Nail Polish Reviews – Page 28 – Adventures in Polishland

Category: Nail Polish Reviews

Zoya PixieDust Summer 2013 Collection

Posted on May 15, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! I am back today with a review of the full PixieDust Collection for this summer. A few months back, Zoya came out with the first PixieDust collection (see that review HERE), but they recently released six new shades that are bright, fun, and perfect for the hot summer sun! I am really enjoying the textured nail polish trend, and these polishes are some of my favorites so far. Let me show you the summer PixieDusts!

First up is Destiny, my favorite from the collection! Destiny is a bright red orange color, and has gold shimmer throughout. It is opaque in two coats and has an amazing formula. Destiny was the first from this collection that I tried, and I didn’t take it off for almost a week! The PixieDust formula is very long lasting, even without the top coat!

Next is Stevie, a gorgeous light purple polish with silver shimmer. Stevie is also opaque in two coats and has the same perfect formula. I think it is really cool how the polish applies like a cream, but dries textured! It makes painting my nails even more fun. I also like that Stevie is brighter than a normal light purple so it doesn’t look pale against my light skin tone. It’s perfect for the transition from spring to summer!

Beatrix is next up, and is a gorgeous light orange polish with gold shimmer. Beatrix is opaque in two coats, and has a flawless application as well. Upon removal I did end up with the gold shimmer all over my hands, but after a few thorough washings it came off. I’m not usually fond of orange nail polish, but Beatrix and Destiny from this collection are just amazing! I am sure to grab these often during the summer.

Next up is Solange, a yellow gold polish. Solange has an amazing one coat formula! It is also the most textured looking of the bunch. Solange isn’t a good match for my light skin, but I think it would look stunning with darker skin tones! While it is not my personal favorite, Solange is definitely a great polish for summer.

Miranda is the next PixieDust, and it is what Zoya calls a rose color. I love that it is a darker pink shade, but the silver sparkle still livens it up. Miranda is opaque in two coats, and has a great formula. I found this polish to not be as textured as the others, but it is still very pretty. Miranda is perfect for a more subdued look if you are looking to try out textured polish, but aren’t sure what to expect.

Last but not least is Liberty, a bright blue polish with silver shimmer. Liberty is just gorgeous, and looks flawless on the nail. It is opaque in two coats and has an amazing formula. I heard rumors that Liberty stains, so I made sure to wear a healthy layer of base coat and to stay away from the cuticle. My techniques worked — I did not have any staining whatsoever! Liberty is definitely a bold polish, but I just love it!

All in all, I am very impressed with the Zoya PixieDust Summer collection! All of the formulas were spot on, and the colors are beautiful. I think this collection is a must have for summer! These polishes look stunning in the sunlight! You can purchase the Zoya PixieDust polishes online HERE for $9 each.

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

My Holy Grail Manicure: Essie Butler Please and Different Dimension Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock

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

Happy Sunday! Today I wanted to share with you one of my favorite manicures of all time. I love it so much I am calling it my Holy Grail Manicure! In other words, this is the best of the best in terms of formula, color, polish names, and so on. Let me get right into the goodness and show you the polish!

First up is the gorgeous Butler Please from the Essie Winter Collection of 2012. Back in March I was in a bit of a “polish funk”. Nothing that I put on my nails was exciting me. Then, I got Butler Please, put it on, and my funk officially ended! Butler Please has a flawless formula that applies like a dream and is opaque in two coats. It is also a bright blue color that is just stunning! I am still blown away by how beautiful this color is. Butler Please has been compared to Nails Inc Baker Street, but this is truly unlike anything I own in my personal collection. This will definitely be my go to blue polish from now on. I can’t wait to use it again!

I was loving Butler Please so much that even when the tips were starting to show wear after several days, I made my manicure last longer by adding an amazing glitter top coat from the indie brand Different Dimension. I am a huge fan of the TV show the Big Bang Theory, and my mom kindly gave me the entire Big Bang collection that Different Dimension makes. I had a good feeling that Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock (RPSLS) would look great over Butler Please, and I think I made a great choice! RPSLS is a glitter top coat with a just a slightly blue tinted base, and filled with fine white glitter and white, light blue, light green, and grey hexagonal glitters. The formula is great, and the glitters apply with ease. I layered just one coat of RPSLS over Buter Please, and the result was just phenomenal! I could not stop staring at my nails when I had this manicure on.

All in all, I hope you enjoy my Holy Grail Manicure as much as I do! I love when nail polishes not only have a beautiful color, but a great formula as well. I also love that RPSLS is part of a collection based off of one of my favorite TV shows! There is just so much to love! Although Butler Please is no longer available in drugstores, you can purchase it on Amazon HERE. Make sure you head on over to the Different Dimension Etsy shop to purchase RPSLS and the other Big Bang Theory polishes HERE.

Let me know what your Holy Grail Manicure is in the comments!

Some of the above links are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

LVX Vegan Nail Lacquer: Spring 2013 Collection

Posted on May 3, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I am very excited to share with you three polishes from a brand that is new to me, LVX. I discovered this brand on Instagram, and was blown away with how stunning the polishes are. LVX is definitely a luxury brand, but their products are vegan, cruelty free, and made in the USA! LVX graciously sent me some polishes from their spring collection so I could review them for all of you. Let me show you these beautiful colors!

I first wanted to show you what the polishes look like in the bottle. The packaging is so nice, and I have to say that this was one of the best nail mails I have ever received! The polishes were wrapped in sleek, black tissue paper and sealed with a silver label. Then, each polish was individually wrapped in bubble wrap, and came in a stunning black and silver box. I knew these LVX polishes would be special right from the get go!

First up is Viridian, an emerald green polish. Viridian is definitely my favorite of the bunch! It has an amazing formula that is opaque in two coats, and the finish is just flawless. I am currently wearing this polish and cannot stop looking at my nails! Viridian is also a beautiful take on Pantone’s Color of the Year! This is the first emerald in my nail polish collection, and I plan on wearing it a lot!

Next up is Citrine, a golden yellow polish. Citrine is definitely on trend for the season, since I keep seeing mustard yellow everywhere I go! I did experience some formula issues, mainly some streaking and unevenness. I applied three coats to achieve opacity, and luckily most of the imperfections were concealed. It is definitely difficult to get a yellow tone with just the perfect formula! Nonetheless, LVX describes Citrine as the perfect transitional color from winter to spring, and I think that is definitely true. I am just loving this unique color, and I think it will work well during the fall, too!

Last but not least is Fantom, a super cool white polish. I have been searching for a white polish with a great formula, and I have finally found it in Fantom! White polishes show each and every imperfection, but with two coats of Fantom I got a nearly flawless finish. I cannot wait to use this for glitter manicures and nail art, and perhaps even on its own! Fantom is definitely my new go-to white!

All in all, I am loving these polishes from the LVX Spring Collection! The colors are so unique, and the white polish is something every polish lover needs to have in her stash. I personally love using a brand that is vegan and cruelty free, even if it means spending a bit more per bottle. LVX nail lacquer is definitely the perfect, guilt free treat for yourself! You can purchase these polishes on their website HERE for $16 each. Make sure to LIKE them on Facebook to hear about new collections.

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

Ipsy v. Birchbox: Nail Polish Edition!

Posted on May 1, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! In the month of April, I received a nail polish in both my Ipsy Glam Bag and my Birchbox, so I thought it would be fun to compare the two and see which one I like best. You can see my full breakdown of April’s Ipsy and Birchbox HERE. It turns out the two polishes I received are actually in the same color family! Let me show you them both.

First up is Sation in Love at First Byte from my Ipsy Glam Bag. Love at First Byte is a sheer peach polish. I am wearing three coats in the photos above, and as you can see it is still not opaque. I typically don’t like sheer polishes that show the nail line, but this one was actually quite nice. It’s the perfect polish for when you want polished nails, but want something understated as well. Love at First Byte also had a great formula. If you like sheer polishes, this one is for you! It retails for around $5, and can be purchased on Amazon HERE.

Next is Peony from Ruby Wing, a peachy pink polish from my April Birchbox. I did have formula issues with Peony. It was quite streaky and patchy, and required three coats. This polish is also supposed to change colors when exposed to sunlight. Unfortunately, I didn’t experience any color change whatsoever when I exposed my nails to the sun. With all of that said, you may think that Peony is a complete dud. However, I’ve been wearing this polish for four days now, and I am really loving the color. I think it looks great with my skin tone, and is perfect for summer. Even though it wasn’t the perfect polish, I still think it was a great addition to my Birchbox. Ruby Wing Color Changing polishes have been spotted at Five Below stores for $3!

All in all, I’m quite happy to have received a nail polish in each of my monthly subscriptions. Neither polish stands out to me as a true winner of this matchup, since I like different qualities of each one. The Sation is a more professional look, while the Ruby Wing is a fun bright color. Let me know in the comments which one you like better!

Ipsy and Birchbox are monthly beauty subscriptions for $10 each. You can join Ipsy HERE and Birchbox HERE.

Some of the above links are affiliate and/or referral links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Keep Calm and Add Glitter!

Posted on April 28, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Sunday! Today I thought I would share with you one of the manicures I wore at the beginning of the spring season. Even though I love trying out new nail polishes all the time, I enjoy it when I have the chance to search through my stash for a favorite polish. For this manicure, I decided upon a pastel mint green, and one of my favorite glitter top coats. Let me show you this fun manicure!

First I began with a base of Keep Calm, Paint On from China Glaze. This is a mint green pastel with green and pink shimmer mixed in, so it has just a touch of sparkle on its own. Keep Calm, Paint On has a good formula that is opaque in two coats. It is a bit on the thick side, so there is a little streaking, but not much. I love this nail polish because of the name, but the color is also stunning. You can also snag this on Amazon for just $2.19 at the moment! There are only seven bottles left in stock, so grab yours HERE!

I completed my manicure by adding two coats of Kite Island from A Rhyming Dictionary Polish to my mint base color. Kite Island is a glitter top coat filled with fine glitters in pink and green, hexagonal glitters in orange, blue, pink, and green, small green squares, and large white squares. I think this glitter is so fun, and it really livens up my nails. The white square glitters are so unexpected, but they are my favorite part of the polish! As with all polishes from A Rhyming Dictionary, Kite Island has an amazing formula, and the glitters apply with ease. You can purchase this on Etsy for $7.50 HERE.

All in all, I hope you liked seeing one of the manicures that I wore for spring! Mint green and glitter are definitely the perfect combination in my book. Plus, I love being able to reach into my nail polish collection for a polish I haven’t worn in a long time. If you liked seeing this manicure, please let me know in the comments!

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

Zoya Stunning Collection for Summer 2013

Posted on April 23, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! Today I have a review of the full Stunning Collection from Zoya that is available for purchase now. I will be quite honest with you up front — I am disappointed with this collection. The polishes look so beautiful in the bottle, but I experienced a great deal of formula issues. After speaking with other bloggers, it seems as if the formula problems are not consistent with everyone. Some people haven’t experienced any issues at all! I’m hoping that I just got a bad batch of the collection. Nonetheless, let me show you the Stunning Collection!

First up is Darcy, a banana yellow polish. Darcy is the worst of the collection formula wise, so I figured I would get it out of the way! While opaque in two coats, I added a third to attempt to even out the streaky and patchy formula. Even the photos show the unevenness of this polish. I am very disappointed with Darcy, and would not recommend it.

Next up is Thandie, a bright, tangerine orange. Thandie’s formula is just okay — opaque in two coats and still a bit streaky and patchy. I do love Thandie’s color, as it is perfect for summer and not an overwhelming orange. If the formula was a bit easier to work with this would be a go to orange for me!

Zoya Micky is the first of two pinks in the Stunning Collection. Micky is a gorgeous bright pink color that is very flattering with my skin tone. It’s formula was sheer, and required three coats to achieve opacity. Otherwise, I think this is a work appropriate polish that would look good on almost anyone!

Zoya Yana is the next pink in the collection, and is more on the darker side than Micky. Yana has a good formula, but it still wasn’t that great formula that Zoya typically has. It is opaque in two coats, and is perfect for every day. The color is really pretty!

Next is Rocky, a sky blue polish and my favorite from the collection! Rocky has a great formula (finally!) that is opaque in two coats. I love how Rocky can look both bright and dusty at the same time. It is definitely more of a subdued blue polish. If you are looking to purchase from the Stunning Collection, Rocky would be my pick!

Last but not least is Josie, a grassy green. Josie has a good formula that is a little streaky. This polish is opaque in two coats, and is just the perfect shade of green. I personally love this color so much that I would put up with the mediocre formula just to wear this one.

All in all, the Stunning Collection from Zoya is a bit of a flop for me. I am very happy with Rocky, and Yana and Josie I could probably make do with. Otherwise, I would never purchase these polishes for myself. As I mentioned from the start, it seems as if these formula issues are not widespread for everyone. Unfortunately, there really is no way to know if you will receive a good batch or not. I usually find that Zoya polishes have fabulous formulas, so I’m not sure what happened with this collection! I hope that this was just a fluke that won’t happen again! The Zoya Stunning Collection can be purchased HERE.

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

What’s Under There? Part One

Posted on April 16, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Sunday! Today’s post will feature the nail polishes that I’ve used for the base color of some of the glitter manicures on my blog. I often review glitters, but I don’t always have the chance to show you the base color underneath and let you know about that polish in depth. I thought I would review some of those polishes for you today and let you know what I had on under those glitters! I hope this will be a recurring series on my blog, so let me know if you like it! Let me show you the polishes I recently wore under some glitters by Shimmer Polish!

First up is Virtual Violet from Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear. Virtual Violet is a metallic light purple nail polish with blue undertones. The formula is sheer, but buildable. I achieved opacity in two coats, but added a third for a stronger duochrome effect between the purple and blue. I absolutely love the look of Virtual Violet! It has an amazing glossy finish with no top coat needed. I love such a bright duochrome polish, since most are darker colors. Virtual Violet can be purchased at your local drugstore for around $3.

Next up is Fashionista Lisa from Wet ‘n Wild Wild Shine. Fashionista Lisa is a fun purple nail polish that leans towards magenta. This polish has a good formula, but is a little patchy. I needed three coats to achieve opacity. Fashionista Lisa has a beautiful satin finish that I love! While this polish retails for just $0.99, it is a part of the limited edition Saved by the Nail collection that came out last fall. You may be able to grab one at your local Ocean State Job Lot store! I heard they were spotted there!

Last but not least is Julep Morgan, a dark purple nail polish with blue shimmer. Morgan is a fabulous polish, and is opaque in two coats. It dries quite quickly, and has that great Julep formula that I have come to expect. I got this in the It Girl intro box back in August, but Morgan is still available on Julep’s website HERE for $14 (or $11.20 for Maven members). While this is definitely a splurge purchase in my book, I think it is a great dark purple and I love the shimmer! If you can, grab this during a sale!

As it turns out, this post of What’s Under There? was actually a purple edition! I didn’t plan that out, but I hope you enjoyed seeing these different purple polishes. Don’t forget, all of these polishes were used in glitter manicures as well! To see how I used them with Shimmer Polish, simply click HERE. Stay tuned for more What’s Under There? posts in the future!

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

Adventures in Polishland Celebrates her 1 Year Blogiversary with Covergirl Outlast Nail Polish!

Posted on April 10, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today is my one year blogiversary! Exactly one year ago today I began this blog and uploaded my first post. I can’t believe how far I have come, and I am always so thankful for your support. I thought today would be the perfect opportunity to share with you some of my new favorite nail polishes. The Covergirl Outlast Stay Brilliant line has been catching my eye at drugstores lately, and I knew I had to try a few. I purchased two for myself, and then won two in a giveaway! I can’t wait to show you these fabulous and affordable polishes!

Here is a quick photo of the four polishes I’m reviewing today! I love the square bottles, as they are eye-catching and great for storage. As you can see, I have four shades that are perfect for spring and summer, but Covergirl also offers dark colors, shimmers, and some glitters as well! There is so much to choose from!

First up is Coral Silk, a bright peach creme. Coral Silk is the one disappointment I’ve had with these Covergirl nail polishes so far. The formula was a thick, streaky mess. Although it was opaque in two coats, I wanted to add a third to even everything out. I also found that this formula was very tacky, and would probably take a very long time to dry. It’s hard to tell in the photos above how messy it was! Alas, Coral Silk was no fun to deal with despite the pretty color.

Up next is Out of the Blue, a stunning bright blue polish! This polish has an absolutely perfect formula and application and is opaque in just one coat! I love any one coat polishes, but Out of the Blue is so beautiful! It is just a great shade for spring and summer, and makes me happy when I wear it. The shade is also exactly the same on the nail as it is in the bottle. I highly recommend Out of the Blue!

Mint Mojito is the next Covergirl nail polish I have to show you. This is a dusty mint green creme polish. The formula is a little streaky, but otherwise a good consistency. Mint Mojito is opaque in two coats, and dries very quickly! I love the color of this polish! It is right on trend for spring, and would look good on almost any skin tone. This is the first of the two polishes I won in the giveaway, and I am so happy to have it!

Last but not least is Tickled Pink, the perfect bright pink nail polish! This has an amazing formula that is opaque in two coats. It also dries very quickly! Tickled Pink is a color that I think can be worn all year long and always look fabulous. As a pink aficionado, I am in love with this polish!

All in all, I am quite impressed with the quality of the Covergirl Outlast Stay Brilliant nail polishes. While Coral Silk was a dud for me, the other three had great formulas and beautiful colors. The best part is they retail for just $5.99 at drugstores, but are often on sale! Plus, you can use the Covergirl coupons that come in the Sunday paper for an even better discount. I find these are so fabulous and affordable that I went back to the store and purchased another for myself. Keep an eye out for that in a future post, and thank you again for joining me on my Adventures in Polishland!

Dare to Compare Week! Day Five — Red Orange

Posted on April 6, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Today I have the final installment in Dare to Compare Week here at Adventures in Polishland. I have saved the best for last! If you are looking for a dupe, you have come to the right place, especially if you love red orange polishes! Let me show you the polishes up for comparison today.

From left to right, the polishes are Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics in Grandma, Milani High Speed in Flaming Race, and Sinful Colors in Timbleberry. As soon as I lined these polishes up next to each other I was very excited. They already look like the same shade! Let me show you these polishes on the nail, first alone and then side by side.

Polish Name: Sinful Colors in Timbleberry

Price: $1.99 at drugstores

Coats Needed for Opacity: 2

Formula: Amazing formula and perfect application!

Color Description: Bright red orange creme.

Bonus: This is the perfect nail polish for summer!

Polish Name: Milani High Speed in Flaming Race

Price: $4.99 [Buy HERE]

Coats Needed for Opacity: 1

Formula: Great, one coat formula!

Color description: Bright red orange creme.

Bonus: Lives up to its fast dry, one coat name!

Polish Name: Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics in Grandma

Price: $10 at Sephora or $8 on Amazon [Buy HERE]

Coats Needed for Opacity: 1

Formula: Great, high gloss formula!

Color Description: Bright red orange creme.

Bonus: This is a 100% vegan and cruelty free brand!

Here we have each polish side by side. From left to right is the Sinful Colors, the Milani, and the Obsessive Compulsive. I cannot tell the difference between these three at all! Can you?! I honestly think this looks like the same polish. I think this is officially a dupe alert! I think the obvious choice is the $1.99 Sinful Colors nail polish, but if you prefer a one coat formula then the Milani may be for you. Of course, if you are a vegan then you will be purchasing the Obsessive Compulsive. The choice really is yours!

This concludes Dare to Compare Week! Have no fear, I will still do comparison posts when I find polishes that appear similar in the bottle. I hope you have enjoyed these posts as much as I have!

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

Dare to Compare Week! Day Four — Multi-Colored Glitter

Posted on April 4, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! It is Day Four of Dare to Compare Week, and today’s post deals with glitter, something any nail polish aficionado loves! While indie brands do glitter top coats best, many boutique and drugstore brands are now creating some glitters that are just as eye-catching. Since my favorite muli-colored glitter from the indie AbsolutLacquer is now discontinued, I wanted to see how some available polishes compared. Let me show you what I discovered!

From left to right, the polishes are AbsolutLacquer in Maybe I’m Crazy, Lex Cosmetics in Arcoiris, and Milani Jewel FX in Gems. They do look a bit different in the bottle, but let’s see what they look like on the nail. I applied one coat of each polish over white in all the photos you are about to see.

Polish Name: Milani Jewel FX in Gems

Price: $4.99 [Buy HERE]

Formula: Surprisingly great!

Color Description: Multi-colored glitter with small and medium hexagons.

Bonus: So fun, and can be purchased at the drugstore!

Polish Name: Lex Cosmetics in Arcoiris

Price: $10 [Buy HERE]

Formula: Great formula! Some reflective curling, but lays perfectly flat on the nail.

Color Description: Multi-colored glitter with small, medium, and large hexagons.

Bonus: The formula does separate in the bottle, but with a few shakes it is good to go!

Polish Name: AbsolutLacquer in Maybe I’m Crazy

Price: Discontinued! This polish is no longer created or sold.

Formula: This bottle needs a good shake to ensure the glitters are mixed and ready for application!

Color Description: Multi-colored glitters in all shapes and sizes!

Bonus: This was my very first indie polish!

Here we have each polish shown side by side. From left to ride is the Milani, the Lex, and the AbsolutLacquer. While my personal favorite of the bunch is Maybe I’m Crazy from AbsolutLacquer, I would definitely find one of the other two to be an acceptable substitute. Both have an excellent formula! I would choose Milani Gems due to its $4.99 price tag over the Lex, but if you are a sucker for the large hexagonal glitter that would be your new go to. This comparison gives me hope that I will be able have a back-up for my Maybe I’m Crazy once my bottle is empty!

What do you do when a favorite polish is discontinued?! What is your favorite glitter top coat?!

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