June 2021 Favourites

I'm sure the end of June has popped up out of no where.  This month has definitely been quite a busy one for me and things in July are only going to get busier.  But more on that another time.  Today let's take what will be a quick look at the things I have loved this month.  It's definitely been a quiet month here on the blog.

  

Nail Art

Yep - once again I have done zero nail art this month.  Maybe one day I will have the time (and motivation) for nail art again.

Indie Polishes

Indies are really the only thing that I have been wearing this year.  Aside for all the swatching I do I tend to grab for the indies when I am not swatching.  There are just so many good polishes!  

Grace-full Nail Polish Dream In The Sky (Polish Pick Up June 2021)

I instantly fell in love with this polish as soon as I unwrapped it.  It's so beautiful.  I really hope that everyone who wanted this polish managed to grab themselves a bottle before it sold out.

  

Grace-full Nail Polish Dream In The Sky with Emily de Molly Cohesion

I debated whether I should include this mani or not but I do love it.  I would happily put this on my nails again.

  

Emily de Molly Basic Toppers Collection

To say that I am obsessed with this collection is an understatement.  Seriously obsessed!  They have their own special section in my polish drawers so they are quick and easy to find.   

  

I told you this would be a quick post.  I really have struggled with time for nails this month.  But there has definitely been some really amazing polishes released this month.

May 2021 Favourites

Wow this month has gone by incredibly fast!  So fast that I nearly forgot to do my monthly favourites which future Tracy would not be happy about.  Although I have really struggled to narrow down my favourites this month so future Tracy probably isn't going to be happy anyway.  So without further ado let's take a look at all the goodness that was May.

 

Nail Art

This month I have been crazy busy with life and swatching (which now means I have well over a hundred pictures waiting for me to edit) so nail art has taken a back seat.  Boo!  Hopefully I will find some time (and motivation) next month.

Indie Polishes

No new mainstream polishes for me this month.  In fact, I don't actually remember the last time I had a mainstream polish even on my nails.  Although I have to say the new China Glaze collection looks like something that I would like.  Anyway, my indie girls never disappoint!

Emily de Molly May 2021 Releases

Hayley has been really busy this month.  She released some new toppers (which I am obsessed with - swatches will be coming to my blog soon!), a crelly trio and some covert base coats.  Also this month is her May 2021 Release which I love!  Each of the polishes are gorgeous!

 

Emily de Molly May Limited Editions

Along side the above polishes Hayley also released four new limited edition polishes that are all amazing!

   

Emily de Molly Facebook Exclusives

Did I mention that this month has been a busy month for Hayley?  This month we were lucky enough to get not one but two new facebook group exclusives!  

   

Emily de Molly No Regrets (Polish Pick Up May 2021)

Last but not least for the Emily de Molly's that I have been loving this month - No Regrets.  This polish was released as part of this month's Polish Pick Up and I love it!

 

Grace-full Nail Polish Gem Sparks (Indies Down Under May 2021)

This month brought a new round of Indies Down Under and Grace-full made the most amazing polish!  Sadly it doesn't photograph as good as it looks in person - seriously it's gorgeous!

  

Grace-full Nail Polish Red Lynx 

Red Lynx was released as part of the Nook Isle Collections.  This was a great collection but Red Lynx was the polish that stole my heart.

    

Grace-full Nail Polish Something Wicca (Polish Pick Up May 2021)

Something Wicca was an amazing polish that was released.  Multichromes will always be a favourite for me.

   

Like I mentioned at the start of this post I'm basically including everything this month but in fairness to me it was an amazing month of polishes.  And June will have some more amazing things coming so stay tuned! 

April 2021 Favourites

Part of my brain has already moved into May but then there is the part that thinks it's crazy that we are now at the end of April.  With the end of the month comes a new favourites post!  I don't know about you guys but it is nice looking back on some of the things I have played with.  So let's recap April.

  

Nail Art

I've finally gotten around to doing some nail art this month.  Yay!  I actually grabbed quite a few stamping plates from Hit The Bottle so I have been playing around a little.  Definitely a little rusty but I love the manis that I have done this month.  Hopefully May will bring some more nail art from me.

 

Stamping Plates

Like I mentioned before I recently purchased some new plates which means I should have more nail art happening AND more plates to add to my favourites post.  Yay!

Lina Nail Art Supplies Make Your Mark 09

At this stage I am pretty sure that all of the Make Your Mark plates have ended up in my favourites posts.  I do love the designs on these and the 9th plate is no exception.

Image from Lina Nail Art Supplies

Uberchic Beauty Business Chic 02

I will forever be a big fan of Uberchic's stamping plates.  They are just so good!  I love the images on the Business Chic 02 plate.  I'm also pretty sure that their first plate from this range I loved too.

Image from Uberchic Beauty

Indie Polishes

This month again has been filled with all the stunning polishes from our indie girls.  

Emily de Molly January Release

This month I finally got around to swatching the collection that was released back in January.   I love the whole collection but have managed to narrow my favourites down to Hold Me Close, It Never Ends, Raise The Stakes, Steadfast and Ugly Mood.

  

Emily de Molly April 2021 Releases

This month's release from Hayley was also amazing!  So many amazing polishes.  I am going to hate trying to narrow them all down at the end of the year.  But I did manage to narrow this release down a little.  My favourites are Taking Over, Begin At The End, It's Never Enough, Might Be A Scene and Cloud My Vision.

 

Emily de Molly Limited Edition Polishes April 2021

The LE's from this month are definitely very Tracy like polishes.  I love them all!

 

Grace-full Nail Polish Mother's Day 2021 Trio

It's been a little bit since we have had a collection of polishes from Grace-full but OMG!  Does it get any better than this trio?  I think not!

  

Grace-full Nail Polish Skipping Beauty (Polish Pick Up April 2021)

This month's Polish Pick Up shade is definitely another Tracy polish.  It's seriously amazing!

  

That brings us to the end of the favourites for this month.  April has brought us soooo many amazing polishes but based on my swatch racks, May is going to be just as amazing.  Or maybe more.....I guess we will have to wait until May to find out.

March 2021 Favourites

I'm going to be taking a slight pause with the Polish Pick Up shade for April because today is the last day of March which means it is time to do my favourites from the past month.  March has been a busy month on my blog, but mentally it has been quite a mixed month for me.  This month we introduced two little kitties into our family (they have settled in so well and are both adorable), I celebrated 8 years on Instagram but also this month I lost one of my best friends - and my oldest friend (we have been friends for nearly 20 years).  Anyway, before I start getting all emotional over here let's talk about the polishes that I have been loving this month.

  

While it has been a busy month I haven't actually done any nail art but I have purchased some new plates so fingers crossed in April I will get some time to play with those.  I also haven't played with any mainstream brands so this one we are just looking at all the indie magic!

Emily de Molly An Ode To No One (Polish Pick Up April 2021)

I only shared this polish with you guys yesterday so I am sure you guys won't be surprised to see this beauty here.

  

Emily de Molly March Release

We all know that I love flakie polishes so to have a whole collection is like heaven.  Naturally I am not going to be picking favourites from this release.

  

Emily de Molly Simply Splendid (Polish Pick Up March 2021)

There definitely is a lot of flakie polishes in this month's favourites post but what can I say?  I really do love them.  I love the added black glitters in this polish too.

 

Grace-full Nail Polish Luminous Wings (Polish Pick Up March 2021)

I'm sure I will be saying this forever but Theresa makes the best pink polishes!  I mean look at this colour!  Love this one!

 

Hit The Bottle Feathered Finery

You know when you see a polish online and you fall in love with it and then you fall in love with it all over again when you see it in person?  This is one of those polishes.  Honestly, pictures don't do it justice at all.

   

Hit The Bottle She Dreams In Plaid (Polish Pick Up April 2021)

There are some really amazing polishes being released in next month's Polish Pick Up and She Dreams In Plaid is definitely one of them.  

   

Three Hearts Polish Let's Party

This month I was able to try out a new to me brand - Three Hearts Polish and I have fallen in love with quite a few of the polishes I tried.  I did debate whether or not I should put the whole Birthday Duo in this collection but I am trying to narrow down the favourites to help me at the end of the year.   Of the two Let's Party definitely is my favourite.

  

Three Hearts Polish Poppin' Pastels Collection

This collection is right up my alley and in my opinion is Chloe's best collection to date.  My swatches aren't 100% accurate but that is neons for you.  You'll just have to trust me when I tell you these polishes are amazing.

    

That brings us to the end of this favourites post.  I have already began swatching polishes for April and hopefully I will also get a chance to do some nail art with the new plates I have.  But only time will tell.  April is going to be a busy month with Easter and school holidays so we will have to see.  Tomorrow I will be back with the Polish Pick Up shade from Grace-full Nail Polish.  It's a stunner!

Eight Year Instagram Anniversary

Eight years ago today I decided that I would take the scary step into the world of Instagram and shared my very first mani.  I was so surprised to see some people actually like my mani and then even follow my little account.  Safe to say over the years my account has grown and it has changed a lot.  My watermark has changed over the years, I also originally framed all my pictures with a black border and I also changed my name (I use to be @oliviajade19).  Another thing that has changed is my nail art style.  Over the years I have done a lot of different nail art and I thought it would be fun to have a look at some of my favourite nail art that I have done.  Just as a heads up this post will definitely be really picture heavy because I suck at narrowing things down.  So let's take a trip down memory lane.

   

I thought what better way to start this post than with my first ever nail art that I posted.  I still cringe at the pose (definitely learnt how to hold bottles better now).  It's a nice simple mani that I would wear again now.  Just hopefully without the smudges.

  

I want to say that this was my first ever skittle mani.  It's not perfect but I still love it.  It was a mani inspired by someone but the name escapes me right now.  I did credit them when I originally did this mani.

 

Oh neon stripes!  This is definitely one of those manis that I didn't want to take off. 

  

Who remembers when cartoon nails were a big thing?  This was definitely my best attempt at them. 

  

Once upon a time I thought it was a good idea to dabble in some free hand nail art.  Art is definitely not my strong suit but I have to say that after a LOT of practice I am not completely terrible.  I am quite proud of this mani I did for my daughter's third birthday.

 

I have a pretty big range of little nail art gems and studs and once upon a time I use to use them.  This is definitely one of my favourite manis that I did.

    

Gradients are still one of my favourite types of nail art to do (along with stamping!).  I love this mani.

  

I have basically done different variations of this mani over the years and this mani is probably my favourite of them all.  I love that my not so great free hand triangles is hidden by the stamping.

  

Making my own decals has always been a struggle for me but this mani actually worked!  I believe I even have a tutorial on my blog for it somewhere.

   

This mani is my most liked nail art on Instagram.    

   

Did I mention that gradients are a favourite of mine?  This colour combination is also a favourite of mine but sadly my bottles are basically empty and I can't seem to find the same colours (damn you China Glaze for changing the colours but not the names of your polishes).

 

This was the mani that kicked started my love for nudes with neons.  Still don't know if I like the matte version better or the shiny.

  

I absolutely love the base of this mani!  I love it by itself as well as with the stamping.  If I could put this exact mani back on my nails I 100% would.

   

This is a unique colour combination that I really should re do.  I think it looks gorgeous when I did it however many years ago and I still love it now.

   

There are some nail polish collections in the world that the colours work so well together that they need to be used in nail art.  Like OPI's  Retro Summer Collection.  Seriously love these colours and this mani.  

   

I have no clue what you really call the base of this mani but these types of bases have become a bit of a go to for me.  They are quick and easy and always make for a great mani (you'll see more of them in this post).  Add a negative space stamping design over the top and it's magical!  Especially if there is neons involved.

  

Matte gradient nails - always a love.  It is also one of those rare times where I didn't use a mix of colours or pinks/purples (which are my go to).  

    

   

Over the years I have tried and tried with vinyls.  They just aren't the greatest thing for my curved nails.  I did have some success like this mani and I love it.  In particular I love the mix of the tints together.

   

This mani is probably the most reposted mani of mine.  I think every few years I repost is because I just love it so much.  It is definitely one of my all time favourite manis that I have done.

   

Sometimes simple manis are just the best.  I also love that some free hand was involved.

   

One of my favourite colour combinations is this.  I have done this combination with different stamping designs every couple of years.  I'm probably due to break it out again soon.

   

This mani is a stand out for me because it started off as a fail and then turned into this.  I loved the combination of stamping so much that I also did a pink version of it (the blue is my favourite).

 

  

Dry brushing is one of the easiest nail art manis you can do and I love it.  You can never go wrong with it.

   

I think of all the glitter gradients I have done over the years this is my favourite.  I even recreated I want to say last year?  I don't think I photographed it though.  Sometimes I like to wear manis just for me.

   

Aside from manis with neon polishes I love pastels.  I also love them with white stamping.

  

One of the things that I love about this mani is the matte base with the shiny stamping.  I also just love these colours with the design.

 

  

This is hands down my favourites autumnal/fall manis that I have ever done!

   

Radial gradients are something that I really should do more often.  I really love this one with the design.

   

This is one of my all time favourite manis too.  It's simple and the stamping image is so crisp!

   

This is another one of my favourite colour combinations.  Smoosh it together and add a negative space image over the top and I am in heaven!

   

I was on the fence about including this mani.  I didn't love it on my nails (I love it in the picture though) but it is one of the manis that always catches my eye when I scroll through my IG page so I figured it should be included.

  

I still remember doing this mani and how obsessed I became with matte bases and metallic stamping.  I can't even tell you how many colour combinations I have now done but this is the mani that kick started the love for me.

   

Another prime example of the whole matte base with metallic stamping. 

   

Did I mention that you can never go wrong with dry brushing?  This was a super quick mani and I still love it!

   

Tint polishes over a metallic base are always so pretty.  I also love this stained glass image.

   

This is another all time favourite of mine.  I love the neon gradient combination (which I should do again!). I also love the stamping.

    

This is one of those manis that started off as one thing and took a turn....a very good turn!  I love how this turned out.

   

And last but certainly not least - this is my favourite mani that I have done this year. 

   

Thank you so much to everyone who has followed me through the years both on Instagram and here one my blog.  It has definitely been really fun looking back on all of the manis that I have done (there has definitely been some really cringy manis along the ones - and there are quite a few that never made it to the photo stage).