Author Archives: Mary S.

KBShimmer Dark & Twisty Swatches & Review

KBShimmer Dark & Twisty Swatches & Review

KBShimmer Dark & Twisty is the polish that winked at me from across the candlelit room filled with other handsome lacquers in the Fall 2015 Collection. Naturally, I winked back. 😉 Then, we went for dinner and a movie.

I’m in love with KBShimmer Dark & Twisty because you get rainbow glitter contrasted with the black background.

Although there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the name “Dark & Twisty” (suits the polish well), if I could rename it, I would call it Dark Humour. Why? My first impression when I saw it? Immediately, the colourful getups that clowns wear sprung to mind, and the black base added a sombre vibe.

This nail polish is a winner in my book, and if you’re in the mood for vampy nails with that ‘something extra,’ this is a great choice!

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OPI Purple Palazzo Pants Swatches & Review

OPI Purple Palazoo Pants Swatches & Review

OPI Purple Palazzo Pants is the kind of purple-toned pink that I admire in the bottle. But it’s probably too cool-toned for my skin. Nevertheless, like peace, I give polish a chance! (You never know if you’ll land on one that flatters.)

It reminded me a bit of OPI Lucky Lucky Lavender, a polish that I know I have somewhere around here. (Back in the day, I wore that, and it sadly didn’t work out for me. It would look incredible on someone whose skin tone is either richer or fairer than mine.)

When I first laid eyes on OPI Purple Palazzo Pants, which is from the OPI Venice Collection for Fall/Winter 2015 that I did a Quick Look post on, it reminded me right away of MAC Dodgy Girl, the cool-toned purplish-pink lipstick that I lusted after, even though I can’t quite pull it off!

Life is too short to put extra restrictions on yourself when it comes to having fun with colour, and nail polish is an easy way to infuse the rainbow into your day.

I try to practice what I preach, so even though this colour may not be the most flattering on me, I wore it for a couple of days because I like it. And, so far, nobody has made a distasteful comment to my face or from behind a screen about it.

(Maybe that sounds like an invitation to trolls. It’s not! However, I’ve had my fair share of trolls over the years who leave mean-spirited comments on social media or via e-mail. No worries – after all, I’ve got my ‘big girl palazzo pants’ on now, right? 😉 Hehe!)

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OPI Be There in a Prosecco Swatches & Review

OPI Be There in a Prosecco Swatches & Review

OPI Be There in a Prosecco from the Venice Collection that I did a Quick Look post on, reminds me of extra-creamy French vanilla, but it could just be that I have a sweet tooth.

Although you won’t catch me wearing shades like this often, when I do, I tend to appreciate them.

OPI Be There in a Prosecco is a wonderful palate cleanser to wear when you’re in between peppy or vampy nail polishes.

Against my skin tone, it’s several shades lighter and has a beige-yellow undertone that I found to be flattering and brightening. It has a clean appearance without veering into stark territory, and it has the soft, everyday elegance that I enjoy. Plus it pairs well with nearly anything!

I like the name, as it suggests urgency. I’m a fast worker, and I respect those who also are able to get things done quickly and efficiently without relying on a crutch of worn-out excuses or not getting around to things, due to laziness. Save the ‘humming and hawing’ for singing in the shower. Okay, maybe just the humming part. I’m not sure how you’d ‘haw,’ unless it’s a ‘hee-haw’…

Yup, I get that all from the polish name. Hehe! There’s a lot to be said about a name. After all, a rose might not smell as sweet if it were called a thistle or a skunk cabbage. (Extra points to those who got that reference.)

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China Glaze Wood You Wanna? Swatches & Review

China Glaze Wood You Wanna Swatches & Review

Brown isn’t at the top of my nail-polish totem pole, but when it has shimmer and when autumn rolls around, I tend to test the waters more.

China Glaze Wood You Wanna? from The Great Outdoors Collection reminds me of a tree from the future or the kind that robots would plant in the year 3000.

It’s a bark-like brown, but because it has so much foil flecks, the overall appearance looks like a metallic taupe.

This is a brown that I was excited to wear and very much enjoyed! It has a cozy look with a lot of oomph – puts me in the mood for autumn. (Oh, who am I kidding? I’m always in the mood for fall, as it’s my favourite season!)

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Pretty Serious Daphne’s Disco Party Swatches & Review (Layered Over OPI Be There in a Prosecco)

Pretty Serious Daphne's Disco Party Swatches & Review

Invite your nails to the party, and RSVP to Pretty Serious Daphne’s Disco Party!

Like a bubblegum cheerleader who’s as perky as she is charismatic, this bright and girly glitter nail polish is incredibly fun.

Since the base is translucent pink, when I wore this weeks ago, I decided to layer it over my existing manicure, which was OPI Be There in a Prosecco, a creamy beige from the Venice Collection.

You can also layer it over pink to make the base pop more or something dark like navy to highlight the glitter. Very versatile!

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Essie at New York Fashion Week: Days 1 & 2

Wes Gordon NYFW Essie 2Praying for nail inspiration? 😉

I find it very interesting to see nail polish in action, complementing a designer’s clothing style, and I hope that you will enjoy this post highlighting Essie at New York Fashion Week: Days 1 & 2!

You’ll see looks for Spring/Summer 2016 by the following designers: Wes Gordon, Sally LaPointe, and Rebecca Minkoff. (The colours used are listed, in case you want to recreate the manicures.)

All the nail creations at the Wes Gordon and Sally LaPointe shows were designed by Rita Remark, Essie’s new Global Lead Educator.

The nail art from the Rebecca Minkoff show was done by Michelle Saunders.

All the photos and information are courtesy of Essie.

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OPI Gelato on My Mind Swatches & Review

OPI Gelato on My Mind Swatches & Review

It’s as obvious as a fluorescent-green-and-hot-pink camouflage shirt that you love a manicure so much when you’ve worn it for 7 days straight.

That was exactly the case with OPI Gelato on My Mind, which is from the Venice Collection that I did a Quick Look post on.

It’s a soft, clean baby blue that reminds me of cloudless cartoon skies, and only on Monday night did I finally bring myself to remove it!

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