Author Archives: Mary S.

Nail Art: Scotch Tape Manicure…on a MAN!

China Glaze I Herd That Swatch & Nicole by OPI Please Red-Cycle Swatch Happy Friday!

You’ve seen me paint sheep nail art, apply flocking powder, and use caviar beads on my male friend.

Today, I would like to share a Scotch Tape Manicure…on a MAN!

Yup, I once again convinced my friend to let me do some nail art on him. No, he didn’t wear it in public, but he was still a great sport. 😉

This was the first Scotch Tape manicure I’ve ever done, and I was surprised by how easy it was to do!

In case you don’t know what a Scotch Tape manicure is, it’s when you use the tape as a guide to cover certain parts of your nails, so that when you remove those pieces after painting, you’re left with a nifty little design.

I started painting all his nails with gold glitter. Then I applied a coat of Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat so we wouldn’t have to wait long for the polish to dry. I applied two pieces of Scotch tape in a pyramid position on each of his nails, and then painted the open-triangle section. I carefully removed the tape, and voila, we got the design you see!

Since it was my first time, I opted to create a simple triangular design on his nails. And I let him choose the colour combination. (Red is his favourite colour, and he liked the way the gold glitter looked underneath.)

Later in this post, my own nails make a brief appearance. 😉 I couldn’t help but try a Scotch Tape manicure on myself using different colours!

Continue reading →

Topshop Late Show Swatches & Review

10 Replies

Topshop Late Show Swatches & Review Does this nail polish look familiar to you?

Topshop Late Show is one of the colours I used in a skittle manicure for some Super Bowl Baltimore Ravens nail art. 😉 (I also did a look for the San Francisco 49ers.)

I wore it solo because I fell in love with how creamy it was and how effortless the colour was to apply.

Still can’t believe that there aren’t more people raving about Topshop nail polish! So far, all the ones I’ve tried have been major wins!

Continue reading →

Reader Request: OPI Oz Glitter Nail-Polish Comparison Swatches & Photos

25 Replies

OPI When Monkeys Fly, OPI Which is Witch, OPI Lights of Emerald City Comparison After I did a reader requested minty green nail-polish comparison post, one of my readers, Sam, asked if I could compare 2 of the glitters from OPI Oz the Great and Powerful Collection.

Since I have all 3 glitters, I thought I may as well show them side-by-side in this OPI Oz Glitter Nail-Polish Comparison post, even though I’ve done a separate review on OPI Lights of Emerald City.

I hope that you’ll find this helpful for narrowing down the one(s) you’re interested in!

Continue reading →

Nail Art: What I Wore on My Nails for Valentine’s Day

9 Replies

Valentine's Day Nails Nail Art Swatch Valentine’s Day may be over, but I still wanted to show you what was on my fingertips.

My Valentine’s Day Nails included the traditional pink, red, and white, but I threw some black into the mix because I wanted it to have a bit of an anti-Valentine’s Day edge, too.

Initially, I was going to put hearts all over, but then opted for stripes for a different effect that was more sporty and unconventional for February 14. (Hehe, you know how I’m a little obsessed with vertical stripes on nails, right?)

This manicure is also symbolic because I believe everyone should ‘show their stripes’.

Although this striped skittle design is extremely simple, I ended up falling in love with it more than I thought I would. (I wore this manicure for 5 days!)

So, I’m single, and even though I didn’t get any flowers, chocolates, or stuffed toys, I still very much enjoy Valentine’s Day.

Last year, I went through an emotional split from a boyfriend a little before Valentine’s Day. From that horrible experience, a profound revelation arose. I realized that I had been in love with the man I thought he was, not the man he actually was. Huge difference!

This year, on February 14th, a guy who I just met recently professed his feelings for me! It was very sweet and genuine, so it made me feel like a million bucks! It also took me off-guard, which is a hard thing to do, because I’m pretty good at sensing these kind of things.

In a way, I considered this my Valentine’s Day gift because it put a huge smile on my face. (I know a lot of players who’ve just fed me lines that I can see through, but I think this guy is the real deal, so I took his words to heart.)

I’m still single, however. After having my heart stomped on in the past, I’m trying to be more discerning before going steady with anyone. For this reason, I’m casually dating some guys, and I’m honest about it.

Then, if I feel a spark with someone who I think is more long-lasting, I will go steady with one. If not, at least I’ve made new friends. In this way, I feel like I can keep my options open and avoid unnecessary heartbreaks from jumping in too soon and too fast. I believe that guys have to earn exclusivity by proving they’re in it for the long haul. Also, time is a great test because it lets you see how they’ll deal with problems that will eventually arise.

Continue reading →

Smorgasbord Sundays: The Dark Side of Swatch And Learn

26 Replies

Mary SwatchAndLearn negative Shocking News Revealed!

Mary of Swatch And Learn isn’t the squeaky-clean, friendly beauty blogger she pretends to be!

In this post, we air out her dirty laundry and show you physical evidence where all signs point to her being guilty as charged!

We also share quotes from eye witnesses with special insight into Mary’s whereabouts and daily behaviour.

Yesterday, on Instagram, was the first time her true nature was revealed!

If you spot her running through the crowds frantically to get to the nearest nail-polish display, call the police! For your own safety, do not approach her – she is considered armed and dangerous, as she is almost never without nail polish!

(If you’re reading this, Mary, you’re “BUSTED”! Stop the act, and turn yourself into the nearest Polish Police station. You’ll probably only receive 12 years in Lacquer Prison without parole. It’s the right thing to do! Think of how you’ve psychologically affected all the nail polishes by locking them up in total darkness in your Helmer!)

We’re pleading for the general public to take this matter seriously.

While her blog posts are upbeat and sprinkled with humour, don’t let that fool you. She is an evil mastermind trying to convert normal civilians to the dark side of becoming nailphiles, one polish review at a time!

Don’t get sucked into the madness!

The Special Investigations Unit has been keeping track of Mary’s daily polishing behaviour and following up on every lead. It’s only a matter of time before we kick down her door and take away all her nail polishes.

“A few days each week, I can smell toxic fumes wafting from her room”, said a reliable source who asked to remain anonymous. “She says that she’s just painting her nails, but I know better. She decapitates the poor polishes!”

Another insider has confirmed this, saying, “I’ve seen her unscrew the caps like it didn’t cause any pain to the nail polish!” With a shaky voice, he continued, “It’s torture, and something must be done to stop her before it’s too late! How many more nail polishes must be harmed before the justice system takes action?”

Nail polishes cradle their firstborns in desperate attempts to shield them from Mary’s morbid desire to use their blood on her nails! And it’s all for vanity!

Base coats and top coats pray to a higher power that, one day, Mary will set them free, so they won’t have to be overworked on an almost-daily basis!

And now…continue reading this post to see our Special Investigations Unit’s physical evidence. With your cooperation and perseverance, perhaps justice will be served! Help us lock Mary away, so our nail polishes and their relatives can sleep soundly at night.

Continue reading →

China Glaze Bling It On Swatches & Review (Layered Over Nicole by OPI Stand by Your Manny)

4 Replies

China Glaze Bling It On Swatches & Review Not long ago, I shared my thoughts on Nicole by OPI Stand by Your Manny from the Modern Family Collection.

While I did enjoy wearing the periwinkle by itself, I was curious to test out another of the China Glaze Glitz Bitz ‘n Pieces Collection shades. This time, I used China Glaze Bling It On.

Here’s another one of those ‘tone-on-tone’ layering combinations that I mentioned before.

If using high-contrast colours isn’t your thing, this may be your preferred way to wear the glitter.

Continue reading →