March 2016 – Page 2 – Adventures in Polishland

Month: March 2016

Manicure March | Cameo Colours Lacquers in Hathor

Posted on March 21, 2016March 6, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today I have another indie nail polish to share with you during Manicure March. When I first started blogging I received a lot of indie polishes for review. It was so exciting, and I got to connect with a lot of great polish makers around the country. One of those brands was Cameo Colours Lacquers, a brand that is still making nail polish today! I received The Divine Collection to review, which contained six holographic polishes. These polishes are all so gorgeous, but I have to be honest – I just never wear holo nail polish! Holographic polishes are lusted over in the indie nail polish community, but they’re not my cup of tea. I decided to put the polish Hathor to the test to see how I feel about this holo formula.

Hathor is a blue holographic nail polish. The formula is excellent, as it applies smoothly and is opaque in two coats. I’m really impressed with Hathor! It not only looks stunning, but the formula is still amazing after living in my collection for a few years. Even though I think this polish is beautiful, though, I’m not going to keep it in my collection. Realistically, I won’t wear this nail polish. Holo formulas just aren’t my thing! I love looking at them on other people, but I don’t reach for them in my daily life. Thus, there’s no point in holding onto Hathor.

All in all, I’m glad I decided to part with the beautiful polish that is Hathor. I know that the person who ends up with Hathor after me will love it more than I can. It’s also great that I’ve discovered that Cameo Colours Lacquers is such amazing quality and can withstand the test of time. I highly recommend checking out the brand’s website HERE. Please also let me know in the comments if you own any polishes that you think are beautiful, but you just never wear them. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Join in #ManicureMarch by using the hashtag on social media and by tagging me in your photos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter!

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

Manicure March | NYC New York Color Long Wearing Nail Enamel in Empire State Blue

Posted on March 20, 2016March 20, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Sunday! Today’s Manicure March post reviews another polish that I’ve been holding onto mainly for emotional reasons. You’re probably going to laugh, because it’s a super affordable polish from the brand NYC New York Color! I received Empire State Blue as a gift when I was graduating from college, and it meant a lot to me because it came from good friends and because I was moving to New York City. Nonetheless, I rarely wear this polish so I decided to test the formula out to see if I should keep it. Let me share this polish with all of you!

Empire State Blue is a metallic blue polish with green and gold shimmer. The formula is good, but it does tend to get a bit goopy and thick. I applied two coats of Empire State Blue to get an opaque look, and I have to say it does look gorgeous. However, this is not a polish that I would wear on a regular basis. In fact, it’s been years since I’ve put it on. Since the formula isn’t perfect and I don’t wear this much, it’s time to say goodbye to Empire State Blue.

All in all, I’m so glad I tested out Empire State Blue again. While I do have great memories associated with the polish, it is silly to hold onto it just for that reason. This is the second polish of Manicure March that I’ve been able to destash after keeping it purely for emotional reasons. I see the light, people! My nail polish collection will soon only be filled with the best of the best.

Join in #ManicureMarch by using the hashtag on social media and by tagging me in your photos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter!

Manicure March | Milani Color Statement Nail Lacquer in Crimson Jewel

Posted on March 19, 2016February 29, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Manicure March continues with another Milani Color Statement polish. As I’ve mentioned earlier in this series, I own a lot of Milani nail polishes because I was sent the entire line for review a couple years ago. I think the line is really great quality, but not all of the colors are my cup of tea. One of those is Crimson Jewel, a red glitter polish. I don’t wear glitter very often, so I’m really trying to cut down on the glitters in my collection. Let me share my thoughts on Crimson Jewel with all of you!

Crimson Jewel is a red glitter polish with a red base. It has a great formula that applies easily and is opaque in two coats. I’m really impressed with how this polish can be worn alone without the need for another base color. I didn’t expect to really like Crimson Jewel, but when I was wearing it, I thought I had to have it! I can picture it for the holiday season for sure.

All in all, Crimson Jewel is one of the polishes I’m keeping in my collection, even though it’s not one I’m going to wear often. I’m going to be interested to see if this will make it past the next round of my declutter. My first declutter round is focusing on each polish individually – whether I like the color and whether the formula is good. My next will compare my polishes to see if any are so similar that I can get rid of them. I’ll explain more about that at the end of Manicure March, so make sure to stay tuned!

Join in #ManicureMarch by using the hashtag on social media and by tagging me in your photos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter!

Manicure March | Julep in Alfre

Posted on March 18, 2016February 29, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today’s nail polish review is a really interesting one. Back when I first started blogging, I fell in love with Julep nail polishes. For some reason, I just had to have the polish Alfre, which is a metallic purple. I ended up doing a swap for it, and I think I wore it once. I’ve never been a big fan of metallic nail polishes, so I’m not sure why I wanted Alfre so much. I decided to swatch it during my declutter project to see it on my nails. Let me share my thoughts on Alfre with you.

Alfre is a metallic purple polish with silver shimmer. The formula is, unfortunately, horrible! It is watery, and that made application a big mess. Alfre is also very streaky, which can often happen with metallic polishes. I don’t know why I loved this so much a few years ago! Perhaps the formula changed over time, but there is no way I can keep this. Alfre needs to go!

All in all, I’m so glad I tried out Alfre again. I honestly don’t remember why I needed this nail polish, but I’m glad it is no longer taking up space in my collection. I would love to know in the comments if you’ve ever purchased a polish, and then years later you’re not sure why. Perhaps the color isn’t your taste, or the finish is not what you usually wear. Definitely share your polish story with me!

Join in #ManicureMarch by using the hashtag on social media and by tagging me in your photos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter!

Manicure March | Julep in Teri

Posted on March 17, 2016February 25, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! It’s time to swatch another Julep nail polish! I wasn’t kidding when I said I owned a lot of them. Today I’ll be reviewing Teri, which is a polish that has survived a few declutters in the past. I’m know I’ve tested this polish a few times before, and it’s always stuck around because there is a lot missing from this bottle. Let me go ahead and show you this polish, and let you know if I’m keeping it this time.

Teri is a peachy pink nail polish with a creme formula. The formula is okay, as it is very opaque, but is too thick to get a smooth application. You can see in the photos above that the polish is uneven. Despite the pretty color, it’s time to say goodbye to Teri. I just have no need for nail polishes that have less than good formulas. This is especially true when the polish shade is not unique.

All in all, I’m glad to be finally destashing Teri. The color is very pretty and looks good with my skin tone, but I’m sure I own something very similar in my collection. I’ll have to be on the lookout for it in the next stage of my declutter project, which you will find out more about at the end of Manicure March. Please let me know in the comments if you have any polishes that have survived multiple declutters. Why did you hold onto it? Did you eventually get rid of it? I’d love to know!

Join in #ManicureMarch by using the hashtag on social media and by tagging me in your photos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter!

Manicure March | NYC New York Color In a New York Color Minute Quick Dry in Queen of the City

Posted on March 16, 2016February 25, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Can you believe it’s week three of Manicure March? I hope you’ve enjoyed the posts thus far and find the individual reviews helpful. Today I have a swatch of a nail polish from the NYC New York Color In a New York Color Minute Quick Dry line. Phew! What a long name! Basically, this is the quick dry line from NYC New York Color. I love quick dry formulas, and reach for them quite often. However, I haven’t worn this particular nail polish since I first tried it on for the blog. Let me share Queen of the City with all of you!

Queen of the City is a deep burgundy nail polish with burgundy shimmer. The formula is excellent, and applies smoothly to the nails in two opaque coats. I’m not typically a big fan of shimmer polishes, but Queen of the City is absolutely gorgeous! I can see myself wearing this polish in the fall for sure. I’m definitely a bit of a seasonal person when it comes to nail polish, so I think I’ll save Queen of the City for a while. I also want to share that this flawless formula is super glossy without a top coat!

All in all, I’m so in love with Queen of the City and will be keeping this in my stash. I always laugh when I see myself adoring dark nail polish. When I first began this blog I never wore a dark manicure. In fact, I was all about brights and neons. Oh, how my tastes have changed! I would love to know in the comments how your nail polish tastes have changed over the years, or if they haven’t. You can definitely see the evolution of my tastes on the blog!

Join in #ManicureMarch by using the hashtag on social media and by tagging me in your photos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter!

Manicure March | Sally Hansen HD Hi-Definition Nail Color in Laser

Posted on March 15, 2016February 25, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! Today I have another nail polish from Sally Hansen’s HD collection to share with you. I’m still excited over last week’s discovery in the polish LCD (read that review HERE if you missed it). I couldn’t wait to test out Laser, which was one of the first Sally Hansen HD polishes I ever owned. I remember liking it in the past, but haven’t worn it in years now. Let me go ahead and share Laser with all of you!

Laser is a metallic blue nail polish with purple and blue shimmer. It has an excellent formula, but it is on the sheer side so I applied three coats for opacity. I am just in love with this nail polish! It looks so amazing on the nails, and is super shiny! I’m not even wearing a glossy top coat in the photos you see here! I knew upon first glance that I had to keep this polish in my collection. While I’m not going to wear Laser very often, I’m so in love with it that I just need to have it.

All in all, I’m quite impressed with my polishes from the Sally Hansen HD line. Laser is very different from LCD, but it’s amazing in its own way. This nail polish line is discontinued, but I’m sure you can track them down on Amazon or eBay if you’re really wanting to own them. Make sure to read seller reviews before buying! I recommend paying under $10 including shipping for these polishes. They’re great, but not worth a total splurge! If you own Laser, please share your thoughts on this polish in the comments!

Join in #ManicureMarch by using the hashtag on social media and by tagging me in your photos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter!

Manicure March | Julep in Bergen

Posted on March 14, 2016February 25, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today I am reviewing another nail polish from the brand Julep. I own so many Julep nail polishes that sometimes I can’t even remember if I’ve ever used them. Bergen is one of those polishes, but when I searched my blog I found that I used it back in 2014 (see that post HERE)! I was interested to give this nail polish another swatch to see why it wasn’t memorable. Let me share a review of Bergen with you!

Bergen is a really unique nail polish. The shade is a silvery blue, and there is a silver shimmer running throughout the base. Bergen has a really good formula that is opaque in two coats. I recommend letting each coat dry completely before adding on another, as the polish can bunch up when it’s still tacky on the nail. Bergen is not the polish shade I typically reach for when doing my nails, but I have to say I really love it! I’ve decided to keep this one in my collection in hopes that I’ll wear it more often.

All in all, sometimes a nail polish isn’t very memorable when it’s just one of many in your collection. While that can mean it’s got a bad formula or a boring color, other times it’s just that the polish isn’t your usual cup of tea. I’m so glad I rediscovered Bergen from Julep. I own nothing else like it in my stash, and I’m glad it has a great formula. I’d love to know in the comments if you’ve ever found a nail polish in your collection and had no recollection of using it. Please tell me I’m not alone in doing that!

Join in #ManicureMarch by using the hashtag on social media and by tagging me in your photos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter!

Manicure March | Milani Color Statement Nail Lacquer in Ruby Stone

Posted on March 13, 2016February 20, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Sunday! I have another Milani nail polish to review for all of you today. I really love Milani nail polishes, but not all of the colors I own are compatible with my skin tone. I very much appreciate receiving polishes for review, as I know it’s helpful for all of you to learn more about polishes before purchasing them. However, if the polishes aren’t ones I’m going to wear again, I should pass them onto another home. Let me share one such polish with all of you today!

Ruby Stone is a red nail polish with a red shimmer. The formula is great, as it applies smoothly and is opaque in two coats. Ruby Stone is definitely a beautiful nail polish, and I could envision myself wearing this during the holidays for sure. I almost kept this polish, but then I thought about it more and decided to declutter it. I’m much more of a creme polish fan, so if I were to wear a red nail polish, it wouldn’t be a shimmer like Ruby Stone.

All in all, Ruby Stone is a perfect example of how it can be difficult to destash nail polishes. Some polishes have a great formula, but they just aren’t polishes I would wear. There is no reason for me to keep those! Definitely let me know in the comments if you own any polishes that are beautiful, but may not look the best with your skin tone. Do you hold onto them, or pass them onto friends and family? I’d love to know!

Join in #ManicureMarch by using the hashtag on social media and by tagging me in your photos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter!

Manicure March | NYC New York Color Crystal Couture in Queen’s Jewels

Posted on March 12, 2016February 20, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! We’re getting a bit Christmassy here in Manicure March today, because I have a green glitter to review. When I first began my blog, I was all about the glitter nail polish. In fact, I wore glitter nail polish almost every day! I slowly began to wear glitter less and less in my everyday life, but I still like to have a good glitter selection in my stash, especially for the holidays. I decided to try out Queen’s Jewels from NYC New York Color’s Crystal Couture line again to see if I should hold onto it. Let me show you this glittery goodness!

Queen’s Jewels is a green glitter nail polish in a green jelly base. The formula is excellent, and it is opaque in two coats. I’m a huge fan of glitter polishes that can be worn alone. It just makes painting my nails a quicker and easier process! Queen’s Jewels is such a stunning polish, and while I won’t be putting it on often, I can’t get rid of it. I know this is perfect for Christmas, even if just as an accent nail. Plus, this is a limited edition polish that can no longer be purchased, so once I give it away it’s gone for good. I’m holding onto Queen’s Jewels for sure!

All in all, while I only plan on wearing Queen’s Jewels for specific occasions, this is definitely a polish I need to keep. I do find myself pressured to keep discontinued polishes, because I know I won’t be able to purchase them again if I regret destashing them. I would love to know in the comments if you hold onto discontinued polishes for that reason as well. I’m slowly becoming better at decluttering polishes I won’t wear, but it’s definitely a challenge!

Join in #ManicureMarch by using the hashtag on social media and by tagging me in your photos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter!

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