Adventures in Polishland

OMGNailStrips Nail Polish Strips Review | In the Navy & Jelly Beans

Posted on April 8, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I have a review of two sets of nail polish strips from the brand OMGNailStrips. I recently heard about this brand of more affordable nail strips, and was excited when I got the opportunity to review them for all of you. I think nail strips are a great option for travel, or for those of us (like me!) who aren’t nail art masters but still want a fun nail design. Let me go ahead and show you the two designs I got to test out.

First up is In the Navy, a set containing a mix of blue, white, and black themed strips with a nautical theme. I followed the application instructions to apply the strips (you can read them HERE). Unfortunately, I did not have a good experience. First, these strips have a very strong skunk-like smell as soon as I opened the package, and it lingered even after I took a shower. I do not want to go around with smelly nails! I also had found that these strips did not fit my nails well, with the smallest strip being too big for my pinky. In addition, I also experienced substantial tip wear and chipping after one day of wear.

Next, I tried Jelly Beans. I hoped to wear these strips for Easter, since I loved the fun design. Alas, I had even more issues with this set. Thankfully, there was no smell to these strips, but there was a stickiness problem. The strips broke upon application, and they did not want to stick to my nails. I thought that they would stay put after I applied top coat, but a few hours after application I washed a few dishes and the strips literally slid right off my nails when I dried my hands. You read that correctly – the strips slid off hours after application. I couldn’t believe it!

I also want to mention that with both sets of nail strips I experienced an odd issue after applying a top coat as suggested by OMGNailStrips. When I would apply top coat, the edges of the nail strips would stick up right off my nail! You can see it pretty clearly in the photos, especially with the In the Navy set.

It’s always difficult for me to write a less than positive review, but of course I want to share my honest feelings and experiences with all of you. I did reach out to OMGNailStrips last week with my issues before posting this review, but have not heard back. I’m very disappointed in both the quality of the nail strips and the lack of customer service I received after contacting them with questions about the problems I had. If I do hear back, I will be sure to update you both in this blog post and on social media. OMGNailStrips retail for $7.99 each, but have specials for 5 packs for $25 or 10 packs for $45. They can be purchased with free shipping on the brand’s website HERE. Unfortunately I cannot recommend this brand from my experience.

Have you tried OMGNailStrips?! Please share your thoughts 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.

Book Review | This Side of Home by Renée Watson

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

This Side of Home by Renée Watson

Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens on February 3, 2015

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary

Pages: 336

Format: eARC

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★★★ 1/2

Identical twins Nikki and Maya have been on the same page for everything—friends, school, boys and starting off their adult lives at a historically African-American college. But as their neighborhood goes from rough-and-tumble to up-and-coming, suddenly filled with pretty coffee shops and boutiques, Nikki is thrilled while Maya feels like their home is slipping away. Suddenly, the sisters who had always shared everything must confront their dissenting feelings on the importance of their ethnic and cultural identities and, in the process, learn to separate themselves from the long shadow of their identity as twins.

In her inspired YA debut, Renée Watson explores the experience of young African-American women navigating the traditions and expectations of their culture.

REVIEW

I’ve been on such a YA contemporary kick lately, and This Side of Home is a great addition to the list. The story chronicles the life of twins Nikki and Maya as they finish up their last year of high school. Maya is our first-person narrator, and lets readers into her life in Portland, Oregon. The neighborhood in which she grew up is changing – new businesses are popping up everywhere, new families are moving in across the street, and Maya feels as if her culture and friends are being forced to leave.

This Side of Home is the perfect combination of a contemporary YA story and a discussion on race relations.As Maya and Nikki take on their senior year of high school, they go through numerous struggles both at home and school. Nikki refuses to attend her best friend’s birthday party because she is afraid the guests will call her “white” due to her straight hair and love for vintage clothes. Maya, on the other hand, is the student body president at Richmond, her notoriously dangerous high school. Maya takes on her new principal as he tries to focus on diversity, and not on the black history that Maya craves to feature at school events.

While This Side of Home takes on a variety of serious issues, it is also a quick read that I flew through in just a few hours. I grew to love the characters, and I loved the balance between a realistic teenage love story, and the fight to overcome racism in a public high school. I was thoroughly impressed with the writing in This Side of Home, as it flowed easily and was at a steady pace throughout. If this is what a debut novel from author Renée Watson looks like, I’m excited to see what comes next!

At a time when the We Need Diverse Books campaign is at the forefront of readers’ minds, This Side of Home begins many important conversations. I was truly impressed with Watson’s ability to write characters that battle with the same struggles that we as readers have. There are no right answers to these questions, but This Side of Home helps us to open up and become comfortable with discussing these issues. I recommend it for all readers of contemporary young adult, and those craving a diverse book. This Side of Home is a refreshing and thought-provoking read.

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Manicure Monday | Illamasqua Rampage

Posted on March 30, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Manicure Monday! This week the Alphabet Challenge continues with the letter I, and I dug through my nail polish stash for a brand that qualifies. I totally forgot about the two Illamasqua nail polishes that I own! I purchased them in the summer of 2012 when I first began this blog. I decided to grab Rampage today, and share this lovely polish with all of you.

Rampage is a dark green polish with a jelly formula. It is opaque in two coats, and can be used for layering in jelly sandwich manicures. The application is great, but I do recommend some extra time for drying due to the jelly finish – it is easily dinged! Rampage is a perfect fall color, but can of course be worn at any time of year. I love the deep pigmentation with this one.

All in all, I’m happy I splurged on Illamasqua Rampage back in my early blogging days! I’ve used it quite a bit over the years, but this is the first time I’ve posted a proper swatch for all of you. This polish is no longer sold at Sephora (where I purchased it), but is still available on Illamasqua’s website HERE for £14.50. If you are able to find this one, I highly recommend it! Please be sure to let me know your favorite Illamasqua shades in the comments!

Book Review | My Best Everything by Sarah Tomp

Posted on March 30, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

My Best Everything by Sarah Tomp

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on March 3, 2015

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Pages: 400

Format: eARC

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★★★

An Appalachian summer walks the line between toxic and intoxicating in this debut novel about first loves, broken hearts, and moonshine.

Luisa “Lulu” Mendez has just finished her final year of high school in a small Virginia town, determined to move on and leave her job at the local junkyard behind. So when her father loses her college tuition money, Lulu needs a new ticket out.

Desperate for funds, she cooks up the (illegal) plan to make and sell moonshine with her friends. Quickly realizing they’re out of their depth, they turn to Mason, a local boy who’s always seemed like a dead end. As Mason guides Lulu through the secret world of moonshine, it looks like her plan might actually work. But can she leave town before she loses everything?

My Best Everything is Lulu’s letter to Mason–but is it a love letter, an apology, or a good-bye?

REVIEW

When I received an email from NetGalley describing My Best Everything as a debut novel for fans of Rainbow Rowell, I knew I wanted to pick it up. The plot summary really intrigued me – how could a girl who worked so hard to stay on the straight and narrow suddenly put her morals aside and begin an illegal business selling moonshine? I had to know how this story panned out.

The writing style of My Best Everything is quite unique. Our main character Lulu is writing a letter to Mason, the love interest in the story. Thus, readers are placed into the role of Mason, and whenever Lulu speaks to “you” she is speaking to Mason. This style was a little difficult to get into, since I’m not used to playing the role of a teenage boy, but once I settled into it I really liked the flow and rhythm of the writing. In addition, this format added a lot of mystery to the story, because I had no idea why Lulu was writing to Mason, and had to keep reading to find out.

Moreover, I really enjoyed the characters in My Best Everything. Each character has a well-developed story, even if he or she is not in the spotlight. For instance, Lulu’s best friend Roni faces some difficult challenges, and grows substantially throughout the novel. I really liked this attention to detail, and I thought the smaller plotlines added a lot of depth to the book.

There are, however, some things I did not like about My Best Everything. First, the pacing in the novel was off for me. The first 75% of the story moved very slowly. I was never bored, but I did stop and think to myself, “Wow, nothing has really happened yet!” at several points in my reading. The last quarter of the book is definitely rushed, and I would have preferred a more balanced pace. A lot of information was dumped on the reader right at the end, and while I did like the ending, the information dump did take away some credibility for me.

Similarly, I did not like the lack of consequences for Lulu in this story. I will be vague in this criticism as to not spoil the book, but Lulu is constantly breaking the law and finding herself in dangerous situations, yet for some reason she gets away with it. Her parents do a terrible job of supporting her, and even the other adults in her life, like her boss and local priest, do not keep tabs on Lulu or provide guidance for her. The lack of consequences for Lulu’s actions was really aggravating for me, and definitely took away some of the believability in the story.

All in all, I gave My Best Everything a four star rating because I thought the writing was very well done and overall enjoyed the story. While there are a few aspects with the story that I wish were different, My Best Everything is still a great young adult contemporary, and a solid debut novel for author Sarah Tomp. I look forward to seeing what she comes out with in the future, as I know her strong writing skills will lead to even better books.

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Manicure Monday | SquareHue High School Crush

Posted on March 23, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Manicure Monday! It’s time for me to show you the next polish in the Alphabet Challenge. We are on H this week, and I decided to pick up High School Crush from the brand SquareHue. I purchased this polish in a Facebook nail polish group right after its release in February 2013. I absolutely loved the color when I saw it online, but heard bad things about the formula after purchasing it and was scared to try it for myself. I decided it was time to put it to the test!

High School Crush is a beautiful pale pink creme polish. The formula was unfortunately horrible for me – I needed three coats to achieve opacity, and I experienced a lot of streaking and patchiness. When I added a top coat, the polish did look much better, but I still don’t want to work with it again. This will definitely be a destash for sure.

Before I wrap up this post, I do want to mention that I first tried SquareHue back in December of 2012 when the brand launched. You can read all about that experience HERE. I did enjoy those polishes, so even though High School Crush is a flop for me, I don’t want to claim the entire brand is bad quality. In fact, it’s definitely a fabulous and affordable polish line – you get three polishes a month in this subscription service for just $14.99! You can learn everything you need to know about SquareHue on the company’s website HERE. Please let me know in the comments if you are a SquareHue subscriber and what you think of it!

Evian Facial Spray | Review + Giveaway

Posted on March 18, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I am excited to share with you a really cool product from the brand Evian. You may recognize this name from bottled water, but did you know the company also makes a facial spray?! I got the opportunity to test out all of the spray’s different uses so I could share my thoughts on the product with you. Of course, stay tuned to the end to find out how you could win a free bottle for yourself!

ABOUT THE PRODUCT

Evian Facial Spray is a versatile product that can fit into anyone’s daily beauty routine! I was quite intrigued when I read about all of its different uses. First and foremost, it’s helpful to know that Evian is a safe and pure mineral water that can be used with all skin types, even those that are sensitive. My skin tends to be a bit on the sensitive side, and I had no issues whatsoever using this product (it’s been a part of my routine for a few weeks now!). Let’s take a look at all of the different ways you can use Evian Facial Spray. I’m providing you with the language from the brand directly:

“To create intense color: Spray your brush with evian® Facial Spray before applying colorful or metallic eyeshadow to create intense, bold colors that don’t look chalky.

For contouring and blending: Before blending bronzer with foundation, wet a Beauty Blender or other blending tool with evian® Spray to create an airbrushed, flawless look. You can also use evian® Facial Spray to blend foundation along the jawline and neck to eliminate unwanted foundation lines.

To set makeup: After applying foundation and/or powder, lightly mist skin with evian® Facial Spray in a circular motion to set foundation and/or powder for a more natural look.

To revive color throughout the day: Using evian® Facial Spray any time during the day can instantly revive color to help makeup look fresh and vibrant even hours after makeup was applied. For best results, lightly mist skin in a circular motion. Can be kept in the office, gym bag, or purse to freshen up makeup after work, before a party, or any time you need a quick touch up.”

REVIEW

As I mentioned above, I’ve been using Evian Facial Spray for a few weeks now. I absolutely love using it right before I put on my makeup. I’ll spray my skin so it is moisturized, and then apply my primer. I find this really locks in my makeup and allows it to glide onto my face much easier than usual. In addition, I use the Evian Facial Spray to dampen my BeautyBlender before applying my foundation. It truly helps to blend out my foundation, while still providing me with great coverage. I can see the difference in my skin, as I feel more airbrushed and flawless.

I also like to use Evian Facial Spray to refresh my skin throughout the day. It feels so great to add a quick spray to the face if it is hot outside, or if I’m feeling gross after a long day at work. I can see this product being a complete lifesaver in the summertime. I haven’t traveled with the spray yet, but I like that the bottle is designed to be leak-proof so I don’t have to worry about any spillage. In addition, each bottle is sealed in a way so that bacteria cannot get in to contaminate the spray. I love that I can feel safe and clean while using this product!

My one critique of the Evian Facial Spray is that the mist is quite wide and tends to go everywhere. Even when I’m just aiming for my face, my hair and my shirt will get wet as well. Though the spray does dry in seconds, I alway try to use it before I put on any nice clothes, or before my hair is done. Of course, it is just water, but I wish I had more control with the application, like I do with other makeup setting sprays. This is a minor flaw in an otherwise great product!

GIVEAWAY

Evian is hosting a giveaway! Enter to win two 5oz Evian Facial Sprays using the form shown here. There will be 20 winners. Evian is hosting this giveaway, but allowing me to share the details with you on my blog. Please make sure to read all of the Terms & Conditions in the giveaway widget, as I am not running this giveaway and cannot answer your questions directly.

All in all, I’m really loving the Evian Facial Spray, and am so glad to have it in my beauty routine. You can purchase this product direct from Evian on its website HERE. The 5oz bottle retails for just $12.50, a bargain compared to similar products from other beauty brands. You can also follow Evian on Facebook HERE to learn more about the brand and its products. Please let me know in the comments if you’re going to pick up a bottle of Evian Facial Spray for yourself!

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

Manicure Monday | Glitter Me This Purple Galaxy

Posted on March 16, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Manicure Monday! This week we are on letter G in the Alphabet Challenge, and I have to say this was a difficult letter as well. I finally spotted a G brand in my collection – a small indie label called Glitter Me This. A couple years back, I teamed up with Glitter Me This to host a naming contest for this polish (you can read that post HERE). I decided it was time to give Purple Galaxy some love again!

Purple Galaxy is a very sheer purple base filled with a mix of glitters in all colors and sizes. I layered one coat over Wet ‘n Wild Megalast in On a Trip (see that polish HERE). The result is a fun and frosty purple manicure that reminds me of a speckled Easter egg! I love how versatile Purple Galaxy is. I got such a different look this time around, because I used it over a dark polish in the past. I’m glad I tested it out again!

All in all, I’m so proud of myself for continuing on in the Alphabet Challenge! We are about a third of the way there! Make sure to leave me some H nail polish brands in the comments, because I don’t have the assigned Hard Candy for next week. Also, you can visit Glitter Me This on the web on Etsy and Facebook. She is currently selling glitter packets!

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

Manicure Monday | Julep Florence

Posted on March 9, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Manicure Monday! Last week all of you were so helpful when I asked if you knew of any nail polish brands that began with the letter F. Unfortunately, I didn’t own any of those brands (which I know is hard to believe)! I searched through my collection and finally found a polish whose name begins with an F, so I decided that would have to suffice for this week’s entry into the Alphabet Challenge! Let me show you Julep Florence!

Florence is a beige nude polish with a creme formula. It applies well in two coats, but is a bit on the streaky side. I received Florence in my Julep Maven box way back in September 2013 (see that post HERE) and haven’t used it since then! I do really like this shade with my skin tone, but the formula definitely wasn’t the best. Nonetheless, I’m glad I was able to use it again for the Alphabet Challenge!

I have decided to destash Florence, as I have plenty of other nude polishes in my collection with better formulas. As I sit here looking at how gorgeous Florence is in the photos, though, I’m almost rethinking my decision! If I wasn’t so desperate to shrink my polish collection before I move in a few months, I’d definitely hang onto this one. What do you think – is Florence a keeper for you?!

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

Book Review | Inherit Midnight by Kate Kae Meyers

Posted on March 7, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Inherit Midnight by Kate Kae Meyers

Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens on February 10, 2015

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Romance

Pages: 400

Format: eARC

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★★★

Avery VanDemere says she’s lived her whole life in prisons—-one is a mansion, the others are private schools—-but prisons, still. That’s why, during the last couple of years, she’s perfected the ability of learning how to escape. On the brink of finally freeing herself from a hated boarding school, she is unexpectedly returned home and thrust in the middle of a competition. Her grandmother, the family matriarch, is now determined to discover the most worthy VanDemere to be named sole inheritor. With the help of Riley Tate, the handsome son of her grandmother’s lawyer, Avery sets out to do much more than prove she should inherit the massive family wealth. She has a secret mission of her own, and that’s to discover the truth about what really happened to the mother she never knew. Along the way she must pass difficult and sometimes perilous challenges, avoid treacherous relatives, and sort out her growing feelings for Riley. She’ll have to act quickly, though; the pressure is on and with each challenge, her competitors are more desperate to win—and to them that means getting rid of Avery.

REVIEW

I was drawn to read Inherit Midnight as soon as I heard it’s about a rich family competing against one another in a race around the world to inherit their grandmother’s estate. How awesome does that sound?! I love movies such as National Treasure, and this story is along the same vein. I absolutely loved the fast-paced adventure in this novel, and had a very difficult time putting it down. However, there are a few things I want to discuss.

First, the romance in Inherit Midnight is extremely cringeworthy and one of the worst cases of instalove I’ve experienced. I thought it was interesting that the author admits to the instalove, but that didn’t justify it. Instead, I felt extremely uncomfortable with the dialogue between Avery and Riley, and couldn’t get over how “in love” they were after just a few weeks of knowing one another. In fact, I would have enjoyed Inherit Midnight much more if the romance was put aside. I wanted to focus on the family competition, and not on the angsty teenage love.

Moreover, there were a few small details in Inherit Midnight that annoyed me. For example, the chapter titles were unnecessary and distracting. I’m not sure why they were included at all. In addition, I was a bit unnerved by how the lawyers were written in this story. As a law student, I didn’t like the portrayal of the lawyers and their behaviors, but I’m one of the few people who would actually pick up on that. Finally, the ending of the book was really unbelievable, but I cannot say more without spoiling you.

Putting those critiques aside, I really enjoyed Inherit Midnight. I loved following Avery as she and her family were tasked with the different challenges, all while traveling around the world and learning about their family history. The action never wavered, and once the competition began I didn’t want to stop reading. I also loved the character development in this book. Avery learns a lot about her family in Inherit Midnight, both her ancestors and those she’s competing against. The competition really showed each character’s true light, and Avery learns who she can trust and who she can’t.

I also really liked how the author included some subplots in the book, but I won’t get much into those because they are spoiler-filled. I will say that I predicted a huge plot twist right from the beginning, but I was excited to find out I was right towards the end. Because this particular twist was a subplot and not the main story, it didn’t detract from the overall book when I was able to predict the outcome. I also really loved the last scene of the book. It was sweet and touching, and filled me with hope for Avery’s future.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience of Inherit Midnight. In reality, this book probably deserves a three star rating because of the instalove and cringeworthy dialogue, but because it was so action-packed and exciting, I gave it a four star rating. I highly recommend Inherit Midnight if you love The Amazing Race or the National Treasure movies, or if you are looking to break into the thriller genre. Inherit Midnight is a ton of fun!

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If you but a book through the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website’s affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Dare to Compare | Julep Niecy, Raegan, & Drew

Posted on March 6, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! I’ve been decluttering everything in my apartment lately, so I figured it was time to conquer some of my nail polish collection, too. My pink polishes have an entire drawer of their own, and let’s be honest, most of them are extremely similar. In fact, I found three nail polishes from Julep that were so close shade wise that I decided I had to do a comparison post for all of you. Let’s see how these bright pinks compare!

First and foremost, let’s take a look at the bottles together. I’ve labeled them so you can see which shade is which in the photo. Dare to Compare | Julep Niecy, Raegan, & Drew Now, this is the point in the blog post where I say the classic beauty lover line: “They’re not the same! They’re similar.” I can clearly see a difference between these three nail polishes. However, I do think it is a bit ridiculous that I own all three of them in my collection. I wanted to test these out to see which polish, if any, I would be comfortable de-stashing.

First up is Niecy, one of the first Julep polishes I ever owned! Niecy is a true bright pink creme. It has an excellent formula that is opaque in two coats, and my bottle features the old Julep brush, which I really love because it is smaller and easier to use. I love Niecey’s flawless finish!

Next up is Raegan, a pink that has a bit more of a purple undertone when compared to Niecy. Raegan’s formula is a bit off – it’s thick and a little tacky. I absolutely love this shade, though. It’s definitely my favorite of the three in terms of color.

Last but not least is Drew, a pink creme with red undertones, and definitely the darkest pigmentation wise of the bunch. Drew has a good formula that is opaque in two coats, but I find it to be a bit on the thick side as well. It’s definitely a gorgeous color. I obviously love it, and purchased it at the Julep NYC Holiday Pop Up in 2013 (see that post HERE).

I wanted to show you side-by-side swatches of these polishes as well. From left to right are: Niecy, Raegan, and Drew. As you can see, these three polishes are quite close in color (especially Niecy and Raegan), but they are not exact dupes. It definitely comes down to personal preference when you’re deciding which shade to buy.

All in all, I’ve decided to keep Niecy and destash the other two polishes. I do love all three, but it is silly for me to keep them when I am trying to declutter. As you may know, I’ll be moving in a few months, and the more I get rid of now the less I have to worry about later. Be sure to let me know in the comments which of these three is your favorite, or if you own any of these in your nail polish collection!

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