Nail Polish Reviews – Page 30 – Adventures in Polishland

Category: Nail Polish Reviews

Milani Limited Edition Nail Collection: Textured Creams Specialty Nail Lacquer

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

Today I am extremely excited to share with you the full Textured Creams collection from Milani Cosmetics! This collection is Limited Edition, and features six gorgeous shades of textured nail polish. I was unsure of how I would like this collection when I saw the press release, but I was amazed with the quality and formula of the polishes when I gave them a try. Let me show you these fabulous and affordable nail polishes!

First up is Tainted in Red, a bright red orange polish. All of the Milani Textures apply like a regular cream finish, but then dry to this textured look. This makes the formula amazing! The application is just perfect with two coats. I am loving Tainted in Red. It looked great with my skin tone and is an edgy take on a classic red polish. I think pairing this with a black outfit would be perfect for a night out!

Next is Spoiled in Fuchsia, a beautiful pink polish that is a mix between a fuchsia and magenta color. As with all of these polishes, I applied two coats of Spoiled in Fuchsia. Make sure you let each coat dry before applying a second layer. You will be able to see the polish drying as the textured look appears! Spoiled in Fuchsia is a gorgeous polish for spring. It’s not too bright, and is great for an every day look!

Aqua Splash is the next polish in the Milani Texture collection. It is a gorgeous aqua color that leans toward seafoam green. The brush with this polish was a little wonky, but it thankfully didn’t affect application at all. Aqua Splash is such a beautiful color. It’s perfect for the transition from spring to summer! I’ve been loving greens lately, and this is another one that I find stunning.

Next up is Yellow Mark, a banana yellow polish! This has the same flawless formula as the other polishes in this collection. Yellow Mark is my least favorite polish from the bunch simply because the color is not for me. If you love yellows, this is the polish for you! It’s perfect for a warm, sunny day!

Purple Streak is a dark and true purple polish. This is the only polish in the collection that applied streaky with the first coat. Luckily it evened right up with the second! I love this color polish! It’s not too bright or dark, and it’s great for all seasons. I think dark purple is a great alternative to the classic red nail, and Purple Streak is even edgier!

Last but not least is Shady Gray, what I like to call a graphite color! Shady Gray is a great neutral polish with a smoky look. I love that this is not black, but still a darker shade. That makes it less harsh and dramatic, but it still goes with every outfit. Shady Gray is perfect for the end of the winter season!

All in all, I am super impressed with the Textured Creams Collection from Milani! I was just blown away with the amazing formula, and how great they looked on the nail. I highly recommend this collection! Be sure to stop by your local Walgreens, Fred Meyer, HEB, or Meijer to purchase this collection. You can also buy it online at Milani’s website HERE. Each polish is just $4.99! What an affordable way to stay on trend this season!

Let me know what you think of this collection and textured nail polishes! Plus, stay tuned to see how I used these nail polishes to create some simply nail art looks!

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

Be Ready in a Flash with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri!

Posted on February 24, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Sunday! Today I have a review of four polishes from the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri line. Before I started blogging, I had a couple of these polishes and they just weren’t for me. They were gunky, and seemed to dry up in the bottle. In recent months I’ve been getting a lot of suggestions from followers about the Insta-Dri polishes. I even heard that Sally Hansen changed the formula to battle the issues I was having. When I got the opportunity to review some Sally Hansen products, I knew I had to give the Insta-Dri line a second chance. I’m very glad I did! Let me show you these beautiful polishes!

First up is Pronto Purple, a gorgeous dark purple nail polish with magenta shimmer. Pronto Purple is opaque in two coats and has a great formula! These Insta-Dri polishes come with a very wide brush. At first it was hard to get used to, but now I love it! It helps to distribute polish quickly and easily. I actually owned Pronto Purple before I started blogging! I was happy to find out how much I love it! Not only did the polish dry quickly, but it has a flawless finish. I’m very glad I own Pronto Purple again!

Next up is Blue-Away, a stunning Tiffany blue creme. Blue-Away is also opaque in two coats, and while the formula is a bit streaky, it evens out well and dries perfectly. One tip to applying this Insta-Dri polish is to let it dry in between coats. Just wait an extra minute or two, and the polish will glide on much easier. I absolutely love Blue-Away, especially for spring. It’s so feminine and chic!

Night Flight is the next Insta-Dri polish I have to show you. It is the perfect navy nail polish, and appears black in some light. Opaque in two coats, Night Flight’s formula was a bit on the watery side. Luckily application was still smooth, and I didn’t have any problems when I applied thin coats. The first coat of Night Flight was very sheer, and that leads me to believe it would be great for a jelly sandwich manicure! I was happy that the polish was buildable, and that it really did dry instantly!

Last but not least is Peachy Breeze, an amazing bright peach polish! Peachy Breeze is my new favorite nail polish. It is opaque in two coats, has the perfect formula, and is just a stunning color! It is perfect for spring and summer, and definitely lives up to its name. I am just in awe of this polish. I feel like my nails even look photoshopped in the pictures (which, of course, they’re not)! I have a feeling this is my new go-to polish. It definitely has a “wow” factor!

Overall, I am so happy I had the chance to try out the Insta-Dri line from Sally Hansen a second time. I am very impressed with these polishes. They are perfect for nail art, too! In fact, make sure you take a look at my Valentine’s Day Skittle Manicure to see Fuchsia Flare in action! Sally Hansen Insta-Dri polishes can be purchased at your local drugstore or department store for around $4. Not only are they fabulous, but they are affordable, too! If you’re a girl who is always on the go, I recommend you have a few Insta-Dri polishes in your collection.

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

Simple Saturday: L’Oreal in Sweet Nothings

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

Happy Saturday! Today I have a quick post reviewing the polish Sweet Nothings from the L’Oreal Colour Riche nail polish line. I used it as the base for a glitter manicure that will be featured on Adventures in Polishland very soon! Let me show you this L’Oreal.

Sweet Nothings is just what the name describes! This is a very pale pink polish with an extremely sheer formula. I applied three coats and the polish still did not reach opacity. The formula was good — not watery, but it was streaky. Sweet Nothings is a gorgeous neutral and is perfect for professional occasions. It is also great for layering when you don’t want a bright white polish as your base color. It makes me laugh to think that this polish really is Sweet Nothings!

L’Oreal polishes are sold in drugstores for around $6 per bottle. Keep an eye out for coupons in the local paper, and for weekly sales. I love L’Oreal polish and can’t wait to use the others that I have. See my post on Greycian Goddess HERE, and stay tuned to see how Sweet Nothings became a glitter manicure!

Your Guide to Buying and Swapping Nail Polish Online

Posted on February 10, 2013November 30, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

The internet is an amazing platform that provides us nail polish addicts with great ways to acquire nail polish from all over the world. With so many indie brands and Facebook swap groups to choose from, it can sometimes be confusing, and at times quite scary, to purchase nail polish online. After a recent, negative experience I had with an indie brand, I was reminded of the precautions we must take to protect ourselves and our purchases. I have put together this guide to help those in the nail polish community stay safe when buying and swapping.

Do your research! You’ve finally found that perfect polish you were looking for, but before you hit the “checkout” button, head on over to Google. Type in the indie shop you are hoping to purchase from and see what pops up. This simple step can provide you with lots of helpful information regarding a seller’s reputation that you can easily miss without doing your research. An indie’s name can bring up feedback, blog posts, online forums, and other useful tools to shed light on the product you wish to buy. Along the way you could find out that the quality of an indie polish is not what you want it to be, or that the seller simply does not ship items. If I did my research I would have found a Facebook post letting me know the seller I had trouble with is known for not shipping packages!
Pay with PayPal! Always ensure that you are protecting your money by using PayPal when shopping. Almost all indie brands sell on websites like Etsy and BigCartel that use PayPal, but if you are buying from a seller on Facebook or through a blog sale that may not be the case. Always request a PayPal invoice. An invoice will outline your purchase as an itemized list, and it is the only way you can file a claim for goods you never receive. If a seller refuses to create an invoice for you, that is a red flag that she is not reputable.
Get Delivery Confirmation! Almost all sellers provide delivery confirmation, otherwise known as a tracking number, with every purchase. If you are swapping, however, it is imperative that you and your swap partner use delivery confirmation. This is your “insurance” that your package has been mailed. Make sure your swap parter sends you the tracking number as soon as your polish has been mailed.
Keep your personal information private! This may go without saying, but do not give out your home address or other personal information if you do not trust the person from whom you are buying or swapping. If possible, get a PO Box to use when you are shopping online. You can also give out your work address if it is permitted by your employer. Otherwise, only give out your home address if you have done your research and trust the seller.
Be active in the community! If you plan on doing a lot of nail polish shopping online, join some Facebook groups dedicated to nail polish chat. By actively engaging with other nail polish aficionados you will soon learn which indie brands are great, and which to avoid. You will also learn who trusted swappers are. ~~If you would like to know of some Facebook groups I recommend, please email me at adventuresinpolishland@gmail.com.~~ I am not actively participating in any Facebook groups for buying/swapping nail polish that I recommend as of 9.9.15.
If swapping, invoice each other! This is a tip that I recently learned. If you are doing a swap, you and your partner should invoice each other on PayPal for the same amount of money. For example, if you are swapping a $5 nail polish, invoice each other for $8 to cover shipping. That way if one person does not follow through with the swap, you can file a claim on PayPal.

“I never received my polish! What do I do?”

If you followed the steps above and you find yourself without your purchase, you can still rectify the situation!

Contact the seller! If a few weeks go by and you never receive your polish, the first thing to do is to get in contact with the seller. Most sellers have an email address, but others can be contacted directly through Etsy or social media. Every once in a while, a seller can simply overlook an order, or something may come up in her life that causes a shipping delay. Whatever the reason, politely ask the seller why your order is taking so long. Usually this step will clear up any issues.
File a PayPal Dispute! If the seller does not respond to your message in a timely manner, file a dispute with PayPal in the Resolution Center. Doing so will alert PayPal that you never received your purchase, and will also contact the seller an additional time. If a seller does not respond to your dispute, your money will be refunded. If she does respond, your purchase will either be fulfilled, or the seller may choose to refund your money. If you properly used PayPal to purchase your item, you will always be protected!
Contact the admin of the Facebook group! Many sales and swaps occur in Facebook groups. If you try to contact the seller or swapper to no avail, message the admin of the Facebook group. She will be able to help you resolve the problem, and will warn others from dealing with that person in the future.

I hope you have found this guide to buying and swapping nail polish online helpful! I love indie nail polishes and will continue to buy them, but I will be doing my research from now on. Out of all the brands I have dealt with thus far, I have only had issues with one. Keep an eye out for the bad eggs and you will be good to go! If you have any questions, or would like to add a tip to this list, please email me at adventuresinpolishland@gmail.com.

Stay Safe & Happy Polishing!

Favorite Friday: LASplash in Blowfish Pink

Posted on February 8, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! I hope those of you affected by Nemo are staying safe! Today I have a quick post reviewing one of my favorite polishes that I got when I first started blogging. I was thrilled to be able to use it again as the base for one of my I Love Nail Polish manicures, and now I’ll show it to you on its own. I hope you love it as much as I do!

LASplash in Blowfish Pink is a gorgeous peachy pink with a gold shimmer throughout. It is opaque in just two coats, and has a great formula. The formula is a bit on the thick side, but it still applies evenly and cleanly. The brush did look more fanned out than I remember, but it didn’t affect application. I absolutely love Blowfish Pink! The color is stunning, and I love the gold shimmer. LASplash nail polish is also really affordable! It’s just $3.99 online HERE. I am so happy I was able to use it again! I hope to use Blowfish Pink many more times in the future!

The product in this post was sent for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own. Please see my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Zoya Lovely Collection for Spring 2013

Posted on February 2, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! It’s Groundhog Day, and Punxsutawney Phil is predicting an early Spring! That means it is time to break out the Spring nail polishes! Today I have the Zoya Lovely Collection to show you. It’s a a fabulous collection with three shimmer polishes and three creme polishes. Let me show you everything that is Lovely!

Up first are the shimmer polishes! GeiGei is a bubblegum pink with a shimmery finish. It is opaque in two coats and has an amazing formula. I had no problems whatsoever with the application. GeiGei has a very smooth finish that sparkles in the sunlight. I love this play on a pastel pink! GeiGei also has a frosted look, so it’s perfect for the transition from winter to spring.

Zoya Julie is the next shimmer in the Lovely Collection. Julie is a lilac purple with pink and silver shimmer mixed in. It is opaque in just two coats. The formula was a bit on the thin side, but it wasn’t runny so it didn’t cause me any problems. Julie is a very light shade that is classy and feminine. It is a bit too light for my personal taste, but it is a beautiful purple.

The last of the shimmers is Piaf, a light yellow with green and gold undertones. Piaf’s formula was a bit thin and sheer. I needed three coats for opacity, as two coats seemed a bit patchy. I didn’t think I would like Piaf, but it is a very unique polish! It is not the best shade for my fair skin, but the shimmer in the yellow is beautiful. Piaf is a great alternative to a neutral shade.

Zoya Jacqueline is the first of the creme polishes. Jacqueline is a light beige color. It is very streaky with the first coat, but evens out and is opaque in two. I wanted to love this polish because it looks so pretty in the bottle. For some reason it just looks odd on my nails. I think it would be great for layering, but I’m not sure I would wear Jacqueline on its own. Again, it may be the wrong shade for my skin tone. My favorite thing about Jacqueline is that it dries instantly! I was very impressed with that.

Neely is a mint green creme, and my absolute favorite from the Lovely Collection! Neely has a great formula and is opaque in two coats. Mint green is my favorite polish color, and I plan on wearing this one as often as possible! Neely is classy and trendy. An all around perfect nail polish! Have I mentioned that Neely is awesome?!

Last but not least is Blu, a gorgeous light blue creme. Blu has an amazing formula — I had no application issues whatsoever. It is also opaque in two coats. I love that this polish has just a “dash” of blue pigmentation. It is almost off-white, with just the perfect shade of blue. I love this polish, and even used it as the base for a glitter manicure that you will see soon. If you are looking to try out blue nail polish, I would start with this one!

All in all, the Zoya Lovely Collection is a beautiful choice for Spring. Whether your prefer shimmers or cremes, this collection has something for you! You can purchase the entire Lovely Collection for $48 or each bottle separately for $8 apiece on the Zoya website HERE. Make sure to follow Zoya on FACEBOOK where the company often shares promotional codes to save you money! Stay Lovely this Spring!

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

Try it on Tuesday: Milani 3D Holographic in Cyberspace

Posted on January 29, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! It’s been a long time since I’ve participated in Try it on Tuesday, but I’m back today with a stunning polish! Each week Jilltastic Nail Design asks nail bloggers to use a polish that has been sitting in our collections untried for a while. I happily picked out Milani 3D Holographic polish in Cyberspace! The nail polish community goes crazy for holos, and I had to understand why! Let me show you what all the fuss is about.

Cyberspace is a light blue holographic polish. What is a holo polish, you ask? The easiest way to describe it is picturing a rainbow on your nails! The polish sparkles in the sunlight, and reflects every color you can think of! Remember THESE cool stickers you had as a kid? That’s just like holo polish! When you move your hands, the colors shift and magically change. Typically, holo polish can be really expensive. Layla Hologram Effects sell for around $15, and Color Club Halo Hues can be up to $10. When I heard that the 3D Holographic line from Milani was 75% off at CVS, I just had to get them! So far I am thrilled with Cyberspace!

Cyberspace has a great formula that is fully opaque in three coats. The coats are sheer, but they are easily buildable. I had heard that holo polishes are hard to work with, but I didn’t find that to be the case at all! I am very impressed with the quality of this nail polish, as I have not had good luck with Milani in the past. I’m glad I gave this brand a second chance! Cyberspace is stunning, and I can’t wait to try the other polishes from this collection.

I scored this polish on clearance at CVS for just $1.44, but they are still being sold on Milani’s website HERE for just $4.99! This polish is certainly fabulous and affordable, and it helped me understand the craze surrounding holo nail polish. Make sure you give this trend a try!

Keeping it Neutral with L’Oreal Greycian Goddess

Posted on January 25, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I have another fabulous and affordable nail polish to show you from the brand L’Oreal. This line of polish can be purchased at drug stores for around $6 per bottle, but I got this one at a street fair in NYC where all L’Oreal polishes were just three for $5! You can learn more about Street Fair Cosmetics HERE, though they are now closed for the season. Let me show you one of the beautiful polishes I purchased from the fair!

Greycian Goddess is the perfect grey nail polish with blue undertones. This polish took two coats to be opaque, and had a very good formula. I was impressed with how cleanly and evenly it applied! I also really liked the brush that came with Greycian Goddess. It was very easy to work with due to it’s long bristles that stayed perfectly in place during application. Greycian Goddess is an all-around great polish. Not only is the quality top-notch, but it is a nice neutral shade for winter. Instead of reaching for a tan or nude, next time you want a neutral nail, grab a grey! This shade is perfect for layering as well.

Greycian Goddess is the third polish from the L’Oreal Colour Riche line that I’ve tried. Just like the others, it is fabulous! If you’re looking for a more affordable polish with guaranteed good quality, I highly suggest this line. Plus, they are often on sale! Keep an eye out for coupons in the Sunday paper for added savings.

Favorite Friday: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Mellow Yellow

Posted on January 18, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I will be showing you a special polish in my collection — Mellow Yellow from Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear. Although yellow is not usually my favorite, this is the first polish I bought after I started this blog! In fact, you can see it HERE! I have come a long way since then, but I still love when I get the chance to use this nail polish. Let me show you Mellow Yellow!

Mellow Yellow is a banana yellow polish with a creme finish. The formula on this polish is not the best — it is a bit watery and streaky on the first coat. Thankfully it evens out well and is opaque with the second coat. Mellow Yellow dries surprisingly fast, too. For only around $3 at drug stores and department stores, this polish is affordable, and I don’t mind if the formula isn’t perfect. The end result is beautiful! Plus, since I don’t wear yellow a lot, I prefer to buy a bargain brand. Overall, Mellow Yellow is a great polish, and one of my favorites!

What do you think of yellow nail polish? Which yellow is your favorite?

Save More and Make it Mini: OPI in If You Moust You Moust

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

Happy Wednesday! Today I am excited to be bringing you a lovely pink color to celebrate Pink Wednesday, and to show you a perfect Valentine’s Day polish. If you’re like me, you love to try out a lot of different nail polish colors without spending big bucks. OPI is a great brand, but I don’t like spending up to $8.50 for a full size bottle that will only be used a handful of times. Thankfully, whenever it comes out with a new collection, OPI will release a set of mini polishes so that those of us on a budget can enjoy the collection at a discounted price. As a lifelong Minnie Mouse fan, I knew I just HAD to have the Vintage Minnie Mouse collection mini set. Luckily, I won it in a giveaway over the summer, but it is selling on Amazonright now for just $6.96! That’s an amazing price for three colors and a top coat. Let me show you one of those polishes.

If You Moust You Moust is what I am calling the perfect Valentine’s Day pink! It is a classic pink polish, and I am just in love with it! The formula was great — a bit streaky with the first coat, but evens out well with the second. Just two coats are needed for opacity. I used this polish as the base for a glitter manicure that you will soon see, but it can easily be worn alone. It’s perfect for the office, as it’s bright and feminine, but not too out there. Plus, OPI polishes last a long time without chipping so it is great for the girl on the go! As a pink aficionado, this is one of the best pinks I’ve tried!

If you love this polish and Minnie Mouse as much as I do, I highly suggest going to Amazon and purchasing one of these sets right away. As I’m typing this, there are only 8 more left in stock! Click HEREnow to get it for just $6.96!