June 2015 – Page 2 – Adventures in Polishland

Month: June 2015

Manicure Monday | Revlon Nail Art Expressionist in Pop Art

Posted on June 8, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Manicure Monday! I skipped last week’s Alphabet Challenge because I couldn’t find a polish in my collection that began with the letter Q, but I’m back this week and am onto the letter R. I’ve had this Revlon Nail Art Expressionist in my collection for years now, but I almost never use it. I decided this was the perfect time to put it to the test!

The Revlon Nail Art Expressionist in Pop Art is a dual ended nail polish. On one side is a blue nail polish with a regular size brush, and on the other is a pink polish with a thin striping brush. I began with two coats of the blue, and was impressed with how great the formula is. Then, I used the pink to add some simple triangles. The pink formula was a bit thin and watery, so that made it difficult to have straight lines in my nail art. I still really like the way this look turned out, though!

All in all, I’m glad I took the time to test out this Revlon Nail Art Expressionist! I’ve seen these polishes on clearance at my local drugstore, so if you are looking to try this one out I definitely recommend seeing if you can get a deal. This polish is also just $3.04 on Amazon HERE, but as I type this there is only one left in stock! Definitely snag it if you’re interested! Have you ever tried a polish from Revlon’s Nail Art Expressionist line? Let me know in the comments!

The polish in this post was a gift. This post contains an affiliate link. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Book Review | The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordon (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2)

Posted on June 6, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #2) by Rick Riordon

Published by Disney Hyperion on January 1, 2006

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Adventure

Format: Paperback

Source: Giveaway

Goodreads:★★★★

The heroic son of Poseidon makes an action-packed comeback in the second must-read installment of Rick Riordan’s amazing young readers series. Starring Percy Jackson, a “half blood” whose mother is human and whose father is the God of the Sea, Riordan’s series combines cliffhanger adventure and Greek mythology lessons that results in true page-turners that get better with each installment. In this episode, The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before his summer camp is destroyed, surpassing the first book’s drama and setting the stage for more thrills to come.

REVIEW

After completing The Lightning Thief, I decided to continue on with the Percy Jackson series right away and picked up The Sea of Monsters. If you’ve read my review of The Lightning Thief (LINK), you’ll know that my main issue with the book was how closely it paralleled my beloved Harry Potter. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the characters and the adventure, so I hoped the series would adopt more of its own voice as the story continued.

Unfortunately, The Sea of Monsters started off on the wrong foot. There was a syntax error in the first few pages, and a scene at the beginning that closely mirrored the Knight Bus in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I couldn’t believe the similarities, but kept powering through, and I’m so glad I did!

The Sea of Monsters introduces readers to a new character named Tyson, who is a young cyclops. In Percy’s world, cyclopes are very dangerous and thus mistreated by half bloods. I absolutely loved the role Tyson plays in the story, and am impressed with Rick Riordon’s decision to include him. Percy’s journey with Tyson is so touching. It teachers readers about acceptance, and how someone who is a bit different is not necessarily bad. I think it’s amazing that children who read this book will get to see how important it is to be kind and understanding of everyone.

Moreover, The Sea of Monsters is a fast-paced and exciting read. This second book jumps right into the action from the start, and readers are along for the ride without hesitation. While I do wish there was a bit more set-up at the beginning, once I adjusted to the new storyline I was fully invested. Percy is such a great narrator, and his voice makes the book so much fun to read.

Finally, I loved the cliffhanger at the end of The Sea of Monsters. It was a bit predictable, but it was still exciting, and made me want to pick up the next book in the series right away. I was surprised at how short The Sea of Monsters was, but I enjoyed it a great deal, and it was a definite improvement over the first book in the series. I’m excited to continue on and see where Percy’s adventures take him and his friends next!

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

When you buy a book through the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website’s affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Huge Makeup Destash! | How to Clean Out Your Beauty Collection

Posted on June 6, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! I recently went through my entire makeup collection and decided to get rid of a lot of products. My main focus was throwing away things that were expired, but I also tossed products that I never use and couldn’t be given away to a friend. I’m moving in about two months, so the less I have to pack the better. I thought it would be fun to quickly show you all of the products I destashed, and share some tips on how I choose to get rid of things!

Here you can see the big box of products I decided to let go. I’ll show you the products by type so you can get a better idea of what I threw away, but I won’t mention each product specifically (that would take a long time!). Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments about a specific product!

EYE PRODUCTS

The easiest place to start with any beauty destash is with your eye products. Mascaras should be thrown away after three to four months of use. I regularly toss the mascaras I use on a daily basis, but colored mascaras tend to stay in my collection longer because I don’t use them often. It was time to get rid of this Maybelline Great Lash! Similarly, eyeliners tend to dry out even if they aren’t necessarily expired. This occurs most often with gel eyeliners, such as the ones here from Cailyn. I also tossed some pencils that were old and unusable.

It’s a bit more difficult to get rid of eyeshadows. I first destashed what was broken. Here, a NYX shadow was missing a lid, and my NYC palette was broken resulting in a messy compact that I didn’t think was salvageable. Then, I got rid of old eyeshadows, such as the Sephora single. Finally, I took out products I never use. I got the JCat and bhCosmetics palettes in subscription boxes, and they need to go!

LIP PRODUCTS

Lip products also tend to have a long shelf life, especially if they do not contain ingredients like SPF that expire quickly. First, I took out any lip stains and lip glosses because they were clearly expired and separating in the tube (yuck!). Then, I tossed the Cailyn lip products that were dried out. Finally, I simply reached for products that do not suit my skintone. I own more lip products than anything else, so I was really happy to get rid of a bunch!

FACE PRODUCTS AND TOOLS

Last but not least, I threw out a face product that was expired, and some broken beauty tools. This was easy! If they don’t work, throw them away! There is no use to keep products that are taking up space and serve no utilitarian function. Make room for better things!

All in all, I hope you liked seeing what makeup I destashed. The products in this post were not bad products, but they simply needed to be thrown out because they were expired, old, or not in use. I felt so good after getting rid of all these products! It allowed me to see all of the useable products I own better, and gave me a better idea of what products, if any, I need to buy. I highly recommend going through your stash at least 1-2 times per year.

Do you have any tips for destashing your makeup collection? Share them in the comments!

Madam Glam Nail Polish Review | 4 Shades

Posted on June 4, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! Today I am excited to share with you four nail polishes from the online store Madam Glam. This online boutique reached out to me and asked if I would like to review some of its products for all of you. When I took a look at what the store had to offer, I had to say yes! Madam Glam sells nail polish in addition to other makeup products. All nail polishes are 5-free and vegan, which is really awesome. Let me go ahead and show you the four shades I tested!

First up is So Nude, a peach-based nude with orange and gold shimmer. So Nude has a watery formula, so I recommend three thin coats for the best results. I thought So Nude was going to be a creme based off the Madam Glam website, but I’m pleasantly surprised with the shimmer. It adds a little something extra to an otherwise neutral polish.

Next up is Lucky Bamboo, a bright pistachio green polish. I unfortunately had a lot of trouble with Lucky Bamboo. It was thick, streaky, and on the goopy side. I layered about 2-3 coats on each nail until I got a clean look. I absolutely love the color of this polish, but I’m disappointed with the formula. I wouldn’t recommend this one unless you really, really wanted this color of nail polish.

Ibiza is the next polish I tried, and it is a blue-green polish with a holographic shimmer. Ibiza has a flawless formula that is opaque in two coats. I’m absolutely loving this one! It’s so beautiful for summer, and is just a stunning color. I can’t wait to put this on again!

Last but not least is Midnight, a deep purple creme polish. Midnight also has an amazing formula that is opaque in two coats. It is richly pigmented, and I’m loving this tone of purple. I think this is a perfect fall color, but can of course be worn any time of year. Midnight is also super shiny without a top coat!

All in all, I’m so glad I got the chance to test out some Madam Glam polishes! While one wasn’t so great, three were awesome! I would definitely try out more in the future, and I’d like to try out some of the other products they offer in the future as well. Madam Glam is a higher end brand, with each polish retailing for $10.95 each on its website HERE. If you purchase 4 or more products, use the code 40OFF at checkout to receive 40% off your order! Talk about great savings!

Please let me know in the comments if you’ve tried anything from Madam Glam! If not, what is at the top of your wish list?!

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

Zoya Nail Polish Paradise Sun Collection for Summer 2015

Posted on June 1, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! It’s time for the second review of Zoya Nail Polish’s summer collections! The Paradise Sun Collection contains six shimmer polishes that are jam-packed with lots of sparkle that is sure to glimmer in the sunlight. The shades correspond beautifully with the Island Fun creams (see that review HERE), or go well alone, too. Let me go ahead and share the glittery goodness with you!

First up is Genesis, a beautiful pearlescent white polish. Genesis has a good formula, and I recommend three thin coats for the perfect, opaque finish. I love how beautiful the shimmer is in this one – it’s subtle at first, but powerful when the light hits it perfectly!

Next up is Selene, a teal polish with aqua shimmer. This one reminds me of a mermaid! It has a great formula that is opaque in two coats, too. Selene is typically darker than I usually go in the summer, but I like that Zoya went for an edgier feel this year!

Oceane is next, and it’s a turquoise polish with a pearlized shimmer. Oceane has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. It is truly a beautiful ocean blue!

If you’re a purple fan, you need Isa in your collection! Isa is a blue-based purple with an aqua shimmer. It is beyond stunning, and has the perfect formula that is opaque in two coats. I love how multi-dimensional Isa is. It’s nearly a holographic polish!

My favorite in the collection is Mae, a magenta pink. Mae is a sheer polish, so I recommend three thin coats. My nail line was still a bit visible in three coats, but I like the coverage I got. Mae is so fun and girly!

Last but not least is Aphrodite, a red-orange polish with red shimmer. Aphrodite also has a sheer formula, but I achieved opacity in three thin coats. I’m not a big fan of red nail polishes, but this one sure is nice. If you love reds, you should check out Aphrodite for sure!

All in all, Zoya delivers once again with the Paradise Sun Collection! I’m definitely a cream formula girl, but I have to say these shimmers are just beautiful for summer. I highly recommend Mae and Isa, though all of these polishes are top notch. You can buy them directly from Zoya’s website HERE for $9 each. Let me know in the comments if you’ll be buying any of these polishes!

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