french manicure – Adventures in Polishland

Tag: french manicure

Milani Color Statement Nail Lacquer | The Sheers

Posted on July 30, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I have the first installment of a new blog series reviewing the new Milani Color Statement Nail Lacquer line. Milani just released 37 new shades of polish that is now available at CVS stoes and online for just $3.99 each. I received the line to review for all of you, and will be sharing swatches of the polishes in a few posts in the coming days. To make things easy for you to navigate through this collection, I’ve created a header for this blog series. Once all of the posts are live, each section will be clickable and bring you straight to that blog review. Today, I’ll be showing you the four sheer polishes in the collection. These sheer polishes are perfect for layering and nail art looks, but I’m showing them to you alone today so you can see the true color payoff in each shade.

First up is Pearl-Plexed Sheer, a clear polish with iridescent shimmer. I am wearing three coats of this polish in the photos above so that you can see how gorgeous and sparkly this polish is. Layer one coat of Pearl-Plexed over any polish and your manicure will be transformed into a glittery and pearlescent polish. Pearl–Plexed has a great formula as well. Let me know if you would like to see me try this polish over any specific colors and I’d be happy to do that for you!

Next up is Frenchie Sheer, an off-white sheer polish perfect for the white tips in your French manicure. I’m wearing two coats in the photos above, and as you can see it really highlights the white part of my nails to make them look opaque. I don’t wear French manicures, but can see myself using this in nail art for sure!

My favorite of the sheers is Lady-Like Sheer. Milani describes this as an “antique white,” but it’s definitely a pastel pink. I’m wearing two coats in the photos above, and as you can see Lady-Like is nearly opaque! The formula is perfection, and the polish color is so beautiful. I would wear this alone any day!

Last but not least is Vintage Lace Sheer, a sheer light pink polish. This is definitely the sheerest polish in the line. I’m wearing two coats in the photos above, and you can see my natural nails quite clearly still. Vintage Lace Sheer is great for a French manicure, or if you are looking to wear a “no nail polish” look.

All in all, the sheer polishes in the Milani Color Statement line include some great staples and some beautiful layering polishes. If you love to do DIY French manicures at home, I highly recommend these polishes. With the $3.99 price tag, they are super fabulous and affordable. You can purchase these at your local CVS store, or on Milani’s website HERE. Make sure to stay tuned to see the rest of the collection in the coming days!

The products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Here’s a Tip: Add Glitter!

Posted on June 6, 2012March 18, 2017 by Adventures in Polishland

After browsing through many boards on Pinterest lately (click HERE to follow me!), I’ve noticed that glitter is even more popular than usual. Of course, the One for Fun trend is still thriving, but many ladies are sporting some glittery French manicures. Today I decided to give the look a try, so I grabbed a red from O.P.I. and my favorite polish, Rockstar Pink from Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear. I thought these two colors would look great together, and boy was I right! I am extremely pleased with the results of my manicure.

To achieve the look, I first painted two coats of the red and let it dry completely. I have to admit, I don’t usually wear this color since the red is a bit much for me, but why not go for it, right?! I also don’t even know what the polish is called since it’s an O.P.I. mini from a holiday set. Anyway, once the color dried I got out my Rockstar Pink and went to town. For this French manicure, I wasn’t concerned with getting perfectly straight and clean lines. All I did was slowly dab the glitter along the top of each nail until I got the look I wanted. Thankfully, the glitter is very forgiving, so even though my lines are a bit messy, my manicure still looks awesome. What do you think?

If you want to try out this glitter French manicure, go for it! It’s way easier than I thought it would be. Don’t be afraid to use a variety of colors for both the base coat and glitter. If a bright color (like the red I chose) is too much for you, the traditional French pink is fine. Plus, if you want to have perfect lines, just use some scotch tape! Just be sure to finish up with a top coat so the glitter stays in place. Enjoy!

Geometric Nail Designs

Posted on April 10, 2012March 18, 2017 by Adventures in Polishland

I remember back in high school when my mom bought me my first french manicure kit. Complete with stickers that were supposed to help me create the perfect french nails, this kit turned out to be a flop. Maybe it was my impatience, but after a few tries, I chucked that kit in the trash and never looked back. Thanks to Pinterest and this post from Birchbox, I’m no longer afraid to mix colors. All you need to create a funky, geometric look is scotch tape!

Last night I painted my nails with Don’t Be Cheesy, a bright orange from the new line Spoiled by Wet n Wild. I let this color dry overnight as Birchbox suggested, since putting scotch tape on wet nails is a no-no. Today I chose one of my favorite nail colors, Check Me Out by L’oreal Paris, and got to work with the tape. I loosely followed Birchbox’s ideas and cut the tape in all different shapes, some small strips and others larger, and placed them on my nails in varying patterns. Once the tape is secure, just paint your nails with the color you have chosen, and carefully peel off the tape while the polish is still wet. Here’s where my main advice comes in: it is important to smooth out the tape so that there are no air bubbles, but make sure you don’t crease it too much. My main problem occurred in peeling off the tape. Since I had pressed it down so much, it broke while I was trying to take it off! Luckily I was able to salvage most of my hard work, but I do have some mistakes (hey, I’m only human). I’m still proud of my new geometric nails, though. Check out the photos below.

Pretty cool, huh? Just make sure that once the polish is completely dry you use a top coat. Don’t put it on too soon or the colors will smudge. You can also get more adventurous than I did, and paint your nails all different colors. Or, if you want to add a special touch, put clear glitter over the finished product! You’ll soon come to learn that I am a bit obsessed with glitter, but more on that later.