Girly Bits Canuck The Dots, Swatches and Review

Hi everyone! I have another somewhat recent release from Girly Bits to show you tonight. Being Canadian this one appeals to me for patriotic reasons, but you don't have to be a Canuck (slang for Canadian) to like this one!

Girly Bits Canuck The Dots

Canuck The Dots is a clear-based glitter topper with matte red and white hexes, squares, rectangles, and bars. It also has a subtle, but noticeable, silver shimmer.

Girly Bits Canuck The Dots over American Apparel L'Esprit

Formula-wise I didn't have too many problems with this one. It does need to be turned upside down for 15 minutes or so before applying, also a good shaking before applying helps. I found it went on smoothly, and I used one coat with some touch ups.

Girly Bits Canuck The Dots over American Apparel L'Esprit

One issue with the polish is that you can't fuss too much in applying the glitter. I did that on a few nails, and ended up transferring some of my base polish on the glitter. Normally it wouldn't be an issue, but with those bit white glitters it's noticeable - you know what they say about white...it gets dirty easy! ;)

Girly Bits Canuck The Dots over A-England Dorian Gray

I couldn't decided on a base polish so I tried it over two - American Apparel L'Esprit (lavender), and A-England Dorian Gray (steel grey). Which one do you like better?

Overall, I love how bold and geometric this looks. I think it's the big squares and rectangles that give it that stark but eye-catching look.

Girly Bits Canuck The Dots over A-England Dorian Gray

What do you think of this polish?

Girly Bits polishes are available from their website, there you'll also find a list of distributors for other places to buy Girly Bits. Follow Girly Bits Cosmetics on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates and new releases.

*Products in this post provided for review, all opinions are my own. See my disclosure policy for more detail.*

31 Day Challenge: Day Twelve, Stripes: Just For Fun

Hi everyone! Today's challenge was another one that I had been dreading. Have I mentioned before that I hate stripes!? Well, I don't hate all stripe designs, just mine, lol! Whether we realize it or not, when it comes to nail art, everyone has their own aesthetic. Some things just feel right while others don't.

I think part of my problem when it comes to doing stripes is that I haven't really figured out what feels right for me. Do I prefer very precisely painted stripes, maybe even using tape to make them perfect? Or do I prefer something looser, more casually painted, where the imperfections and variations are part of the design?

The idea behind this design was to combine some abstract elements with stripes, using some new colours that I've been wanting to try out. I had done a little sketch in my sketchbook of some triangle flags on a string, then for some reason the idea of circles with stripes painted in them popped into my head. So there's my thought process for you! ;)

The base is OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls, and the black outlines are Orly Liquid Vinyl. For the colours I used American Apparel Pink Ladies (coral), The Valley (pale blue), and L'Esprit (lavender). I really love how those three colours go together. The copper-gold foil is China Glaze Goldie But Goodie.

In the end, I'm happy with how this turned out. The stripes are busy, but my eye can rest on the white areas.

What do you think of this? How do you come up with your ideas for nail art?

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An InLinkz Link-up

31 Day Challenge: Day Nine, Rainbow: The Spinning Rainbow Wheel of Doom

Hi everyone. I don't often get personal on this blog, but it does tie into today's design, so I'll just put it out there. Today was a crappy day. Last week, I had a phone interview for a job, and this morning I just got the call that I wouldn't be making it to the next round of interviews. I'm starting to really feel like I won't get a job in my field. So I blew off dissertation writing and slept, went out to buy nail polish, and placated myself with my favourite yummies - wine, pizza and gummies.

Needless to say I wasn't really feeling this rainbow theme and the fluffy, happy sentiments that go with it. So today's design hits closer to home.

Mac Spinning Pinwheel Nail Art

If you are a Mac user I'm sure you are familiar with the spinning pinwheel or the "rainbow wheel" which basically means your program is not responding. For me that spinning rainbow wheel of doom hits especially hard when I've got my photo editing software open and I'm trying to switch applications. It's like geez Louise, grab a coffee and a book, you're going to be there a while! :P

Mac Spinning Pinwheel Nail Art

And yup, that little sad face on my index with it's desperate expression... that's me minus the hair and neck. :'(

Mac Spinning Pinwheel Nail Art

I started with a base of OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls, and the black was done with Orly Liquid Vinyl. I used my detail brush and my liner brush, along with the following colours for my rainbow wheels:

• Sally Hansen Lightening (yellow)
• China Glaze I'm With the Lifeguard (neon green)
• American Apparel The Valley (light blue)
• Essie Butler Please (blue)
• China Glaze That's Shore Bright (purple)
• Essie Snap Happy (red)

Mac Spinning Pinwheel Nail Art

I'm still finding lines and detail work to be a challenge, and I haven't really found my grove yet. But I'm happy with how this turned out, it's a bit different than what I normally do. And it felt good to channel my frustrations into some nail art and Netflix watching. 

What do you think of this? And how do you deal with frustrations and setbacks?

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An InLinkz Link-up