Category: Nail Polish Reviews

Manicure March | China Glaze in Surreal Appeal

Happy Monday! We are in the home stretch for Manicure March, and today I’m revisiting the brand China Glaze. Earlier this month I tried Creative Fantasy, and found the formula to be quite bad. I wanted to test out another China Glaze in my collection to see how the formula compared. I love the shade of Surreal Appeal, but it’s not worth keeping if it has a bad formula. Let’s take a look at this bright nail polish!

China Glaze in Surreal Appeal China Glaze in Surreal AppealSurreal Appeal is a bright coral nail polish with a creme finish. The formula is good, but it is still a bit thicker and goopier than I would like. That being said, it’s not too challenging to work with, and I get a gorgeous finish in two opaque coats. I absolutely love the shade of Surreal Appeal. I’ve decided that I’m going to keep it in my collection for now, because I know this is a polish I will wear regularly. However, I’m going to see if I own another polish in this same color with a better formula. If I do, I will destash this one.

All in all, I’m glad I found a China Glaze polish in my collection with a beautiful color and decent formula. Surreal Appeal is so bright and fun, and makes me ready for the spring weather. Coral pinks are a go to shade for me in the warmer months for sure. I would love to know in the comments what nail polish colors you reach for once springtime is here. Do you wear polishes seasonally, or just based on your mood? Please share 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 | SinfulColors Professional in V.I.Peach

Happy Sunday! Today’s Manicure March post features a polish from the super fabulous and affordable brand SinfulColors Professional. I was very excited to receive some polishes to review back in the fall. Unfortunately, many of the formulas weren’t great, but I ended up keeping them in my stash anyway. I decided to put V.I.Peach to the test to decide if the pretty color warranted a lackluster formula.

SinfulColors Professional in V.I.Peach SinfulColors Professional in V.I.PeachV.I.Peach is actually a yellow shade with a semi-matte finish. The formula is quite bad, to be honest. It is very watery and messy. Although it dries to a beautiful finish, it’s no fun dealing with V.I.Peach during application. I’m sure I can find another yellow nail polish, either in my collection or at the store, that has a much better formula. Although yellows and other pale shades are often tricky to get just right, I know they are out there!

All in all, I need to learn to destash polishes right away if I’m not loving them. I know some stores, such as Sephora, allow gently used beauty products to be returned to the store. I will have to do more research on return policies to see if any drugstores offer the same thing. That would ensure that I don’t have to worry about not liking a polish after purchasing it! Please let me know in the comments what you do if you get a new polish and then don’t like it. Do you return it to the store? Do you keep it? I’d love to know 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 | Revlon Leather in Rock Chic

Happy Friday! It’s time to review another textured nail polish for Manicure March (I told you I loved these!). I purchased a polish from Revlon’s Leather & Tweed Collection during its release in 2014 for a specific blog post, and became obsessed with the polish at the time. That being said, it’s been quite a while since I wore Rock Chic, and I wanted to see if the formula changed over time. Let me share Rock Chic with all of you two years later!

Revlon Leather in Rock Chic IMG_3380Rock Chic is a royal blue nail polish with a textured creme formula. The formula has definitely decreased in quality from the last time I used it. The texture effect is much weaker than it was in the past. It now has a very slight texture, and it looks bad on the nails because it’s not an obvious leather effect. I’m definitely destashing Rock Chic from my nail polish collection. That’s a real shame, because the blue color is beyond stunning. Thankfully I have cream polishes in the same shade that will serve as a replacement!

All in all, while many of my textured nail polish have withstood the test of time, Rock Chic from Revlon unfortunately did not. I will be wrapping up Manicure March with more information about what I’m doing with all of the nail polishes I’m decluttering, but the ones with very bad formulas will be recycled. Please let me know in the comments if you’ve had to get rid of nail polishes because the formulas went bad. I would 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 Minute Quick Dry in Royal Chic

Happy Thursday! Today I have a review of another fabulous and affordable nail polish from NYC New York Color’s Quick Dry line. If you are on a tight budget, or simply looking to save money on nail polish, I highly recommend trying out NYC New York Color. I’ve had very good luck with the polishes I’ve tried from the In a New York Minute line. Plus, they go on sale very often at the drugstore. Let me show you Royal Chic and let you know if it’s surviving my declutter project!

NYC New York Color In a New York Minute Quick Dry in Royal Chic NYC New York Color In a New York Minute Quick Dry in Royal Chic

Royal Chic is a deep brown creme nail polish. The formula is really good, and the polish is opaque in two coats due to its rich pigmentation. If you are looking for a good brown, I think Royal Chic is a great option. That being said, I don’t like how this polish looks with my skin tone, and I know I won’t be wearing it. I thought about keeping this polish for nail art looks, but I do own brown polishes from Zoya that I will be keeping. I’m saying goodbye to Royal Chic!

All in all, Royal Chic is the perfect example of a great polish formula with a shade I just don’t like on me. I would love to know in the comments what nail polish shades you don’t like with your skin tone. Are there any nail polishes you’ve purchased because they looked great in the bottle, but then not on you? It happens to all of us from time to time! The good thing is there is no guilt when it’s a super affordable polish like NYC New York Color!

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 | JulieG in Sugar Plum Fairy

Happy Wednesday! Today for Manicure March I’m reviewing another textured polish from the brand JulieG. For some reason I never swatched all of the JulieG polishes that I purchased, so I’m finally getting around to that now. As I’ve mentioned throughout Manicure March, I still really like textured nail polishes, but I want to make sure I’m only keeping the ones I love and will wear. Let’s see what Sugar Plum Fairy is like, and whether or not it will remain in my collection!

JulieG in Sugar Plum Fairy JulieG in Sugar Plum FairySugar Plum Fairy is an indigo textured polish with silver shimmer. The formula is excellent! It applies very smoothly and is opaque in two coats. Sugar Plum Fairy dries rather quickly and is quite stunning on the nails. I know I won’t wear such a bold polish very often, but I need to keep this amazing polish in my collection. It is discontinued, so I wouldn’t be able to purchase it again. Plus, it looks really good with my skin tone. I just love it!

All in all, I’m so glad I am finally putting my JulieG polishes to the test. I’m very impressed with the formula, and the shades available are gorgeous, too. I definitely need to try out more polishes from the JulieG line, as it is fabulous and affordable in price. Please let me know in the comments what polishes from JulieG you’ve tried and recommend. I’ll be perusing the line at my local Rite Aid next time I’m there!

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 | A England in Princess Sabra

Happy Tuesday! Today kicks off the fourth week of Manicure March! I have another holographic nail polish to share with you today, this one from the brand A England. I’ve only tried a few A England polishes in my almost four years of blogging, just because they are more expensive than I typically like to spend. I ended up receiving a few for review from the online retailer Beautometry. Let me share one of those, Princess Sabra, with all of you today.

A England in Princess Sabra A England in Princess SabraPrincess Sabra is a bronze holographic polish with green undertones. It has an amazing formula that is opaque in two coats, and is super shiny without a top coat needed. I really love the way Princess Sabra looks on me, but I’m being honest with myself when I say I won’t wear this. I am definitely a fan of creme nail polishes, and it’s rare I wear a shimmer, glitter, or holo. I know Princess Sabra deserves to be with someone who will wear it!

All in all, it can be difficult to declutter your nail polish collection when it contains amazing polishes. However, I am very focused on functionality at this point in my life. Princess Sabra is a great polish with a perfect formula, but in the two years I’ve owned it I’ve only worn it to swatch on the blog. I highly recommend you pick up Princess Sabra if you’re interested in it, but it’s time for me to let it go. Please let me know in the comments what A England polishes you’ve tried, and your thoughts on the brand!

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

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!

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

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

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!

Milani Color Statement Nail Lacquer in Crimson Jewel Milani Color Statement Nail Lacquer in Crimson JewelCrimson 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

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.

Julep in Alfre Julep in AlfreAlfre 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

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.

Julep in Teri Julep in Teri

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!