Essie Summer 2017 Collection Swatches & Review

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Essie Summer 2017 Collection Swatches

It feels like forever and a day since I blogged on here. So much has happened behind the scenes.

After the recent passing of my best friend’s dad and someone else suffering a stroke that paralyzed half of her body, I was reminded of the importance of stopping to smell the flowers and appreciating little moments.

I’ve had my needed ‘Me Time,’ and now I’m ready to get back to blogging – it was sorely missed! However, going forward, I plan to have a more relaxed schedule to ensure that I don’t get burned out. (Despite concerned emails that I received in my absence, I want to assure you that I don’t have any intentions of abandoning my blog, which I worked so hard on. I will keep the fire burning brightly! Stay tuned – more swatches are coming. Lots of exciting new nail-polish collections have made their way to Swatch And Learn’s headquarters!) 😉

Today, I’d love to share with you the Essie Summer 2017 Collection, which officially launches on June 13!

This Parisian-inspired collection graces nails with six sweet shades ranging from pastel blue and pink foil to soft lilac and iridescent white.

My first impression was that the Essie Summer 2017 Collection reminded me more of traditional spring colours, but, if you’ve poked around my blog for a while, you should get the memo that I’m a big believer in wearing whatever you want, whenever you want. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to nail polish. Express yourself, and have fun!

I really love how mainstream companies are breaking away from “what’s expected” for a given season. It adds that ‘wild card,’ which I appreciate.

All of these swatches have two coats, except for the white, which has three coats. All of the nail polishes have easy-to-work-with formulas that glide on like a dream with David Beckham. Plus they are buildable, so you can cover the nail line.

My snapshot thoughts on each shade in the Essie Summer 2017 Collection:

  • Éclair My Love – A red-hot creme for a Harlequin nail romance
  • Blue-La-La – A pastel blue creme that says ohh-la-la
  • Baguette Me Not – You won’t forget this soft lilac creme
  • Fondant of You – You’ll be fond of this shimmery apricot
  • S’il Vous Play – Celebratory pink foil that sparkles like a disco ball
  • Sweet Soufflé – Iridescent white with the look of whipped cream

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April Showers Bring May Flowers

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Bouquet of Tulips

This rainy evening, I came home to a thoughtful surprise! 🙂

With a charming assortment of imPRESS nails and gorgeous tulips in a myriad of cheerful hues, it’s most certainly a bouquet of beauty!

The imPRESS Press-on Manicure allows you to achieve the look of gel nails in a single step. In mere minutes (and without having to wait for polish to dry), it’s a great solution for those who are always busy and on-the-go.

The patented dual-layer SuperHold adhesive technology ensures solid manicure mileage, even through frequent hand washing. You won’t have to worry about fake nails flying across the dinner table like the escargot that Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman struggled to get out of the shell! 😉

imPRESS nails retail for $9.99 CAD at Walmart, London Drugs, and Jean Coutu.

Tulips and Nails by imPRESS

Doesn’t this scream spring?

These tulips are from Tonic Blooms, a Toronto flower-delivery service.

(You can use the coupon code “KABLOOM” on their website to get 10% off one order. This is not an affiliate code. I don’t get any commission or benefit from sharing this, but I thought I’d let you know, in case you want to brighten up someone else’s day.)

Tulips and imPRESS Nails

The bow is a Kate Spade head scarf!

I love the gold detailing and the sophisticated-yet-playful print.

Years ago, I used to wear head scarves on a near-daily basis. It’s been a while since I’ve worn one, and this will quench the dry spell.

There’s a significant amount of denim used to wrap around the tulips. I’m planning on sewing a makeup bag with it.

Kate Spade Scarf

Kate Spade Head Scarf

A huge thank you to imPRESS and ROI Relations for bringing a huge smile to my face and for reminding me to stop and smell the flowers, no matter how busy I am! 😉

Disclosure: This post contains press samples provided by PR.

When Your Nails Match Your Yummy Gelato

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CND Creative Play Amuse-Mint Playland Collection Fiasco Gelato

If you haven’t tried Fiasco Lavender Vanilla Bean Small Batch Gelato, you’re missing out!

I’ve oinked my way through several flavours by Fiasco Gelato, and they’re all so delicious, you could easily finish the entire jar in a single sitting.

On my nails, I’m wearing CND Creative Play Amuse-Mint from the Playland Collection.

(On the weekend, I swatched all the colours in the collection, and as soon as I have a chance to carefully put together a blog post, I’ll share photos with you! Thanks for your patience.)

Disclosure: This post contains a press sample provided by PR.

Zoya Charming Collection Swatches & Review

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Zoya Charming Collection Swatches

As polite as a curtsy in a 1900s ballroom and as captivating as a graceful ballerina’s fouetté, in comes the Zoya Charming Collection for Spring 2017!

Surprisingly, although I’m a green lover, the purples (Abby, Tina and Millie) stole the show for me.

  • Abby is a great transition hue because the whisper-soft lavender is white-based and wintry, yet has enough saturation to keep the Easter bunny hopping.
  • Tina is a medium purple private dancer on your nails with a youthful spirit that’s simply the best when you need a pick-me-up. (Bonus points for those who saw what I did there.)
  • Millie is the showgirl in Vegas with an extravagant sequin mini dress accented with oversized feathers! In every lighting condition, this shimmery plum catches the light and takes centre stage without hesitation.
  • Amira is reminiscent of the scales on a mermaid’s tail that shimmer softly yet with gusto as the sun kisses them with summer dreams.
  • Lacey is a muted sage that twinkles like it’s full of little stars amidst a nail-polish sky. (Even if you’re not as big of a fan of green as I am, this could be your gateway green. Hehe!)
  • Jordan is a bubblegum pink that has a princess personality. If it was a person, it would wear a seven-layer tulle ballgown with satin corset to the prom.

Let’s talk about the formula. It’s not always just about the colour. Substance versus beauty. Even though I’m willing to put in more effort for a tricky formula if the colour is a showstopper, the less effort I need to exert, the better.

I’m happy to report that the formula for all of these shades is great! They are easy to work with, and you can build up opacity quickly.

In all of my swatches, I used two coats of colour and no top coat. (For these quick collection swatches, I don’t use a top coat, so you can see the finish of the polish by itself. For future in-depth reviews on individual colours, I always wear a top coat, unless it’s a textured polish that’s designed to be worn solo, of course.)

I applied a thin first coat and then a generous second coat. The cremes are solid at this point. For the shimmers, you could apply a third coat if you want to intensify the colour, but I was very happy with the second coat.

See the rest of this post for a closer look at each swatch, as well as bottle shots and the official press release (to give you details about the colour story).

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L’Oréal Colour Riche Le Vernis à l’Huile Jardin des Roses

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L'Oreal Jardin des Roses

They didn’t promise you a rose garden, but here’s one anyway. 🙂

It’s L’Oréal Colour Riche Le Vernis à l’Huile Jardin des Roses!

To get the opacity in my photo, I used two generous coats.

The formula was smooth, easy to apply, and very shiny. Pictured above is what the nail polish looks like without a glossy top coat.

I love the the bottle design – so elegant and luxurious. It looks much more expensive than a drugstore polish.

Wishing you all a Happy Monday and a great start to a fresh new week!

Disclosure: This post contains a press sample provided by PR.

I Attended The Body Shop Almond Milk & Honey Launch Dinner Tonight

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The Body Shop Almond Milk and Honey Collection

Tonight, thanks to the generosity of The Body Shop and PR, I was treated to a delicious vegan dinner at Planta in Yorkville! As if that wasn’t enough, I also left with a big bag full of amazing The Body Shop Almond Milk and Honey skincare.

This new The Body Shop Almond Milk and Honey collection is specially designed for those with sensitive skin. Its scent is so yummy, it smells edible, even though it’s not. (My all-time favourite scent from The Body Shop is Wild Argan Oil, but this is tied for first place.)

During dinner, Dr. Christine Choi Kim, the Global Dermatologist for The Body Shop came from Los Angeles to give us a presentation.

To put the cherry on the top, the founders of Greenhouse Juice Co., Emma Knight and Hana James spoke about how to nourish your skin from the inside out.

We all got to flip through and preview their debut cookbook called The Greenhouse Cookbook: Plant-Based Eating and DIY Juicing, which has lots of healthy recipes from dinners and desserts to smoothies and appetizers.

(I was eyeing the chia pudding recipe, as I’m on a chia seed kick lately.)

PR informed us, to my delight, that we’d all be getting a copy of the book when it’s officially released in April! 🙂 (This is perfect timing because I am in desperate need of some food inspiration. I used to cook new dishes and experiment all the time. I stopped for a few years, but I want to get back into it.)

While I didn’t photograph every dish that arrived at our table (I was busy stuffing my face…), here’s one that I managed to capture before devouring.

Planta Toronto Vegan Restaurant Dessert

Above is the dessert that’s made with toasted almond cream, dragon fruit, and a field of green “pearls.” It was like nothing I had ever eaten before, and I assure you that it was nothing short of heavenly!

I almost didn’t want to eat it because it looked like a work of art, but, well, my oink-ish instincts kicked in, and the rest is tummy history.

(It’s cute how the cubes look like little dice.)

Some other things on the menu tonight were cauliflower tots with truffled parmesan, rice rolls with mango, basil coriander, and Thai dressing, and coconut ceviche with avocado, toasted nori, and citrus soya.

There were also these incredible “crab” cakes made with hearts of palm, spinach, coconut milk, and warm spices. Aside from the dessert, this was the other standout dish.

Again, a huge thank you to The Body Shop, the fantastic PR team, and Planta for making tonight’s dinner a wonderful experience all around! 🙂

What’s your favourite item from The Body Shop? What’s the most delicious vegan dish you’ve ever eaten? Are there any specific products from this new The Body Shop skincare line that you’d like me to do an in-dept review on? Let me know, and I’ll see what I can do!