Nail Polish Dupes (Similar Nail Polish Shades)

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Hey everyone,
                       Welcome! To all my existing and new readers, I do hope all is well in your lives. Every so often I go through my nail polish collection to get rid of the old ones and really remind myself of what I have as its easy to forget when you have a big collection lol. While sifting through I realised how many colours I have that are extremely similar to each other, which encouraged me to do this post. This can be helpful to polish lovers that have been searching for shades that have either been discontinued or are not available in the area where they reside. Anyway, enough chatter lets get onto the polish and have a closer look inside my collection :).

1. OPI- Pinking of You; Milani- Strawberry Shake

Gorgeous milky pink shades that are almost exact however, strawberry shake is a bit brighter.

2. Essie- Hide and Go Chic; Maybelline Color Show- Denim Dash

These two polishes are identical shades of medium blue, the only difference is that Denim Dash dries matte which can be easily fixed by adding a top coat.

3. Essie- Mint Candy Apple; Color Club- Factory Girl

Two of my favourite pastel blues which are very similar however, Factory Girl is a shade brighter.

4. Essie- Lilacism; Sinful Colors- Candy Coated

This pair can be described as pastel purple shades, they are extremely similar especially in the bottle. However, Candy Coated is more blue toned. 

5. Orly- Highlight; China Glaze- Pelican Grey

I always wear grey polish when I want something understated and professional and I didn't realise how close these two were in colour. However, Highlight has a strong beige undertone. 

6. Orly- Gumdrop; China Glaze- For Audrey

After swatching these two I couldn't believe that they were practically the same shade. For Audrey is a well loved colour in the world of polish so finding this dead on dupe was shocking.

7. Sally Hansen- Vanity Flair; Colormates- Myrtle Beach Purple

This is another pair that are exact dupes for each other. Both are medium, toned purple hues.

8. Rimmel London- Stormy Skies; Essie- Vested Interest

These both have a dusty teal quality to them. However, Stormy skies is more blue toned while Vested interest leans more green. 

9. China Glaze- Electric Pineapple; Sally Hansen- Green with Envy

You can definitely see the difference between this pair however, they share the similarity of having both yellow and green undertones. 

10. OPI- Visions of Love; Essie- Wicked

These are definite dupes for each other and can be described as dark 'ox blood'/ burgundy shades. They both have a tendency to appear black but with the right amount of sunlight both truly stand out.

Thank you all for viewing this post and also, to the persons who continue to support me much love to you. Feel free to leave a comment and share this page with your family and friends. Also, look out for another post next week. Enjoy the rest of your day and remember to keep smiling :).


See you soon.


Ciao,
Shannon.

Diy Nail Stickers Tutorial

Hey everyone,
                       Welcome to this weeks tutorial, I hope you all are doing well. Today's tutorial will highlight the simple steps in creating nail stickers. This method can be used to make endless designs however, for this tutorial we will stick to simple shapes and use one colour. Additionally, the tools needed include: polish of your choice, plastic wrap and an orange wood stick. Also, be sure to start off with a base coat before applying polish to protect your natural nails. Let’s get on to the tutorial!




Step one: Paint a block of nail polish onto a clear piece of plastic (Ziploc bag or plastic wrap). You may need two to three coats of polish for full opacity. Let polish dry for at least an hour or two (very important)

Step two: Once polish has dried completely on plastic, carefully peel the block of polish off the plastic using an orange wood stick or sharp object.

Step three: At this stage you can use a stencil or draw shapes to create desired images and cut them out. In this instance, I simply cut out a couple of stripes and squares free hand. 

Step four: Next, apply your stickers/ shapes made to desired area of the nail. Press them down securely using the flat end of your orange wood stick and cut off any excess than maybe beyond nail surface. (Optional- Add a layer of top coat before applying stickers for increased adhesion)

Step five: Add your preferred top coat to smooth out design and ensure stickers are sealed and stay in place.

Products used:

Essie: Smokin' hot

Sinful colors: Snow me white

Thank you for viewing this tutorial and check out my other posts on this blog. Feel free to leave a comment and share this page with your family and friends. Also, look out for another post next week. Enjoy the rest of your day and remember to keep smiling :).

See you soon.

Ciao,

Shannon. 

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July Manicures 2015

Hey everyone,
                       Welcome back to another edition of my monthly mani's and I hope you all had a wonderful July. During this month most of my looks were very simple due to the fact I've been changing my nail polish very often. Also, I wore a lot more bright shades especially blues and greens which would be great for this time of year and more so, for those wondering what to wear on vacation. Let’s get on to the manicures enjoy !



Manicure #1

Products used:

China Glaze: Highlight of my summer

China Glaze: Shocking pink

Manicure #2

Products used:

Essie: Mint candy apple

Rimmel London: Goddess

Manicures #3

Products used:

China Glaze: Mingle with kringle

Sinful Colours: Snow me white

Manicure #4 

Products used:

China Glaze: In a lily bit

Rimmel London: Stormy skies

Sinful Colours: Snow me white

Manicure #5

Products used: 

China Glaze: Starboard

China Glaze: Mosaic madness 

Manicure #6

Products used:

China Glaze: For Audrey

Manicure #7

Products used: 

Orly: Highlight

Thank you for viewing my July manicures and check out my other posts on this blog. Feel free to leave a comment and share this page with your family and friends. Also, look out for a tutorial soon. Enjoy your week and remember to keep smiling :).

See you soon.

Ciao,

Shannon.

My Top Ten China Glaze Nail Polishes (With a bonus shade!)

Hey everyone,
                      Welcome back to my blog, I hope you all are doing great :). Today, I have my top ten china glaze polishes (and a bonus shade lol) to share with you all. China Glaze is definitely one of my favourite brands and it makes up most of my entire nail polish collection. I especially enjoy wearing their neons during the summer. I would like to mention the polishes presented are not ranked in any particular order. Also, bottle shots and swatches of each colour will be shown in the photos. Anyway, lets get on to what you are really here to see; introducing my top ten china glaze polishes !

#1: Man Hunt- This polish can be described as a rich, royal blue with just a touch of purple. It was part of the 2012 fall collection and definitely one of my favourite blues to wear.

#2: It’s a Trapeze- This one is more like a party in a bottle and is great for an accent nail. This polish is made up of a sheer white base with blue, green, yellow, silver, pink glitter and the list goes on. I would suggest layering this polish over one coat of a regular white for full opacity. 

#3: Flip Flop Fantasy- This shade is known to have two formulas, one which leans more pink toned and the other orange. My bottle surely leans orange but has that bright, neon quality it is well loved for. Also, it dries down to a matte finish and is a fine choice for vacation. 

#4: In A Lily Bit- Came out in the spring 2014 collection and for me it’s a hard one to describe. In some light it appears more pink and others lilac toned. This shade also dries down to a matte finish and gives an ultra feminine, soft look.

#5: Fairy Dust- Surely, one of my favourites as it has the ability to add extra sparkle to any old manicure. It can be described as a fine, iridescent micro- glitter. I love pairing this over darker shades. This glitter polish will not become opaque on its own and is best used for layering over a solid colour.

Fairy Dust layered over black

#6: Refresh Mint- The name describes this polish perfectly since it’s a gorgeous pastel, mint green. Opaque in two coats and a staple shade for your collection.

#7: Luxe and Lush- This polish is much like fairy dust for the reason that it has the ability to transform a regular manicure. It is definitely unique and appears to be shredded chunks of iridescent confetti. The only downside is the clear base can get a bit thick so, you may have to apply the glitter in a dabbing motion. 

Luxe and Lush layered over black

#8: Highlight of my Summer- This shade was released in the summer of 2013 and looks absolutely stunning with a tan. It is known for its neon quality while still being a pastel, mint green. However, the formula leaves much to be desired as it usually takes three uneven coats to be opaque but, for me the colour is worth it.

#9: Shocking Pink- Just like the name says this is bright, neon pink shade. It dries down to a matte finish like most other neon polishes. The formula on this one is average, two thick coats can give full opacity.

#10: Starboard- This was one of my first china glaze polishes and it really started my love for green polishes. It’s a simple grass green shade but comes in so handy for nail art purposes, great staple to have in your collection. Also, has an amazing formula fully opaque in two coats.

*Bonus shade: Secret Periwinkle- I'm not a huge fan of purple but this one is a pretty cross between a blue and purple and I love wearing it. Also, has an amazing formula; fully opaque in two coats. 

Thank you for viewing my top ten china glaze shades and check out my other posts on this blog. Feel free to leave a comment and share this page with your family and friends. Also, look out for a tutorial next week. Enjoy the rest of your day and remember to keep smiling :).

See you soon.

Ciao,

Shannon. 

Geometric Nail Art Tutorial

Hey everyone,
                        I hope all is well in your lives :). It has been a while since I've posted a tutorial but, what can I say other than life has gotten in the way. Today, I have a geometric design to share which can be manipulated using colours of your choice. In addition, I advise using a thin nail art brush to create straight lines.  Also, be sure to start off with a base coat to protect your natural nails. Let’s get on to the tutorial!



Step one: Paint all nails in a white polish.

Step two: Create a diagonal line starting midway right and reaching the top nail edge using a red polish. Repeat this technique directly opposite, on the left bottom corner of the nail.

Step three: Repeat step two on the top left and bottom right corners of the nail using a green polish. A diamond shape should be the result.

Step four: Fill in each corner of the nail with the respective colour to create a triangle at each corner. Leave the white diamond shape in the middle untouched. 

Step five: Clean up around your nails to remove any polish from the skin and add your preferred top coat to smooth out design and add shine.

Products used:

Essie: Style hunter

L'oreal: Vip status

Sinful colors: Snow me white

Thank you for viewing this tutorial and check out my other posts on this blog. Feel free to leave a comment and share this page with your family and friends. Also, look out for another post next week. Enjoy the rest of your day and remember to keep smiling :).

See you soon.

Ciao,

Shannon.