Category: Nail Polish Reviews

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri | Halloween 2014 Collection

Happy Thursday! Halloween is right around the corner, and in the next few days I’ll be sharing reviews of some fabulous and affordable polishes for the season. Sally Hansen has some awesome limited edition lines, and I’m going to start out by showing you the four Insta-Dri polishes. These polishes are the perfect base colors for the season. Let me go ahead and share them with you!

Sally Hansen – OMGhost Sally Hansen – OMGhostFirst up is OMGhost, a white creme polish. OMGhost has a watery formula, so I recommend three very thin coats. The final result is gorgeous, and the streaking is minimal. If you don’t yet own a white nail polish, OMGhost is perfect to pick up this time of year. It goes well with glitter on top!

Sally Hansen – Pumpkin Queen Sally Hansen – Pumpkin QueenNext up is Pumpkin Queen, my new favorite orange creme. This polish is perfection! Not only is the formula great, and opaque in two coats, but the result is awesome. Pumpkin Queen truly lives up to its name. I think this is a must buy in the collection!

Sally Hansen – Night Fright Sally Hansen – Night FrightNight Fright is up next, and it is a stunning black creme. Night Fright is nearly opaque in one coat, but I added a second coat to ensure a rich pigmentation. I love how glossy Night Fright is even without top coat. I highly recommend it if you need an affordable black polish for your collection.

Sally Hansen – Scaredy Matte Sally Hansen – Scaredy MatteLast but not least is Scaredy Matte, a matte black polish. Scaredy Matte has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I do wish the matte effect was a bit stronger, as the finish is a bit shinier than I would expect from a matte. Nonetheless, this is a great polish for this time of year, and perfect to match with your leather jackets!

All in all, I think the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri polishes for Halloween 2014 are awesome! These are four core polishes that everyone should own, especially for this time of year. These polishes retail for just $4.99 and are available at your local drugstore or department store. Let me know in the comments which of these you’re going to pick up!

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 MatteVelvet Collection

Happy Sunday! Today I’m bringing you a review of the complete MatteVelvet Collection from Zoya Nail Polish! I absolutely love matte nails, especially in the colder months of the year. This year Zoya re-released the brand’s six, best-selling matte polishes, and I was extremely lucky to receive them for review. I’ve never tried any of Zoya’s matte formulas before, so I couldn’t wait to test these out. Let me go ahead and show you the stunning MatteVelvet line!

Zoya – Loredana Zoya – Loredana First up is Loredana, a gunmetal grey polish with silver shimmer mixed throughout the base. Like all of the polishes in this collection, Loredana is opaque in two coats and has a perfect formula. The shimmer is quite pronounced in this polish, which gives it a cool metallic look. Loredana is great if you don’t want a super dark polish this fall.

Zoya – Savita Zoya – Savita Next up is Savita, my absolute favorite in the collection! Savita is a beautiful deep purple polish with a subtle red and gold shimmer. I am just beyond obsessed with this polish! It looks so classy and divine. I can’t wait to wear Savita a lot in the coming months!

Zoya – Posh Zoya – PoshPosh is up next, and it’s a red polish with red shimmer. Posh is definitely one of my favorite red polishes of all time. The matte finish compliments my fair skin tone really nicely, and the red shimmer gives the shade an added dimension. I can see Posh working for many Halloween looks, as well as Christmas manicures as well!

Zoya – Veruschka Zoya – Veruschka Next is Veruschka, an emerald green matte with green and gold shimmer. I love the rich pigmentation in this polish, and how flawless it looks on my nails. I’m not sure that I would wear Veruschka on a regular basis, but it’s perfect for the holiday season!

Zoya – HarlowZoya – HarlowNext up is Harlow, a polish that’s somewhere between pink and purple, and packed with silver shimmer. The shimmer is really vibrant in Harlow, and I actually wish it was more subdued. Nonetheless, this is a feminine polish that’s wearable in all seasons.

Zoya – Dovima Zoya – DovimaLast but not least is Dovima, a charcoal polish with silver shimmer. Dovima is definitely my second favorite in the MatteVelvet line after Savita. I love the deep shade, and the subtle shimmer. Plus, it is a manicure that can go with any outfit and it looks really cool. I’m wearing it as I type up this blog post!

All in all, I am loving the Zoya MatteVelvet Collection! Matte polishes are some of my favorites to wear, and I love when polish formulas in and of themselves are matte so I don’t need to apply a special top coat. Not only do these polishes dry quickly, but they don’t chip easily. I highly recommend each and every shade in the collection! You can purchase the MatteVelvet polishes directly from Zoya HERE for $9 each. Be sure to let me know which MatteVelvet is your favorite 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. 

Sally Hansen MiracleGel Review | All Chalked Up & Wine Stock

Happy Wednesday! Today I have a review of two of the new, Sally Hansen MiracleGel polishes. I was so excited when I heard about this new range of gel polishes at the drugstore. Not only are there 47 shades available, but they are designed to give 14 days of color in just two easy steps. I couldn’t wait to put these polishes to the test. Let me tell you all about my experience!

Sally Hansen MiracleGel Review | Adventures in PolishlandThe key to the MiracleGel system is the Top Coat that needs to be purchased separately. After applying two coats of the MiracleGel polish, use the Top Coat as you normally would to seal the manicure. The polish contains a patented Tube Technology to help cure your polish without the need of any LED/UV lights.

Sally Hansen – All Chalked Up Sally Hansen – All Chalked UpThe first polish I tested from the line is All Chalked Up, a beautiful lilac creme shade. All Chalked Up has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I am loving this color, and hoped it would last at least a week. Unfortunately, I started getting tip wear after just two days, and substantial chipping on the third day. I was super bummed!

Sally Hansen – Wine Stock Sally Hansen – Wine Stock

Next up is Wine Stream, a burgundy red that is just stunning for fall! Wine Stream has a “crelly” formula (creme and jelly mixture) that was opaque in two coats, but could use a third for an even darker look. I’m wearing two coats in the photos here. I again only got a few days of wear out of this polish before it started chipping, and was so disappointed! I even tried out Wine Stream again with my normal base and top coats, but it didn’t prolong the wear at all.

All in all, I’m quite disappointed that I didn’t have better luck with the new Sally Hansen MiracleGel polishes. If you’ve tested these polishes, please let me know your results in the comments. Maybe the formula just doesn’t work well with my body chemistry for some reason! My recommendation for the line is to snag any shades that you really want, but to leave the Top Coat on the shelf. It didn’t work any better than my normal top coat, so I can’t say it’s worth the money. You can find the MiracleGel line at your local drugstores and department stores. I’m going to continue experimenting with the Top Coat, and will definitely report back if I find something that works!

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

Foil Nail Stickers from Born Pretty Store

Happy Saturday! Today I have a quick review of some nail wraps from Born Pretty Store. I’ve really loved the nail stickers I’ve tried in the past, so when I saw that Born Pretty Store offered a foil set that looked like mirrored nails, I just had to try them! I’ve wanted to achieve mirrored nails for a long time, but oftentimes the polish reviews I read show quite a streaky result. Thus, I thought nail wraps would be the perfect way to get mirrored nails. Let me show you the result!

Foil Nail Wraps from Born Pretty StoreHere is what the set of nail wraps looks like in the packaging. They are designed to wear for 11 days and have a great shine. The set retails for just $4.55 on Born Pretty Store’s website HERE.

Foil Nail Wraps | Adventures in Polishland Foil Nail Wraps | Adventures in PolishlandI applied the foil wraps just as I normally would, by peeling off the sticky backing, smoothing out the wrap on my nail, and filing off the excess. Unfortunately, the result wasn’t what I was hoping to see. My first issue was with the size of the wraps. The smallest size was way too big for my pinky finger! This made the edges look awkward, and it was clear that I had stickers on my nails. I also experienced some issues getting the wraps to lie flat, and some of the edges got crinkly. I almost feel like I’m wearing tin foil on my fingers!

Foil Nail Wraps | Adventures in PolishlandUnfortunately, these foil wraps are a miss for me, but I still love the other nail wraps that I’ve tried from Born Pretty Store. See reviews of those HERE and HERE.

Born Pretty Store | Adventures in PolishlandAll in all, I didn’t get the mirrored manicure that I was hoping for, but I’m still glad I was able to test out the foil wraps and report back to you on my experience! I still hope to try out other nail wraps from Born Pretty Store in the future, since I’ve had good luck on the others I’ve tried. As always, you can shop for nail art supplies at Born Pretty Store and get 10% off with my discount code FZL91. Please let me know in the comments if you’ve achieved a mirrored manicure before, and what product you used to get the look!

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. 

Zoya Ultra PixieDust Collection for Fall 2014

Happy Wednesday! Zoya Nail Polish has done it again, and came out with an incredible trio of textured matte glitter polishes for fall. The Ultra PixieDust line has three red-toned shades perfect for the upcoming fall and winter seasons. You can see full reviews of all the past Zoya PixieDust Collections HERE, but let me go ahead and show you the new goodies!

Zoya – Oswin Zoya – OswinFirst up is Oswin, a true red shade packed with chunky red glitters. Oswin has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. Make sure that you let each coat dry completely with these polishes to get the perfect textured finish. I found that Oswin lightened up a bit when dry, but I like the added dimension between the base and glitters. I don’t like such a bright red with my skin tone, but if you have a darker complexion it would look beautiful!

Zoya – Arianna Zoya – Arianna Next up is Arianna, a deeper red polish with a blue undertone. Arianna is also opaque in two coats, and I found that the finished product matches the bottle’s shade a bit more than Oswin does. If you enjoy wine shades, Arianna is perfect for you. Plus, this polish can work right through the holidays.

Zoya – Noir Zoya – NoirLast but not least is Noir, my favorite of the three! Noir is a stunning purple shade that is opaque in two coats. I found Noir to be the sparkliest of the bunch, as the glitter stood out even when the polish was completely dry. If you have very fair skin like I do, Noir is a great polish for you!

All in all, the Zoya Ultra PixieDust line is a fun bunch of polishes. I can guarantee you have nothing else like these in your collection! Zoya really creates a unique formula with these chunky glitters that dry matte, but each applies so smoothly and easily to the nail. You can purchase the Ultra PixieDusts on Zoya’s website HERE for $10 each. Buy them separately, or as a trio! Make sure to let me know in the comments which is your favorite as well.

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

NYC New York Color Fashion Queen Collection | Crystal Couture Glitter Polishes

Happy Saturday! Earlier this week I shared with you the three In a New York Minute polishes from the new, limited edition Fashion Queen Collection from NYC New York Color (see that post HERE). Today I’m bringing you the six glitter shades called Crystal Couture. These glitters can be worn alone, or layered over another polish for added sparkle and shine. I decided to test them out alone, since I love opaque glitter polishes. Let me show you the sparkly goodness!

NYC New York Color – Fashion Queen NYC New York Color – Fashion QueenFirst up is the collection’s namesake polish Fashion Queen, a gold glitter polish. Fashion Queen has a clear base filled with gold microglitters. It is opaque in two coats and has a great formula. Fashion Queen is perfect as an accent nail this fall, as it will go with so many manicures!

NYC New York Color – Ruby Queen NYC New York Color – Ruby QueenNext up is Ruby Queen, a bright red base packed with red glitters and small pink hexagons. Ruby Queen is opaque in two coats, and has a fabulous formula. This is the perfect polish to transition from fall to winter. I can see it being worn during the holidays for sure!

NYC New York Color – NY Princess NYC New York Color – NY Princess NY Princess is the purple of the collection, and is packed with purple, lilac, and green glitters. NY Princess is also opaque in two coats, and I’d recommend a nice glossy top coat with this one. It reminds me of grape jelly!

NYC New York Color – Blue Majesty NYC New York Color – Blue MajestyNext is Blue Majesty, a blue polish with blue microglitters. I love this polish! It has a great formula and is opaque in two coats, plus it just looks so fancy. I think Blue Majesty would look awesome in a geometric manicure as well.

NYC New York Color – Queen's Jewels NYC New York Color – Queen's JewelsIf you love green, you need Queen’s Jewels! It’s the green version of Blue Majesty but with green and silver glitters. Queen’s Jewels is opaque in two coats, and the formula is perfect. I can definitely see this being worn during the holidays as well!

NYC New York Color – Rule the City NYC New York Color – Rule the CityLast but not least is Rule the City, a charcoal base filled with grey and red glitters. Rule the City is opaque in two coats, I would recommend following up with a glossy top coat. This polish is quite edgy, and would go really well with your leather jacket this fall. It’s definitely a rockstar polish!

All in all, the Crystal Couture polishes from the NYC New York Color Fashion Queen line are amazing glitters! I love that each is opaque in two coats, but can be worn in other ways as well. These polishes retail for the fabulous and affordable price of just $1.99 each. Make sure to check your local drugstore and department store’s limited edition displays! Let me know in the comments which Crystal Couture polish is your favorite!

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

NYC New York Color Limited Edition Fashion Queen Collection | In a New York Minute Polishes

Happy Thursday! This fall the brand NYC New York Color released an amazing, limited edition line called the Fashion Queen Collection to bring runway style to the street. I got the opportunity to review the polishes, and can’t wait to share them with all of you. Today’s post will feature the three In a New York Minute shades that are designed to be quick-dry formulas. Let me show you these fall polishes!

NYC New York Color – Royal Chic NYC New York Color – Royal ChicFirst up is Royal Chic, a deep brown creme shade that reminds me of chocolate! Royal Chic has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I think this is quite a daring polish, but great if you want a deep polish that isn’t as harsh as a black. I also am impressed with the high-gloss finish Royal Chic has even without top coat!

NYC New York Color – Queen of the City NYC New York Color – Queen of the CityNext up is Queen of the City, a stunning burgundy polish with undertones of black. I am obsessed with Queen of the City! Not only is the formula amazing, but there is almost a duochrome effect in this polish. Queen of the City is the perfect polish for fall, and I feel super fabulous when wearing it!

NYC New York – Crown Gold NYC New York – Crown GoldLast but not least is Crown Gold, a yellow gold, metallic polish. Crown Gold also has an amazing formula and is opaque in two coats. This is one of my favorite gold polishes of all time. It looks so rich, and the pigmentation is great!

All in all, I’m really impressed with the three In a New York Minute polishes from the new Fashion Queen Collection. Of course, NYC New York Color is the perfect brand for those of us who are fabulous and affordable, since these polishes retail for just $1.99 each! You can purchase this line at your local drugstore or department store, so be sure to look for the limited edition display. Find a retailer near you by visiting the NYC New York Color website HERE. Stay tuned to see the six glitter polishes in this line – you don’t want to miss it!

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

Jordana Cosmetics Limited Edition Playful Pastels Collection

Happy Saturday! I received a surprise package from Jordana Cosmetics that contained a beautiful nail polish collection. I’ve only used one Jordana polish before, so I was really excited to test out some more. These polishes are extremely fabulous and affordable, and because the Playful Pastels is a limited edition line, I knew I had to share them with you as soon as possible. Let’s get started! Jordana – Baby Blue

Jordana – Baby BlueFirst up is Baby Blue, a polish that stays quite true to its name color wise! Baby Blue has a very sheer formula, and I needed four coats to achieve opacity. It was also very streaky, so this formula was a bit disappointing for me. The finished product is beautiful, though.

IMG_7549 Jordana – Pink Petunia Next up is Pink Petunia, a gorgeous true pink polish. Pink Petunia has a good formula that is opaque in three coats. I’m loving this shade of polish, and think it makes me look a bit tan for some reason. I think it’s due to it being a bit coral!

Jordana – Lively Lilac Jordana – Lively LilacThe next Playful Pastel is Lively Lilac, a nice purple shade. Lively Lilac has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I’m a big fan of lilac shades in the spring, so I’ll be sure to pull this one out again during that time of year. Of course, you can wear pastels all year long if you like!

Jordana – Whimsical White IMG_7567Whimsical White is definitely a must have in this line. It’s the perfect white that is opaque in two coats. I’m super impressed with Whimsical White, since white polishes are difficult to get just right. If you’re looking for an affordable white, go grab this one!

Jordana – Merry Mint Jordana – Merry MintOne of my favorites in this collection is Merry Mint, a pastel green that leans towards seafoam. Merry Mint has an awesome formula that is opaque in two coats. I love the flawless finish with this one! Plus, this color is great for fall.

Jordana – Sunsational Jordana – Sunsational Last but not least is Sunsational, a bright canary yellow polish. Sunsational is an awesome yellow that is opaque in two coats. I was really impressed with the formula, and loved the bright color right away. I don’t wear yellow polishes often, but I’ll remember this next time I want one!

All in all, the Jordana Cosmetics Playful Pastels Collection is a fun line, and a bit unexpected for fall. I definitely recommend this collection, though wish the formula on Baby Blue was better. My favorites are definitely Pink Petunia and Merry Mint. You can purchase the Playful Pastels Collection on Jordana’s website HERE for just $1.99 each! Will you be grabbing any of these limited edition shades? Let me know 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 Ignite Collection for Fall 2014

Happy Thursday! Earlier this week I reviewed the Zoya Entice Collection (full review HERE), which contains six creme polishes for fall. In addition to Entice, Zoya released a collection called Ignite. The Ignite Collection has six liquid metal polishes that are packed with shimmer and sparkle. If you love to rock a bit of glitz on your fingertips, the Ignite Collection is for you! Let me show you the six fiery polishes!

Zoya – Autumn Zoya – AutumnFirst up is Autumn, a copper shade with undertones of orange and gold. Autumn’s formula is great, and is opaque in two coats. I found that all of the Ignite polishes show a beautiful color payoff in one coat, but two coats were needed for opacity. Staying true to its name, I think Autumn is just perfect for this time of year!

Zoya – India Zoya – India Next up is India, a deep red with golden shimmer mixed throughout the base. India also has a great formula, and I found that it’s super pigmented. I think this polish is a great transitional shade from fall to winter as well.

Zoya – Teigan Zoya – TeiganTeigen is a beautiful cranberry shade with a copper shimmer, and is such a feminine polish. It looks flawless in two coats, too. I’d love to see this in a geometric manicure with it’s complimenting shade Veronica. Maybe I’ll do that in the future!

Zoya – Sansa Zoya – SansaSansa is the purple in this collection, and is what Zoya dubs “eggplant” with a gold shimmer. Sansa appears almost black, but the purple shade certainly shines through in the light. I think this polish would look great with one coat layered over a white base!

Zoya – Remy Zoya – RemyNext up is Remy, my favorite in the Ignite Collection! Remy is an indigo polish with gold and copper shimmer, but I love how blue-toned it is! The formula is flawless, and in two coats the finish is just stunning. I’m a bit obsessed with this one!

Zoya – Yuna Zoya – YunaLast but not least is Yuna, a grey polish copper and gold shimmer. Yuna is so sparkly that my camera had trouble focusing on it! Nonetheless, it’s a very rockstar polish, and is perfect to pair with your leather jacket this fall.

All in all, the Zoya Ignite Collection has six sparkly shades for fall! While cremes are much more my style, you can’t go wrong with any of these polishes! I’ll definitely be testing these out as accent nails and in nail art this fall. I can’t wait to put Remy back on very soon, in fact! You can purchase these polishes on the Zoya website HERE for $9 each. Which shades will you be purchasing?! Let me know 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 Entice Collection for Fall 2014

Happy Tuesday! I am super excited to share the first of the Zoya Nail Polish Fall collections with you today! I absolutely love creme nail polishes, and the Entice Collection contains six beautiful fall shades. Whether you prefer neutrals or darks, the Entice Collection has a shade that is perfect for you. Let me show you these stunning polishes!

Zoya – Nyssa Zoya – NyssaFirst up is Nyssa, a brown polish that reminds me of a cappuccino! Nyssa has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. In fact, I’m super impressed with all of the formulas in this collection! Nyssa in particular is perfect for a fall day, and can work great in nail art as well. If you’re not comfortable wearing brown alone, try it in an ombré with purple or red!

Zoya – Claire Zoya – ClaireNext up is Claire, a deep burgundy polish that has brown undertones in it. Claire is quite vampy, but applies easily with it’s awesome formula. It reminds me of the oxblood shade that is always popular in the fall, but even darker. For some reason Claire screams “high fashion” to me!

Zoya – Veronica Zoya – VeronicaVeronica is a lighter burgundy shade that Zoya describes as “red wine.” Veronica’s formula is spot on and opaque in two coats as well. I can definitely see this is an every day shade, and is appropriate for the office. Veronica is great for those of us who don’t rock deep and dark polishes, but still want a burgundy!

Zoya – Margo Zoya – MargoIf you love purple, check out Margo! This is a beautiful plum shade with a wonderful formula. Margo is unlike any other purple polish in my collection. I love the rich pigmentation, and I think it works well for any skin tone!

Zoya – Ryan Zoya – RyanNext up is Ryan, a stunning indigo polish and my favorite in the collection! I reached for Ryan as soon as I opened my box from Zoya. The formula is a dream, and I’m truly obsessed with any deep blue shades. I know Ryan will be on my fingers a lot this season!

Zoya – Genevieve Zoya – GenevieveLast but not least is Genevieve, a titanium grey polish. Genevieve looks like I dipped my nails in liquid metal! There is just the slightest shimmer in this polish that makes the finished look multidimensional. Genevieve is my second favorite in this line, and I put it right back on as soon as I was finished swatching! In fact, I’m wearing it as I type up this blog post!

All in all, I am loving everything about the Zoya Entice Collection! This is definitely one of my favorite nail polish collections of all time! I can see myself wearing each and every shade, and the creme formulas are just perfection. I highly recommend each and every polish! You can purchase the Entice Collection directly from the Zoya website HERE for $9 each. It’s worth the price tag 100%! Let me know in the comments which of the Entice Collection is your personal favorite!

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