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: 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.

Winter 2016 Nail Polish Favourites

My nail polish favourites for this winter feature a range of different shades from iridescent glitters to snowy baby pinks to blue and purple jewel tones to rich reds and berries and everything in between.

You can see my nail polish favourites from previous years and seasons by clicking HERE.

Which polish is your favourite from my list below? To see swatches and more detailed posts on the polishes below, click on any names in mint green text.

Fall 2015 Nail Polish Favourites

This fall, my favourite polishes include a mix of bold creams and shimmery neutrals.

GIVEAWAY: OPI Pure Nail Lacquer Nail Apps

Sometimes we just don’t have time to wait for nail polish to dry, so I wanted to give away three different Pure Lacquer Nail Apps from OPI. One winner will win these Apps in Rattlesnake, Fishnet, and Reptile.

You can enter to win by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.

Fall French Manicure

Now that fall (my very favourite season) is upon us, I wanted to share this unique french manicure inspired by the beautiful colours of the season.

Nautical Nail Art

Now that August is here and it’s only a matter of time before fall gets arrives, I thought I should post a few more summer nail looks in honour of the season. This is an older look that I created back in 2011. I stumbled upon the photo and couldn’t help but post it. It may not be as clean as my current looks, but I have had a few more years to practice since making this design.

While it may look a bit involved, this look was fairly easy to create, but it does take a bit of patience and a steady hand.

To begin, I painted each nail with two coats of an opaque white cream polish and then added horizontal stripes on four of my nails using Santee Nail Art Polish in Dark Blue. To add a pop of sparkle, I used a nail art brush and a metallic gold acrylic paint to paint a diagonal line across the nails with blue stripes and then went over that line with a bit of Glim-merry Gold top coat from OPI.
If you don’t have a nail art brush, these lines can be created with a toothpick just as easily. For the ring finger, I used Essie Fearless and a dotting tool to draw a red anchor.

To see a video tutorial of this look, click HERE.

To see more of my nail art, click HERE.

What are your thoughts on the nautical trend for summer?

Beauty Giveaway!!!!

Here’s another beauty giveaway to celebrate my new blog design. To learn more about the design, including new features, the designer, and my experience with the process, click HERE.

This giveaway features pink and grey beauty products in honour of my former design. You can enter to win these items by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.

Good Luck!

****This giveaway is open internationally and will close on June 18, 2015 at 11:59 PM****

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bridal Nails: Flowers, Pearls, and Shimmer

In honour of wedding season, here is a bridal nail look. Although this nail art may seem difficult, it was very easy to create.
For the base, I used an iridescent polish from OPI called Pearl of Wisdom. Next, I stamped a floral design on the tips of my nails using a white polish and the m51 plate from Konad. To finish off the look, I added some half pearls that I found on eBay.
To see a video tutorial of this look, click HERE.
To see my wedding nail look from last year, click HERE.
Would you wear this nail art during wedding season?

Easter / Spring Nails

This Easter / Spring nail look features pretty pastels in stripes and polka dots.

The base is one of my favourite pastel purple polishes, OPI Done Out In Deco. The pink stripes are a light pink nail art polish from L.A. Colors. This shade was also used for some of the dots along with China Glaze Peachy Keen, Zoya Heather, and Essie Mint Candy Apple.

To see a video tutorial of this look, click HERE.

To see my Easter / Spring nail look from last year, click HERE.

What will you be wearing on your nails this Spring?

Victorian Lace Nail Look

I love the true elegance of black lace on a light background. Since this beautiful combination is embraced in the fashion world, I wanted to create a version of it for the beauty world with this nail look.

This design has a Victorian feel and is very easy to create. The shimmery light purple base is one of my favourite polishes from OPI called Play the Peonies. For the design, I used the Elegant Lace Glitter Nail Stickers* from Born Pretty Store. They cost less than $1 and you can save 10% site wide using the code BEAUTY4K31.

This look is very romantic and would be perfect for a Valentine’s Day date or a wedding. Not to mention, it’s very quick and practically fool-proof.

Do you like this design? Where would you wear it?

Dazzling Cheetah Print Nail Art

I don’t usually like to wear anything with an animal print pattern (clothes, shoes, etc.), and I absolutely refuse to wear anything with fur. However, since animal print is very popular during fall and winter, I decided to try a cruelty free cheetah print nail look.

I created this look using Zoya Richelle nail polish, my Konad stamping nail art kit, and a bit of sparkle. I think this look would be very nice for a fancy event or a night out.

To see a tutorial on this look, click here or on the photo above. 

Would you wear this cheetah print nail look?

NOTD: OPI Glove You So Much

Glove You So Much came out in winter 2009 with OPI’s Holiday Wishes collection. I received this polish for Christmas a few years ago. It came in a set of four mini polishes. This shade always stands out to me because it is much richer and more elegant than the other three bright, glittery reds in the set.

In fact, I think of Glove You So Much as more of a deep purple with wine undertones, rather than a shade in the red family. The polish looks like a cranberry shade in the photo above, but it is more of a velvet plum shade in real life. It has a fine shimmer that gives the finish a lot of shine.

I wore this colour over the holidays because it looked festive enough for Christmas but also complemented a formal black, grey, and white New Year’s Eve outfit.

I was most impressed by the staying power of this polish. Some OPI polishes tend to chip very easily on my nails but I got five full days of perfectly intact polish before a few chips began to surface.

The formula is very smooth and pigmented so I only needed two coats. If I finish my mini bottle of Glove You So Much, I will consider searching for a full size bottle since I can see myself getting a lot of use out of this colour during the colder months.

Holiday Stripes Nail Look

Due to my hectic schedule this year, I knew that I would only have time to create one holiday nail look. I wanted something quick, easy, and very festive.

Shades of sparkling red (OPI Smitten with Mittens), glimmering gold (China Glaze I Heard That), and creamy white (Zoya Snow White) make up this year’s look.

I began by painting a thick vertical stripe of each colour on my nails. Next, I took a long, thin nail art brush and painted a stripe down each coloured section using the shade beside it.

The finished look is simple, unique, and holiday chic!

See more of my holiday nail looks by clicking HERE.

And don’t forget to enter my Holiday Beauty Giveaway!

NOTD: OPI Shorts Story

With its vibrant shade and fun pink hue, Shorts Story is the perfect shade to honour the last few weeks of summer!

Tired of bare nails, I searched through my collection for a pink cream finish polish that would complement a variety of summer outfits. With a quick breeze through my OPI drawer, I rediscovered Shorts Story which was released with OPI’s 2009 Paige Denim Brights collection.

This polish has a decent level of pigmentation and looks opaque after only two coats. In my opinion, this pink is neutral leaning towards cool toned which is perfect against my cool pale skin. It’s bright but not neon or harsh.

My only real complaint about this polish is the brush. Mine has OPI’s newer Pro Wide brush which is too large for my small nails. I had to keep an orange stick close by to sweep away polish that covered my cuticles.

Overall, Shorts Story is a great medium bright pink shade. I wish I had worn it more often this summer!

Summer 2012 Nail Polish Favourites

I like to celebrate every season with a post on my favourite nail polishes. For summer 2012, I’m loving a range of colours and finishes and even a few trends such as crackle and mood polishes.
To find out which nail polishes made my favourites list this season, check out my photos below:

Summer Nail Polish Favourites

Essie Fiji and Zoya Jaime

China Glaze Lemon Fizz and OPI Peach-A-Boo

Essie Tart Deco and Zoya Lianne

Butter London Trout Pout, Orly Cotton Candy, and Zoya Maya

Zoya Shelby, Orly Basket Case, and China Glaze Broken Hearted

China Glaze Fuchsia Fanatic, Zoya Areej, OPI The Lifeguard Makes Me Blush, and OPI La Paz-itively Hot

China Glaze Flying Dragon (neon) and China Glaze Purple Panic (neon)

Zoya Malia and OPI Done Out In Deco

Butter London Knackered, Zoya Jo, and Ylin Mood Polish in Sky Blue/Lavender
Which colours are your favourites for summer 2012?

Cupcake Nails

With all the cupcake nail looks floating around on the internet, I wanted to create my own version of this trend. I used pink, white, other pastels, and lots of “sprinkles” to achieve this look.
 

I hope you enjoy the photos below! Let me know which nail looks you would like to see next.

My Favourite Nail Polishes for Spring

A few months ago I posted about my favourite nail polishes for winter: http://www.writingbeauty.com/2011/12/my-favourite-nail-polishes-for-winter.html
Now that spring has sprung, I have selected some nail polishes that I will be wearing until summer.
Hope you enjoy the photos below!

Zoya Portia, Zoya Marilyn, Zoya Stephanie, Essie East Hampton Cottage

Zoya Piper, Zoya Mia, China Glaze Something Sweet

China Glaze Pink Underground, OPI Rosy Future, Essie Curve Ball, Zoya Meadow, OPI Hawaiian Orchid

Zoya Shay, Essie Topless & Barefoot, Zoya Melanie, Zoya Ava, Zoya Minka

China Glaze Temptation Carnation, OPI Don’t Melbourne the Toast, OPI Peach-a-Boo, Zoya Felicity

China Glaze Peachy Keen, Essie Shop Till I Drop

Zoya Cassie, Orly Cotton Candy, Essie Van D’Go

China Glaze Lemon Fizz

China Glaze Light as Air, OPI Done Out in Deco, Zoya Miley, Zoya Marley, Zoya Heather, Essie Neo Whimsical

Zoya Pandora, China Glaze Free Fall, OPI Significant Other Color, OPI Play the Peonies, OPI Venus Di Violet

MAC Peppermint Patti, China Glaze For Audrey, Essie Mint Candy Apple