Category: Nail Polish Reviews

Manicure March | China Glaze in Creative Fantasy

Happy Saturday! Today for Manicure March I’m reviewing a polish from the brand China Glaze. While this brand is very well known in the nail polish world, I rarely use China Glaze polishes. In fact, besides owning the complete Hunger Games collection, I only have a few other polishes from the brand. During my recent nail polish reorganization project, I found the bottle Creative Fantasy. I’m not sure if I’ve ever used it, so I decided to try it out and share my thoughts with all of you!

China Glaze in Creative Fantasy China Glaze in Creative FantasyCreative Fantasy is a purple nail polish with a crelly formula – creme and jelly mixture. The formula is very problematic. It is thin and watery, and very patchy. I’ve applied three coats in the photos here, and you can clearly see how it is patchy and not fully opaque in some areas. I didn’t have to spend any time debating whether or not I’d keep Creative Fantasy in my collection. This one had to go ASAP!

I’m very interested to hear from all of you in regards to China Glaze. The polishes are sold at stores such as Sally Beauty and Ulta, and I consider them a salon brand. However, I haven’t fallen in love with the shades I’ve tried in the past. I know I’m unlikely to purchase a nail polish from a brand if I haven’t had a great experience in the past. Let me know in the comments if you feel the same way!

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 Katie

Happy Friday! Manicure March continues today with a review of one of my many Julep nail polishes. I own dozens of Julep polishes after subscribing to the service so long, and also from purchasing mystery boxes. I absolutely loved Julep when the site first launched. Unfortunately, Julep changed its brush and formula over time, and I don’t think the quality is as great anymore. I’ve decided I’m only going to keep Julep polishes that I absolutely love. Let me show go ahead and show you Katie!

Julep in Katie Julep in KatieKatie is a magenta polish with blue and magenta shimmer. The formula is good, but it does pull. I was really sad when the polish pulled upon application (meaning it bunched up on the nail instead of going on smoothly). The color is absolutely stunning, and I was thinking about keeping it in my stash. However, because the formula isn’t great, I decided to let it go. I’m sure I can find another polish in a similar color that has a better formula. Let’s be real – I probably already own one!

All in all, while I think Katie is a beautiful polish, I’m destashing it due to its wonky formula. Sometimes I do keep nail polish with imperfect formulas if I really love the color, but to be honest I wouldn’t wear Katie often anyway. Please let me know in the comments if you keep polishes purely for the shade, even if the formula isn’t the best. 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 | Milani Nail Lacquer Texture in Lovely Lavender

Happy Thursday! Today I’m reviewing a polish from the limited edition Milani Nail Lacquer Texture collection. While this polish is no longer available, I still wanted to share it with you and have a discussion on nail polish trends. Textured nail polish was all the rage a few years ago. It took off with the OPI Liquid Sand range, and then really picked up with the Zoya PixieDust line. Soon brands all over the price spectrum were getting in on the textured trend. I absolutely loved textured polish, and I still do. However, I haven’t worn it in quite a while. I wanted to test out one of my Milani Texture polishes to see if the formula had changed over time, and if I would still rock a textured nail. Let me share Lovely Lavender with all of you!

Milani Nail Lacquer Texture in Lovely Lavender Milani Nail Lacquer Texture in Lovely LavenderLovely Lavender is a light purple polish with a creme texture formula. What this means is that there is no shimmer in the formula, so it looks like a creme polish, just with a textured finish. Lovely Lavender has an amazing formula. It applies smoothly and is opaque in two coats. I was really happy to discover that this formula has stood the test of time. It is not goopy or thick, and still applies beautifully. The reason I am stressing this is because one of my other Milani Texture polishes did dry out, but that might have been from a bottle that wasn’t fully closed. I’ll be testing some of the others in my collection to see how they are holding up, too.

All in all, I still really love Milani Texture in Lovely Lavender even though it’s not on trend any longer. I hope to wear my textured polishes more often, because I like how they look on me. I would love to hear in the comments if you still wear textured polish, or if you are glad the trend is over. Also let me know which nail polish trend you wish would come back!

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 | Confetti in Purple Pizzazz

Happy Wednesday! Manicure March continues today with a review of one of the oldest polishes in my collection. Confetti is a brand that used to be sold at CVS stores for the fabulous and affordable price of $1.99. I own two polishes from the brand, and I’ve held onto Purple Pizzazz for years now, partly for emotional reasons. This might sound silly, but I have really good memories with this nail polish! I remember lending it to friends, and bringing it with me to New York the first semester I lived in the city. However, I almost never wore it myself. I decided to put it to the test once and for all to see if I actually liked the polish itself.

Confetti in Purple Pizzazz Confetti in Purple Pizzazz Purple Pizzazz is a really unique nail polish. It is a purple-pink metallic polish with a holographic shimmer. The formula is good, but on the sheer side so I applied three coats for opacity. While I was swatching in artificial light, I wasn’t sure if I liked Purple Pizzazz. I decided to add my favorite top coat to really try out this polish. I thought I was going to keep it until I stepped out into natural light to take photographs of my manicure. I truly saw the light – this polish is just not for me! I’m not a metallic fan, for one, and this color just doesn’t go with my skin tone. Purple Pizzazz, it’s time to say goodbye!

I’m so glad I was finally able to part with Confetti in Purple Pizzazz. Sometimes it can be difficult to get rid of things that you have fond memories of, even if that thing is nail polish. At the end of the day, if I’m not going to use a polish, I shouldn’t own it anymore. Please let me know in the comments if you still own any polishes from the Confetti brand, and if you like them!

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 | Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Barracuda

Happy Tuesday! It is the first day of Manicure March, and I couldn’t be more excited. Just in case you missed my announcement in the last installment of Upcoming Adventures, Manicure March is a special feature I’m doing this month where I bring you a nail polish review for each and every day this month! I’m kicking things off with a polish from one of my all-time favorite brands, Sally Hansen. I purchased Barracuda at CVS some time ago after hearing about it on EleventhGorgeous’s YouTube channel. I wore it back in 2013, but honestly don’t know if it’s been on my nails since then. Let’s take a closer look at Barracuda!

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Barracuda Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in BarracudaBarracuda is a pastel blue creme polish, and I think my only polish from the Complete Salon Manicure line. I’m not a huge fan of pastel blues at this point, and I was even more disappointed with the formula! It was very watery and patchy, and I applied three coats before achieving opacity. I think this polish couldn’t stand the test of time, because my earlier review states I had no issues with the formula. Nonetheless, I won’t be keeping this around. If I’m not loving the color or the formula, this polish has got to go!

All in all, I’m quite surprised to find that this more expensive line from Sally Hansen is a bit of a flop for me. I’d love to know if you own polishes from the Complete Salon Manicure line, and how you like the formula. The price tag on this polish reads $8.99, but I know I purchased this on sale and with a coupon. That being said, I think I’ll stick with Sally Hansen’s other nail polish collections for now. Bye bye, Barracuda!

Join in #ManicureMarch by using the hashtag on social media and by tagging me in your photos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter!

Manicure Monday | L’Oreal Paris in Paparazzi Pleaser

Happy Monday! I’ll be honest – my nail polish declutter project took a big break after I went through the first box. I decided to slowly pick it back up again, and tried out one of the polishes I set aside to swatch. I first picked up L’Oreal Paris in Paparazzi Pleaser back in 2014 (see that post HERE), and I’m pretty sure I haven’t worn it since then. Let me share this purple polish with you, and let you know if I plan on keeping it!

L'Oreal Paris – Paparazzi Pleaser L'Oreal Paris – Paparazzi PleaserPaparazzi Pleaser is a deep purple cream nail polish. The formula is good, but a bit on the thin side. I applied three coats to achieve opacity, and I didn’t have any application issues. Paparazzi Pleaser is definitely a beautiful color, but for some reason I’m not thrilled with it. I think the warm, blue-tone isn’t suited for my pale skin. Despite this being a great drugstore polish, I’m moving it into my box of polishes to destash.

All in all, I’m glad I put Paparazzi Pleaser to the test! As always, L’Oreal’s polish is excellent quality. I think it is a great drugstore brand, but this shade of polish isn’t for me. I still recommend it, especially if you have a deeper skin tone. It retails for around $5.00 at your local drugstore or online HERE. Let me know if you’re pleased by Paparazzi Pleaser in the comments!

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

MILD’s Easy Peel Nail Polish from Born Pretty Store

Happy Friday! Today I have another nail polish review for you. Born Pretty Store sent me the MILD’s Easy Peel Nail Polish in a grey shade, and I was excited to test it out. Strippable nail polish has been quite trendy in the past year, and I have to say I like it! Of course, it has to work without damaging my nails. Let’s see if MILD’s Easy Peel Nail Polish makes the cut!

MILD's Easy Peel Nail Polish from Born Pretty Store MILD's Easy Peel Nail Polish from Born Pretty StoreI received a grey shade of this nail polish to review, and the shade number is WB171. I applied this polish without a base coat because I wanted it to peel off properly. The formula is great with this polish! I applied two thin coats and didn’t have any issues whatsoever. I was also excited to discover that this polish does peel off the nails! It comes off easily once you start peeling, and does not damage the nails at all. So awesome!

That being said, I noticed that when I went on Born Pretty Store’s website this polish is marketed as a Color Changing Thermal Polish. I didn’t experience any color-changing at all, but I still really like this polish. Keep that in mind when purchasing!

Born Pretty Store | Coupon CodeAll in all, I had a great experience with the MILD’s Easy Peel Nail Polish even though I didn’t notice any color-changing effect. This is a polish I would wear alone as well as under nail art, and feel comfortable recommending to all of you! MILD’s retails for $8.18 on the Born Pretty Store website HERE, but don’t forget to use code FZL91 to get an extra 10% off any order. Be sure to let me know what you think of this polish in the comments!

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

ATORS Strippable Nail Polish in Shiny Blue from Born Pretty Store

Happy Monday! Today I am excited to bring you a review of a unique polish I received from Born Pretty Store. This polish is from the brand ATORS and is a holographic duochrome polish in the shade Shiny Blue. What really makes this nail polish cool is that it is water based and is designed to strip off the nails without a need for nail polish remover. I put it to the test and am excited to share my thoughts on this product with you!

ATORS Holographic Polish in Shiny Blue ATORS Holographic Polish in Shiny BlueThe ATORS Shiny Blue polish is a blue and purple duochrome with hints of green and a holographic shimmer. The formula is good, but finicky. I recommend applying three very thin coats. I had an issue with thicker coats, where the polish would bunch. The thin coats worked really well for me, though! I also recommend not using a base coat. This is one of the few times I will say that! Because this is a strippable nail polish, it won’t apply properly with a base (believe me – I tried and it was all bumpy!). And yes, it does strip off easily and cleanly! I was really impressed with how the polish stayed on until I started peeling it. My nails weren’t damaged at all.

ATORS Holographic Polish in Shiny BlueATORS Holographic Polish in Shiny BlueI also wanted to give you a look at the polish in direct sunlight. Look how it comes alive! I can’t get over how beautiful this nail polish is. I’m very impressed!

Born Pretty Store | Coupon CodeAll in all, I’m so glad I got the opportunity to test out the ATORS nail polish in Shiny Blue from Born Pretty Store. It is a bit more expensive than other products in the shop at $12.88 per bottle HERE, but don’t forget to use code FZL91 to save 10% off any order! As always, you enjoy free international shipping on Born Pretty Store’s website. I highly recommend picking up this polish!

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

SinfulColors SinfulShine Review | Top Coat & Shining Couture

Happy Friday! Today I have a full review of the SinfulColors SinfulShine Top Coat and one polish from the line, Shining Couture. I received both of these polishes in a PinchMe box, and was excited to test them out together. I’ve tried one other SinfulShine polish before (see that review HERE), but I’ve never tried the top coat. I love the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel line, so I was hoping to love this one as well because it is much more affordable. Let me share my thoughts on this nail polish system with you!

SinfulColors SinfulShine Review | Top Coat & Shining CoutureHere is a quick look at what the SinfulShine bottles look like. They are the same as the regular SinfulColors nail polish, but the bottle caps are a chrome finish. Step 1 is on the left, and is the regular nail polish color called Shining Couture. Step 2, on the right, is the SinfulShine Top Coat. Both bottles had the same directions, which were to add two coats.

SinfulColors SinfulShine – Shining Couture SinfulColors SinfulShine – Shining CoutureShining Couture is a blue nail polish with green, bronze, and gold shimmer. The formula is good, but because it is a jelly formula, it is not opaque with two coats. Nonetheless, I then applied the Top Coat in two layers as well. My first impression of this nail polish was that it had a very strong odor. While I’m no stranger to the nail polish smell, this scent was way over the top. In addition, my manicure took a full hour before it was completely dry. That is much longer than I usually have to wait, so I wasn’t happy about that. The main problem, however, was that the polish began peeling off my nails the day after I applied it. That’s right, my manicure didn’t even last 24 hours!

All in all, I’m very disappointed with the SinfulColors SinfulShine line. I think the problem lies in the Top Coat, because I did try a colored polish in the past and didn’t experience any issues. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this product to you, which is definitely a shame for the affordable price. I still recommend the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat, which is my favorite top coat right now. I wear it over every manicure, and it does an excellent job.

Have you tried the SinfulShine Top Coat? Share your experience in the comments!

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

Zoya Nail Polish Whispers Collection | Transitional 2016

Happy Friday! Today I am super excited to share with you a brand new collection from Zoya Nail Polish. I look forward to Zoya’s new releases, because I know the quality is going to be great and the shades stunning. The newest collection is called the Whispers Collection, and is the transitional line for 2016. That means these polishes are designed to help you transition from winter into spring. Of course, you can wear these nail polishes at any time of year, and with the beautiful picks this year I’m going to be doing just that! Let me show you the gorgeous Zoya Whispers Collection!

Zoya Nail Polish Whispers Collection | Transitional 2016

Zoya – Ireland Zoya – IrelandFirst up is Ireland, a dusty green shade. All of the polishes in the Whispers Collection have a cream formula, which I really love. Ireland is stunning, and is opaque in two coats. I really love green nail polishes, and this one is gorgeous.

Zoya – Lake Zoya – LakeNext up is Lake, a beautiful baby blue polish. Lake has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. While the blue is definitely a paler shade, it is still very pigmented. It reminds me of winter and snow for sure! I also have to mention the high-gloss finish these polishes all have. I’m not wearing a top coat in any of these photos!

Zoya – Misty Zoya – MistyThe next polish is Misty, a taupe nail polish that I would describe as a mushroom shade. Misty also has an excellent formula, and is opaque in two coats. I love neutral polishes in the winter and spring, and I think this is a shade that will look good on everyone no matter the skin tone.

Zoya – Cala Zoya – CalaNext up is Cala, another neutral polish, this time an off-white, cream shade. Cala has a good formula, but it is a bit on the thin side so I applied three thin coats for opacity. Cala is my perfect neutral polish! It goes really well with my complexion, and can be worn for any occasion.

Zoya – April Zoya – AprilMy favorite polish in the collection is April, a pale pink polish. April’s formula is also a bit on the thin side, so I applied three coats for the opaque look I desired. I’ve tried a lot of light pinks in the past, and the reason I love April so much is because it is more of a subdued pink. I would wear this on the daily, especially at an office job!

Zoya – Eastyn Zoya – EastynLast but not least is Eastyn, a purple polish that is in the mauve family. Eastyn has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I’m loving this shade of purple! I think it is so refreshing that the Whispers Collection manages to have pigmented polishes that aren’t bright. It’s on trend, and a current favorite of mine for sure!

All in all, Zoya definitely delivers six awesome polishes in the new Whispers Collection! The shades are all absolutely beautiful, and this is a time where I recommend picking up the entire collection because they are so wearable in daily life. You can purchase the Whispers Collection on the Zoya website HERE. These vegan polishes are $9 each or $54 for the collection. I highly recommend them, and can’t wait to wear them again!

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