The Woods

Welcome to The Woods...

Two beguiling shades that are perfect for fall, winter and holiday wear.

First, we find a Shrouded Path.

Shrouded Path, The Woods by CANVAS lacquer

Shrouded Path, The Woods by CANVAS lacquer

A deep, mysterious and luxurious shade of emerald green with a gorgeous golden green to blue shimmer that dries to a satin matte finish.

Next, we meet The Fox & The Owl.

The Fox & The Owl, The Woods by CANVAS lacquer

The Fox & The Owl, The Woods by CANVAS lacquer

A rich, warm chocolatey brown with golden holographic shimmer, red shimmer and sprinkled with holographic red hex glitters in various sizes.

Both available now at canvaslacquer.etsy.com

See you soon.

Sneak Peek! Broad City collection coming soon

Hello!

I know it's been a minute - but we've been in the lab workin' hard on some summer releases!

Here's a look at a couple bottle shots.

FOMO, from the Broad City collection

A full on party in a bottle. Avoid FOMO and get yours this weekend at the Great Loft Flea Sale (if you're in the Toronto area), others will have to wait for its online release.

Kirk Steele, from the Broad City collection

Kirk Steele is a blue sparkle bomb! This will also be debuting at the Great Loft Flea sale, online release coming soon.

Keep it real.

-L

Works in Progress

Hello!

In this post I will be sharing the last 2 of the 4 shades from upcoming SPRING FLING collection.
I haven't had time for proper swatches yet, but I'm dying to show these off!

so heeeeeeeere we go........

In Bloom from the SPRING FLING Collection

I dare you to tell me this doesn't scream spring to you! A glorious mix of pastel dots in blue, peach, yellow and lavender, three sizes of white hexes, a sprinkle of small green hexes and a dash silver microglitter. It reminds me of a spring bouquet or a basket of easter eggs. So cute!

Tempts Are Rising from the SPRING FLING Collection

Ok, so my apologies for the not so great pic - but I tells ya my camera hates capturing holo!!
This is our first true linear holographic shade. Our previous holos have a glow, this one has a flame.
Hot fuchsia to match your spring fever!

These shades will be debuted at KUUMBA, an Afro-Latin cultural festival happening here in Toronto at Harbourfront Centre. They will be available at our Etsy store next week.

-L

WINTER HAS ARRIVED

Hello!

Wow. Winter has seriously walloped North America. I did this mani on Saturday, not realizing how fitting this would be today.

If you didn't already know, Polar Bear Dip is inspired by a frozen Lake Ontario, and here it is portrayed as a frozen Lake Ontario! Our Winter of '99 is inspired by the infamous year our mayor called in the national army to help us out of a storm - and here it is falling over the city skyline.

I started with a base of Colors by Llarowe Precious Metal, it has beautiful shimmer that didn't come through in my pix. The skyline and tree is freehanded with my Konad Gold Black. For a bit more silvery icy-ness I added a bit of CoverGirl Silver Lining on the lake and building up under the tree.
I'm so proud of this mani!

To be serious for a second though - our thoughts are with those in Buffalo right now. Please don't go out if you don't have to, keep your loved ones close and cuddle your fur buddies!

Stay safe!

-L

Killer Customs!

Hello!

Our incredibly supportive friend is turning the big three-oh!

To celebrate we decided to make some cheeky customs that highlight her sense of humour.
No Pants No Problem is an intensely sparkly raspberry loaded with gold holographic shimmer.
Swipe Right is a bright blue packed with gold glitter and more holo dust! 

We at CANVAS really do love to make polishes from things that inspire us, and making custom shades for someone can sometimes be challenging, but it's so rewarding to truly make something bespoke and special.

The holidays are coming so if you want to treat someone, or yourself (!), to a custom lacquer, please contact us sooner than later to ensure your order is on time. Anyone in the local area is welcome to pick up their purchases at our pop-up event on Dec 6 - you could even get your nails did with your custom that day by 10/10 Nail Design.

It's like win, win, win no matter what! (Didn't think you'd find T-Pain quotes on this blog, didja?!?)

See you soon!

-L

Meet Aunt Opal - Sneak Peek!

Hello!

Time for another preview of polish to come! The second installment to our Vintages collection is Aunt Opal - so classic!

Aunt Opal by CANVAS lacquer

This is a clear based topper that can turn almost any existing shade into an extraordinary opalescent gem for your nails! It's full of multi-coloured subtly shifting flakies, small iridescent hexes and a smidgeon of rainbow holographic shimmer.
I'm sure we all know someone that only wears sheer, mother of pearl type shades, so even the most conservative of lacquerists can wear this - might look actually kinda cool on a bare nail - not that I would know - can never go nekkie! ha!

This will be released with The Good Silver and one more shade (it's still under wraps right now!) in the coming weeks.

Don't forget about our pop-up event Dec 6 for all you local peeps!

-L

Sneak Peek - The Good Silver (and winter is coming!)

Hello!

So many exciting things brewing at the CANVAS lacquer labs!

We'll be releasing a Vintages Collection made up of 3 shades that we will also be using in collaboration with Keepsake Jewellery!

The Good Silver by CANVAS lacquer

I just die! All the fashion blogs are calling grey the IT shade this season so naturally y'all NEED this perfect neutral. Our version is smokey and shimmery, cool yet cozy.
I'm wearing three thin coats, if you have shorter nails you may only need two. I'm wearing top coat on my RING FINGER ONLY so you can see it already has a lovely finish on its own, but like any other polish, you'll want to top coat to if you're trying to maximize wear time.

And since this is such a perfectly wintry shade, here's a bonus shot of The Good Silver as the base for one coat of Winter of '99.

It catches the light so beautifully! This is the only type of snow storm I can enjoy!

-L

Bling It On

Hello!

We're getting into the spirit of things with the release of this super sparkly gold glitter topper.
The complexity and depth of this lacquer is impossible to capture in pictures, but the holo and metallic catch so much light you won't stop staring at your nails!

ALL.GOLD.EVERYTHING.

This is now available at our Etsy store!

-L

Winter of '99 - CANVAS the City

Hello!

Do you love sneak peeks as much as I do?!

Here's a look at a soon-to-be-released glitter topper we're working on.

Stay tuned!

-L

CANVAS the City Fall/Winter Previews!

Hello!

We have been brainstorming/working like crazy and will be restocking sold out shades and releasing new shades very soon!

Here's a sneak peek at two shades for Fall/Winter.

Harbourfront Skate Night is our first black and our first flakie lacquer! There's a ton of subtly shifting flakies of all shades, and just a hint of white microglitter - like the reflection of stars on the black ice! We are so in love with this for winter.

Next we have an awesome glitter topper. This is Yorkville Splurge - a unique combination of matte white and blue hexes, copper hexes, rose gold squares and a good dose of holo dust. We've layered it over a smokey grey that we're working on (more on that to come!) and then over plain black.
Treat yo'self to this one!

Rather than releasing all 6 shades at once we will be trickling them out. Nuit Blanche All Nighter was the first release and is available here.

Look out for tons more stuff from us soon!

-L

NEW! Nuit Blanche All Nighter

Now available on our Etsy page!

This is a purple jelly packed with turquoise holographic microglitter, tiny white hexes, a sprinkling of charcoal holographic and large ocean blue hexes.

AN ART PARTY FOR YOUR NAILS!

Stay tuned for more releases from our CANVAS the City Fall/Winter Collection, as well as a few seasonal duos!

-L

31DC2014 Day 17 - Glitter

Ok - most of these challenges I feel like I stepped up and did a good job...

To be perfectly honest I'm not so happy with this one, but I was too lazy to redo.

If you can't tell, they're fireworks. I started with a black base of Essie Licorice. To create definitive streaks I used OPI Love.Angel.Music.Baby and Konad Silver. For the glitter element I used a combination of microglitter polishes.

Girly Bits Razzle Dazzle is raspberry microglitter, Cique Queen Majesty is purple and blue and Cirque Stella is full of rose gold. This second picture shows it with Essie Matte About You, y'know, just cuz.

-L

31DC2014, Day 3 - Yellow

Hello!

Ok, full disclosure. Part of the inspiration for this mani was just a total and complete cop out.
I know it was only day 3, but I felt like my skin was already getting burned out from all the acetone.
Til now I was painting both hands. For this, I decided my Orange Citrus mani went over so well, I would do a Lemon Yellow mani and not have to repaint my right hand as it would still be a cohesive look.

WHOOOAAAAA! I don't really know what I was thinking when I was editing this photo, the details are way too blown out to really see. What also fails in this mani is the white base. My orange mani really worked because the base wasn't white, so when you stamp with white there's more contrast (duh).
The white base is Sally Hansen (Xtreme Wear) White On, and then Sally Hansen (Insta-Dri) Lightening. My index and pinky are also featuring one of my favorite glitter toppers, Elevation Polish Huangshan. The images are from MoYou Tropical 08 and Bundle Monster 308.

Silly me. I should have edited this shade shot instead. buh.

-L

Vacation Nails with MoYou Stamping

Hello!

Ok, so I didn't go on vacation. But let's say I did, I'd definitely rock something like this for a tropical trip.

I started with a base of OPI Don't Bossa Nova Me Around. I then used a makeup sponge to add the 3 colours: bondi nyc Teal Magnolia, OPI I Can't Cope-acabana, and OPI Live.Love.Carnival. It was meant to be a pie-shaped gradient, but I like the looser randomness of the final result.

I then added the tropical foliage images using Konad Gold Black and MoYou Tropical 12.

I love bright and tropical themes (can you tell?), but after a day or two I got restless with it. I was too busy at the time to do another mani, so I added a glitter topper!

Yay! Elevation Polish Haba Xueshan is one of my all-time favourite glitter toppers. Not sure why the black and white combo always makes things look a bit more 90's to me. Perfect, since I'm seeing a 90's esque topical trend everywhere this summer.

Do you prefer with or without the glitter?

-L

Sneak Peek, Coming this Fall!

Hello!

I've been working crazy hours so the blog has had to take a bit of a back seat, but it doesn't mean we're not always living the lacquer life!

Here's a lil teaser of something I'm working on for Fall.

We've Been Busy!

Hello!

We've had some custom orders in the last couple weeks that have been a lot of fun for us. Making bespoke polish is so satisfying for us!

First off, a set of minis for a blushing bride, Brttany. She had the brilliant idea of calling if Breakfast at Brittany's, since the shade is very reminiscent of that famous Tiffany blue. She's including one each into a goodie bag for her bridal party. Awesome idea right?!?

Next, we had 2 requests from a customer. One for a cranberry base with silver and grey flecks, and a cat inspired polish. The second was a bit challenging, but that's what makes custom lacquer so amazing! There's been so much positive feedback - get your own by contacting us!

canvas custom lacquers

If you've got a dream polish you're dying to create, hit us up!

-L

Rebecca Minkoff Inspired Tape Mani

Hello!

Today I bring you another Rebecca Minkoff inspired mani. (If you missed my previous Ode-to-a-bag, you can find it here)

MAC Daddy bag by Rebecca Minkoff inspired nails

I have been putting off this look for awhile because… I’m afraid of tape manis! Over the last couple months I’ve attempted a few, and they’ve been such a mess that they had to be scrapped right away! I am so proud to be sharing a successful one today.

I started with 3 coats of Misa A Sunny Smile Makes Me Go Wild, a neon highlighter yellow. On my ring finger is 2 coats of Misa Paint My Nails @Work (ha, love that name!) with a coat of Elevation Polish Huangshan. Everything topped with SV.

I waited for a good long while to make sure everything was really dry before adding the tape. I love the results! A Sunny Smile MMGW and Huangshan are such a perfect match aren’t they?

...and another sunny day pic!

Should I be trying more tape manis in the future??

-L

90's Style Colour Blocking

Hello!

Today I bring you a look sans stamping! Colour blocking is such an effective visual punch, especially when you get a great colour combo.

The hot pink and turquoise combo and the abstract geometric design just screams out (early) 90's to me. I'm sure I probably had a windbreaker in this motif.

Quo by Orly Femme Fatale, 3 coats

First I started with 3 coats of Quo by Orly Femme Fatale. Once again, my camera doesn't seem to like pinks much. This shade leans a bit warmer, but just as neon in person. I found it a touch uneven still, but the topcoat helped it appear even, and added glossiness (like most neons it dries semi-matte).

After allowing it to dry for quite some time, I added little triangles of painter's tape I had cut up. I used China Glaze Turned Up Turquoise for the colour blocking. This is an awesome glowy shade that dries matte - so this is how it looks before I topcoated. I like the contrast in finishes, but I HAVE to topcoat everything or it will come off in minutes (seriously, I'm rough on my hands).

As an accent I added Elevation Polish Haba Xueshan, an amazing glitter topper with various black and white hexes, a few bars and minty circles. I feel like this added to the 90's - ness of the look. (Yup, I'm making up words!)

These sun pics are with topcoat.

 

So fun right?!? This is totally reminding me of early Fresh Prince outfits. Ah, memories.

-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

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