Dusky City Skyline, Nails of the Day

Hello!

Today's look is sort of a practice run for a similar idea I've been playing with in my head for awhile, but I'm not going to reveal all the details yet!

I started with 2 coats of bondi nyc Chasing the Sun.

Orange is certainly not my first pick of polish shades, but I quite like this! It reminds me of creamsicles.

I then sponged on Duri What A Keeper (blurple with hidden shimmer) and bondi nyc NYPD (the deep blue). The sparkly 'stars' are Color Club Magic Attraction, which has holo that unfortunately didn't translate in photos.
I stamped the buildings from Vivid Lacquer plate 004 with Konad Gold Black and the moon with Vivid Lacquer plate 017 and Konad Silver. I purposely didn't use my usual NOPI because it's actually more opaque than the Konad special polish and I wanted the moon to look a bit more ethereal.
The tiny building lights are OPI I Can't Cope-acabana, using a cut down brush and just barely dotting it onto the surface.

I took an iPhone photo with flash, and it made the moon look really cool!

The glare of the flash even gave me perfect stars in the sky!
Hope you like this look as much as I do!

-L

I'm So Fancy, Nails of the Day

Hello!

I didn't plan for this look to turn out so elegant, but it definitely made me feel kinda fancy when it was all done!

 

Silly me, I forgot to take a picture of the gradient before the stamping - but here are the details.
I started with 2 coats of Cadillacquer Blowfish. It's also the bottle I'm holding. I think it reads a hint more green in real life. The other two shades are also Cadillacquer (all 3 are from the Breaking Bad collection). The soft lilac colour is Yeah, Science! and the blue is Better Call Saul (I mistakenly said it was Car Wash on Instagram, sorry!)
I initially tried the gradient with the traditional make-up sponge method, but the sponge sucked up all the base and left me with only shimmer, so I knew it was going to take forever to get the right opacity. Instead I just painted the shades on, figuring I'd stamp over it anyway.
I then added the images from Pueen plate 65 and my trusty silver stamping polish NOPI Positive Energy, topped with HK Girl.

 

I posted this look on Instagram and tagged Cadillacquer. She reposted to her audience and it got a lot of likes. *fangirl moment*

-L

Brazil! Nails of the Day

Hello!

In keeping with my punchy colour combos, I decided to do something yellow and green. To me that's always a fresh and citrus-y look, and since our weather has been summery the last few days, I felt it was time.

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to take pics under my usual set up, so these window shots will have to do today!
I happened to use 2 shades from OPI's Brazil Collection, I Just Can't Cope-acabana (yellow) and Amazon...Amazoff (green). My original intention was not to make such a Brazilian mani, but of course OPI must have been inspired by the colours of the flag, because that's all I can think of when I see these shades combined! I'm not much of a soccer (or football) fan, but with the World Cup in Rio coming up, I definitely see these colours trending soon.

Both the leaf image and flower image are from Pueen plates, the numbers escape me right now. I've used Amazon...Amazoff for stamping before and knew it would work well, but I wish the yellow had stamped a bit better. The glitter topper on my pinky is Elevation Polish Huangshan (the original version, the current version has softer shades of yellow, I personally like this brighter version better).

Did you immediately think "Brazil", or did you have another first impression?

-L

Tuna the Intern, update

Um, she thinks she's groceries.

Whimsical Colour Combo, Nails of the Day

Hello!

This mani is super simple, but I think the colour combo is really effective.

On the index and pinky I started with bondi nyc Strawberry Fields (2 coats), on the middle, ring and thumb (not pictured) is bondi nyc Lady Liberty (2 coats). If you've read this blog before you know I really like my bondi cremes!

 

I added the stamping with Vivid Lacquer plate 006 and Konad Gold Black. The added shimmer on the index and pinky is NOPI Great Minds Pink Alike, a really sheer shade that worked perfectly with Strawberry Fields.
On my thumb (which I'm really kicking myself for not photographing), I had on Lady Liberty, so to match the shimmer on my index and pinky, I added Model's Own Indian Ocean. Ah! It was gorgeous, and it totally reminded me of a brighter version of Rescue Beauty Lounge Aqua Lily, a lemming of mine. I may do a post dedicated to this later!

-L

Ferry to the Island, Nails of the Day

Hello!

Today I am showing you another CANVAS lacquer creation from our summer collection.

FERRY TO THE ISLAND is a milky blue base with fine white and blue glitters, ocean green hexes, baby blue dots, fine green holographic sparks, and a subtle minty shimmer.

We're so lucky in Toronto to be living in an urban landscape that also has a gorgeous waterfront and a quick day escape to a number of small islands for picnics and play.

Ferry to the Island by CANVAS lacquer

Even though there are a few 'larger' glitters in this, they are subtle because they're not too far off the base colour - it really is like seeing things floating through the water. The minty shimmer adds another dimension to the water effect.

Rolling with the water theme, I added these wave images with Vivid Lacquer plate 23 and Konad white.

 

Direct light and a good top coat really bring the minty shimmer to life in this one. IRL I think this shade leans a hint more green.
 
This is available at our Etsy store now!

-L

CANVAS the City Collection now available!

Hello!

I am so proud to announce that all 6 shades of our summer collection are now available at our Etsy shop!

I've given sneak peeks at 4 of the lacquers, and the last two will be swatched very soon! In the meantime, here's some quick bottle shots.

Cherry Blossoms in High Park

CHERRY BLOSSOMS IN HIGH PARK - a milky white base with red dots, matte white and pink hex, iridescent hex, hot pink microglitter and a sprinkling of deep cherrywood hex in different sizes.
We gave a sneak peek to Anita at Intense Polish Therapy, you can check out her amazing swatches here.

Junction Vintage

JUNCTION VINTAGE - a grassy green semi-opaque crelly base, fine silver holographic glitters and a hint of holographic shimmer.

Let's Go to The Ex

 LET'S GO TO THE EX - a unique silvery gold holographic base with hints of pink flash, with a
gorgeous mix of neon matte glitters in pink, green, blue and purple.

Ferry to the Island

 FERRY TO THE ISLAND - a milky blue base with fine white and blue glitters, ocean green holographic hexes, baby blue dots and a subtle minty green shimmer.

Caribana Parade

 CARIBANA PARADE - a bright and juicy coral jelly with tangerine microglitter, yellow hexes, a mix of red holo sparks and a subtle golden shimmer.

Blankets in Bellwoods

 BLANKETS IN BELLWOODS - a light grey jelly base with a mix is neon yellow microglitter, burgundy microglitter, wine squares and holographic green hexes.

 Thanks for stopping by!

-L

-L

Another CANVAS the City Swatch

Hello!

I'm not going to tell you what we're calling this one since we're still considering our options, but I couldn't wait to share it because it is so unique and fun.

The base of this one is a little hard to describe, not to mention it's a bit of a chameleon. It's a cross between silver and gold, with subtle flashes of rosy pink. There's also an awesome holographic glow. But the mix of neon glitters in different shades and shapes are what really make this polish so fun and funky!

indirect indoor lighting

direct sun

As you can see, in the sun the holo halo is more visible, and the base warms up and appears more gold, and you can finally see a bit of that rosy flash.

I included this slightly out of focus shot to show off the holo glow better.

This is one of four polishes left in our CANVAS the City collection that will be released this weekend. Get yours at www.etsy.com/shop/canvaslacquer

Happy painting!

-L

Caribana Parade from our CANVAS the City Collection

Hello!

Love, love, love how this lacquer turned out! I've never worn straight up coral on my nails, but I've been converted!

Caribana Parade by CANVAS lacquer

Caribana Parade is a bright coral jelly with tangerine microglitter, yellow hexes, a mix of red holo glitters and subtle gold shimmer. In person the shimmer and little holo sparks are much more apparent, and the colour can lean more pink in different lighting.

If you're a bit afraid of orange polish, I promise you will still love this! As stated before, it does lean a bit more pink in person so it is very much coral IRL. In the sun the shimmer really sings, I couldn't stop staring at my nails.

Just for fun I added a bit of silver and gold accents to dress it up a bit - not that it really needed it.

So summery! This will be available at our Etsy store this weekend.

-L

More CANVAS the City previews!

Hello!

Two more additions to our Toronto inspired collection are coming to our Etsy store this week!

Ferry to the Island and Caribana Parade

Ferry to the Island is a beautiful blue with minty green shimmer, blue dots, ocean green hex, satin white glitters and green micro holo sparks.

Caribana Parade is a super bright coral with a mix of yellow and orange hexes, a sprinkling of red holo glitters and a great gold shimmer.

Can't wait for summer in our fair city!!!

-L

Spongey Coloured Floral, Nails of the Day

Hello!

I thought about continuing with my monochrome theme, but the weather has been too nice not to do something more bright and summery.

I started with a base of a-England Encore Margot, a gorgeous silvery holo that has not been justice by my photos. I really wanted to see how cremes and a holo base would play together so I grabbed bondi nyc The Limelight (bright green), Essie Come Here (coral) and a blue Misa I can never remember the name of!

before the stamping

I quite like the look of this before the stamping. I really wish the holo translated better, it looks SO COOL in the sun, but I didn't get a chance for a photo.
I used a Pueen plate and Konad Gold Black for the flowers and dots.

I did my best to offset the stamping so I wouldn't cover up too much of the holo base and the sponged colours. I like the final result, and it matched my mood and the weather! I feel like there's got to be a dress or two out there that this would pair up perfectly with.

-L

Monochrome Blue, Nails of the Day

Continuing in the monochrome theme from my last mani, I decided to do something blue.

I wasn't really sure where I was going with this when I started. I grabbed a bunch of my blue cremes, a detail brush and went to work.
I started with a base of bondi nyc Blue Skies - for a fairly light colour I'd consider this an ALMOST one coater! With my detail brush I used a number of blues - and unfortunately I can't remember them all at the moment. I definitely used bondi nyc NYPD, and bondi nyc Midnight Mystery, which are deeper blues. I used a Misa for the lighter blue, but I can't remember what it's called. There may have been another shade or two but who knows!
I then stamped using a Pueen plate 46 and Konad Gold Black.

 

...and then I did this. Probably shouldn't have. I guess I just wanted to add some pizzazz and didn't know how to. So I put a coat of Quo by Orly Glam Trash (which I think is exactly like Orly Sparkling Garbage). It obscures the stamped image, and not in a good way.
The thing about overdoing, or messing up any mani, is that I change my nails so often that I don't let it bother me for very long. I'm always thinking about what I'll be doing next!

-L

Monochrome Green, Nails of the Day

Hello!

I don't do tone on tone a lot, but for some reason I've had green on green in my head all week.

Unfortunately, I dented my ring finger before a had a chance for a photo, sorry!
I found photographing the true charm of this mani very difficult, which is why there's only one pic.

I started with a base of piCture pOlish Honey Dew, a very light minty green. I found it a bit difficult to get even, it would probably require 3 (maybe even 4) very careful layers if wearing alone, but since I was going to stamp over it I left it at 2 on some fingers, 3 on the really patchy ones.
I stamped with, you guessed it, OPI Amazon...Amazoff with Pueen plate 55.
I then layered 2 coats of Cirque Iris and then matted it all.

This looks better in person, promise!

-L

Cherry Blossoms in High Park, Swatch Preview

Hello!

I teased with a bottle shot last week, and now here's our swatch!

CHERRY BLOSSOMS IN HIGH PARK by CANVAS lacquer

 

This white crelly is shown at 2 layers over plain white (Sally Hansen White On). We absolutely love this combination of red/coral dots, pink and white matte hex, a mix of iridescent glitters and a sprinkle of dark brown cherry wood hex in two sizes.

This will be available next week at our Etsy store and is the first release from out CANVAS the City Collection, inspired by summer in Toronto.

-L