Category Archives: Product Reviews

Nail Art: What I Wore on My Nails for Valentine’s Day

Valentine's Day Nails Nail Art SwatchValentine’s Day may be over, but I still wanted to show you what was on my fingertips.

My Valentine’s Day Nails included the traditional pink, red, and white, but I threw some black into the mix because I wanted it to have a bit of an anti-Valentine’s Day edge, too.

Initially, I was going to put hearts all over, but then opted for stripes for a different effect that was more sporty and unconventional for February 14. (Hehe, you know how I’m a little obsessed with vertical stripes on nails, right?)

This manicure is also symbolic because I believe everyone should ‘show their stripes’.

Although this striped skittle design is extremely simple, I ended up falling in love with it more than I thought I would. (I wore this manicure for 5 days!)

So, I’m single, and even though I didn’t get any flowers, chocolates, or stuffed toys, I still very much enjoy Valentine’s Day.

Last year, I went through an emotional split from a boyfriend a little before Valentine’s Day. From that horrible experience, a profound revelation arose. I realized that I had been in love with the man I thought he was, not the man he actually was. Huge difference!

This year, on February 14th, a guy who I just met recently professed his feelings for me! It was very sweet and genuine, so it made me feel like a million bucks! It also took me off-guard, which is a hard thing to do, because I’m pretty good at sensing these kind of things.

In a way, I considered this my Valentine’s Day gift because it put a huge smile on my face. (I know a lot of players who’ve just fed me lines that I can see through, but I think this guy is the real deal, so I took his words to heart.)

I’m still single, however. After having my heart stomped on in the past, I’m trying to be more discerning before going steady with anyone. For this reason, I’m casually dating some guys, and I’m honest about it.

Then, if I feel a spark with someone who I think is more long-lasting, I will go steady with one. If not, at least I’ve made new friends. In this way, I feel like I can keep my options open and avoid unnecessary heartbreaks from jumping in too soon and too fast. I believe that guys have to earn exclusivity by proving they’re in it for the long haul. Also, time is a great test because it lets you see how they’ll deal with problems that will eventually arise.

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China Glaze Bling It On Swatches & Review (Layered Over Nicole by OPI Stand by Your Manny)

China Glaze Bling It On Swatches & ReviewNot long ago, I shared my thoughts on Nicole by OPI Stand by Your Manny from the Modern Family Collection.

While I did enjoy wearing the periwinkle by itself, I was curious to test out another of the China Glaze Glitz Bitz ‘n Pieces Collection shades. This time, I used China Glaze Bling It On.

Here’s another one of those ‘tone-on-tone’ layering combinations that I mentioned before.

If using high-contrast colours isn’t your thing, this may be your preferred way to wear the glitter.

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MAC Ronnie Red Lipstick Swatches & Review

MAC Ronnie Red Lipstick Swatches & ReviewThe majority of my blog posts are about nail polish, but I’m a huge fan of beauty products, too.

You may remember that I was taken over by insanity on many counts and placed an astronomical order because the MAC Archie’s Girls Collection dangled a hook with a ‘worm’, and well, I’m a Pisces, so I fell for the trick. Darn! 😉

If you follow me on Instagram, you already got some sneak peek lip swatches on MAC Ronnie Red Lipstick.

Excuse me, but I am in love with Ronnie Red! And this is coming from someone who hardly wears red lip colour. I wanted to try this one, plus the Veronica Lodge packaging was too good to pass up.

I’m so glad I bought the MAC Ronnie Red Lipstick because it’s literally the perfect wearable red lipstick for me. Since buying it, I’ve worn it so much that I’m considering going to the MAC store and buying a back-up!

P.S. I also want to take this opportunity to say that I’ve read a lot of the comments that you’ve left in my Illamasqua Raindrops Giveaway post, and I’m incredibly touched. I will try my best to reply to comments on the weekend (because right now time is soooo tight).

But I wanted to let you all know that I am just so grateful that I have the BEST blog readers around! You have no idea how much what you’ve said means to me. I work hard on my blog, and the fact that you appreciate it makes me teary eyed!

THANK YOU for your support and for being vocal about it. It really does motivate me to continue blogging for as long as I can.

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Nicole by OPI Stand by Your Manny Swatches & Review

Nicole by OPI Stand by Your Manny Swatches & ReviewWhen I first saw that this polish from the Modern Family Collection was called Nicole by OPI Stand by Your Manny, I immediately thought of Patsy Cline’s version of Stand by Your Man.

My father was a music lover, and Patsy Cline was one of the many artists blasting from his speakers.

And it’s pretty cool that this is a periwinkle blue. Blue was my dad’s favourite colour, but especially light blue.

So…I’m very happy to have this in my collection, not only because it’s a pretty colour, but because it reminds me a lot of my father.

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Reader Requested Nail Art Tutorial: Violet Beauregarde Nails

Violet Beauregard Nails Nail Art Tutorial & PhotosOne of my readers, Annika, e-mailed me her ideas for a Violet Beauregarde nail design and asked if I could do a nail tutorial based on the character from the original 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory character.

Since I haven’t done freehand nail art in some time, I thought I’d give it a go.

You’ll remember that Violet was the one who chewed the same piece of gum for a long time. And when at the factory, she can’t resist trying the new chewing gum that Willy Wonka has come up with that includes flavours such as appetizers, main courses, and even desserts!

Haha, she grows bigger and bigger, turning blue/violet as the seconds pass! Finally, the Oompa Loompas have to take her to the Juicing Room to squeeze it all out.

Here is my version of Violet Beauregarde Nails.

Instead of making the buckle sideways on the red belt, I wanted to give it a twist, so I painted them very similar to the buckles in the Santa Nails I did before on here.

If you want to take a completely literal and accurate approach, paint the red belt and buckles horizontally.

In this post, I’ll show you more photos of this quick design as well as step-by-step instructions with photos for how to recreate it.

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Reader Request: Minty Green Nail-Polish Comparison Swatches & Photos

Mint Green Nail Polish Swatches & Comparison PhotosRecently when I reviewed Topshop Gone Fishing, one of my readers (Alex), asked if I could do a Minty Green Nail-Polish Comparison post with specific hues.

Since I was also curious about how different or similar the shades were (as well as a couple of others), I was happy to oblige. Hope that you’ll find this mint green nail-polish comparison helpful!

The nail polishes I compared were Topshop Gone Fishing, Duri Summer Rain, China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint, Essie Mint Candy Apple, OPI Gargantuan Green Grape, and China Glaze For Audrey. (I’ve reviewed some of those polishes in-depth in separate posts. Find links later in this post.)

If you would like me to do more comparison posts like this in the future, please let me know specifically which polishes you’re interested in seeing.

I can’t promise that I’ll fulfill all reader requests. It depends on if I already have the polishes and if I have time. (I work very hard on my blog after my full-time job and on the weekends, so time can be really tight, especially when I squeeze blogging inbetween my social life and freelance-work schedules.)

That being said, I will pick a few requests to do! I have a pack of blank nail wheels that I haven’t been using much. It’s time to put them to work! *Cracks whip* 😉

P.S. You may remember that I’ve said before how I don’t swatch nail polish on my nails. It’s not my style. I wear full manicures and then take photos while I’m wearing them. This is how I really enjoy polish. I only use the term ‘swatch’ because it’s the familiar lingo. Well, the only time I’m comfortable with actual swatching is on nail wheels for comparison posts like this or to show you layering experiments. I hope that you’ll understand my reasoning. I love polish, and if I ever start swatching on my own nails, it may kill my enthusiasm. I don’t want that to happen!)

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Clairol Herbal Essences Touchably Smooth Smoothing Shampoo Review & Pictures

Clairol Herbal Essences Touchably Smooth Smoothing Shampoo Review & Pictures smallerIn December, my shampoo bottle was nearly done, and I kept procrastinating on purchasing a new bottle. Haha, I ended up making one of those frantic visits to the store when I ran out.

Since I needed shampoo urgently, I wasn’t being picky about which one to get. I literally just looked at the sale prices and then chose the cheapest.

For a hulking 700 mL bottle of the Clairol Herbal Essences Touchably Smooth Smoothing Shampoo, I paid only $4.99 CAD!

Normally when I buy a shampoo, I like to take my time, make sure it smells nice, etc. Usually price is the last factor I consider. (My hair needs to be whipped into shape, so efficacy is of the highest priority usually.)

This time, it was a scan of the price tag, a quick grab, and then a dash to the cashier.

I figured that this Herbal Essences shampoo would be just a ‘quick fix’ until I got one of my favourites later on.

Little did I know that I’d actually like it!

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