Review: Mitty Polish Off Soakies

Although I love painting my own nails, there’s nothing like the convenience of a salon gel polish manicure that looks perfectly chip-free for weeks after application.

My least favourite aspect of a gel manicure is the removal process. I used to always file off the top layer of gel, soak pieces of cotton in acetone, place them on my nails, and cover with tin foil. Sometimes it would take up to an hour for this process to lift the gel, and the sensitive skin around my nails would be left damaged from the harsh acetone. Not to mention, I remove my polish outside since I can’t stand the acetone smell and want to keep the fumes away from my pets. An hour outside in the summer is a long time for someone like me who is afraid of bees.

I almost gave up on gel manicures because of the unpleasant removal process until I heard about the Mitty Polish Off Soakies from a Cutepolish YouTube video which recommended them for quick gel polish removal. I immediately went to the Mitty site and purchased a set of ten to try.

NOTD: Essie Turn 'N' Pose (Gel Couture)

Today’s NOTD is a little different from my usual posts since the featured polish is not grey or pastel pink. I was in the mood for darker polishes this winter, and Turn ’N’ Pose from Essie’s Gel Couture line has been one of my go-to shades this season.

NOTD: Zoya Dove

I think I’ve mentioned before that grey is one of my favourite colours. It’s the main shade in my home, and I have more grey cardigans than one person could ever need. I also ask for grey at about 90% of my gel polish appointments. It truly goes with everything and it always feels so classy and chic.

NOTD: Julep Jennye

One of my blogging goals for 2018 is to create more Nail Art and NOTD (Nail of the Day) posts. After all, I started Writing Beauty back in 2011 because of my passion for nails. Although I have downsized my polish collection  over the years and have started getting salon gel manicures when life gets busy, nail polish will always be my first beauty love.

Today I want to share my thoughts on one of my favourite polish purchases from 2017: Julep Jennye.
I received this polish in my May 2017 Julep Maven Customized Box. As I was browsing through the site, this polish immediately caught my attention because it reminded me of a periwinkle crayon that was my favourite colouring tool when I was a child.

Essie Gel Couture Off Duty Style and Blush-Worthy Review & Swatches

I have been lucky enough to try out a few more Essie Gel Couture polishes thanks to my friends over at Nail Polish Canada.

Back in February, I wrote a full review on Essie Gel Couture (read it HERE). If you are not familiar with the Gel Couture line, it’s a manicure system with a range of beautiful polish shades and a special top coat that provides up to 14 days of wear without a UV lamp or base coat. It’s quick to apply since each coat only takes 60 seconds to dry and it’s easy to remove with a regular polish remover.

So far, I have swatched and reviewed Spool Me Over, a pretty peach colour, and Take Me To Thread, the perfect greyish-purple shade. Today, I am excited to share two new shades that are perfect for fall and winter.

Review + Swatches: Cirque Vice 2017 Nail Polish Collection

If you’re not in the summer mood yet, wait until you see what Cirque Colors has in store for this season. With its vibrant shades, pops of neon, and holographic glimmer, the Cirque Colours Vice 2017 Nail Polish Collection* captures the colourful energy of summer.

Speaking of summer, mine has been busy. In fact, I got salon gel manicures in June and July because I didn’t have time to paint my own nails. So, when my friends over at Nail Polish Canada asked if I wanted to try out the Vice Collection, I couldn’t wait. The whole swatching experience was incredibly refreshing and reminded me of how much I love painting my nails and trying new polishes.

Read on for my review and swatches of the Vice Collection.

Canada Day Nail Art + FREE Nail Vinyls for YOU!

Thanks to the wonderful Nail Polish Canada, many of us will be celebrating this year's Canada Day with perfectly patriotic nails.

Have you ever wanted to adorn your nails with a maple leaf design only to realize how difficult it is to achieve those precise points? This year it’s going to be different since Nail Polish Canada is giving you the opportunity to receive Canadian Flag Nail Vinyls* from Whats Up Nails for free. Yes, 100% FREE (including shipping).

Read on to learn more about my nail design and to find out how you can get a free set of nail vinyls for Canada Day.

NOTD: Essie Take Me To Thread (Gel Couture)

Here’s another polish from my Essie Gel Couture Haul. Aside from pastel pink, my favourite nail polish colours are purple and grey. If I can find a shade that’s a combination of the two, I’m eager to give it a try; however, many of these grey-purple polishes are much too brown or warm-toned for my skin. Before placing my polish order, I looked at quite a few swatches and had high hopes for Take Me To Thread since it looked like the perfect shade of greyish purple for cool-toned skin.

NOTD: Essie Spool Me Over (Gel Couture)

Back in December, I wrote about my Essie Gel Couture Haul from Nail Polish Canada. Since then, I’ve been slowly trying out the three colours that I purchased. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you will know that I have a weakness for pastel pink cream finish polishes. When I placed my polish order I couldn’t find a true light pink colour, so I decided to try Spool Me Over since it was the closest Gel Couture shade to what I was looking for.

Nail Polish Canada Haul: Essie Gel Couture Nail Polishes and Top Coat

If you have been reading my Nail of The Day (NOTD) posts lately, you will know that I have been getting gel manicures done at a salon. I have been so busy cleaning, holiday baking, and attending formal events that I've needed long-lasting, chip-free polish to keep my nails looking great at all times.

NOTD: OPI Bogota Blackberry (gel)

Around the winter holidays, I love wearing deeper shades of polish. This year, I have been so busy with baking and cleaning that I haven’t had much time to take care of my nails, so I went to the salon for a gel manicure.

NOTD: China Glaze Fifth Avenue

I can’t believe that this is my first official blog post on China Glaze’s Fifth Avenue. I’ve owned it for many years (as you can see from the condition of the lettering on the bottle), and it has appeared in some of my seasonal favourites posts, but I have never written a full review on it.

NOTD: OPI I Cannoli Wear OPI (Gel)

It’s been a while since my last Nail of the Day (NOTD) post. Due to a busy schedule and some special events, I have been getting gel manicures at a local salon for the past few months. They use OPI Gel polishes, which I am really enjoying. I have tried Shellac in the past and the gel is very similar in that it is long lasting, resistant to wear and tear, and is completely dry within a minute or so under a curing lamp. However, I prefer the gel over Shellac since it doesn’t make my nails feel as thick, and the gel is cured with an LED light rather than a UV light. I also like that I can remove the gel at home without any acetone or chemicals even though it is not recommended. I must confess that I have discovered that after a few weeks of wear, I can peel the gel off in one piece without any issues while in a hot shower. I have not been able to do this with Shellac.

Of all the OPI Gel colours that I have tried, my favourites include Let’s Be Friends! from the Hello Kitty line (a perfect pastel pink for brides) and the one that I’m wearing in the photo above which is called I Cannoli Wear OPI from the fall 2015 Venice line.

April 2016 Julep Maven Customized Box

Since 2014, I have been subscribed to Julep Maven which is a monthly nail polish subscription service that also incorporates beauty and skincare items. The best part is that you can opt for a curated box, customize your box, or skip your box each month depending on your preference. When you begin with Julep, you take a quiz so that Julep can suggest a box with items you may like. If you don’t like what’s offered in your category, you can choose another. If you are interested, you can sign up for Julep HERE. Even if you’re not interested in the monthly subscription, Julep also sells individual polishes and other products. Shipping is always free!

Since I have quite a few polishes in my collection, I don’t receive boxes every month and will often skip boxes until one is offering a must-have item. In fact, the last box I received before this month was back in February 2015 (click HERE to see my review of that box). This April, I opted in for my box since Julep was including a free white polish with each box. Although I have lots of polishes, I don’t have many that are white and it’s always helpful to have a good white polish on hand for nail designs or french manicures. I also decided to customize my April box to get some products that I had been wanting to try for a while.

Read on to see what I received.

NOTD: China Glaze Change Your Altitude

Have I mentioned lately that grey is my favourite colour? I can’t seem to get enough of this versatile shade, so I added another grey polish to my collection. This one is Change your Altitude from China Glaze’s Fall 2015 collection, The Great Outdoors.

NOTD: Essie Peak Show

With winter lingering around for another month or so, I thought it was the perfect time to write a review of one of the polishes released this season.

NOTD: Essie Romper Room

I first posted about Romper Room in my June Nail Polish Haul (check it out HERE). This pastel pink polish is part of Essie’s Spring 2014 Hide & Go Chic Collection.

NOTD: China Glaze Wanderlust

I first posted about Wanderlust in my June Nail Polish Haul (check it out HERE). This pink polish with hints of purple is part of China Glaze’s Spring 2015 Road Trip Collection.

NOTD: Zoya Leslie

I first posted about Leslie in my June Nail Polish Haul (check it out HERE). This pretty polish is part of Zoya’s Spring 2015 Delight Collection.

Julep Confetti Toss Wedding Nail Polish Set

It’s wedding season 2015! This year, the season is even more exciting for me because it will give me some inspiration as I embark on a bit of wedding planning of my own.

While I’m enjoying all different aspects of the wedding planning process, I love when I get to take on the beauty-related tasks. After all, I already think that I know which polish I will be wearing on my wedding day, but I won’t share that idea now since I may change my mind.

As frequent browser of the Julep site, I love to look through all the pretty polishes, makeup, and gift sets in the Weddings section which also has a very helpful wedding checklist. I had been eyeing one particular polish set called Confetti Toss for a while, so I finally decided to purchase it to see if it could be an option for a bridesmaid gift.

When I received the set, I first noticed how nicely everything was packaged. The two polishes came in a pretty gold embossed cover and a pink bag with ribbons. The outer box is made of a very sturdy cardboard with a rich pink coating and silver Julep logos. It has a magnetic closure and the phrase “We believe beauty is about connection, not competition” printed on the side of the box. There’s extra room inside to add other gifts like wedding jewellery or accessories for the big day. The packaging makes this set a convenient gift for bridesmaids since the bride will not need to worry about wrapping anything.



The two polishes that come in the set are Nell (a blushing holographic full-coverage glitter) and Reese (a bright bubblegum pink creme). With two polishes in very different finishes, this set can be used to create many different nail looks. To see one that I have created so far, click HERE.

I think that the shades are perfect for bridesmaids because they will allow the ladies to express themselves with their polish without wearing a nail colour that’s too distracting. Since Nell is a very neutral pink shade that only needs a coat or two to look opaque, it can be applied quickly and will complement dresses in any colour. Reese is such a pretty pink that I think would look amazing with darker dresses in shades of navy, purple, emerald, and black, but also with lighter dress colours like champagne or silver.



I really like the idea of giving a polish set to bridesmaids because it’s a practical gift that can be used long after the wedding and may get more use than accessories chosen specifically to match the dress.

In addition to this set, there are a couple others that I may consider purchasing to see how they compare.

Overall, I am very impressed with the Confetti Toss set from Julep.

*referral links present*