Author Archives: Fiona

Nail Art: Red & Silver Swoop Nails & Tutorial

Image of Red & Silver Swoop Nails ** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

OK. I don’t even know what a swoop looks like. But I’m calling this design that because that’s the first word that came into my head. So… let’s go with it. 😛 I think my head was thinking of the Nike swoosh, but it’s not exactly that, so it came up with swoop. If you can think of a better adjective for the pointy arrow thinga-ma-jig in the middle of the nail, please let me know. LOL

I got elf Red Velvet recently and wanted to test it out, but I was in no mood for an all-red mani. So I decided to throw silver into the mix because I love this awesome neutral color that has some bling to it. Then I thought: “What the heck? Let’s throw some oddly shaped tape on the nail, too, before painting.” Hence, the Red & Silver Swoop Nails. Is it stunning? No. Lol. But it’s a simple look that’s good as a fast and easy mani that’s not boring. Continue reading →

FingerPaints Art Dealer Teal-er Review & Swatches

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Image of FingerPaints Art Dealer Teal-er ** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

Don’t you just hate it when you’re wrong about a polish that you thought you’d love? You get all excited about bringing a new color home. Put it on and realize that it doesn’t have that wowness that would knock you over. And then you think you could’ve used that money to get another color.

That’s how I feel about FingerPaints Art Dealer Teal-er. It’s nice and lovely but definitely nothing special. In the bottle, the color looks like an opalescent soft teal. For some reason, I thought of a paradise island… with its clear blue-green water that has a softened glare because the sun is shining so brightly.

I’m glad I got this during a Buy 2 Get 1 Free FP sale at Sally Beauty Supply. It makes me feel better that I didn’t pay full price for it. Let me tell you why! Continue reading →

NYX Dramatic Chromatic Eyeshadow Pigments Swatches & Review – Blues: Hard Core, Lagoon, Bayou, Ocean Blue, Blue Eyes, Piggy Back, Chaotic & Space

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Image of NYX Dramatic Chromatic Eyeshadow Pigments ** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

A little while back I shamelessly did a haul post on my NYX haul from HauteLook. I wanted to do swatches on them right away, but I couldn’t really do a review unless I actually tested the products themselves. I knew the pigments would work basically the same across each one, but I needed to make sure.

So now, here is the first group of NYX Dramatic Chromatic Eyeshadow Pigments – The Blue Shadow Group. This includes Hard Core, Lagoon, Bayou, Ocean Blue, Blue Eyes, Piggy Back, Chaotic and Space.

Duh, right! Fiona jumping on the blue shadows first before any other color. Surprise, surprise. Well, you know what? Sue me! I just love blues the most, alright! 😛 I adore the color, and I love almost all the blues pigments that I got. Almost all. There are eight blues in total, and I love seven of them. Which one’s the ugly duckling that, in my opinion, won’t be a beautiful swan? Come see! Continue reading →

L.A. Girl Purge Review & Swatches

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Image of L.A. Girl Purge ** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

I’m just going to get into it. L.A. Girl Purge rocks! The glitter is in a green that reminds me of Christmas. And for some reason, green always makes me think of aliens. (It might be because of The X-Files.) And since I layered this over black, it’s also reminiscent of The Matrix. So when I look at this, I think Christmas Aliens in The Matrix. (I may have inhaled too much nail polish. I hope there’s no permanent damage.)

Unfortunately, my flash pictures didn’t turn out very well. But you can definitely see how much Purge rocks in the natural and artifical light pictures! You actually get that cool contrasting green-on-black effect whether you’re indoors or out. It’s kind of mesmerizing – these nails actually got me through an hour of cardio at the gym the other day because I was staring at them so much that time just flew by! Continue reading →

Nail Art: Hong Kong Flag Nails & Tutorial

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Image of Hong Kong Flag Nails ** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

So a couple of days ago, I did a nail design for the Canadian flag. My patriotic love doesn’t end at Canada. I was born in Hong Kong where I studied until grade 2 before my family moved to Canada to avoid 1997. We didn’t know what would happen when Hong Kong was returned to China, so we upped and crossed the ocean with everything we owned. I think moving to another country is the change that has affected me the most in my life. It was hard because the cultures and practices are so different. But since I was young, I was able to adapt more easily than the rest of my family.

I miss Hong Kong, but the one thing I don’t miss is the heat there. I’m sorry to all the summer lovers out there – but I can’t stand the heat (so I got out of the kitchen). The sweat, the stickiness, the stench, the sun in your eyes, the dehydration, the feeling tired, the… you get the idea. It doesn’t help that my car’s A/C died and is spewing hot air. BTW, does anyone else ever wish that you could change your car’s color like you change your nail polish? So many times I’ve wondered what my car would look like with a certain polish on.

WOW. I digress. Sorry! Here is my design for Hong Kong Flag nails. It also looks like a cool floral design, doesn’t it? I really like it (not to pat myself on the back or anything :))!
Continue reading →

Nail Art: Canadian Flag Nails & Tutorial

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Image of Canadian Flag Nails ** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

Boo. My second attempt at nail art kind of failed. Sad face. They don’t really even look like the Canadian flag! Hahah. Even though I don’t really want to post it, I have to because Swatch And Learn is proudly Canadian. And since I did an American flag one, I have to represent north side of the border. I had a blast with the American flag one, especially when I inspired a co-worker to do a tape manicure design, too! That’s always encouraging.

I also had fun with my Canadian Flag nails. I got to work with Sally Beauty Sprinkles – I used the heart shape because I <3 Canada. Tee hee. I’m still working on my taping technique because there was, again, some bleeding. If anyone has any advice for me, I would love to hear it. I’m just starting out and want to get better!

~Whisper~ I like my American Flag nails (design wise) better because it’s cuter and more intricate. But shhhh. Don’t tell our Canadian readers. ~End whisper~ Continue reading →

Eyeko Line & Shine Duo Colour Pencil for Popstar Eyes (Electric Blue & Teal) Review & Swatches

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Image of Eyeko Line & Shine Duo Colour Pencil for Popstar Eyes

** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

There’s something extra appealing about a product that you just can’t quite get your hands on, isn’t there? When I first locked eyes with Eyeko Line & Shine Duo Colour Pencil for Popstar Eyes, I really wanted it. But alas, Cherry Culture was out of stock for the longest time. I swear it could’ve put a restraining order on me as I was stalking it every week to see if CC had it available.

And it finally did. To hold something you’ve wanted for so long in your hand is satisfying! Don’t get me wrong. This isn’t a HTF/discontinued nail polish or anything. It’s just… I waited months for it to be back in stock, and I’m so happy that I finally bought it!

This is the first time I’ve tried Eyeko, and I was wary about the quality at first. That’s because after falling in love with Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils, I swear no one can make me go back to hard and scratchy ones. No one! This Eyeko Line & Shine Duo Color Pencil is far from scratchy! Continue reading →