Category Archives: Nail Polish Swatches & Reviews

L.A. Girl Matte Sky Blue Review & Swatches

Image of L.A. Girl Matte Sky Blue ** 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 was a time when I wanted to hide myself. It was a self-esteem issue: I didn’t like people looking at me and seeing my flaws. I liked playing with makeup back then, too, but the colors I chose were always very subtle and neutral. The same goes with nail polishes. Even the finish – somehow in my head, I thought that mattes were less attention-grabbing than high-gloss finishes.

I’ve slowly broken out of that shell and embraced myself, even if it’s just a little. The makeup that I’m choosing is more brilliant. The colors that scream look-at-me-I’m-here were ones I used to shy away from, but now I’m not afraid of them anymore.

Still, my soft spot for matte nail polishes remains. And if you follow Swatch And Learn, you’d know that that blue is my favorite color. So… how could I resist L.A. Girl Matte Sky Blue? Well, I couldn’t, and I’m glad I didn’t. Continue reading →

Nail Art Tutorial: Watermelon Nails (Using Nubar Fire Sparkle, China Glaze Watermelon Rind, OPI Alpine Snow, OPI Black Onyx & Orly Nail Guides)

16 Replies

Summer Watermelon Nail Art Tutorial & Swatches My past 5 consecutive blog posts have all been about nail polish, and this lacquer train isn’t stopping yet!

Whenever nail polish is concerned, I find it incredibly fun and creative. Hope you do, too. Have you done any nail art?

Since we’re entering summer soon and since I wanted to bust out several colors I bought a long time ago, I thought it was a good time to share my Watermelon Nail Art with you.

I almost didn’t post it because it turned out verrrry sloppy. But, y’know what? It’s not about having the perfect manicure. It’s about having fun and realizing that as long as you enjoy wearing it, that’s all that matters. 🙂

Sure, it’s definitely not the neatest. And I had to use a dotting tool instead of a proper striping brush or nail-art pen (hence the shaky white lines and crappy black seeds). But the results still brought a smile to my face and made me want to eat some watermelon.

If you try this, please share your photos of it with me. I love seeing other people getting creative!

Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the tutorial section where I show you step-by-step how I created this look. And let me know if you have some tips and tricks to share. I’m always trying to improve. Continue reading →

L.A. Girl Metal Graphite Review & Swatches

4 Replies

Image of L.A. Girl Metal Graphite ** 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 love to draw. It’s the one hobby that I’ve had a life-long interest in. I haven’t done it in a while, but I really should pick it up again. It’s very stress-relieving. Back when I was drawing a lot, graphite pencils are some of my fave instruments to use. I just love creating shades and depths with them.

So when I was doing a lil’ shopping and saw L.A. Girl Metal Graphite, I felt obligated to get it. It was calling out to me: “Geeeet meeeee. Get me, Fiona!” And I did. OK, I don’t really hear makeup products talking to me. I swear. Well, not all the time.

Was I glad that the nail polish convinced me to buy it? Yes! I’m usually drawn to charcoal/smoky gray shades, so I knew I would like this color. I just didn’t think I’d find it sexy! Continue reading →

Nubar Indigo Illusion Swatches & Review

8 Replies

Nubar Indigo Illusion Swatches smaller In my last post, I showed you an Argyle Konadicure featuring Nubar Indigo Illusion. Now it’s time to show off this baby solo without any cover-ups or push-ups.

I definitely have a weakness for multichrome nail polish because it feels like you’re wearing more than one polish all at the same time. If you’re the type of person who gets tired easily of a color, give multichromes a chance!

Depending on how the light hits and the angle of your nails, with Nubar Indigo Illusion, you’ll be able to see blue, pinkish-purple, and green!

Gotta give kudos to Nubar – they have tons of amazing duochrome and multichrome colors. While some brands shy away from unconventional hues, Nubar goes full throttle! Continue reading →

Nail Art: Argyle Konadicure Using Nubar Indigo Illusion & Konad Image Plate m60

8 Replies

Nubar Indigo Illusion Swatches Argyle Konadicure Swatches I’m a big fan of argyle, so even though it’s typically associated more with fall, I have no qualms about sporting it into the summer. Wear what you want whenever you want. That’s my nail-polish philosophy.

Surprisingly, I hadn’t tried the argyle pattern from the Konad m60 Image Plate. With all the plates I have, I probably overlooked it, but it’s no longer neglected!

Here, I’ve done an Argyle Konadicure with the incredible Nubar Indigo Illusion, which is a multichrome that I wore for the first time!

Really love this combination, and I thought up another neat idea that I may try to execute soon. Keep your eyes peeled on Swatch And Learn for it! Continue reading →

Milani One Coat Glitter Red Sparkle Review & Swatches

4 Replies

** 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. **

Pssst. Can you keep a secret? I’ve never actually finished watching or reading The Wizard of Oz. I mean, I know how the story goes – sort of. I know the creatures Dorothy and Toto meet along the way. But I don’t know who’s missing a heart, a brain, a couple of fingers… OK, you may drop your jaw now.

What I do remember is the pair of ruby slippers Dorothy was wearing. When I saw Milani One Coat Glitter Red Sparkle, those slippers were the first thing I thought of! Having tried two other colors from the same collection, I was sure that Red Sparkle would twinkle brighter than those sequined ruby slippers!

Big sigh though. I wish I had worn a top coat with this color – it would’ve brought out the sparkles even more. I was lazy! Continue reading →

Nail Art Tutorial: Archie Comic Nails

14 Replies

Archie Comic Nail Art Swatches When I was in elementary school, I enjoyed reading Archie comic books. Veronica Lodge was my favorite because she was a snotty, wealthy woman with an extensive wardrobe. And she was the drama queen! Of course, she often had to be taught the lesson of humility and generosity.

My least favorite character was probably Moose because dumb jocks never appealed to me. And I really didn’t like Betty Cooper because she was such a goody-goody who often got upstaged.

Who’s your favorite and least favorite Archie character?

So when I came across a comic nail tutorial on YouTube by cutepolish, I was excited to try my hand at it. Unfortunately, my Archie Comic Nails didn’t turn out well. But I’m still sharing my failure with you because it could help you achieve better results after learning about my mistakes.

I’ve also included my comic nail tutorial and cutepolish’s YouTube video at the end of this post in case you’d like to try it yourself! Continue reading →