Author Archives: Mary S.

My 4-Year Blogiversary & Worldwide Giveaway to Win the OPI Nordic Collection

Today is a very special day for me, and I want to celebrate with all of my readers because, let’s face it, you are the best! 😉 Thank you for everything you have done to put a smile on my face and in my heart.

Win the OPI Nordic Collection SwatchAndLearn Giveaway

In this post, you’ll find the details about my OPI Nordic Collection Worldwide Giveaway, which starts now and ends Wednesday August 6, 2014 at 11:59 pm EDT. I’m also sneaking in a box of 10 OPI Wipe-Off! Acetone-Free Lacquer Remover Wipes because I loved them so much, and I know you will, too.

Read the giveaway details in this post carefully, so your entry/entries will count!

I also reflect a little bit on blogging, as well as answer some of the questions readers asked me (scroll to the very bottom for my answers).

P.S. Psst! I actually have more fun giveaways planned verrrry soon. Yes, you can enter all of them!

Edit (August 7, 2014): Congratulations, Emily A.! You’ve won this giveaway for the OPI Nordic Collection and OPI Wipes! Please reply to the e-mail I sent within 48 hours to claim your prize. Thanks to everyone for participating, and remember, the other giveaway is still going on for Pretty Serious Swatch And Learn. Plus even after that’s over, I’m planning more exciting nail-polish giveaways, so stay tuned!

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OPI Can’t Afjord Not To Swatches & Review

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OPI Can't Afjord Not To Swatches & Review OPI Can’t Afjord Not To is from the Nordic Collection, which comes out on August 6th.

It’s actually part of a fall/winter collection, but I’m so happy to see that there’s a “seasonally inappropriate” shade in the mix.

That makes me really happy because, if you know me, you know that I don’t let the month dictate how much fun I can have with colour.

If I want to wear a bright shade in the dead of winter, I’ll do it. And if I choose to rock a vampy hue on a sweltering summer’s day, I’m as happy as a clam. (I’ve always wondered about that saying. How happy are clams really? We ought to ask them.) 😉

Back to the polish, Can’t Afjord Not To is very summery and happy-go-lucky to me. In short, I wanted it on my nails the minute I laid eyes on it!

Edit: Enter to win the entire OPI Nordic Collection & OPI Wipes in my worldwide giveaway to celebrate my 4-year blogiversary!

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Blog News: Upcoming Giveaways Plus Q & A

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Hey everyone!

I just wanted to give you the quick heads up that sometime next week, I’ll be announcing an exciting nail-polish giveaway. Stay tuned for details.

It will be the first of a few to celebrate my 4-year blogiversary, which is coming up soon! 😉

I haven’t ironed out all the details, but there WILL be at least 2 worldwide giveaways so far. You won’t want to miss them!

Also, I thought it might be fun to do a little Q & A for you.

So, if you have any questions for me, leave a comment on this blog post with your question(s).

Now, I may not answer them all, but I will try to answer most, provided that the questions aren’t too personal like “What’s your address?” Haha!

I hope a Q & A will be fun for you, too! I love interacting with awesome readers!

Enjoy your day!
– Mary

Pretty Serious Swatch And Learn Swatches & Pictures

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Pretty Serious Swatch And Learn Swatches & Pictures I can hardly contain my excitement, but now I no longer have to! 😉 It’s time to spill the beans on this project that has been in progress since around early 2013! Yup, it’s been a long time coming!

I’m so proud to showcase the world premiere of Pretty Serious Swatch And Learn, the colour that I designed! 😀 *Squeals*

(EDIT: It’s part of the Pretty Serious Stop! Collaborate and Listen! Collection launching Tuesday July 15 at 7 pm EDT. If you’re in Australia, where the company is, it’ll be Wednesday July 16 at 9 am AEST.)

In collaboration with the talented Karen (aka Kaz) of the Australian-based company, Pretty Serious Cosmetics, my nailphile dreams came true for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! (Many thanks to her for all the hard work she put in and for her patience.)

We communicated back and forth, and Kaz listened to the visions of a colour that would represent my dream nail polish. She mixed and mixed, created variations, sent it to the lab, and then showed me photos of the results. From there, I gave my feedback, the colour was tweaked, and we landed on what makes my heart race!

Pretty Serious Swatch And Learn is part of a blogger collection comprised of other shades that will launch later this week for sale all over the world! (Stay tuned when I share the official press release.)

Swatch And Learn by Pretty Serious has a strong green base and is very sparkly when you first see it straight-on, but throughout the day when you look at your manicure at different angles, you’ll see golden, blue, and purplish pink nuances. I’d like to think of these as fun surprises for the wearer, which I always enjoy.

For this reason, it was tricky to photograph. Haha, you should’ve seen some of the angles I had to photograph it – it was like I was a nail-polish-loving contortionist! 😉

In today’s blog post, I’ll show you TONS of swatches and bottle photos in various lighting and in different angles, so that you get a glimpse into why I love it so much. It is more magical in person, and I hope that you’ll also enjoy wearing it. (If you purchase it and photograph your manicure or pedicure of it, please feel free to tag me on social media, so I can check it out!)

Normally, I post swatches and detailed reviews of nail polishes, but, seeing as I designed the colour, I think any review would be way too biased. (I’ll leave the reviews for the other amazing bloggers out there. I’m so excited to hear what bloggers and non-bloggers think of my shade!)

I must take this opportunity to say a huge THANK YOU to all my loyal blog readers! I had you all in mind when I designed this, and I have something really special planned very soon later this month when I celebrate my 4-year blogiversary. (You won’t want to miss it – lots of giveaways – hint hint!)

Without amazing readers like you, my blog would be like a one-sided megaphone. You are the reason why I am encouraged to continue, and you never cease to put a smile on my face with your sweet comments and thoughtfulness. Your support hasn’t gone unappreciated, so I’m dedicating Pretty Serious Swatch And Learn to all of you!

There’s a quote I read some time ago: It’s not how you got to the top that counts. It’s who you brought with you.

While I haven’t made it to the top, on my journey to continually improve myself and the blog, my proudest achievement is being able to bring you all along with me for the ride.

Thanks for keeping me company during my journey thus far!

Edit: Until Friday August 15, 2014 at 11:59 pm EDT, enter my worldwide giveaway to win 1 of 4 autographed bottles of Pretty Serious Swatch And Learn!

Edit 2: Scroll to the bottom of this post to see reviews and swatches of Pretty Serious Swatch And Learn by other bloggers!

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Smorgasbord Sundays: I Love Dexflex Claire Scrunch Flats

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Dexflex Claire Scrunch Flats My dad used to say that I have “Cinderella Feet” because they’re a size 5, and my pedal pushers are on the narrow side.

When I was a baby, apparently I used to kick my shoes and socks off, much to the frustration of my parents, who kept trying to put the cute shoes on my feet.

The funny thing is now that I’m an adult, it’s a challenge for me to get shoes to stay on! 😉

Finding running shoes and boots are no problem, but when it comes to dress shoes, it can make me feel like Ethan Hunt, and it’s Mission: Impossible!

So imagine my delight and great surprise when, on a whim, I decided to try on some ballet flats from Payless Shoes, and they fit like a dream!

Since my first pair of Dexflex Claire Scrunch Flats, I’ve purchased several. And, thanks to the help of one of my readers (Frosso from Lacquer Me Silly), I managed to get plenty of back-ups of ones that, at the time, were trickier to find here in Canada because of limited quantities.

Payless Shoes has a website, but they don’t ship to Canada. It’s such a bummer because I seriously would be buying a lot more of these shoes if I had an online-shopping option.

Instead, I have to hunt down several different Payless Shoes store locations, and since my feet are women’s size 5, my section has slim pickings. That means if I find the Dexflex Claire Scrunch Flats, I need to buy them then and there, or I’ll miss out. (Looking over at the size 7 section, it’s stocked with several shoes in a given style. Lucky ducky!)

In this post, I’ll show you all the Dexflex Claire Scrunch Flats I have. I’ve been loving them so much because there are different designs and colours, plus they look good with dresses, pencil skirts, and even jeans – very versatile! They can look dressy or casual, depending on the style you choose and what you wear them with.

But the biggest plus for me is that my feet can fit into these shoes perfectly, they have a flexible and padded insole that’s very comfortable to wear all day, and the price is inexpensive. (They run $36.99 CAD, but you can often get them on sale for $29.99/$24.99 CAD. Plus they go for even less when you take advantage of their bogo sales.)

If you have tiny and narrow feet like me, give these a go. (Heck, even if you have wide feet, try them because they also have a wide width available.)

Out of all the styles, my most-worn pair is the standard black because it matches so many things, and it’s a no-brainer.

I find that the ones that scrunch the most (i.e. curl upwards) and have a ‘leather’ look are the ones that feel the most comfortable on my feet and are more durable because they don’t get as dirty as fabric ones that attract dirt. (Just a tip when you go shopping – look for those ones!)

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