Category Archives: Quick Look

OPI Washington DC Collection Swatches

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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

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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 Haul, No-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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KISS Festival Beauty Survival Kit

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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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OPI Infinite Shine Summer 2016 Collection Swatches

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OPI Infinite Shine Summer 2016 Collection Swatches

New to the OPI Infinite Shine Summer 2016 Collection are six soft neutrals that coordinate with virtually anything in your wardrobe and lend an easy elegance to your style!

With different undertones and shades that venture from fair to tan, there will be a neutral that you’ll feel the most comfortable wearing.

I tend to lean towards nail polishes that are loud and fun, but there are many times when quieter, more sophisticated colours come in handy. Sometimes, you need a palate cleanser to help you appreciate vivid shades again.

The ones I enjoy the most on me are Staying Neutral on This One (the lightest) and No Strings Attached (the second lightest) because they make my fingers appear clean, fresh, and modern.

I’m not doing the darkest shade any justice. No Stopping Zone makes my fingers look dirty, but I can picture someone with a richer skin tone than me rocking this iced-coffee shade!

The formula on all of these was on the milky side. The initial coat was streaky, but by the second or third thin coat, you can get full coverage. (In this post, I used three coats and no top or base coat.)

If you want a refresher and to learn the inspiration behind the collection, check out the official OPI Infinite Shine Summer 2016 Collection press release.

Help Me Decide on the Nail-Polish Prize for My Upcoming Giveaway!

Also, if you have a few seconds, please see the blog post I published yesterday evening.

My 6-year blogiversary is approaching later this month, and I’m planning a fun giveaway, but I’d love your input.

After logging into Twitter, you can vote in my Twitter poll for which nail-polish collection you’d want as the prize.

Don’t have Twitter? No problem! Check out the blog post I linked above for other ways to make your vote count.

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Misa Queens of Summer Collection Swatches

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Misa Queens of Summer Collection Swatches

Crown vivid colour with the Misa Queens of Summer Collection that has a pop of colour to make the mercury rise!

Be a queen for a day…or more! 😉

From a sweet peach to a bubblegum pink, the Misa Queens of Summer Collection has brilliant shades that spell summery vacation!

As expected, the Misa formula was wonderful to paint with, and I used only two coats of colour for all the quick swatches. The nail polishes were pigmented and smooth, and as you can see, they are glossy on their own. (However, to maximize your manicure mileage, it’s always a good idea to wear a base coat and a top coat.)

This collection is available to purchase from the Misa Cosmetics website and Trade Secrets. (If you order from the Misa website, you can get free shipping on orders over $30 USD when shipping to Canada or the United States.)

Check out the Misa Queens of Summer Collection press release that I published earlier for the details on this collection, and view the rest of this post for collection swatches and bottle shots.

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Misa Pastel Me All About It Collection Swatches

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Misa Pastel Me All About It Collection Swatches

The Misa Pastel Me All About It Collection for Spring 2016 contains a slew of soft shades to make your nails whisper oh-so-sweetly. But, as you can see from my collage above, there’s one colour that can’t help stealing the limelight!

Typically, pale hues tend to be streaky, but I was incredibly impressed with the formula of all of these because even the lightest shade was extraordinarily pigmented and streak-free!

I applied a thin first coat, and I was surprised how well it covered right off the bat. Then, I added a second coat out of habit.

The Misa Pastel Me About It Collection gets a solid A+ on the beauty report card because they all apply like a dream with minimal effort needed.

Their formula is forgiving, as it remains wet enough, so you can run your brush over the same area several times to ensure that you get even coverage and achieve your best manicure!

Tiger Lily (coral) and Fairy Dust (periwinkle) are my two favourites because I enjoyed the contrast against my skin.

This collection is already available to purchase from the Misa Cosmetics website and Trade Secrets. (If you order from the Misa website, take advantage of their offer for free shipping on Canadian and US orders over $30 USD!)

See the rest of this post for my swatches of all six colours, as well as bottle shots.

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CND Craft Culture Collection Swatches

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CND Craft Culture Collection Swatches

A few days ago, I shared with you my CND Craft Culture Collection preview event recap and the press release.

Today, I’m excited to show you swatches of the CND Craft Culture Collection, which officially launches in July at Trade Secrets, Chatters, and CND.com/find-salon.

There are eight CND Vinylux shades in total, and those are the ones you’ll see. (For nail enthusiasts who enjoy stretching the manicure mileage even further, note that there are six corresponding CND Shellac nail polishes. Only Brass Button and Fern Flannel are exclusive to the Vinylux line.)

The formula on the CND Craft Culture Collection Vinylux nail polishes were wonderful, as I only needed two coats of each to get full coverage.

I was particularly impressed with the opacity of Blue Denim (blue) and Brick Knit (red/orange creme). The coverage was incredible, even with one very thin coat!

A special mention also goes out to Hand Fired (shimmery red/orange) and Fern Flannel (shimmery teal) because they come to life on the nails.

The darkest colour in the bunch, Oxblood, was watery compared to the others, but it wasn’t difficult to apply. Just make sure that you don’t overload your brush, and you’re golden.

CND Craft Culture Collection

As usual, when it comes to quick collection swatches, I did not wear a base or top coat, so you can see what the finish is like on its own.

Of course, when you’re wearing a nail polish as a regular manicure, make sure that you always wear a base coat and use a trusty top coat to maximize the wear time and appearance.

CND makes a special top coat to be used with the Vinylux polishes: the Weekly Top Coat. It is designed to improve the durability with the exposure of natural light over time. (If you don’t have this top coat, it’s not a deal breaker. I’ve used my regular top coat with Vinylux nail polishes in the past, and it has worked fine, too.)

The nail technician from the CND Craft Culture Collection preview event reshaped my nails into almonds, and here’s a closer look at the ripped-jeans nail art she created using CND Shellac nail polishes, Cream Puff and Denim Patch, as well as two CND Additives pigments.

CND Craft Culture Nail Art

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