Category Archives: Nail Polish Swatches & Reviews

OPI That’s Hula-rious! Swatches & Review

OPI That's Hula-rious Swatches & ReviewOPI That’s Hula-rious! from the Hawaii Collection out in February is like a mojito for your nails! (If you missed it, be sure to check out my recap post on the OPI Hawaii Collection Media Launch I attended.)

This mint green has a cool tone, but it’s a shade that can easily go with any season. (It can remind you of the cold winters or the rejuvenating springs.)

It also makes me think of mint ice cream. (Little fact: That’s one of my mom’s favourite ice-cream flavours, and it’s my least-favourite one.)

And it’s not like I go to a lot of baby showers, but when I saw OPI That’s Hula-rious!, baby showers immediately sprung to mind like a tiger on a trampoline that had too much coffee to drink. (Hmm, who has been feeding the tiger coffee? Another question for another time!) 😉

The reason why I think this would be great for a baby shower is because it’s modern. Instead of using gender-stereotypical colours like pink for girls and blue for boys, pastel green or sunshine yellow is the way to go.

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OPI Is Mai Tai Crooked? Swatches & Review

OPI Is Mai Tai Crooked Swatches & ReviewEverything’s peachy when you straighten up your act with OPI Is Mai Tai Crooked?, which is from the Hawaii Collection that’s officially set to be released on February 4th! (Check out my OPI Hawaii Collection Media Launch recap post here.)

Years ago, I avoided peach nail polishes because I thought that they wouldn’t look good. But ever since I found the right one, I’ve been trying all the peachy-toned lacquers I could get my hands on!

OPI Is Mai Tai Crooked? is a fun-loving orange-sorbet shade with enough saturation to keep it from looking anemic.

I especially love wearing these kind of peaches in the summer, although clearly I have no problem sporting this any time of year, whenever the heck I want. (Nail polish is all about having fun! Throw those rules out the window. Just make sure that they don’t accidentally land on someone’s head.)

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OPI Hello Hawaii Ya? Swatches & Review

OPI Hello Hawaii Ya Swatches & ReviewLast week, I gave you a glimpse into the OPI Hawaii Collection Media Launch I attended with my recap post.

Today, I’m going to share with you an in-depth look at OPI Hello Hawaii Ya?, which is a dusty purple I love from that collection! (It’s one of my top picks.)

(If you want to see quick swatches and bottle shots of the entire OPI Hawaii Collection, be sure to check out my Quick Look post.)

OPI Hello Hawaii Ya? is what I’d call an editorial version of purple because it’s slightly smoked out and isn’t like a typical one with an Easter vibe.

I also like this shade because of the name. It’s not the wittiest from OPI, but it reminds me of one of my friends. He always greets me with a big smile and says, “Hi! How are ya?” So when I saw this polish, I thought of him. And no, hehe, he’s not Hawaiian.

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OPI Hawaii Collection Media Launch Recap

OPI Hawaii Collection Media LaunchPaying homage to the only U.S. state comprised entirely of islands, the OPI Hawaii Collection for Spring/Summer 2015 is set to hit stores on February 4.

I’ve never been to Hawaii, but after attending the OPI Hawaii Collection Media Launch on October 31, 2014, I got a taste of it, and let me tell you, it’s every bit the dreamy oasis that you can imagine!

Aside from Egypt and anywhere in Spain, Hawaii is one of the places that I hope to visit because of the tropical climate and scenic views. It seems like such a romantic destination that is full of soul.

During the OPI Hawaii Collection media launch, I was honoured to preview all 12 shades in the collection and be, once again, in the presence of the First Lady of Nails, Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, who is the Co-Founder, Artistic Director, Executive VP, and Brand Ambassador of OPI.

(If you’ve dropped by Swatch And Learn before, you know that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Suzi Weiss-Fischmann on several occasions. If you’re new to my blog, I wish you a warm welcome. Feel free to check out my previous recap posts on those events: the first time, second time, and third time.)

Also, if you are mainly interested in seeing OPI Hawaii Collection swatches, bottle shots, and the official press release, click that link to see the post I published shortly after the media launch.

Although this post focuses on the OPI Hawaii Collection, I will also show you lots of photos I took throughout the event of the gorgeous displays, the long stretch-limo-esque seating area, Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, as well as share my commentary on everything from the venue to the food.

It was a novel experience for me. I’m not usually invited to attend such grand events on a regular basis, so when I get to go, I soak everything up like a sea sponge nudged closer to a pool of water.

In essence, I want this post to make you feel like you were there with me and see everything that I did.

One of the things I enjoy the most about blogging is sharing experiences. I love hearing from thoughtful readers like you, too, so that we can get excited together and unite based on our passion. I consider my readers like my friends because I’m very fortunate to have such support from you, and it’s very encouraging for a blogger to have that degree of interaction. (Thank you!)

I want to extend a huge thank you to Langton Communications, the PR firm that formerly represented OPI in Canada and currently represents many other beauty, health, and lifestyle brands that are household names! Their tight-knit, dedicated team is hard-working, and they were among the first major PR firms that I began collaborating with about a year after I started my blog. Collaborating with all the smart women at the PR firm has not only been a pleasure, but also really exciting!

Additionally, I would like to put the spotlight on the incredible staff at Mildred’s Temple Kitchen, where the event was held. Mildred’s Temple Kitchen is located in Toronto at 85 Hanna Avenue.

The entire restaurant was closed to the public, so that the staff could cater to the needs of the private OPI Hawaii Collection media launch! (Very VIP!) 🙂 The service was impeccable!

Plus a shout-out to Chef Michael Leary, the Chef de Cuisine there. I gobbled up every one of his dishes. (Photos of those later in this post!)

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Blog News: I Was Featured on Illamasqua’s List of Best Nail Art in 2014

Illamasqua is a brand that I look up to because they’re not afraid to push the envelope and to be edgy or artistic. So imagine how ecstatic I was when one of my long-time readers, Gareth, messaged me on Facebook and told me that he saw Illamasqua mentioned me in their latest blog post!

I was over the moon to be mentioned. Period. But for Illamasqua’s List of Best Nail Art in 2014? I was beyond flattered! It made my eyes water.

In their post, they chose one manicure for every month in 2014.

I am incredibly honoured to be listed among such talented nailphiles. Thank you, Illamasqua!

Below is a screenshot of the post featuring the Rainbow Dotticure I did in January 2014. (You may remember my Rainbow Dotticure Nail Art I posted on the blog.)

Also, be sure to click on the link to the Illamasqua Best Of 2014 Nail Art article or on the below screenshots to check out the other striking nail art! (You will gain a lot of inspiration from those other nailphiles – truly spectacular talent and eye for detail!)

Illamasqua Swatch And Learn

Swatch And Learn Illamasqua

Did you check out the other awesome nail art in the Illamasqua article? Have you thought of what you’ll wear for New Year’s Eve? Is there a nail-art design you’d like me to do a tutorial on?

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Pretty Serious Moments Til Midnight Swatches & Review

Pretty Serious Moments Til Midnight Swatches & ReviewPretty Serious Moments Til Midnight from the Rooftop Soiree Collection is one of those polishes that made my jaw drop. (No worries – I picked it up, so nobody would trip and have an accident!) 😉

It’s also one of those nail polishes that’s so beautiful, you must see it in person to get the full impact.

None of my photos do it justice, although I was very eager to snap a photo with my phone and post it on Instagram on Saturday. Pretty Serious Moments Til Midnight is actually more magical in real life, and it’s one of the prettiest blue lacquers I own.

The combination of the glitter and jelly finish creates a jelly-sandwich manicure effect that makes it look like you’re peering into an enchanted pool at sparkling jewels below! It’s very striking, and I don’t own anything that’s a dead-on dupe of it.

Especially because it’s called Moments Til Midnight, I think it’s great to wear for New Year’s Eve. It’s not your typical blingy polish, and that’s why it appeals to me more!

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OPI Romantically Involved Swatches & Review

OPI Romantically Involved Swatches & ReviewOPI Romantically Involved is from the Fifty Shades of Grey Collection that officially launches in January 2015.

If you live in Toronto and have taken public transit (specifically the TTC aka the Toronto Transit Commission), this shade of red might be very familiar!

While I was riding the newer subway trains, I got a good laugh that will make sense to fellow Toronto nailphiles.

The next time you ride the newer subway trains, check out the red coating on the metal bars. The colour of OPI Romantically Involved is nearly an exact match! (Count on me to notice these kind of things.)

It was far too tempting, so I snapped a quick photo with my phone just to show you. And, yes, some fellow riders were looking at me funny. 😉 It didn’t bother me one bit. (I include the photo of my nails with the TTC bar later in this post.)

Now when I see OPI Romantically Involved, the first thing I think of is “OPI TTC Red”!

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