my mani!

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Valentine's Day Heart Mani-Again!

One of my favourite nail art looks I have ever done was this 2014 Valentine's Day heart mani. I figured it was about time to recreate it with a twist. This time I went bolder, instead of pastels, and went in a rainbow across the nails, rather than one colour per nail. I think the 2014 version is still my fav,-love the touch of glitter-but I am glad I repeated this look again. I promise these little hearts are easier than they look!

What are your V-Day plans?

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Nail Art | Eye Mani

I've been seeing this mani all over Instagram, especially on Olive + June. Evil eyes, eye lashes-all variations, so I decided to give it a go. I just freehanded the shapes for the eyes using a brush, but you could use paper re-enforcer stickers like in a half moon mani to get much crisper lines. Follow-up with a dotting tool in blue and black to make the iris and pupil. Feel free to add some lashes.

This mani may be a bit creepy for some people-perhaps with a crazier colour scheme these could be fun Halloween nails.

Would you wear an evil eye mani?

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Zoya Urban Grunge

I have been rocking Zoya's Urban Grunge collection since the start of fall, but now that the holiday season is upon us, I needed to get this post out stat, so you could pick up a few shades as well. I know these sparkly shades are going to be amazing for winter and new year looks. I mentioned in my September favourites that I feel like this collection was perfect for me, so it was tough to not just order the whole collection. Here are the six shades I opted for (see I did good-I only ordered half ;p)

August (Blue toned Gray Creme)

Noah (Nude Creme)

Troy (Metallic Gun Metal)

Alicia (Silver Holo with Champagne shift)

Merida (Deep Evergreen Scattered Holo)

Finley (Deep Royal Purple Scattered Holo)

Did you order any polishes from Urban Grunge? Which are your favourites?

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Zoya Naked Manicure

After just placing an order of the new Urban Grunge polishes from Zoya, it feels a bit weird to type about the Naked Manicure set. But for when you need a break from the bold colours and holos, it's the perfect thing. I received this little set awhile back but had yet to give it a go. Now, that my nails are growing strong, I thought I'd give it a test. The minis I have didn't include the white polish for the tips, so I went without and just layered the base, perfector (here in pink), and glossy seal. I like having a layer for protection from breakage and scratches. I would like to test it out with the white tips and the lavender perfector. After I try all those fall shades from the new collection first....

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Nail Care Recovery

It took awhile to bring my nails back to life after a cold winter. Finally, I am loving the length and strength. It makes it just a bit more fun to paint when you aren't weirded out by your own cuticles. I thought I'd share some of my favorite nail recovery products.

I am pretty sure remembering to take a Biotin supplement daily was the largest contributor to my nail health. It takes a while to see results, so consistency is key. While I was waiting for that to kick in, OPI's Nail Envy is an old standby for strengthening fragile nails. I use it as a base coat. Another final step is to keep hydrated. Currently my favorite cuticle oil is NCLA So Rich. The Face Shop Protect Me Hand Cream is too cute to forget to use. 

What are some of your essential nail care products?

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Review | Wet n Wild 1 Step Wonder Gel

I picked up a couple of the Wet n Wild 1 Step Wonder Gel polishes when they launched earlier this year. I love their longevity and glossy shine with just two coats. Plus, removal is as easy as regular polish. I added a few new shades to my collection. I want every bottle-they are that good. The names crack me up too. So far, I have: Peri-wink-le of an Eye, Coral Support, All that Jazzy!, and Pretty Peas.

Have you tried the 1 Step Wonder Gels yet?

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Nail Art | Pool Blue

Summer vibes with these nails. The bright blue shades remind me of floating in a pool. I have been missing my nail art! I used Zoya Blu, lightest pale blue, and Zoya Sia, deep cobalt, with a make-up sponge to make the gradient effect. When I don't know what to do for a mani, a gradient is always a good option. This would be a fun one for a pedi too.

What's been on your nails so far this summer?

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Rose Gold Nail Polish

The rose gold obsession continues on. So today, I thought I'd share a few of my favourite rose gold nail polishes. I am always on the hunt for the perfect shade.

Butter London The Old Bill is the truest copper colour. It's not overly warm or too cool. It's rose gold without being too pink. It has a metallic finish with fine sparkles that are more apparent in direct sun. I'm wearing it in this picture.

Julep Soleil has a more frosted, metallic finish. It's a bit more rose silver in certain lights. I love Julep's thick formula. Since it is reminiscent of frosted polishes,  you do have to be a little more careful when applying to avoid streaks. 

Essie Penny Talk is a cult favourite. It's a great one that's easily available in drugstores. It leans a little cooler and more pink. It has a metallic finish. See it in a gradient here.

Any other rose gold polishes I must try? Leave it in the comments!

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Nail Art | Rose & Gray

Gray + Metallic is my favourite combination. So cozy yet luxe. I had a solo night-in Friday and enjoyed a little me time playing with nail polish. I decided to do a gradient with Zoya Dove and Essie Penny Talk-and I love how it turned out.

I will definitely be doing this look again. I think it's perfect for a special occasion. Even if that occasion is just your usual weekend.

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Spring Nails | Julep Posey & Andie

Happy March! This weekend felt a bit like spring which had me wanting to bring back the pastel nails. These two polishes from Julep, Posey & Andie, came in the January mystery box. I wasn't quite ready for these shades when it was snowing. But now is the time. I have an obsession with lavender nails. I probably didn't need another one, but I love the pale, yet true, purple shade of Posey. And of course, I can resist a fun glitter. It makes my nails look like little easter eggs-perfect for spring!

What polishes have you been wearing lately?

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Nail Art | Valetine's Day Stickers

I have some super simple nail art to share today. Stickers. I am pretty sure they are for children, but I had a blast adorning them to my nails in random patterns. I am all for fussing with dotting tools and a million bottles of polish, but sometimes you just don't got time for that.

I was surprised how easily these applied and how nice they turned out. They were a bit more fussy to remove. The stickers are from Duane Reade and the base is American Apparel Office, a sage-y seafoam.

Would you rock nail stickers?

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Essie Holiday Shades

I found this cute little essie set at Target the other day. For a surprisingly good deal,90% off, making it less than $1.50. I love the mix of traditional holiday shades and winter pastels. My first pairing was with mind your mittens, a seafoam blue with a bit of shimmer, and rock at the top, a chunky gold top coat.

Also, included was cocktail bling, a blue-toned lavender creme, and a-list, your classic red.

What are some of your favourite winter polishes?

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Fall Nails | Zoya Hunter & Aggie

Just wanted to share a simple fall mani. I have been loving pairing Zoya Hunter, a deep forest green, and Zoya Aggie, a bronze-oil slick duochrome. I have done the accent nail thang and loved it, so I decided to pair it again but as a gradient. A touch of glitter is perfect for this time a year- just a bit more festive. If it's a metallic polish using a make-up sponge for the gradient is the way to go. If it's a chunky glitter in a clear base, you can go straight from the bottle.

What's been your favourite fall polish combo?

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Nail Care Potions

Keeping with a bit of a Halloween theme by calling these oils, balms, and drops potions. They are quite magical at keeping your nails in shape. A lot of these products I have been using for a long time, but I have discovered a couple of new products I wanted to highlight-have a click around!

Bath & Body Works Hemp Hand Protector

NCLA So Rich Cuticle Oil

Julep your cuticles look thirsty

Julep Essential Cuticle Oil

Julep Vanish Cuticle Softener & Remover

Julep Ta Da! Quick Dry Drops

What are some of your favourite nail care products?

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Zoya Nail Polish | Focus & Flair

I can't help being addicted to Zoya. Their polishes are too pretty. I'll save the 'my favourite brand spiel' as I've rambled on in every Zoya haul I've done-and there have been a few. Roughly one per season...which brings us to Fall 2015. All but one of these polishes is from their new Focus & Flair collections. The exception is Autumn, which is from last fall's Entice & Ignite collections. Let's get onto the swatches!

Aggie | Bronze to olive metallic duochrome.

Charli | Army green creme. Light in direct sun (as pictured), darker indoors.

Cinnamon | Warm brown-bronze metallic. (Sorry for the tip wear, this is after a week!)

Sia | Royal/cobalt blue creme. Similar to Essie's Butler Please.

Autumn | Fiery burnt orange in Zoya's foil finish.

I am definitely more of a cool-toned polish kind of girl, but something about these warm bronze shades for fall got me. Of course, I still throw in a true blue and a steely green.

What are some polishes that you picked up recently for fall?

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Birthday Weekend Mani

I am so excited! It's my birthday weekend & a three-day weekend. My birthday is September 7th, so it happens to be exactly on Labor Day this year. Whoop Whoop! I don't have any major plans, but I am happy to be spending my weekend leisurely hanging out with friends and reading a good book.

Of course, I had to go with Deborah Lippmann's Happy Birthday polish.  Duh. I love pairing it with Zoya Dove. Neutral + Glitter is a perfect combination. It also looks quite nice over a dark blue.

Enjoy your weekend!

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Haul | Zoya Nail Polish

I ordered these awhile ago, but forgot to share! I picked up some summer shades from the most recent summer collection, while also getting a few oldies to transition to fall.

Talia -Blue-Teal Creme

Cecilia-Green-Teal Creme

Serenity-Blue-Toned Purple Creme

Ryan-Navy Blue Creme

Hunter-Forest Green Creme

Blu-Palest Blue Creme

My Zoya collection is growing!  I am really looking forward to the Focus & Flair Fall collection. Aggie & Charli are on my list for sure.

 

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