Nails – Page 37 – Adventures in Polishland

Category: Nails

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.

Indie Spotlight: Tillie Polish in Fierce and Fabulous

Posted on April 24, 2013July 13, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today’s post is a review of a fun polish that is perfect for summer. It’s from the indie nail polish brand called Tille Polish, which is run by a trio of sisters! I discovered the brand by watching the oldest sister’s YouTube channel (see Andréa’s videos HERE), and I’m so glad I did! She graciously sent me this polish and I could not wait to get it on my nails. Let me show you Fierce and Fabulous!

Here is the beautiful bright pink called Fierce and Fabulous (and it truly lives up to its name)! This polish has an amazing formula. Application was smooth and even, and it was opaque in two coats. Fierce and Fabulous dries matte, and has a hint of silver shimmer mixed in as well. It looks just stunning on the nail, and is perfect for the summer sun. The matte look is unexpected, but I loved it! You can easily achieve a glossy finish by adding your favorite top coat as well. I did notice that removal took a bit more effort than usual, but when I switched to an acetone based remover instead of an acetone free one it came off much better. I also suggest a healthy layer of base coat!

All in all, I am loving Fierce and Fabulous from Tille Polish! As a pink aficionado, it is great to have this in my collection. The silver shimmer and matte finish really make it unique! You can purchase Fierce and Fabulous on the Tillie Polish website HERE for $8.00. This is a special edition polish that is officially launching on May 15th, but is available for pre-order now. You can also “like” Tillie Polish on Facebook HERE.

The product in this post was provided for my unbiased review. 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.

Indie Spotlight: The Escape Collection from Rainbow Polish

Posted on April 18, 2013July 13, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! Today I am very excited to be sharing three beautiful polishes from the indie brand Rainbow Polish’s new Escape Collection. I have never tried Rainbow Polish before, and I am so impressed with the ones I’m about to show you today. Even the packaging is great — the bottles and labels are professionally done. Here is a quick look at the polishes in the bottle, and then a detailed review!

First up is Wild Orchid, a beautiful pink jelly polish with scattered holographic glitter and blue and purple hexagonal glitters. Wild Orchid is opaque in two coats and has a great, full coverage formula. The polish glides on so easily, and I just love the color combination. Wild Orchid is like a jelly sandwich manicure in one polish!

Next up is Stinging Jellyfish, a multicolored glitter top coat with holographic bar glitters mixed in! I layered one coat over Spoiled in Plastic Flamingo. Stinging Jellyfish has a great formula, and is absolutely stunning! It can make any nail polish color have an instant rock star quality! The photos above don’t do the sparkle justice — when the holographic glitters hit the light it looks amazing!

Last but not least is Tahitian Waters, a light blue jelly base with holographic grains, medium pink hexagons, large holographic hexagons, and holographic squares. I layered one coat over Sally Hansen Barracuda since the formula is too sheer to be worn alone. Once again I am so impressed with the formula of this polish! The glitters apply with ease — absolutely no fishing for them whatsoever! Tahitian Waters is such a unique polish, and perfect for summer!

All in all, I am loving these polishes from the Rainbow Polish Escape Collection. These are just three of the eight available, so be sure to head on over to her Etsy shop HERE to see the full collection. Each polish retails for $8.50, but you get a discount when you buy the whole collection at $49. You can also stay up to date with Rainbow Polish on Facebook 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.

Macaron Day Inspired Manicure!

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

Happy Friday! Today I have a fun post inspired by the delicious French treats, macarons. Back in March, New York City hosted its annual Macaron Day, where bakeries around the city give free macarons to anyone who walks in! A percentage of any proceeds the shops make that day go to ending hunger in NYC. You can learn more about Macaron Day on its website HERE. I was able to stop by two locations, and snapped the Instagram photo below of the macarons my friend and I got. She suggested I do macaron nail art, so I gave it a try!

I knew I wanted to use a light blue and a pink nail polish to create this look, so I grabbed Sinful Colors in Cinderella and Covergirl Outlast in My Papaya. Both are shimmery colors that reminded me of the sugary sweetness in the macarons. Plus, you can find both at your local drugstore for great prices! Sinful Colors retails for just $1.99 and Covergirl for just $5.99. If you hurry, you could also grab My Papaya on Amazon HERE for the low price of $3.89 (there are only two left as I type this!). Let me show you the cute and simply manicure I created!

For my macaron manicure I did a color-blocked style. I painted two nails with Cinderella and two with My Papaya. For my thumb, I applied My Papaya, just because I liked that polish more. It was opaque in two coats while Cinderella was sheer and required three. Other than that, both polishes had great formulas, and I plan on using them again in the future! I just love how the shimmer in both catches the light and adds the perfect touch. I also included the business card for the Macaron Parlour in the photo. If you are in NYC, stop by and grab a tasty treat! You can see more on their website HERE. I highly recommend it!

All in all, I thought this was such a fun idea for a manicure! It was quite easy to create, but I enjoyed the sentiment behind it. Have you ever based a manicure on food?! If so, let me know in the comments!

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. Please 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!