Category: Nail Art

Pinspiration | Dry Brush Technique featuring Milani Gold Labels

Happy Tuesday! I was loving the new Milani Gold Label Specialty Nail Lacquers so much that I knew I had to create a nail art look with them. I browsed through my Nail & Beauty Inspiration Board on Pinterest for ideas, and settled on the Dry Brush Technique. I first learned of this nail art method on The Lacquerologist back in December, and Pinned the blog post for later. I love the easy tutorial that Emily created, and knew I’d be trying it out at some point. Let me show you the look I created!

Dry Brush Nail Art Dry Brush Nail ArtTo create this bright and funky manicure, I followed Emily’s tutorial and used polishes from the new Milani Gold Label line. I began with a base color of Popping Pink, and used Vivid Violet, Power Periwinkle, and Sugar High with the dry brush technique. I sealed the look with butter LONDON’s Hardwear Topcoat, and I really love the final result! The look was so easy to create, and the bright colors go so well together. Plus, I couldn’t resist adding in a bit of glitter, too.

Dry Brush Nail ArtAll in all, I’m so glad I tried out the dry brush technique after seeing it on The Lacquerologist! It’s simple, yet looks really cool. The possibilities are endless as well, so I’ll definitely have to try this again in the future! Let me know in the comments if you’ve ever tried this technique, or if there are any nail art designs you would like me to test out on Adventures in Polishland.

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

Earthy Nail Art featuring Born Pretty Store Nail Stones & Zoya Naturel Collection

Happy Wednesday! I’ve got something a bit different on Adventures in Polishland today, and that is a nail art look that I created for the Born Pretty Store Year End Nail Art Contest. Born Pretty sent me the nail art stones so I could review them and put together a look for the contest, and I felt quite inspired. Let me show you the manicure I put together!

Born Pretty Store Nail StonesHere is what the Nail Stones look like – you can see them above on the business card. These stones are made of cabochon, and are a beautiful, marbled tan color. You can get five of these stones on Born Pretty’s website HERE for just $0.99! Since these stones remind me of the earth, so I grabbed the Zoya Naturel Collection to create my nail art look!

Earthy Nail Art Earthy Nail ArtHere is my completed nail art look! I knew I wanted to highlight the nail stones as double accent nails, and then I just went from there. To keep with the rounded visual of the stones, I chose to do a cloud design on the other fingers.

Here is a breakdown of my manicure:

  • Cloud Nails – base of Zoya Taylor, then Zoya Odette and Zoya Rue respectively.
  • Accent Nails – base of Zoya Brigitte, then nail stone in center of nail. Zoya Rue placed around half of the stone, one nail on top, the other on bottom.

Earthy Nail ArtThis manicure was surprisingly simple to create! To apply the nail stones, I simply pressed them into my nail polish when it was still tacky, and then applied top coat. For more information on how to create a cloud manicure, take a look at THIS Pin that I used as a guide. Not only are the nail stones easy to use, but they can be reused as well! Talk about a bargain!

All in all, I am absolutely loving this earthy nail art look! The Zoya Naturel Collection goes perfectly with the nail stones, and I feel like my nails look fancy yet not crazy thanks to the subdued color palette. As always, you can find great nail art supplies on the Born Pretty Store website for amazing prices and free international shipping. For an even better price, use code FZL91 for 10% off. You can also enter the Born Pretty Store End of Year Contest if you’d like – full details HERE. Let me know what you think of my nail art in the comments!

Born Pretty Store | Adventures in Polishland

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

Winter Wonderland Week | Holiday Water Decals from Born Pretty Store

Happy Friday! It’s the last day of Winter Wonderland Week here at Adventures in Polishland. To close things out I have another holiday manicure! This time I’m using water decals from Born Pretty Store. As you know, I am not a nail art expert, so I love using stickers and other accessories for my nails to dress them up a bit. Let me share with you the designs Born Pretty has to offer this holiday season!

IMG_3660Here is the sheet of holiday decals from Born Pretty Store! As you can see, there are four different themes, and many designs to choose from. I personally like this sheet because even though it is called “Christmas Theme,” there are lots of other choices, such as snowmen and gingerbread houses, to ensure this can be used all winter long!

IMG_3665 IMG_3667I decided to make a snowman the center of my manicure! First, I began with Sally Hansen Mint Sorbet as a complimentary base. Once that had dried completely, I began applying the water decals. These decals work just like temporary tattoos. Simply cut out the design of your choice and remove the plastic film covering the design. Then, dip the design into water for 10-20 seconds, and carefully slide the design off the paper and onto your nail. Let the decals dry, and follow up with a top coat to complete the look!

IMG_3670All in all, I love these water decals from Born Pretty Store! They are really simple to apply, and make a great holiday manicure. You can get this sheet of decals for just $1.99 on Born Pretty’s website HERE. As always, use code FZL91 for an additional 10% off! Let me know what you think of my festive phalanges in the comments!

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

 

Winter Wonderland Week | Snow-Capped Nails

Happy Wednesday! Winter Wonderland Week continues today with another holiday manicure. If you’re looking for a festive look that is a bit more abstract, then stay tuned! I created a sparkly look that can be worn all winter long!

IMG_3654 IMG_3656To create a snow-capped manicure, I began with one of my favorite blue polishes, CoverGirl Out of the Blue [see review HERE]. You can use any blue nail polish that you have in your collection, but I think it will look best with one that is bright! Once my base had dried, I took Shimmer Polish in Cassandra, a white and silver glitter polish, and tapped that all over the tops of my nails. No need to be precise here – just a few dabs and your nails will easily look as though you dipped them in snow! To customize your look, use any white or holographic glitter in your stash. The chunkier the better, since it looks like real snow! Seal your manicure with a top coat, and you’re ready for the next flurries!

IMG_3658All in all, I’m loving my snow-capped nails! The look is simple to create, yet looks stunning! Not only is this a wintery manicure, but it works perfectly for Hanukkah as well. Of course, you can customize the manicure using any colors you wish and rock the technique all year long. The possibilities are endless! As always, if you create my snow-capped manicure, feel free to share a photograph on my Facebook page HERE. Winter Wonderland Week continues tomorrow!

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

Winter Wonderland Week | Candy Cane Nails

Happy Sunday! Today is the first day of Winter Wonderland Week here at Adventures in Polishland! I’m excited to be celebrating the holiday season with all of you through nail art, gift guides, and more. I will have a new post every day this week, so be sure to follow my blog for all the details. First up, an easy nail art look! Let me show you my festive fingers!

IMG_3645 IMG_3647To create this candy cane look, I followed the directions set forth in my Scratch Art tutorial HERE. I began with a base of Julep Isla, a metallic white polish. You can use any white nail polish you own, but I liked having a metallic base for a bit more of candy shine! Then, once my base was completely dry, I used a striping tape to create diagonal lines on each nail. For the red stripes, I used Sephora X Pyrotechnic [see that review HERE]. After finishing up with a top coat, I’m good to go!

IMG_3648I’m loving this candy cane manicure! It is very easy to create, but looks amazing when completed! If you’re looking for a festive manicure this season, I highly recommend this one. Plus, you can create the candy cane design on just one or two nails as an accent if you’re in a rush. If you decide to create this look, please share a photo of your nails on my Facebook page HERE! Stay tuned for more holiday posts during Winter Wonderland Week!

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

Fruit Salad Fingers with Fimo Decals from Born Pretty Store

Happy Saturday! Today I have some fun nail art to share with all of you. I’ve never tried any fimo decals before, so I was excited when I got the opportunity to review some from Born Pretty Store. These decals are made from clay, and come pre-sliced and ready to apply. I decided to choose some fruit designs and do something a bit out of the box. Let me show you what the decals look like!

IMG_3614As you can see, this fimo set from Born Pretty comes with 12 different fruit designs. There are apples, lemons, limes, strawberries, and more! Each designs comes with 10 pieces. I decided to create two different nail art looks to test these out, but the possibilities are endless!

IMG_3615 IMG_3623My first manicure is watermelon inspired! I began with Colour Gossip Nails in Just a Tease [see review HERE], and added on Daphine Polish in Watermelon Taffy [see review HERE] on my pinky and pointer fingers. To complete the look, I added on two watermelon decals in a double accent nail design. As you can see, I went with the full watermelon and a watermelon slice. To apply, simply press the decals onto your nail polish before it dries, and finish up with a top coat. I used tweezers to help with the application.

IMG_3626 IMG_3627For my second look, I went with a lemon lime theme! First, I began with Zoya Nail Polish in Piaf, and then added one lemon and one lime decal to each nail. I thought this was really cute, and I love the sparkle of Piaf as the base. I can definitely go for some lemonade right about now!

All in all, these fimo decals from Born Pretty Store are so fun and easy to use! They would be great for a theme party, or even if you are feeling a bit more adventurous one day. This set of 120 decals retails for just $1.79! What a fabulous and affordable deal! You can purchase it at Born Pretty Store HERE, and don’t forget to use code FZL91 for an additional 10% off. Let me know what you think of my fruit salad fingers in the comments!

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

Sephora X Pyrotechnic with Gold Nail Stickers

Happy Thursday! Today I have a quick review of the new Sephora X polish that I got as a Beauty Insider Perk the last time I shopped at Sephora (see that haul HERE). I haven’t tried any of the Sephora X polishes yet, so I was really happy to be able to try out one of them without making an actual purchase. Let me show you the manicure I created with Pyrotechnic!

IMG_3467 IMG_3468Pyrotechnic is a bright red creme polish. It is opaque in two coats, and has an amazing formula! Pyrotechnic dries to a glossy finish, so I didn’t even apply top coat. If you are looking for a true red polish, I highly recommend it. In fact, Sephora even places Pyrotechnic in its New Classics collection since it is such a staple color!

IMG_3477To add a bit of flair to my manicure, I reached for some 3D Gold Stickers from Born Pretty Store. The bright red of Pyrotechnic reminded me of a king, so I had to add a crown and another golden accent. I love the way it turned out! To see a complete review of these stickers, see THIS blog post.

All in all, I’m impressed with Pyrotechnic. It’s a great polish, and I definitely want to try out more from the Sephora X line. You can purchase this polish for $10.50 on Sephora’s website HERE. While it’s a bit out of my normal price range, I may splurge on a few in the future. Let  me know if you’ve tried any Sephora X polishes in the comments!

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

Pinspiration | Scratch Art Nails

Happy Saturday! Today’s post goes back to the roots of Adventures in Polishland. I created this blog after discovering a ton of amazing nail art designs on Pinterest, and wanted to try them out and share the result with all of you. While I’ve mainly rerouted into product reviews, my new goal is to add in more nail art tips and tricks. After all, my adventures would be incomplete without some fun DIY manicures! First up, I’m conquering scratch art nails!

IMG_3446To create a scratch art manicure, inspired by THIS Pin, grab the following materials:

IMG_3205First, use your three colored polishes to paint some abstract designs on your nails. Anything will do, and you don’t have to be perfect. This will be mainly covered up with black nail polish, so don’t worry about clean lines. They most important part is making sure your polish dries thoroughly before continuing.

IMG_3208Once your polish is completely dry, take the striping tape and apply it to your nails in any design you want. I made four stripes on each nail, but you can change it up. After applying the tape, paint over it with your black nail polish and carefully peel off the striping tape while the polish is still wet. Repeat on each nail.

IMG_3210 IMG_3212Here is my completed manicure! I absolutely love the final result! Finish up with a glossy top coat to even out the layers, and you are good to go. Not only is this manicure so easy to create, but it looks really cool. Your friends will be really impressed with your nails! Plus, the look can easily be customized using your personal favorite colors and any designs you choose. The possibilities are endless!

All in all, I hope you liked my scratch art manicure! I plan on creating more Pinspiration posts on Adventures in Polishland. Have a request? Leave it in the comments or email it to me at adventuresinpolishland@gmail.com.

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

Gradient Nails featuring Milani Textured Creams for Fall

Happy Tuesday! I’ve been wanting to post a gradient manicure on Adventures in Polishland since it’s creation, but I’ve never been able to master the technique. When trying out the new Milani Textured Creams collection, I knew I just had to give the gradient another try. Let me show you how it turned out!

IMG_3395 IMG_3399I used both Gracious Green and Lovely Lavender to create this manicure. First, I added added a thin coat of each polish to roughly half of each nail. It doesn’t have to be precise, since the colors will be smudged together anyway. The next step is taking a cosmetic wedge, and placing a bit of each color on it. Then, smudge the sponge carefully over each nail to blur the colors together. And that’s it! For more help, check out THIS tutorial on Pinterest.

IMG_3400I really like the way this gradient turned out! The textured finish is very forgiving, and makes for some easy nail art. I can’t wait to use this technique again, and maybe even use three colors. For a full review of the Milani polishes used in this post, including where to purchase them, see THIS blog post.

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

Halloween Week | Candy Corn Nail Art

Happy Thursday! One of my personal favorite parts of Halloween is the candy, and that includes the classic candy corn. I thought it would be fun to create an easy nail art look to represent the yummy treat. All you need is a white, orange, and yellow polish, matte top coat, and some scotch tape. Let’s get to painting!

IMG_3177The first step is to paint your nails with a white nail polish and let it dry completely. I used LVX Fantom, but any white will do! Then, take some scotch tape and place it on the top section of your nails, as if you were creating a reverse French manicure. Paint over your entire nail with your choice of orange polish, remove the tape, and let dry. Then, repeat the entire process again with the yellow polish by moving the tape two-thirds down your nail. Let your manicure dry completely, and then apply matte top coat!

IMG_3179 IMG_3180Here is my finished candy corn manicure! You can see there are a few smudges because I wasn’t patient and applied my matte top coat before my polish was 100% dry. Even with the mistakes, I’m loving it! Candy corn is never perfect in real life anyway! Plus, I love that the matte top coat gives the nails a waxy look, just like the candy. As for my orange and yellow polishes, I used Priti NYC Fireglow and Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Traffic respectively. The key is to use what you already have in your collection!

Let me know what you think of my candy corn nails in the comments below! Feel free to share your Halloween manicure on my Facebook Page.

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