Author: Adventures in Polishland

Musical Manicures | The Great Gatsby Inspired Nails

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Today I am back with the forth installment of my series Musical Manicures, where I create a nail polish look inspired by a random Broadway show I’ve seen. I was excited to pick The Great Gatsby out of the jar, as I knew immediately that I would get to incorporate glitter into this week’s look. I saw this show in November 2024, and was lucky enough to see the majority of the Original Broadway Cast, including Jeremy Jordan, Eva Noblezada, and Samantha Pauly. I think this show is perfect if you are looking for a big and dazzling Broadway experience. The costumes are beautiful, there is tap dancing, and you get to see an adaptation of a classic novel. There are some really cool technical elements as well!

This show is very tourist friendly, and I appreciate that they offer a Thursday matinee performance so you can fit even more musicals into your trips to New York City. I purchased my ticket from TKTS, and got a seat in the Left Orchestra for under $100.00. While it was great being up close, beware that the seats in the Broadway Theatre are very cramped. I will say that most of the big and exciting moments I had already seen online, since The Great Gatsby had several viral posts around the time the show opened. Nonetheless, seeing Samantha Pauly perform New Money live was a highlight for me. As such, I drew inspiration from her teal green costume in that song to create my manicure.

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

I decided to go with a skittle manicure this week featuring gold, black, and teal green polishes. I combined seven different nail polishes in this look, so I will list them out for you here and link them when still available for purchase:

  • Zoya Nail Polish Moki, a gold metallic polish
  • Zoya Nail Polish Willa, a black cream polish
  • Zoya Nail Polish Giovanna, an emerald green metallic polish
  • Milani Nail Lacquer Sprinkles, a black and white glitter topper
  • Zoya Nail Polish Vienna, a gold metallic polish with holo glitters
  • Amy’s Nail Boutique Oh Teally?, a teal glitter topper
  • Holo Taco Gold Flake Taco, a gold glitter topper

I began my manicure by alternating amongst Moki, Willa, and Giovanni as a base shade, and then I alternated glitters on top. I completed the look with two layers of Holo Taco Glossy Taco for a high shine finish.

Overall, I am really happy with how my manicure looks. I think it matches the vibe of the Playbill cover, and the color scheme works really well together. It’s funny how just adding a glitter topper to your nails can really elevate your manicure and make it look fancy! Plus, I got to reach for so many polishes in my collection that I haven’t used in a while. Even if you do not have the same shades I do, you can certainly create something similar with your own stash. No nail art expertise is required for this look either! I will definitely enjoy my sparkly nails this week.

Join me on Instagram to see the behind the scenes of this manicure HERE!

Musical Manicures | Hamilton Inspired Nails

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

It’s time for the third installment of Musical Manicures, the series where I create a nail polish look inspired by a Broadway show I’ve seen in the past. This week I was surprised to pick Hamilton out of the jar, as the musical is celebrating its 10-Year Anniversary in just a few days! I saw the show on Broadway in January 2024 for free by using my credit card rewards points. I got a sketchy link in my email to access my ticket and was worried it would be fake, but luckily it was from a group ticket sales platform and I had an amazing seat in the front mezzanine! It was so exciting to be in the room where it happens after so many years.

While I may be late to the party when it comes to Hamilton, I’m so glad I finally saw the show. I was honestly shocked to find tears streaming down my face as the show came to a close. The cast does an amazing job of performing such a difficult show. I still cannot get over how talented they are to rap and sing the score! If you haven’t experienced Hamilton yet, I highly recommend it whether you can see it on Broadway, on tour, or via the proshot on Disney+. I think this show will remain a powerful force on Broadway for years to come!

Some of the products in this post were originally sent for my unbiased review. This post includes affiliate links. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Now it’s time to show you the Hamilton inspired manicure I created. I wanted to match the gold and bronze background of the Playbill cover, so I began with Zoya Nail Polish Moki and Amara, which are metallic nail polishes. The cover goes from light and fades to dark on the bottom, so I created the same affect by using the saran wrap nail art technique to adjust the shade of polish on each nail, as well as give the nails a textured effect. I attempted to recreate the Hamilton star logo on my ring finger, but pivoted after two failed attempts. Instead, I used a black nail polish and a dotting tool to write “10” to celebrate the anniversary, and did dots around the perimeter to mimic the stars on the current Hamilton logo. I unfortunately smudged my top coat right at the end, but I still think the look came together well!

Overall, while I struggled to achieve my desired manicure result this week, I think I was still successful in capturing the essence of the Hamilton Playbill. In fact, I think the metallic polishes are quite a close match in terms of color! How fun to randomly choose this show out of the jar when it has such a big celebration this week, too! You’ll have to let me know in the comments if you are also a Hamilton fan, as I would love to know.

Join me on Instagram to see this week’s corresponding Reel with an inside look of the Playbill HERE.

Holo Taco Missed-Shift Nail Polish Review

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Last fall it was announced that the nail polish brand Holo Taco, created by Cristine of Simply Nailogical, would be offering some of its polishes at Ulta. I was so excited because I shop at Ulta regularly, both in store and online. I immediately placed an order for a Holo Taco polish that had been on my wish list for a while. As expected, I fell in love with it immediately. This post will share my review of Missed-Shift with all of you, and also mention why I will be buying Holo Taco from Ulta whenever I can.

This post includes affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Missed-Shift is a multichrome polish that shifts from green to purple on the nails. It has an excellent formula that is opaque in two coats. You can see some visible brush strokes, but that is common with this type of formula. That being said, I absolutely love this nail polish! Missed-Shift looks so cool on the nails, and I enjoy admiring the color shift based on different angles and lighting. I always appreciate when a nail polish can look very elevated without the need for any special application or removal process.

Another thing I noticed with Missed-Shift is the wear time. The above photo was after a few days of wear, and there was barely any noticable tip wear. I also wanted to share this photo because you can really see the multichrome effect in the lighting. I had a lot of fun with this manicure, and I think I need to reach for this polish again soon.

As you can see, not only am I happy with the performance of Missed-Shift, which can be purchased on Ulta’s website for $16.00, but I am so glad I can shop for select Holo Taco products at Ulta now. Although this polish is $2.00 more when purchased from Ulta, I almost always have a coupon. Additionally, shipping is free with any Ulta order over $35.00, but the free shipping threshold on Holo Taco’s website is $59.00. Finally, I also like that I can earn Ulta rewards points on these purchases, since I don’t shop enough from Holo Taco’s website to earn many rewards points from them. For all these reasons, I plan to buy Holo Taco products from Ulta whenever the item I’m purchasing is available there.

You can see what products are available for sale on Ulta’s website HERE.

Musical Manicures | Hadestown Inspired Nails

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Today I am excited to share another installment in my new Musical Manicures series, which combines my love of both nail polish and musical theatre. If you missed my first post, I wrote down every Broadway musical I’ve seen, put them in a jar, and will pick one out each week to create a manicure inspired by the show. This week I was a bit surprised to pick Hadestown, which is a show I just saw this January. Currently playing at the Walter Kerr Theatre, Hadestown is a retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.

I ended up winning the lottery for this show, which means I only paid $48.50 for my ticket. Unfortunately, my seat was in the back right of the Orchestra, and I was so uncomfortable that I had a difficult time focusing on the performance. I really loved the musicians and the overall message of the show, but I would say this was a three-star experience for me. I would definitely be open to revisiting Hadestown at some point in the future, perhaps on tour in a different venue.

Photo by Matthew Murphy and courtesy of Variety

That being said, the real highlight of the show for me was Allison Russell’s performance as Persephone. Every time she was on stage, my eyes were immediately drawn to her. She was truly glowing on that stage, and she had an amazing energy with both her singing and dancing. I decided to use her beautiful green dress as my inspiration for this week’s manicure.

Some of the products used were originally sent for my unbiased review. Some links are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Persephone’s green dress has a velvety skirt and sleeves, and a lace bodice with rhinestones throughout. I began with a base of Zoya Nail Polish in Link, a neon green polish. To emulate the velvet texture on the dress, I used the Zoya Matte Velvet Top Coat on my pinky, pointer finger, and thumb. Next, I used an old stamping plate from Born Pretty Store that has a floral lace effect on my ring and middle fingers. I used a lighter green nail polish from Zoya called Avani for the lace. Finally, I repurposed some rhinestones I had leftover from a diamond painting project to add some bling. For my “glue” I used the Holo Taco Glossy Taco and placed the rhinestones in while the top coat was still wet. We’ll see how long they last on the nails!

While I still need to practice my nail stamping skills (I definitely smudged the polish on my middle finger!), I am overall very happy with my completed manicure. I think I captured the vibe of Persephone’s green dress, and I created a look that I never would have if not part of this Musical Manicures project. I also listened to the Hadestown Original Broadway Cast Recording while writing this post, which added to the experience for me. If you enjoy Greek mythology and a show that combines a love story with an important societal message, this may be a Broadway musical for you!

Want an inside look into the Hadestown Playbill and a behind-the-scenes peek at how this manicure was created? See this post’s corresponding Instagram Reel HERE.

Musical Manicures | American Idiot Inspired Nails

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Today I am excited to begin a new series that has lived in my brain for a while. It’s called Musical Manicures, and combines my love for nail polish with my love for musical theatre. I wrote down every Broadway musical I’ve ever seen (that’s 45 unique shows!) and put them in a jar. Each round, I will randomly pick a show from the jar and create a nail polish look inspired by the musical. I think this will be a really fun way to look back on shows I’ve seen years ago, all while challenging myself to create manicures using polishes from my stash that I might not grab for on a regular basis. For this first round, I picked American Idiot out of the jar!

Image courtesy of Playbill

American Idiot is a rock opera based on the concept album of the same name by the band Green Day. I saw the show back in April 2011. I remember I wasn’t a huge fan of the show, but was excited to see the band’s frontman Billie Joe Armstrong live, as well as Justin Guarini from American Idol fame. I found my old blog review from 2011, and it’s honestly quite funny. These are my thoughts as a 21-year-old after seeing the show.

Despite my snarky post, I’m so glad I preserved my thoughts on the show! I really miss in-person ticket lotteries, and I can’t believe I got a seat in the orchestra for only $37.00. That being said, I think I agree with my younger self, as I don’t know that I would go see American Idiot again if the show gets a revival. Nonetheless, I’m excited to create a nail polish look based on the red, black, and white cover art of the Playbill.

The products used were originally sent for my unbiased review. Some links are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

I decided to use a red nail polish as the main color, and then do an accent nail of white with black stars. I used Zoya Soko for the red polish, but you can use any true red shade you have. For the accent nail, I began with LVX Fantom, which is a white polish. I let that dry completely, and then used an old Born Pretty Store stamping plate to add the stars with Zoya Willa, a black polish. I don’t think this stamping plate is for sale anymore, but I found one with a similar design on Amazon. I completed the look with Holo Taco Glossy Taco.

I am really happy with how this first round of Musical Manicures came together! I think the nail polish really matches the vibe of the Playbill, and I definitely went outside of my comfort zone with the look. Of course, it was also fun to take a trip down memory lane and revisit a Broadway show I saw over a decade ago now. I hope you also enjoy this series. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Each blog post will be accompanied by an Instagram Reel with an inside look of the Playbill and the manicure process! See this post’s reel HERE.

Zoya Nail Polish Ashby | September Color of the Month

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Fall is my favorite season, so I am ready to wear some autumn inspired manicures as the weather gets cooler. Today I have swatches and a review of the Zoya Nail Polish Color of the Month for September, Ashby. After a few months in a row with cream nail polishes, I’m excited that Zoya released a different formula this time around. Plus, I think Ashby is the perfect shade to not only kick off the fall, but take us right through the entire holiday season!

Zoya Nail Polish Ashby | September Color of the Month

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

Ashby is a burgundy metallic nail polish with gold and bronze shimmer. The formula is excellent, as it applies very evenly without any visible brush strokes. Ashby is opaque in two coats, and I love the beautiful red color. To be honest, I did not really like the polish in the bottle, as the microglitters stuck to the sides of the bottle making it look more brown-toned than it really is. Luckily, Ashby is a truly stunning and dimensional metallic nail polish!

Zoya September Color of the Month

I completed my manicure by adding one coat of the Zoya Naked Manicure Glossy Seal Top Coat. I did want to mention that the swatches here were photographed on my second day of wearing Ashby, and you can see some light tip wear already. As I type this post, I’ve had the polish on for five days, and I have more tip wear and a couple tiny chips. I would recommend wrapping the tip of your nails during application to help increase the wear time.

Overall, I really like Ashby as the Zoya Color of the Month for September. I’m glad Zoya released something a bit different this month in a metallic formula, as I think it’s great when the Color of the Month features something other than a standard cream polish. You can buy Ashby from the Zoya website for $12.00 during the month of September. Use the coupon code ABY to get free shipping on your entire order when you buy Ashby.

Purple Iridescent Nails featuring Zoya Nail Polish Soraya and Holo Taco Freezer Burn

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

I recently discovered that I have a go-to nail polish look, so I’m trying to step outside of my comfort zone and try out some new-to-me combinations. I love using glitter nail polish toppers, but I realized I rarely reach for the shimmery top coats in my collection. I decided to pair Holo Taco Freezer Burn with Soraya from the Zoya Nail Polish Beachy Brights 2 Collection. It turns out these nail polishes go amazingly well together!

Zoya Soraya
Zoya Nail Polish Soraya

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

I began my manicure with Soraya, which is a vibrant fuchsia polish that dries to a matte finish. Soraya has an excellent formula that is opaque in two coats. This is such a beautiful purple shade, and I love how it looks matte. Soraya reminds me Charisma, which is one of my all-time favorite Zoya nail polishes, but leans a bit more pink.

Zoya Soraya and Holo Taco Freezer Burn

I then added one coat of Holo Taco Freezer Burn to my manicure. This is a blue iridescent shimmer polish in a clear base. Not only does Freezer Burn apply evenly and easily, but it is so stunning! I could not believe how well this special effects topper goes with Soraya. It really adds so much dimension and shine. To compete the look, I added one coat of the Zoya Naked Manicure Glossy Seal Top Coat.

Zoya Soraya and Holo Taco Freezer Burn

I absolutely love this combination of Zoya Soraya and Holo Taco Freezer Burn, and I know others do, too because I got multiple compliments on my nails at work. I’m glad I reached into my nail polish collection to switch things up a bit, as special effects top coats can really make a big difference. I am even thinking about buying another topper from Holo Taco soon because I just love how they can transform any manicure. If you are interested in recreating this look, you can buy Soraya for $12.00 on Zoya’s website, and Freezer Burn for $13.00 on Holo Taco’s website.

Zoya Nail Polish Tucker | August Color of the Month

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We are midway through August, which means it is time to share swatches and a review of the Zoya Nail Polish Color of the Month. I am quite enjoying this monthly release from Zoya. It’s fun to wonder what each shade is going to be, and I like getting one new polish each month than an entire collection. This month’s polish is also one of my favorite nail polish colors to wear. I had to put Tucker on my nails the first chance I got!

Zoya Tucker

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

Tucker is described as a bold, vibrant aquatic blue-green polish with a neon cream formula. It has a thicker formula that makes it nearly a one-coat polish, but I applied two coats for opacity and to even out the few patches left behind on the first coat. I finished the look with one coat of the Zoya Naked Manicure Glossy Seal Top Coat, and I love the bright and shiny result!

Zoya Color of the Month August

Tucker is a beautiful polish and is right up my alley. That being said, this is not a unique shade for my nail polish collection. I own a lot of bright blue nail polishes, including Marisol from the Beachy Brights 2 Collection, Mateo from the Dreamin’ Collection, and Ling from the Tickled Collection. These polishes are not exact dupes, and they are different shades of blue, but you probably don’t need to buy Tucker if you own one of these similar options.

All in all, I really like the Zoya Nail Polish Color of the Month for August, Tucker. This fun blue shade has a great formula, and looks stunning on the nails. If you are looking to add a vibrant blue polish to your collection, Tucker is a good option. However, double check your stash to make sure you don’t have a something similar already. You can purchase Tucker from the Zoya website for $12.00. Use the coupon code TUCKER for free shipping and 25% off your order. You will also get a free top coat on orders over $50.00!

My Go-To Manicure Look featuring Zoya Nail Polish Brinkley

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

I apparently have a type when it comes to nail polish. In fact, I almost titled this blog post “I Duped My Own Manicure” because when I was putting together the photos I realized I’ve seen this look on more than one occasion. As I discussed last week, I’m currently trying out the polishes in the Zoya Nail Polish Beachy Brights 2 Collection. This week I grabbed Brinkley and knew I would add a glitter topper to complete the look. Funnily enough, the result has definitely been seen before here on Adventures in Polishland.

Zoya Brinkley
Zoya Nail Polish Brinkley

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

Zoya Brinkley is described as a raspberry magenta cream polish. It is opaque in two coats, and has an excellent formula that applies evenly. Brinkley has a very subtle purple shimmer throughout, which adds dimension to the nails. This polish actually reminds me of a nail polish I owned and loved as a kid. I remember it was scented, and after some Googling I’m pretty sure it was from the brand Lip Smackers!

Zoya Brinkley and Holo Taco Flakie Holo Taco
My Go-To Manicure Look

To complete my manicure, I added one coat of Holo Taco Flakie Holo Taco and two coats of Zoya Naked Manicure Glossy Seal Top Coat. I love how fun, bright, and sparkly my nails look, especially in the sunlight. Sure enough, I’ve created a similar look very recently using Zoya Soraya, and not too long ago I created a similar look using Holo Taco High Tea Hibiscus. Plus, when scrolling through my Instagram, I see multiple posts where I’m wearing a bright pink or magenta base with a glitter topper. I guess I truly have a go-to manicure!

As I type this post, I’m laughing at myself for being a bit predictable and formulaic when it comes to my nails. I do love a wide variety of nail polish shades and formulas, but at the end of the day I often reach for a pink and a sparkly glitter. I’m very happy to be adding Zoya Brinkley to my collection, but I think I need to compare some magenta polishes soon to see if there are any I can declutter. Please be sure to let me know in the comments if you also have a go-to manicure!

Pool Day Manicure featuring Zoya Nail Polish Marisol

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

The summer heat is continuing here in New England, and I’ve been working my way through the Zoya Nail Polish Beachy Brights 2 Collection to keep my manicures vibrant and fun. I posted my thoughts on some of the polishes from this line on Instagram previously, but today I’m excited to share my current manicure inspired by a sunny pool day. I may be staying cool in the air conditioning in reality, but my nails are rocking an iridescent blue look reminiscent of sparkling water.

Zoya Marisol
Zoya Nail Polish Marisol

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

I began my manicure with Marisol, a turquoise blue cream polish that dries to a matte finish. Marisol has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I’ve been really enjoying the Zoya Hyper Bright Neon polishes. The colors are very bold and pigmented, and dry to a very smooth finish. Interestingly enough, Marisol was the June 2023 Color of the Month for Zoya. I wonder if we can expect to see more Color of the Month shades pop up in future collections.

Pool Day Manicure
Zoya Marisol and Holo Taco Aurora Unicorn Skin

To complete the look, I added one coat of Holo Taco Aurora Unicorn Skin. I add this special effects topper to so many manicures because it makes everything look fancy . Here, I think Aurora gives the nails more depth to replicate the crystal clear pool look I’m going for this week. I sealed in the manicure with the Zoya Naked Manicure Glossy Seal Top Coat.

I am really loving my nails this week! The combo works so well together, and I definitely see the summery vibe. Marisol is a stunning blue shade. I need to double check against my current nail polish collection, but I don’t think I own a polish quite like it, especially with the matte finish. If you are looking for a summery and bright blue, I recommend this one since it has such a great formula. You can purchase Marisol on the Zoya website for $12.00.