Author: Adventures in Polishland

My July Julep Maven Box!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

I have been in love with Julep Maven ever since I got my first box last month. The polish is simply to die for, and the company really takes care of its customers. Here is what I got this month!

I picked American Beauty this month!
Left to right, Lynn, Yumi, and America. Plus a lip vernis in Peony (in box). As a little bonus, some candy!

Although I am technically “Classic With a Twist” according to my style quiz, I switched to “American Beauty” this month because I liked the colors better. I have been in need of a nice, nude color like Lynn! I was also thrilled to be receiving the bonus America the Beautiful polish, which I featured in THIS post. All in all, a great month! The best part of this box was that I got a voucher from Julep for any free polish! How awesome is that? They really want to make us Mavens happy. Plus, who doesn’t love surprises?

After sporting America the Beautiful on my nails for the Fourth of July, I knew Lynn would be a good change for me. Even my mom mentioned that it was different to see me in a shade that’s not so bright! But Lynn is a gorgeous nude that is more on the peach side. It is a bit sheer, but only took two coats to be opaque. It also has a hint of shimmer in it, making it that much more beautiful. It’s perfect if you don’t like bright colors, or if you are looking to play down your nails for some reason. Of course, it’s stunning on its own as well! What do you think of these swatches? The color photographed very well. 

How gorgeous is that polish?! Plus, it will look even better the next time I show it because I’ll be adding a little “sparkle” to it! Keep your eyes open for another entry about a mani upgrade in the near future!

Don’t forget, you can become a Julep Maven, too! Enjoy your first box for just $0.01 when you enter the code COLOR2012 at checkout! This is not a joke! Here are some benefits to joining:

  • You receive a Maven box of at least 2 polishes per month for only $19.99 (plus other goodies & freebies year long!)
  • Don’t like your box? Switch for another!
  • Don’t want to buy one this month? Skip the month & don’t get charged!
  • You’ll always get 20% off all Julep products in the Maven shop.
  • If you find you don’t like Julep, cancel any time.

Join Julep Maven today by clicking THIS link! Let me know if you joined 🙂

50 Followers Giveaway WINNER!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

A big THANK YOU to all of my followers (now a total of 106!) and to all who entered my first giveaway. Unfortunately, some of you did not read through the rules and I had to weed out the entries that did not qualify. That left us with a total of 45 entries. It really stinks that Rafflecopter doesn’t work on WordPress, because I think that was one of the main reasons I didn’t get too many entries. I will work on finding a solution on that for future giveaways, along with opening them up internationally. Anyway, on to the winner!

After verifying all of the entries, I used a random number generator to choose the lucky recipient. And the winner is Melanie S., a fellow blogger! Please email me at adventuresinpolishland@gmail.com with your shipping information within the next 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. I’ll post this on Facebook, too.

Speaking of Facebook, have you liked my page yet? I often post sneak peeks of my manis, sale alerts, and more. When I reach 500 likes I will be having an even bigger giveaway. What are you waiting for? Like it HERE.

Thank you all again for your continued support. I hope you have been enjoying my Adventures in Polishland.

Get Off Me, Glitter!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Back in April when I first started Adventures in Polishland, my friend Steph requested a post about how to successfully remove glitter. Though I sport glitter polishes rather frequently I have never needed to seek out alternate methods of removing glitter until today. My beautiful Julep America was practically glued onto my nails. It took quite a bit of effort to remove, but now I know the trick that works, and will share it with all of you!

I first tried to take my glitter off with THIS method that I found on Pinterest. I’m not going into too much detail here, because sadly it did not work for me! Basically, you’re supposed to take a cotton ball, break it into pieces, dip it in remover, and set it on your nails for 1-2 minutes. The polish (any polish is the claim) is supposed to magically slide off your nail. I don’t think so! Here is what my poor left hand looked at after trying this out three times! That’s right– I repeated this three times.

Not for anything, but you can see that my regular nail polish on my ring finger didn’t come off completely either. Boo!

Onto method number two– tin foil glitter claws! I was hesitant to try this out because it uses a lot of materials at once, but alas, I needed clean nails. Basically take a cotton ball dip it in remover, and wrap it up with your finger in tin foil. Repeat on each finger and let sit for about ten minutes (yes, that long). The good news is that this really does work. You look a bit silly, but who cares?! The important thing is the glitter WILL come off. In case you’re wondering how these glitter claws look, I snapped a photo.  

Now if your glitter seems to be easily peeled, I wouldn’t go through all this trouble. Instead, gently peel off the polish. Don’t dig into your nail or you might take off some layers, but simply peeling it off is fine. Most importantly, always be sure to apply base coat! You want to provide a protective layer between your nail and the glitter. 

There you have it! The best method to removing glitter is tin foil claws. Now you don’t have to fear the sparkle.

P.S. Julep is having a sale on HauteLook today! Lots of discounts. Go shop HERE.

Try it on Tuesday: July 4th Edition

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Yesterday I anxiously awaited the arrival of my July Julep Maven Box, and when it arrived I was so excited to try out my new polish. As tomorrow is the Fourth of July for all of us Americans, I knew I just had to put on America the Beautiful right away! I decided to combine this glittery goodness with a red, white, and blue that I already owned. Here are all the polishes I used:

Left to right: unnamed red mini from OPI, Empire State Blue from NYC, 104 (white) from Fabulous Nails, and America the Beautiful from Julep.

To complete the mani, I painted two coats of America the Beautiful on each finger except for my ring finger on each hand. I am loving the One for Fun look lately, and just had to do it again! The glitter was actually pretty easy to work with. Unlike other recipients of July’s Julep Box, I have many stars in my America polish. I do admit, they seem to clump together, but with a bit of careful polishing, you can get them to stand out. I love the mix of glitters, too– fine red grains, blue & silver flakes, and the silver stars! It’s very beautiful. 

On my accent finger, I used the scotch tape method to create diagonal stripes of red, white, and blue. I love this trick, but always get impatient waiting for the polish to dry. Remember, when you use the tape, begin from the bottom up. In other words, I painted the red color first, then the white, and ended with the blue. It’s much easier to build on colors rather than attempt to work in between them. With a bit of patience, your nails will look great!!

Though this mani looks fabulous in person, it was extremely difficult to photograph. I tried areas with different lighting and tried shooting from different angles. Finally, my dad helped out with this camera phone macro setting and got the shot below for me. You can see the stars shining bright! 

What are you wearing for Try it on Tuesday or July 4th? Let me know! You can always post photos on my Facebook page HERE. Finally, don’t forget to enter my giveaway! Only 4 days left to score some polish and glitter from LASplash. You can see that post HERE.

My First Little Black Bag!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Have you heard of this super fun website called Little Black Bag? It’s another monthly subscription that is really interactive. You pay $49.95 (yes, a bit expensive, but fun to splurge!) and pick one item of your choice. Then, stylists pick 3-4 more items for you based on your answers to a style quiz. Don’t like the items you receive? You have an entire week to trade your items with other Little Black Bag (LBB) users! What kind of items, you ask? There are handbags, jewelry pieces, cosmetics, and more. I, of course, wanted some fancy nail polish! After lots of trading (and a few mistakes) here is what I ended up with.

The box has finally arrived!!
My wrapped up goodies!
Hello, new handbag & nail polish!

All together I got a Nila Anthony Ruffle Messenger Bag valued at $75, and two NCLA polishes valued at $16 each! That’s about $57 in savings. Not bad for my first attempt at LBB, but like I said, I messed up a little bit. I traded a handbag that I didn’t like for an item worth half its price, and lost out on that value. Now I know how the trading works, though! I’m hoping in my next LBB I’ll get even more goodies for my $50. I’d love to try out some of the NCLA nail wrap strips, and I’d love some jewelry next time. If you’d like to join LBB, please sign up HERE. I know this is a bit expensive, but you can skip any month if you don’t have room in your budget. I’m sure you’ll love this website as much as I do.

Before I end this post, here’s a closer look at my new polishes. They’re stunning! I can’t wait to try them out soon.

The glittery goodness of Miss Sunset (left) and Hollywood Hills (right).

What?! A Blog Award?!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

That’s right, everyone! Thanks to Entaeyen over at Samples by Entaeyen I received my first blog award. I’m so excited! Adventures in Polishland is just continuing to grow!

Here are the rules for accepting the award:
1. Nominate 15 fellow bloggers who are relatively new to blogging
2. Let them know that you have nominated them.
3. Share 7 random facts about yourself.
4. Thank the bloggers who have nominated you.
5. Add the Versatile Blogger Award picture to your post
My nominations are:
  1. CraftLikeaTeen – Ashley is just getting started & is doing a great job showing her nails and jewelry.
  2. ManPolish– The husband of a fellow nail polish lover is using his creative writing abilities to poke good fun at us who are polish obsessed. So hilarious!
  3. Polish Monster – A cute name & a great blogger! She shows us many different polishes from mainstream and indie brands.
  4. Irnbb – This awesome nail blog began in March. She’s got lots of great polishes & posts already!
  5. Modest Matte – Only one month in & this proves to be a very promising blog.
  6. BeautyDaze  – Another new WordPress blog! Features everything from makeup to clothes, and the website is beautiful.
  7. Lacquer Land  – She has amazing swatches & is super friendly!
  8. Pick Your Polish – Brand new to nail blogging, but already has great stuff going on over at her blog.
  9. RaraReid – She features adorable nail art on her blog!
  10. LDN2NYC – Two lovely ladies, Tanya and Fiona, run this blog. Another beautiful webpage featuring nail polish and more.
  11. Beyond the Polish – This nail blog is very well done, and Maya is so sweet.
  12. Nail Varnish Paradise – Lots of cute nail art! She shows you great products, too.
  13. Lacquer and Lashes – Another nail blog run by two lovely ladies. They’re also so nice!
  14. Polished by Maddie – If you like swatches, Maddie’s blog is for you!  Lots of pretty ones.
  15. Frugal Polish – Just like me, she’s dedicated to nail polish on a budget.
7 Random Facts About Me:
  1. I’m obsessed with the song “Call Me Maybe” and love THIS YouTube clip of the Harvard Baseball Team.
  2. My favorite broadway show is Priscilla Queen of the Desert, which I sat in the front row for after winning the lottery with my friend Lisa.
  3. I purchased one pair of Sperrys as a splurge and now I want them all.
  4. My favorite flavor of ice cream is mint chocolate chip.
  5. I love dogs and cats, but don’t have any.
  6. I was a competitive dancer growing up in tap and jazz, and also took ballet classes.
  7. Minnie Mouse is my favorite Disney character.

Thanks again for the blog award! Stay tuned for more Adventures in Polishland.

Monthly Nail Polish Haul: June Edition

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

I’ve noticed that many other nail bloggers include this type of post at the end of each month, so I decided to do the same. This June has been a very special one for me and Adventures in Polishland. Though the blog began in April, it wasn’t until this month that I really took it to the next level. I got involved with the nail blog community, created a Facebook page, and even made it to 73 followers and over 1200 page views. I am so grateful for all of the wonderful support I’ve received! With that said, I would like to show you the polishes I purchased this month, and the deals I got on all of them. Don’t forget, Adventures in Polishland is dedicated to fabulous and affordable nails!

Left to right, here are all of my June scores!

  • Jordana Glitters in LA City Nights. I purchased this for just one penny on Copious because I had $10 in credit for signing up. You can sign up HERE and read my post about the polish HERE.
  • Fabulous Nails in 104 (white). I purchased this for $2.95 on HauteLook after applying a credit I had earned. You can sign up HERE and read my post about the polish HERE.
  • Julep in Susie (a beautiful mint green) and Niecy (a creamy bright pink). I got both plus pedi creme for just one penny! Julep Maven is a monthly subscription that typically costs $19.99, but you can get your first month for a penny be entering COLOR2012 at checkout. You can always skip a month if you don’t like the selections or don’t have room in your budget. Join Julep Maven HERE. You can read all about my first Maven box HERE.
  • Revlon in Impulsive and Siren. I got these just a few days ago at CVS. Both are originally $5.99 each, but with coupons I only spent $4.98 plus I got $4 in Extra Care Bucks to spend on my next purchase. I haven’t tried out these  polishes yet, but stay tuned for them in coming posts!
  • Sally Hansen HD in Byte and Laser. These were also a CVS purchase, getting both polishes on clearance for a total of $3.47! Read my post about Sally Hansen HD HERE.

In all I purchased eight polishes and paid a grand total of $11.69! How awesome is that?! All I did was use discount websites, special sales, and coupons. That’s what I call fabulous.

What polishes did you purchase this month?!

Today’s Forecast: Cloudy

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Once again I’m sporting a mani that was inspired by Pinterest (see original HERE). The cloud trend seems to be sweeping through the nail blogs lately, and I love it! Because I”m not much of an artist, this technique allows me to have nails that look fancy yet aren’t difficult to accomplish. Just pick three of your favorite colors, make sure you’ve got time for the polish to dry, and be patient! A steady hand is extremely helpful when painting on the clouds. Here are the polishes I used– left to right we have Julep’s Niecy, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear’s Lacey Lilac, and Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear’s Celeb City.

I began with Niecy from Julep. It’s the first time I’ve used this polish and I LOVE it! Applied beautifully with no streaks. It also dries super fast. I accidentally bumped my hand right after I painted the second coat, and it didn’t smudge! That is some super awesome polish. Here’s a quick photo of Niecy on it’s own. Don’t forget, you can by Julep products HERE. 

I began painting the clouds with Lacey Lilac once the pink base had dried, which luckily for me was almost instantaneous! To get the cloud design, paint three strokes of polish on each nail, each one a bit shorter than the previous. You want to aim for rounded edges on each stroke to get the cloud shape, so try to start with a drop of polish, and then drag the excess up. It was definitely hard on my pinky nail (too small!!), and painting my right hand was darn scary. I have to say, I was pretty excited after Lacey Lilac was completed. Pretty good for my first try, no?! 

Lastly, I finished up with one of my all time favorite polishes, Celeb City from Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear. I haven’t used it in a long time, so I made sure to include it in this mani. I also thought it would be a good choice to have a nice, shiny silver along with two creamy colors. I think it goes together very nicely! Plus, after doing round one of the cloud shape with the lilac, I was a pro with Celeb City. My biggest tip for this mani, besides having patience, is to make sure you let each coat dry before moving on. You don’t want the colors to blend together! This is especially important when applying your topcoat. 

I’m really pleased with the finished product! It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely awesome for my first try. Not only is this mani easy enough for those like me who aren’t good at art, but the products I used were all under $3! Talk about being fabulous AND affordable! Oh, and don’t forget about my giveaway! Go HERE to enter to win some free polish.

Love this trend! Have you rocked clouds yet?

50 Blog Followers Giveaway!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Thank you all so much for your support! I started this blog just over two months ago in April, and I am so happy with how far I have come already. I now have over 900 page views and I am up to 57 followers. To thank you I am giving away some awesome products which were donated to the giveaway by LASplash Cosmetics. See how I used their polish and glitter HERE.

As this is my first giveaway, we are starting out small. Over time the giveaways will get bigger! This is only open to those in the United States, as I am still learning about international shipping. Here is what you can win:

LASplash Glitter Top Coat, Blowfish Blue polish, and Mardi Gras nail art glitter.

Please enter by completing these actions. The first two that are bolded are mandatory. In other words, if you don’t do both of them your other entries won’t count. Rafflecopter won’t work on my page, so we’re doing this the old fashioned way.

  • 1 entry for following my blog. WordPress users follow by clicking the “Follow” button at the top of the page, others by entering your email to the right. 
  • 1 entry for “Liking” my Facebook page HERE
  • 1 entry for “Liking” the LASplash Facebook page HERE
  • 1 entry for “Liking” this blog post.
  • 2 entries for Tweeting about the giveaway
  • 2 entries for posting about the giveaway on Facebook.

You must comment on this entry with the actions you completed for your entries to count. Please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions! Giveaway will be open until midnight on July 7th.

Try it on Tuesday: LASplash Polish & Glitter

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

I recently received some products from LASplash to try out and I am very pleased with them! Today I am wearing a beautiful peachy pink color dressed up with nail glitter in One for Fun style. I had never tried this polish before, and saw it on a fellow blogger’s site. I knew I had to have some! Even though it retails for just $3.99 (go HERE to shop!), it looks and applied like a more expensive brand! The polish had a nice texture that was not streaky. It took only 2 coats to look the way I wanted it to. The brush size was also the perfect– not too big or too small. I really enjoyed the color, too. It is called Blowfish Pink and has a slight shimmer to it. I would call it more of a peach than a bright pink, so it’s very pretty.

In addition to the polish, I also got some nail art glitter. It comes in a little pot, and to apply you just dip your finger into it. Make sure your nail polish is wet so the glitter sticks. Carefully press the glitter into the polish a bit and be sure to finish with a generous layer or two of top coat. LASplash even has a special glitter top coat, but you can use any kind that you already have. The glitter I used for this mani is called Spring Fling, and is a beautiful mix of pink, blue, lime green, yellow, and clear confetti. It goes perfectly with Blowfish Pink! My tip for using the glitter is to make sure you have newspaper or wax paper on the table for easier cleanup. I didn’t experience too much runaway glitter, but it’s better to plan for a mess! 

What do you think of my mani?! I love it! LASplash is another brand that lets you have fabulous AND affordable nails! But the most exciting thing is that you can try out LASplash polish and nail glitter, too. Because I have reached 50 blog followers, I am having my first giveaway! Stay tuned for another entry today with the details.

This product was sent to me for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.