Author Archives: Mary S.

Nail Art Tutorial: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Nails

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Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Nail ArtI love the Christmas story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. (It’s like the holiday version of The Ugly Duckling.)

When you embrace your imperfections, it can be very empowering. Don’t be afraid of doing something different. If we were all the same and liked the same music, movies, or nail polishes, life would be more boring than reading the telephone book backwards. (Although that might be interesting – I’ve never tried it.)

You may remember that back in 2011, I posted a Reindeer Nail Art Tutorial. In that design, I used heart sequins for Rudolph’s nose, and I made the ‘mistake’ of using a dark background, so the antlers didn’t quite show up as well as I had hoped. Nevertheless, I still very much enjoyed wearing that design.

Now that it’s 2014, I decided to revisit the design again and create Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Nail Art! This time, I opted for all creme nail polishes and a lighter base. (I highly recommend using cremes for everything to help your design stand out. However, it would be really cute if you used a glitter or shimmery red polish for Rudolph’s nose!)

P.S. I’m going to try doing more festive freehand nail designs this month. Not sure how many I can squeeze in before Christmas, but I’ll do my best!

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Blog News: My Striped Nail Art Tutorial on PromCanada.com

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Striped Nail Art Tutorial & Pictures smallerIf you follow my blog, you know that I’m all about fun colour, and I don’t often get too excited about neutrals, tans, or nudes.

However, when I was preparing this Striped Nail Art tutorial for Prom Canada’s website a while ago, I decided to challenge myself and bridge both a tan polish with something punchier. (Of course green had to be in the mix!) 😉

Here’s the look I came up with months ago for Prom Canada’s website, and it’s currently featured on there right now.

Check out my tutorial on Prom Canada, or keep reading this post, where I show you step-by-step how to recreate this easy-peasy look that’s ideal for those who lead busy lifestyles.

You can easily make this a festive Christmas look by subbing out the yellow for a red and doing a gold-glitter base instead of a neutral.)

The colours I used are all from the Nicole by OPI 2015 Collection:

  • Nicole by OPI Count to Tan (tan)
  • Nicole by OPI Bee in the Moment (yellow)
  • Nicole by OPI Simply Sub-Lime (green)

Also, check back again tomorrow because I’m going to post my tutorial for the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer nail art you may have seen me post on Instagram recently.

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Blog News: I Attended the Inglot VIP Beauty Blogger Event Yesterday Evening

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Inglot Toronto SwatchAndLearnI had the incredible opportunity to attend the exclusive Inglot VIP Beauty Blogger Event yesterday, and I have so much to tell you because it was chock-full of inspiration up the whazoo! (A makeup Picasso would go nuts at Inglot!)

No doubt you’ve read glowing reviews of Inglot makeup products on many beauty blogs. (I sure did!) Strange thing is that I never dabbled into Inglot makeup before, despite hearing rave reviews. Well, that all ends now because I think that I’m in love!

Haha, I bought stuff on Saturday and then during the VIP Beauty Blogger Event, I ended up buying more. (The makeup addiction is real, people!)

In case you didn’t know, Toronto has a new makeup gem at Yonge-Dundas Square. Yes, that’s right – Inglot’s only store in Canada is in the heart of downtown! How exciting is that? (For those who are local Torontonians like I am, it’s across from the H&M at the Toronto Eaton Centre, near the Hard Rock Cafe. This location is so convenient!)

Yonge-Dundas Square is full of life, and if you ever visit Toronto, it’s the place to go. There are always lots of things to see and cool events going on. Plus in the summer, I’ve seen free music concerts and public movie viewings. Trust me – you can’t get bored here! (If you do get bored, I think you should invest in a defibrillator. Haha!)

Especially after attending the Inglot VIP beauty blogger event yesterday, I feel that the location fits the brand’s image perfectly.

Inglot is a company with products made in Poland that takes it to the next level and doesn’t play it safe. I applaud them for thinking outside the box and for not following the flock. They put out so many different colours, so even if you want bright blue lipstick, you’ll find it here! (Later in this post, I’ll show you photos of blue lipsticks I found at the Inglot Toronto store.)

In the photo above, I’m standing beside the Inglot presidents, Marcin Bielen (left) and Silver Laus (right).

In addition to getting a tutorial by Asha Houghton featuring the new Inglot HD Perfect Cover Up Foundation, I also got to speak with Marcin Bielen in-depth about Inglot. (How many makeup company presidents do you know who will give you the time of day and actually chat with you one-on-one, treating you with respect instead of as your superior?) My conversation with Marcin quickly made me realize that Inglot is a company that’s doing things differently and better! 

Why better? They put customer service first. They treat everyone like they’re VIPs. Even bloggers like me who aren’t makeup artists or who don’t have tons of followers on social media get attention and are made to feel like we’re important and that our opinion counts! (More on this later.)

In this post, you’ll see tons of photos that I snapped during the event of Inglot makeup, and I’ll share my thoughts on everything I saw and learned! (This is a new-to-me brand, so I soaked it all up.)

Also, if you have any questions about Inglot, feel free to leave a comment and ask me. I will be more than happy to reach out to Inglot to get your questions answered!

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OPI Fifty Shades of Grey Collection Press Release

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OPI Fifty Shades of Grey CollectionThis evening, I have the OPI Fifty Shades of Grey Collection Press Release!

There are six nail polishes in the OPI Fifty Shades of Grey Collection, which launches in January 2015. (I feel like all of them are good staples to have because you can easily combine them with other colours. There’s nothing too crazy.)

You’d probably expect that with a name like “Fifty Shades of Grey”, this collection would be all greys, but one is red.

I’ve never read the novel by E.L. James. Have you?

Truth be told, I have no desire to read it, either. (No offence to those who really love the book. We all have different tastes, and that’s just not the type of book that I’m drawn to.)

Actually, I usually gravitate toward books that make me laugh out loud because while there are plenty of hilarious writers out there, making someone laugh out loud just by your writing and not by clever verbal delivery or funny facial expressions is pretty challenging. It’s a talent that I really admire.

Recently, I picked up “Yes Please” by Amy Poehler, which I’m really excited to dive into. (You may remember that I posted a photo on Instagram and mentioned how I redeemed a bunch of my Shoppers Optimum Points, and one of the things I got was that book.)

I’ve read a few pages of Yes Please so far, and she already had me laughing so hard because the preface is so sarcastic! 🙂 (Any other Amy Poehler fans out there?)

But enough about what I’m currently reading! Let’s get on with the nail polish already, right? 😉

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Nail Art Tutorial: Santa Claus Nails

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Santa Claus Nail Art TutorialBack in 2011, I did Santa Nail Art where each nail featured The Big Man in Red’s suit. I really loved that design, and even though I wanted to wear it again, it was time for a challenge. (Click to see my step-by-step tutorial for the Santa Suit Nail Art!)

After seeing The Little Canvas’ cute nails with Kris Kringle’s face, I knew I had to try my hand at this design. Although mine didn’t turn out as well as neatly as hers, I had tons of fun painting this, and it was fun to bring my Santa Claus gang with me everywhere I went! (Thanks to The Little Canvas for the inspiration!)

Haha, I intended the Santas to be smirking or to at least look happy, but I guess my nail striper brush was a bit too thick and I was rushing a little. So, some of my Santas look like they’re being very sarcastic. Haha, can you spot which one drank too much of the spiked elves’ Christmas punch? 😛

Hey, it would be neat to combine this and the santa-suit design in a single manicure. You could even paint Santa’s hat on one nail. That would allow you to paint a whole bunch of different designs.

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Zoya Cyber Monday Promotion

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On Friday, I got a very mysterious e-mail from Zoya alluding to their Zoya Cyber Monday deal. I decided to share it with you in case you decide to partake in the deal that’s open to U.S. residents.

Below is the official press release sent to me by Zoya:

On Cyber Monday 12/01/14 (12:01 am – 11:59 pm EST), Zoya captures that special feeling with THE ZOYA CYBERMONDAY MYSTERY *. This special mystery grouping of items, from your friends at Zoya Nail Polish, is just $15 (plus FREE SHIPPING). We can’t tell you what it is except to say that when you see it your will say “Wow, that was one heck of a deal!” – Zoya guarantees it.

Zoya Cyber Monday 2014

All we can say is that it is a bag and box in a box – we promise you won’t get any socks and we won’t send you a fox (no matter what he says)!

Purchasing Information:
$15 (US) includes free shipping.

Exclusively on Zoya.com
Want to shake the box and figure out what it is? Contents of the Zoya Cyber Monday Mystery will be revealed on Tuesday (12/02/14). Or you can wait until it arrives (if you can stand the anticipation).

**Terms & Conditions
Valid online at www.zoya.com 12/01/14 (12:01am EST) – 12/01/14 (11:59pm EST). US Only. Not valid in conjunction with other coupons, codes or promotions. Art of Beauty is not responsible for incorrect addresses, credit card entry errors, web related issues or any errors associated with declined credit cards. Returns or exchanges of promotional items not permitted. Code must be entered at time of purchase. One code per account – code cannot be reinstated for canceled orders.

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Zoya Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deal

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Although I’m Canadian, my blog has a lot of American readers. So when I heard about the Zoya Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deal valid for U.S. residents, I had to share! (Wish I could participate in this!)

Zoya Black Friday 2014 Cyber Monday

Below is the official press release sent to me by PR:

ZOYA DREAM DEAL: Just add a bow and they’re ready to go!

Special Black Friday – Cyber Monday Only*!
Gift-giving has never been easier! Zoya Nail Polish Dream Boxes have everything you need for a stress-free holiday season. Just add a bow and they’re ready to go! Choose from 9 specially curated trio sets, pre-packaged in a white luxury gift box – or customize your own. All Dream Boxes include FREE Standard Ground Shipping and a decorative silver bow for just $20! Offer available exclusively on zoya.com.

$20 – Pre-packaged Dream Box Trios: Free shipping & bow included!
$20 – Build Your Own Dream Box: Free shipping & bow included!

*Terms & Conditions
Valid online at www.zoya.com 11/28/14 (12:01am EST) – 12/1/14 (11:59pm EST) or while supplies last. US Only. Not valid in conjunction with other coupons, codes or promotions. Art of Beauty is not responsible for incorrect addresses, credit card entry errors, web related issues or any errors associated with declined credit cards. Returns or exchanges of promotional items not permitted. Code must be entered at time of purchase. One code per account – code cannot be reinstated for canceled orders.

Are you planning to (or have you already done some) Black Friday shopping? The only thing I’m really hoping to score a deal on are Hunter boots, but even if they don’t go on sale, I’ll still buy them.

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