Category Archives: Nail Polish Swatches & Reviews

Zoya Urban Grunge Collection Swatches (Metallic Holos)

Zoya Urban Grunge Collection Swatches

Oh my stars – the Zoya Urban Grunge Collection Metallic Holos are a sight to behold!

Officially launching on August 15 on Zoya’s website, the collection features an intense twinkling effect without the chunkiness you’d get with glitter.

Make sure you have something to wipe down your computer or cell phone because, if you’re like me, you are going to drool over these sparkly wonders.

All of them come alive on your nails and ignite like a crackling fire. They’re the kind of nail polishes that can distract you easily and make you check out your nails throughout the day.

Merida (green), Finley (purple), Britta (plum), and Ash (red) were my favourites from the Zoya Urban Grunge Collection because they were rich shades that pop!

The formula on these was excellent. I only needed to use two coats for all of them to achieve full opacity, with the exception of Alicia (silver and gold), which I used three coats.

As per usual, the pigmentation and consistency of Zoya nail polish is consistent and top-notch. They were all smooth and easy to paint with – as easy as cremes! They also have a forgiving formula, so you can paint over the same section a few times to even things out.

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OPI Washington DC Collection Swatches

OPI Washington DC Collection Swatches

Give your nails the cosmopolitan treatment with the OPI Washington DC Collection for Fall/Winter 2016!

It officially launches in September, but many people have been able to get their hands on the colours earlier, so keep your eyes peeled like a banana for it.

In this post, I’ll show you the 12 shades, which will be permanent and one of the three limited-edition shades. All are great autumnal shades that make me excited about my favourite season!

I’ve also included the press release, so you can learn more about the inspiration behind this collection.

All of the colours in the OPI Washington DC Collection have good formulas and need 2-3 coats to achieve full opacity.

Hope that you’re all having a great weekend! 🙂 Either today or tomorrow, I’ll be announcing the three lucky winners to my 6-year blogiversary giveaway, so stay tuned!

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Pretty Serious Serious Business Collection Swatches

Pretty Serious Serious Business Collection Swatches

Bring a whole new meaning to getting dressed for work when you deck your nails with the Pretty Serious Serious Business Collection, which includes the six newest colours from my favourite indie nail-polish brand! (The collection is currently available on Pretty Serious Cosmetics’ website.)

With names like Epic Haul and HTF (also known as Hard to Find), the nail-polish enthusiast’s lingo is in full swing like a poodle skirt on the dance floor.

As a green lover, it will come as no surprise to you that Epic Haul (the leprechaun green with a pink/purple flash of shimmer) was my favourite. I also was mesmerized by HTF because the seductive black base helped the flakes to command the spotlight. No-Buy has a place in my heart because it’s the kind of red that looks like a crackling fire!

I used two coats to achieve full opacity for all of these polishes, except for Free Sample (the pale pink), which I used three coats to get the true-to-bottle colour.

The formula on all of them were easy to paint with. In particular, Epic HaulNo-Buy, and Destash had the smoothest formulas out of the bunch.

I love how this collection named “Serious Business” is whimsical and not stuffy like a corporate suit. There are plenty of twists in the mix that make it interesting!

P.S. If you haven’t entered already, make sure that you get your entry in for a chance to win 1 of 3 nail-polish prizes in my 6-Year Blogiversary Giveaway! (Open worldwide. Ends August 5th!)

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Flashback Friday: Dairy Queen Funnel Cake & Pretty Serious Doodle Bug

Dairy Queen Funnel Cake

Hope that you are all having a great Friday! 🙂

I’m popping in quickly for this Flashback Friday when I enjoyed Dairy Queen‘s new funnel cake and spent time with my mom earlier this month.

She always goes for either a small chocolate-dipped ice-cream cone or a plain vanilla ice-cream cone. Classic. I tend to try new things from the menu.

I’ve also made what’s called “nice cream”. It’s vegan. You blend frozen bananas into an ice-cream consistency and sprinkle other fruits like blueberries and strawberries on top. It’s yummy, too!

Are you a fan of funnel cake? Have you made ‘nice cream’? What are you up to this weekend?

On nails: Pretty Serious Doodle Bug

Disclosure: The nail polish is a press sample provided by PR. Sadly, the ice cream was not a press sample, but I still enjoyed every spoonful. 😉

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Essie Looks to Thrill Swatches & Review

Essie Looks to Thrill Swatches Review

Nails get fruity with Essie Looks to Thrill!

This cantaloupe orange from the Gel Couture line would make even the strawberries and blueberries turn green with envy like a gooseberry!

With the base coat built right into the colour, this Essie Gel Couture shade also has a wider brush to promote a smoother, faster application that fellow nail junkies will appreciate.

To learn more about how it differs from regular Essie nail polish, click to read my Essie Gel Couture Launch Event Recap!

See the rest of this post for all the specific details on how Essie Looks to Thrill performed.

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KISS Festival Beauty Survival Kit

KISS Festival Beauty Survival Kit

Hit the summer festival in style with your favourite sunglasses, a fab choker, and stylish nail art!

The KISS Festival Beauty Survival Kit shimmied its way over to Swatch And Learn’s headquarters yesterday.

It contained the following:

  • imPRESS Gel Manicure Press-on Nails
  • KISS Polish Pop Nail Stickers
  • KISS Waterless Nail Tattoos
  • KISS Fix It Up! Silk Wrap Repair Kit

Out of all the items, I am the most excited about the nautical-themed stickers! Not only are they easy to apply, but they’re way faster than nail stamping or painting a freehand design.

Also, the nail repair kit will come in handy if I break a nail. (Even though I’m fortunate to have strong nails, I tend to be very hard on my nails, so it’s only a matter of time before I pull this puppy out!)

See the rest of this post for a closer look at each item and where you can find them.

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