Tag: white

My Top 5 Metallic Nail Polishes for Fall | #FallintoPolishland

Happy Monday! My fall nail polish series called #FallintoPolishland continues this week with my top five metallic nail polishes. I’m usually not a big fan of metallic nail polishes, but there is something about the fall season that makes me want to wear them! I usually associate fall with nature, so I guess it makes sense that I go for polishes styled after elements. I reached into my nail polish collection to find my favorite metallics that are still available for purchase. Let me go ahead and share them with you!

My Top 5 Metallic Nail Polishes for Fall | #FallintoPolishland

 

Julep – Isla Julep – IslaJulep – Isla [BUY]

First up is Julep Isla, a white metallic polish. Isla has a good formula that is opaque in three coats. I’ve used this polish a ton over the years! It’s great on its own, but I’ve used it under a lot of glitter top coats. The metallic finish adds a lot of shine, and is the perfect base. Isla is also a good transitional polish to take you from fall into winter.

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear – Celeb City Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear – Celeb CitySally Hansen Xtreme Wear – Celeb City [BUY]

Next up is Celeb City from Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear. Celeb City is the perfect silver polish, and is the only polish in my entire nail polish collection for which I keep a back-up bottle. The formula is perfection, and is opaque in two coats. I highly recommend Celeb City!

Zoya – Brooklyn Zoya – BrooklynZoya – Brooklyn [BUY]

While I have tried a lot of gold polishes over the years, Zoya Brooklyn is the best metallic gold for sure. The formula is good, and is opaque in two coats. Brooklyn does show a lot of brush strokes, and while that is normal for metallic formulas, I recommend being precise in your application for a cleaner look. Brooklyn also has a stunning holographic shimmer, which adds a lot of dimension.

Milani Color Statement – Bronze Milani Color Statement – BronzeMilani Color Statement – Bronze [BUY]

Next up is Bronze from Milani, which is a pink-based bronze polish. Bronze has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I really love the liquid metal effect in Bronze. Plus, the pink undertones give the polish an almost rose gold look. Bronze can be paired with any outfit this fall as well.

Zoya – Claudine Zoya – Claudine Zoya – Claudine [BUY]

Last but not least is Claudine from Zoya, a graphite metallic polish. Claudine is absolutely stunning, and has an awesome formula. I love how glossy Claudine is without top coat, too. Claudine is perfect to pair with leather jackets and cozy sweaters. I think this is a must have in your collection!

That wraps up today’s #FallintoPolishland post! Make sure to let me know in the comments what your favorite metallic nail polishes are, and stay tuned for another installment of #FallintoPolishland post next week!

Some of the products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. This post contains some affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Back to School Week | Drugstore Nail Polish Kit

Happy Monday! It is officially the first day of Back to School Week here at Adventures in Polishland! I thought it would be fun to share with you a drugstore nail polish kit for back to school. This kit contains six different nail polishes that I think are the absolute basics to have in your collection. If you have these six polishes, you will be able to create the perfect manicure for any situation! Instead of telling you specific nail polishes that I think you need, I’m going to tell you general categories and share a nail polish for each category. This will make more sense as the post goes along, so let me share this kit with you!

Back to School Week | Drugstore Nail Polish Kit

THE WHITE POLISH

SinfulColors – Snow Me WhiteSinfulColors – Snow Me White

First and foremost, every nail polish kit needs a basic white nail polish. White can be worn alone, it can be used in nail art, and it can be used under any nail polish to make the color more vivid. I highly recommend Snow Me White from SinfulColors because it retails for just $1.99 but has an amazing formula as well. I did a full review of this polish, so click HERE if you want to learn more!

THE NEUTRAL POLISH

Wet 'n Wild Megalast – Bite the BulletWet ‘n Wild Megalast – Bite the Bullet

The next necessity is a neutral polish, whether it be a beige, brown, grey, or taupe. Neutrals are perfect for interviews, your internship, or any other professional event. I like Bite the Bullet from Wet ‘n Wild Megalast because it is a mauve polish that is still neutral, but has a hint of color, too. The Megalast line is also $1.99 at drugstores, and comes in a wide range of shades.

THE GLITTER TOP COAT

Milani Cosmetics – Rainbow PrismsMilani Cosmetics – Rainbow Prisms

It’s always great to have a glitter top coat at the ready as it dresses up any manicure. I layered one coat of Rainbow Prisms from Milani over Bite the Bullet, and you can see how my professional manicure turned into a fun one instantly. Whether you’re going from day to night, or simply want to change up your nails without redoing them completely, a glitter top coat is a must. I love any holographic glitter like the one shown here, but a multi-colored glitter is a good choice, too.

THE FAST-DRYING FORMULA

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri – Blue-AwaySally Hansen Insta-Dri – Blue Away

Make sure you have at least one polish with a fast-drying formula in your kit! We all have those moments where we are running out the door while simultaneously hoping our nail polish doesn’t smudge. This is especially true when going back to school, whether you’re the student or parent! My favorite fast-drying formula is the Insta-Dri line from Sally Hansen. The line offers a plethora of different shades, but I picked one of my favorites to show you here. I also recommend the NYC New York Color In a New York Minute range.

THE DARK AND VAMPY POLISH

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri – Night FlightSally Hansen Insta-Dri – Night Flight

With fall around the corner, dark nails are sure to be on trend once again. You’ll want to have a dark and vampy polish in your kit, but it doesn’t have to be black. Feel free to choose dark purples, maroons, greens, or anything else that suits your tastes. I chose to go with Night Flight, a dark blue polish. Of course, it has the same Insta-Dri formula that I love as well.

THE PINK POLISH

Covergirl – Tickled Pink

Covergirl – Tickled Pink

Last but not least, I had to include a pink polish in this drugstore nail polish kit! Pink is my all-time favorite shade of polish. It’s classic, it’s fun, and it comes in a variety of shades. My favorite is a bright pink like Tickled Pink from Covergirl. I know red may be the ‘true’ classic nail color, but pink is where it’s at for me! Plus, pink is more youthful, so it’s great for the classroom. I even wore a bright pink on my first day of law school!

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That brings us to the end of this post! I hope you found it helpful as you do your back to school shopping. Make sure to hit the beauty aisle and the school supplies aisle! Use these categories to build your own personalized kit, and you’ll be set on nail polish for the upcoming school season.

What shade of nail polish will you wear to school? Let me know in the comments!

Save or Splurge | White Nail Polish

Happy Wednesday! Here at Adventures in Polishland, I always love to let you know how to get the most fabulous and affordable nails. While it’s nice to splurge on occasion, I only like to spend the big bucks when it’s absolutely necessary, so I thought I would review two white nail polishes to let you know if you should splurge or save. A white polish is definitely a needed staple in every nail polish collection. Whether you’re wearing it alone, under glitter, or in a nail art look, white will always come in handy. Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to get a white polish with a perfect formula. I’ve tried at least half a dozen white polishes, and most of them are extremely streaky. Let me go ahead and show you my two favorite white polishes, both at opposite ends of the price spectrum.

Save or Splurge | White Nail PolishThe two polishes that I’ll be comparing for you are LVX Fantom ($16.00) and SinfulColors Snow Me White ($1.99).

LVX Fantom I’ve loved LVX Fantom since I first tried it out. The formula is very good. It does tend to be a bit splotchy, but it evens out to a flawless finish in two to three coats. I’ve used it several times both on its own and in nail art. It’s never done me wrong!

SinfulColors Snow Me WhiteI also picked up SinfulColors Snow Me White at the drugstore because I wanted to see if there was an affordable white that I could recommend to all of you. I’m happy to report that this polish has a good formula as well. It is definitely prone to streaking, and has a bit of a tacky feeling, but it looks just great with two coats.

Save or Splurge | White Nail Polish Save or Splurge | White Nail Polish

Here are LVX Fantom and SinfulColors Snow Me White side by side. LVX can be seen on the pinky and index fingers, with SinfulColors on the middle and pointer fingers. As you can see, there is no visible difference between these polishes at all. In fact, I would be 100% comfortable wearing this as a complete manicure!

All in all, my final verdict is that you can definitely save here, and purchase the SinfulColors Snow Me White as your go-to white polish. While I do prefer the LVX formula a bit more, it is definitely not worth the price tag if you’re on a budget. I will mention that LVX is often on sale on HauteLook for 50% off, so be on the lookout for added savings. In addition, drugstores like Walgreens and Rite Aid have sales on SinfulColors as well, so there is always an opportunity to rock fabulous and affordable nails!

Do you have a go-to white nail polish? Let me know what it is in the comments!

New Milani Nail Lacquer for 2014!

Happy Monday! Today I have my last review of the new Milani nail polishes for 2014. In addition to the Gold Label Specialty Nail Lacquer, and the new High Speed Fast Dry polishes, Milani is also expanding its regular collection with ten new and trending shades. Let me show you these beautiful polishes (and please forgive my dry cuticles – winter has not been good to me!).

Milani – Vanilla Almond Milani – Vanilla AlmondFirst up is Vanilla Almond, a tan creme polish. Vanilla Almond has a great formula that is opaque in just one coat! I was beyond thrilled to find such a full coverage polish in this nude shade. If you’re looking for a perfect neutral, I definitely suggest Vanilla Almond!

Milani – White Milani – WhiteNext up is White, a white creme polish. I’ve been looking for an affordable white polish for a long time, and I am so excited that Milani released this one! The formula is very good – the first coat was streaky, but the second is nearly flawless. White polishes are so hard to get right, but Milani’s done it! I even love wearing white alone in the summer months.

 

Milani – Mauve Medley Milani – Mauve Medley

Mauve Medley is next, and it’s a gorgeous, deep berry creme. Mauve Medley has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I was actually surprised at how much I love this polish! The shade just looked really awesome with my skin tone, and the color is appropriate for a work setting, yet not boring one bit.

Milani – Golden Romance Milani – Golden RomanceGolden Romance is my absolute favorite in this post! It is a glitter polish with very fine yellow gold glitters and small and medium rose gold hexagons. Not only is the polish beautiful, but it is full coverage in just two coats! The formula is really easy to work with as well. I’m truly obsessed with Golden Romance!

 

Milani – Mulberry Sugar Milani – Mulberry Sugar

Next up is Mulberry Sugar, a reddish-brown shimmer polish. Mulberry Sugar has an awesome formula that is opaque in two coats. I’m not usually one for brown polishes, but the shimmer in this one makes it really unique and a bit more fancy. Mulberry Sugar is the perfect fall shade, though of course it can be worn all year long!

Milani – Iced Mango Milani – Iced MangoIced Mango is the other new shimmer polish, this time in a burnt orange shade. Iced Mango also has an amazing formula that is opaque in two coats. If you’re looking for a wearable orange, try out this one! I’m loving it, and I bet it would make for great nail art as well. Try it paired with Mulberry Sugar!

Milani – Canyon Country Milani – Canyon Country If you’re looking for a creme orange, maybe Canyon Country is for you! It is a burnt orange shade as well, but with a dustier pigmentation. Canyon Country has a great formula, and I applied two coats to achieve opacity. This polish definitely reminds me of when I visited the Grand Canyon – I wish I could have worn it when I was there!

Milani – Peach Innocence Milani – Peach Innocence Next up is Peach Innocence, a beautiful peach creme polish. Peach Innocence has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I actually don’t own another peach polish like this one, so I’m so glad Milani released it. Plus, I think Peach Innocence will look awesome with all skin tones!

Milani – Heather

Milani – Heather Heather is up next, and it is a dusty plum creme polish. Heather’s formula is awesome as well, and it is opaque in two coats. I like that this is a more subdued polish, yet is still quite pigmented at the same time. If you don’t like bright shades, Heather is for you!

Milani – Cupid's Touch Milani – Cupid's TouchLast but not least is Cupid’s Touch, a pink creme polish with blue undertones. Cupid’s Touch is so pretty, and, of course, it has a great formula. I love that this shade has a hint of blue, and that makes it unlike the other pinks in my nail polish collection. Cupid’s Touch is perfect for Valentine’s Day, too!

All in all, I am really loving all of these new Milani polishes. Golden Romance is by far my favorite, and I’m also excited to have an affordable white in my collection. You can purchase these polishes for just $3.99 each at your local CVS store. They can also be purchased on Milani’s website HERE. Let me know in the comments what your favorite new release from Milani is!

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

LVX Vegan Nail Lacquer: Spring 2013 Collection

Happy Friday! Today I am very excited to share with you three polishes from a brand that is new to me, LVX. I discovered this brand on Instagram, and was blown away with how stunning the polishes are. LVX is definitely a luxury brand, but their products are vegan, cruelty free, and made in the USA! LVX graciously sent me some polishes from their spring collection so I could review them for all of you. Let me show you these beautiful colors!

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I first wanted to show you what the polishes look like in the bottle. The packaging is so nice, and I have to say that this was one of the best nail mails I have ever received! The polishes were wrapped in sleek, black tissue paper and sealed with a silver label. Then, each polish was individually wrapped in bubble wrap, and came in a stunning black and silver box. I knew these LVX polishes would be special right from the get go!

 

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First up is Viridian, an emerald green polish. Viridian is definitely my favorite of the bunch! It has an amazing formula that is opaque in two coats, and the finish is just flawless. I am currently wearing this polish and cannot stop looking at my nails! Viridian is also a beautiful take on Pantone’s Color of the Year! This is the first emerald in my nail polish collection, and I plan on wearing it a lot!

 

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Next up is Citrine, a golden yellow polish. Citrine is definitely on trend for the season, since I keep seeing mustard yellow everywhere I go! I did experience some formula issues, mainly some streaking and unevenness. I applied three coats to achieve opacity, and luckily most of the imperfections were concealed. It is definitely difficult to get a yellow tone with just the perfect formula! Nonetheless, LVX describes Citrine as the perfect transitional color from winter to spring, and I think that is definitely true. I am just loving this unique color, and I think it will work well during the fall, too!

 

IMG_1626 IMG_1630

Last but not least is Fantom, a super cool white polish. I have been searching for a white polish with a great formula, and I have finally found it in Fantom! White polishes show each and every imperfection, but with two coats of Fantom I got a nearly flawless finish. I cannot wait to use this for glitter manicures and nail art, and perhaps even on its own! Fantom is definitely my new go-to white!

All in all, I am loving these polishes from the LVX Spring Collection! The colors are so unique, and the white polish is something every polish lover needs to have in her stash. I personally love using a brand that is vegan and cruelty free, even if it means spending a bit more per bottle. LVX nail lacquer is definitely the perfect, guilt free treat for yourself! You can purchase these polishes on their website HERE for $16 each. Make sure to LIKE them on Facebook to hear about new collections.

 

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

Simple Saturday: Julep Isla

Happy Saturday! Today I’ll be showing you a polish I wore as the base color for one of my holiday manicures. You’ve already seen it in THIS post topped with Cameo Colours Lacquer in Tangled Lights, but Julep Isla is so beautiful it deserves it’s own moment on the blog! Here’s a simple post to highlight this polish.

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Julep Isla is a white, metallic polish. It has a beautiful shine to it, and a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I love Isla because it has a creamy look to it. Plain white is boring, but Isla’s metallic finish is a complete manicure on its own. Plus, it is perfect for layering. It adds an extra bit of shimmer and shine to any glitter top coat! I got Isla in my July Julep Maven Box (join the Maven program HERE), but I think it is perfect for the winter months, too. It looks just like snow shining in the sun! Julep Isla is an all-around great nail polish!

Have a fabulous weekend!