Adventures in Polishland

Author: Adventures in Polishland

Simple Saturday: Julep Isla

Posted on January 5, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

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.

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!

Chick Nail Polish in Raven’s Egg: An OpenSky Score

Posted on January 2, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I have a gorgeous blue nail polish to show you from the nail polish brand Chick. Typically a bottle of polish from this line costs $8, due to it being vegan friendly and chemical free. I was lucky enough to score a set of four Chick polishes on the website OpenSky for just over $6 when I joined and got a bunch of free credits. I got two sets of polishes from this one purchase alone. First I showed you Hello, I Love You! from ncLA, and now I will show you Raven’s Egg!

Raven’s Egg is a navy blue polish with a shimmery finish. It truly shines in the light and has a duochrome feel to it. At times it looks dark purple, but Raven’s Egg is a true navy. This polish also reminds me of a metallic polish, but with a formula that is easy to apply and opaque in two coats. It did chip off in a couple days, but I did not apply top coat when I wore it. Raven’s Egg is a great blue polish, and is unlike any other polish that I own. I think it would be great as a base for nail art! Plus, I love the cute bottle. The rectangular shape makes it easy to store.

Overall, I love the dark blue of Raven’s Egg from Chick Nail Polish! It was a fabulous price on OpenSky, and I would recommend it if you can find it for a bargain, too. I do think $8 would be too much for this polish. You can join OpenSky HERE and you will receive $10 in credit when you sign up. Unfortunately you must spend $50 to use the credits, but you can still get a great deal. Happy Shopping!

P.S. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite manicure in my New Year’s Eve Manicure Contest on my Facebook page HERE!

Simple Saturday: Essie in Play Date

Posted on December 29, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Today I am starting a new series on my blog called Simple Saturday. Sometimes I have swatches of polish that I used as a base for a glitter manicure, or simply just a polish that can be summed up in a few words. I think these polishes still warrant a blog entry, but it can be just a quick one. Thus, Simple Saturday! Let me show you today’s polish.

Essie Play Date is a beautiful lilac purple nail polish. It has a cream finish that is opaque in two coats. The formula is spot on with this polish — it had a smooth application and dried very quickly. Plus, I just love the color! I am a fan of purples to begin with, but Play Date is stunning. Typically pastel purples are very pale, but this one is rich in color. Play Date is perfect on its own, or can be used as a base for glitter polishes. In fact, I already used it with Cameo Colours Lacquer in Stroke of Midnight! See that post HERE.

Essie nail polishes are what I consider to be midrange in terms of pricing. Sold at around $8 in drugstores and department stores, Essie is worth the splurge on occasion because of its fantastic formula and wide range of colors. New collections come out every few months! I definitely suggest adding Play Date to your stash!

Indie Spotlight: Cameo Colours Lacquer

Posted on December 26, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! I hope those of you who celebrate Christmas had a great holiday yesterday. I am back to blogging now after a short break, and I have three polishes to show you from the indie brand Cameo Colours Lacquer. Two of these polishes are holiday themed, but they are both still available to buy, plus they can be worn any time of year. I love how versatile glitter top coats can be! Let me show you the beautiful polishes from Cameo Colours.

Up first is Stroke of Midnight, which I layered over Essie Play Date, a lilac purple color. Stroke of Midnight is a glitter topcoat in a clear base that is filled with silver bar glitter and circle glitters in pink, purple, and blue. I layered one coat over Play Date to get the look in the photos. Stroke of Midnight has a great formula. The glitters were easy to apply and were perfectly flat upon application. I love the manicure I got when I layered Stroke of Midnight over a purple color. It’s perfect for any time of year!!

Next up is Tangled Lights, which I layered over Julep Isla, a metallic white polish. For this manicure I went with more of a holiday feel. Tangled Lights is another glitter top coat filled with small hexagonal glitters in every color you can think of! The base is also full of holographic shimmer, which really makes the polish shine in the light. I applied two coats of Tangled Lights over Isla to get the look in the photos above. I love this manicure! Tangled Lights can be worn over another color for use throughout the year.

Last but not least is Kings and Queens from the Thirty Seconds to Mars Collection. This is an orange jelly base filled with holographic glitters. There is a holo shimmer throughout, plus small hexagons, and crescent moons! I was quite surprised when Kings and Queens was opaque in just two coats. This polish was a dream to apply, but I did have a hard time getting the moon glitters to come out of the bottle. Make sure to give yours a good shake so they will rise to the top of the polish! Kings and Queens is just gorgeous!

All in all, I really love these polishes from Cameo Colours Lacquer! I was very impressed with the quality of the formula, and I definitely recommend this brand. Make sure you stop by to purchase the holiday polishes before they sell out! You can shop on Etsy HERE. Full size bottles are $8 each. You can also visit the Cameo Colours Facebook page HERE.

The products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

SquareHue: A New Nail Polish Subscription Service!

Posted on December 20, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! Today I have a great post for you about the brand new nail polish subscription service called SquareHue. Similar to Julep, SquareHue offers a monthly box of on-trend nail polishes. Each month, you will get three nail polishes for $21, and a portion of each sale is donated to a charity organization. In addition SquareHue polishes are three free, made in the USA, and not tested on animals. Plus, each bottle is a full size, 0.5oz polish! Let me show you the December box from SquareHue. Make sure to read the entire entry to find out how you can lock in the low monthly price of $14.99 for life!

Here is what the box looked like when I opened it! As you can see, I got a cute welcome note that was signed by all members of the SquareHue team. Plus, each polish was nestled in it’s own little cubby complete with packaging streamers. I am a sucker for great presentation! I also love that the polishes are square shaped. It makes them easy to store, and they look different from the other polishes I own! Each bottle also has a great label on the bottom that says the name of the polish and the month and date it was released.

The first polish in my December box is Sugar Plum, a gorgeous deep purple. Sugar Plum has a blue undertone, and a beautiful shimmer look. It has a great formula, and is opaque in two coats. I really like the brushes in the SquareHue polish, because the stem is short so you have more control when applying the polish, and the bristles are strong. When a polish has a great application, I automatically like it! Sugar Plum is a great purple for the winter, and a surprise color for the holiday season. I can’t wait to wear it again!

Up next is Holly Berry, the perfect Christmas red. Holly Berry is a true red full of red shimmer. This polish has the same great formula and is opaque in two coats. As my followers know, I am not a big fan of red nail polish, but Holly Berry is perfect for the holidays. I can definitely see this color being used for nail art, too. Another great thing about SquareHue polishes, is that they are long-lasting, but super easy to remove. No staining, even with the red color of Holly Berry.

The final polish in my December box is Champagne Toast, a pretty light gold color with a metallic finish. Champagne Toast reminds me of Zoya Ziv but without the burnt orange undertones. If you are looking for a more neutral gold that can be paired with many outfits, this is the polish for you! Champagne Toast was also opaque in two coats, and dried very quickly. This is also the perfect base color for glitter polishes. Maybe you’ll see it in a future post (hint hint!).

Overall, I really love the SquareHue December box! The polishes are amazing quality, and remind me quite a bit of OPI. The monthly price of SquareHue is $21, but until Monday, December 24th you can lock in the price of $14.99 per month when you enter code DECBLOGGER09 at checkout. That’s right — only $5 per polish for life! Just like Julep, you can “pause” your account if you don’t want to purchase the monthly box, or you can cancel at any time. I highly suggest signing up as soon as possible to get the discounted price! You can visit the SquareHue website HERE.

Note: SquareHue is currently sold out of January boxes, so if you order now you will receive your first box in February. They had no idea how popular the program would be! Don’t worry, as long as you sign up by December 24th you will lock in the discounted price.

The products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

Announcing Adventures in Polishland’s New Year’s Eve Manicure Contest!

Posted on December 18, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Just a short post today to direct all of you to visit the new tab at the top of my page regarding the New Year’s Eve Manicure Contest that I’m holding!

All details are posted HERE.

I hope you will consider entering!

Indie Spotlight: I’m Doing My Nails Today in Beach Barbie

Posted on December 17, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Today I have a really fun polish to show you from the new indie brand called I’m Doing My Nails Today, or IDMNT for short. This brand is just getting started, and I’m loving what I’ve tried so far! Let me show you the polish Beach Barbie.

Beach Barbie is an aqua based polish filled with pink glitters. There are fine glitters, small hexagons, and shards. I used two coats in the photos above, and while it is not fully opaque, I love the look! You could add a third coat if you would like it to be opaque. Beach Barbie is definitely a unique polish. IDMNT told me that the blue base is to represent the beach, and the pink glitters to represent Barbie. I think that is a really cute idea! Plus, I am a huge Barbie fan, so this polish was made for me. I’m also surprised at how the blue base has a slight duochrome quality to it, and shifts from green to blue depending on the light. Understated yet fun all in one polish!

You can buy Beach Barbie and other polishes from IDMNT on Etsy HERE. Full size bottles are just $5.99 and minis are $3.99. This is a bargain compared to many indie brands! You can also follow IDMNT on Facebook HERE.

The product in this post was provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

My December Julep Maven Box!

Posted on December 15, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Today I will be posting about my December Julep Maven Box, and the three beautiful nail polishes I received inside. I want to start this post by informing you that Julep will be retiring the offer that has stood for quite some time now that if you sign up for the Maven program you get your first month for one penny. There is no official end date yet, but I highly suggest you join Julep as soon as possible to take advantage of this amazing deal! I will post more information about the Julep program at the end of the post, but if you would like to join for one penny, enter code PENNY2012 at checkout HERE.

This month, I chose the It Girl box from Julep. I got three nail polishes in my December box, and all are glittery and shiny for the holidays! I also got the supplies to make my own nail polish ring, but I just can’t decide which polishes to use on it! I will be sure to post a photo of my finished ring at some point. For right now, I’ll show you the polishes!

First up is Harper, a stunning turquoise glitter polish. I used two coats of Harper to achieve opacity, and I am just in love with the stunning color! Julep describes Harper as “mermaid blue,” and I definitely agree with that description. I felt as if I had mermaid scales on my fingers! Harper has opalescent glitters mixed in, so it really catches the light. I can definitely see myself wearing this polish over and over!

Up next is Ivy, a shiny blue polish. Ivy has a metallic finish, and is sprinkled with micro-glitters. Only two coats are needed for opacity, and Ivy is extremely long-lasting! The color is absolutely stunning, and appears to change shades depending on the lighting. I was very impressed with how gorgeous this polish is. If you are a blue fan, Ivy is a must!

Last but not least is Vivien, a golden glitter polish. I applied one coat of Vivien over Ivy to get the look in the photos. Vivien is full of small, gold hexagonal glitters with fine gold glitter throughout. Julep does call this polish full-coverage, but I think it would take at least four coats to wear this alone. It is very pretty as a glitter top coat, though! I love that I can wear the polishes from my Maven Box together to complete a fun manicure!

All in all, I love the It Girl box that I got in December! Julep is such a great subscription program, and if you love trying on-trend nail colors I highly suggest you join before the penny promo is up. Typically a Julep box costs $19.99 per month, which is already a fantastic deal as each polish retails for $14 each. But, with promo code PENNY2012, your first month is just one penny! I love the Julep program because you can always skip your box if you can’t afford it that month, and you can cancel at any time. Be sure to join HERE and feel free to ask me any questions!

Indie Spotlight: Shimmer Polish Part II

Posted on December 12, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Remember a few months back when I posted THIS entry featuring Shimmer Polish?! Well, today I have part two to share with all of you! Shimmer Polish is an amazing indie brand that has the best glitter polishes I’ve tried yet. Each polish is opaque in 2-3 coats, and can be worn alone or layered over another polish. If you are a glitter girl like me, you should definitely treat yourself to some Shimmer Polish! Let me show you four more of these beauties.

First up is Cindy, a true red polish with a hint of holographic glitters mixed in. I am not a huge fan of red polish, but Cindy is gorgeous! The holo glitters make the manicure really pop and look multidimensional. I also love that Cindy is opaque in two coats, and that the formula isn’t goopy like some glitters. If you love red, Cindy is a must!

Up next is Jenny, a blue-based glitter mixed with purple and gold with extra hints of green and red. I love the color combination! I applied three coats of Jenny in the photos above to achieve opacity. Jenny is definitely a unique polish. I think it would look great layered over another polish, too!

Melissa is the next from Shimmer Polish that I have to show you. This polish is a mix of red and plum purple with hints of gold and teal. Melissa is opaque in two coats and has that same great formula that all of the Shimmers have! The plum purple color makes this polish more understated than the bright red of Cindy, but just as stunning. Plus, the hints of turquoise are a beautiful touch! Melissa is a must for all purple lovers!

The last polish I have to show you today is Gerry, my favorite of the bunch! Gerry is a mix of dark blue and purple with hints of red mixed throughout. I love both purple and blue polishes, so both of them mixed together is a winner in my book! Just two coats are needed to achieve opacity with this polish. Gerry actually reminds me of a higher quality version of L.A. City Nights from Jordana! I would pick Gerry over that polish any day!

All in all, I love these glitters from Shimmer Polish! You can purchase Shimmer on Etsy HERE and visit the Shimmer Facebook page HERE. Stay tuned, because I have even more of these amazing polishes to show you!

Products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

Sally Hansen Diamond Strength in Lilac Chantilly

Posted on December 9, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

If you’ve read my blog for a while you will know that I love Sally Hansen nail polish! Not only is it affordable, but it is typically very good quality. Sally Hansen has many different lines of polish, and today I have one from the Diamond Strength line. This is the first Diamond Strength polish that I’ve tried, and I love it! Let me show you the gorgeous Lilac Chantilly.

Lilac Chantilly is a metallic purple nail polish with hints of silver reflected throughout. I love the unique purple color! I was also impressed with the formula. It was opaque in two coats, but I did add a third to even out the visible brushstrokes. Like many metallic polishes, the strokes are visible, but to me that just adds dimension to the reflective look the polish has. I also love the brush that came with this Sally Hansen polish. It had a very long stem, which tells me that I will able to use the polish right down to the last drop! Overall, I really like Lilac Chantilly! It is advertised as no chip nail polish, and it stays true to that slogan! I can’t wait to try out other Sally Hansen Diamond Strength polishes in the future.

You can find Sally Hansen Diamond Strength at your local drugstores and department stores for around $5 per bottle, and even cheaper at other stores! Sally Hansen often goes on sale and offers coupons in the Sunday newspaper, so be sure to keep an eye out for additional savings. Have you ever tried the Diamond Strength line? What did you think?