Admittedly, when I sat down and started thinking about which polishes I wanted to bust out for Halloween nails, the ones I used to create this mani didn't even come close to entering my mind. It actually wasn't until I saw this mani from Ash @ashxmcgrath on Instagram that I absolutely had to create my own version of it. I mean... I was immediately in love with the design and I loved the really frothy pink color palette. Of course, the original mani was hand painted, as all of her gorgeous work is, and I am absolute trash at hand painting - but luckily I had the perfect stamping plate to use to make my own version of this design!

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One thing that I've found as I've gained more experience with different nail art techniques is how to manipulate nail polish in certain ways. For today's mani, I'm using a technique that I'm pretty sure I invented - I don't think I've ever seen anyone do this before - and I feel like it's going to be a bit of a game changer for me when it comes to backgrounds for nail art. This is another mani that definitely evolved in process, but it all started with a loose idea of spooky trees and a sort of multicolored background.

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Is it weird for me to feel accomplished about having been able to keep an air plant alive for about 3 years now? Because I have and I feel like it's a miracle, even though I feel like I've only been able to do it because that resilient little sucker is pretty impossible to kill. Anyway, all of that is to say that there's a specific reason that I didn't end up naming this mani "Plant Lady Nails" because I feel like succulents are some of the only plants that you don't have to be a plant person to keep alive and this is the way that logic works in my neurodivergent brain hole. Also, this is a weird intro and I feel weird about even posting it.

Let's move onto the nail art, shall we?

When it comes to modern ways to use neon nail polishes, I think my favorite is the pairing of a really beige-y nude shade paired with neon tips in a gradient fashion. The great thing about pairing a beige shade with a bolder color in a gradient is that you really shouldn't have to worry about the blend getting muddy or the colors clashing and looking weird. For today's mani, I decided to go with what I like to think of as a double gradient - a gradient on each nail to create that French fade vibe, but also a gradient of neons for a skittle mani, of sorts.

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It's weird... I'm the green nail polish girl. I love green nail polish, I own a ridiculous number of green polishes, and yet for this month's #CBBxManiMonday Green theme, I'm on the struggle for inspiration. For today's mani, though, as soon as the inspiration hit, I had to get it on my nails. I find the gradients in different succulents, particularly different hens and chicks, to be so, so, so pretty and it occurred to me that it could be worth a try to see how a gradient of those dusty greens and purples/pinks would blend on the nails. Sometimes fighting to figure out what to do on your nails in a certain theme can be the worst possible course of action... but if you stop and just sort of let it marinate, a great idea can turn on like a lightbuld while you're hunkered down watching Disney+...

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We've all heard about the amazing performance of the original beautyblender by now and how it gives a beautiful, airbrushed finish to every makeup look... But I think a lot of us balk at the price point, because over $20 for a sponge is just a little more than we can justify. And then, when Real Techniques released their Miracle Blending Sponge everyone was pretty much dying to get their hands on it and everyone was talking about it's a dupe for the beautyblender at a much lower price point. But how do they stack up? And for us Canadian girls, is there a comparable drugstore dupe at an even lower price point? I wanted to take a look at 3 different blending sponges and put them to the test in a SPLURGE VS. SAVE Faceoff! Like my other Faceoff's, I'm going to compare them by 3 different categories: Value, Design, and Performance.

For the full comparison and my ultimate pick, keep reading!