Adventures in Polishland

5 Marsala Nail Polishes You Already Own | Pantone Color of the Year 2015

Posted on January 4, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Sunday! Now that 2015 is in full swing, it’s time to embrace the new Color of the Year! Every year, Pantone deems one color shade to be the Color of the Year. This year is Marsala, an earthy wine red that looks to me like a deep, dusty mauve. You can read all about Marsala on the Pantone website HERE, but today I’ll be talking about Marsala nail polishes! I’ve raided my own nail polish stash to find the shades that match up best with 2015’s new color. Let me show you the five Marsala nail polishes that you might already own!

Milani Color Statement Nail Lacquer

Mauving Forward [REVIEW] [BUY]

Mauving Forward is an affordable polish that fits nicely within the Marsala family. It definitely has some purple undertones, but the pigmented formula is great. Plus, this new range from Milani can easily be found online or at your local CVS store.

Milani Limited Edition Textured Creams

Mystery Mauve [REVIEW]

If you purchased Mystery Mauve from the limited edition Textured Creams collection last fall you are in luck! It is a great Marsala shade, plus it has that fun textured feel. Time to dig out your bottle from last year!

Zoya Naturel Collection

Normani [REVIEW] [BUY]

If you prefer more muted nails, try Normani. It’s a bit lighter than Marsala, but still similar to that gorgeous hue. I highly recommend this shade for those with a fair skin tone!

Zoya Naturel Deux Collection

Aubrey [REVIEW] [BUY]

Another great pick is from the second Zoya Naturel line. Aubrey is a much more pigmented mauve, and is one of the closest matches I have to a true Marsala in my collection. Aubrey is also a polish that can be worn in any season.

Julep

Aisha [REVIEW] [BUY]

Finally, if you prefer more of a bold shade try Aisha. It’s definitely brighter than Marsala and has some berry tones to it, but it’s for sure in the Marsala family. Try adding a matte top coat to soften the look if you want.

All in all, as Pantone embraces a new Color of the Year we can reach into our nail polish collections to find our own Marsala polishes. There is no need to splurge on new releases (though you are more than welcome to do so if you wish!). Even if you don’t have a perfect Marsala match, any mauve shade will do. Leave your favorite Marsala polishes in the comments so I can know what you’ll be rocking in 2015!

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

My First Manicure in 2015 featuring Maybelline Color Show Holographic in Blue Blaze!

Posted on January 2, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! It’s now 2015 and that means another year of new manicures! Last year I posted about 2014’s first manicure (see that review HERE), so I figured it was fitting that I continue the tradition. I raided Momma Polishland’s nail polish stash again and discovered a lone Maybelline Color Show polish from the Holographic Collection. I decided to put it to the test to see if a drugstore brand can get that holographic formula right!

Blue Blaze is a silvery-blue polish with a metallic formula. It does have some holographic shimmer mixed throughout the base, but I would not call this a holographic polish at all. The formula felt just like a metallic – it was patchy and pulled easily. However, it did build up well. I applied three thin coats to get the look you see pictured. I am happy with the result, but I would definitely label this polish a metallic and not a holographic.

I took these pictures in direct sunlight to ensure that any holographic effects would be captured. As you can see, there is a bit of shine, but no strong rainbow prism effect. Thus, while this is a good polish with a unique color, it does not compare with the holographic formulas we know and love.

You can find Maybelline Color Show Holographic in Blue Blaze for sale on Amazon HERE for about $4.50. I’m quite interested to know your experience with this range of polishes if you’ve tried them. Did you get a strong holographic effect, or did they apply more like a metallic for you as well? Let me know in the comments!

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

My Top 14 Nail Polishes of 2014!

Posted on December 31, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! As the year comes to a close, I wanted to reflect on all of the amazing nail polishes I got to try for all of you. I went through each and every blog post I wrote this year and found the nail polishes I loved the most. These are the polishes that I wore over and over, and the ones I highly recommend to you. Let me go ahead and share my Top 14 Nail Polishes of 2014!

Milani Gold Label Specialty Nail Lacquer

Splendid Strawberry [REVIEW] [BUY]

Milani had a great 2014 when it came to new nail polish lines. The year began with some beautiful shades in the Gold Label Specialty Nail Lacquer Collection. I’m a sucker for pinks, and Splendid Strawberry is a perfect one. Plus, it has a great retail price of just $4.19.

Milani High Speed Fast Dry Nail Lacquer

Blue Zoom [REVIEW] [BUY]

Milani really outdid themselves with the stunning bright blue that is Blue Zoom. This highly pigmented polish is another one of my favorite manicure hues. It is just so fabulous!

Milani Nail Lacquer

White [REVIEW] [BUY]

I’ve tested a lot of white polishes this year, and a good reliable one is from Milani. Just look at that smooth finish! Whether you are looking to use a white for nail art, a glitter base, or just on its own, you can’t go wrong with this one at $4.99.

Zoya Awaken Collection

Cole [REVIEW] [BUY]

The polish I got the most use out of throughout 2014 is definitely Cole. I wore this beautiful peach shade several times ever since it first arrived to me. It is work appropriate, yet still not your typical neutral. I have a sizable dent in my bottle!

Zoya Tickled Collection

Wendy [REVIEW] [BUY]

Zoya also came out with a great pink shade this year. Wendy is a melon shade that also has a coral feel to it. The brightness pops in the summer sun, and it is a great go to polish.

L’Oreal Paris Miss Denim Collection

Jean & Tonic [REVIEW]

Textured nail polishes fizzled out a bit in 2014, but I spotted the limited edition Miss Denim collection by L’Oreal at drugstores and had to grab a couple. I love this turquoise shade, and wore it many times this summer. It is long lasting, and very flattering on my fair skin tone.

Milani Color Statement Nail Lacquer

Hot Pink Rage [REVIEW] [BUY]

Milani continued to make 2014 a memorable nail polish year by releasing the new Color Statement line. Hot Pink Rage was a stand out for me because of its flawless formula and wearable color. If you are looking for the perfect pink, this is it! Plus, this range is an affordable $3.99 each.

Milani Color Statement Nail Lacquer

Blue Print [REVIEW] [BUY]

My last Milani favorite of the year is Blue Print, another beyond-amazing blue. This is a bit deeper in pigmentation than Blue Zoom. I’m sure you can tell I love this color family!

Julep

Katie [REVIEW] [BUY]

I didn’t end up using Julep much this year, but Katie was definitely a stand out for me. The shade is unique and very beautiful. The subtle shimmer is just gorgeous, and I know it would look good on every skin tone (not just mine!).

Zoya Entice Collection

Ryan [REVIEW] [BUY]

As we transitioned from summer to fall, I grabbed those dark polishes right away. I’ve really come to love dark nails, which is quite funny because when I began this blog I was all about the brights and pastels! Ryan is such a divine polish with its deep indigo shade.

NYC New York Color Fashion Queen Collection

Queen of the City [REVIEW]

I’m sure you are sick of me mentioning Queen of the City by now – I think I’ve featured it at least three times on my blog since I got it! But really, this polish is fantastic. The deep, almost duochrome shade is one-of-a-kind. It’s a shame it was limited edition!

NYC New York Color Fashion Queen Crystal Couture Collection

Queen’s Jewels [REVIEW]

I also don’t wear glitter as much as I used to, but this full coverage green is so awesome! I’ll be wearing this during the holidays for many years to come, even though this was a fall line. Did you snag one before it disappeared?!

Zoya Matte Velvet Collection

Savita [REVIEW] [BUY]

This year Zoya re-released the Matte Velvet line, and I got to try them for the first time. I absolutely love matte finishes, and these formulas are great options. Savita is a really nice purple. It’s my favorite in the line for sure.

NYC New York Color Midnight Beauty Collection

Black Elixir [REVIEW]

Not only did I discover a great white polish this year, but I found a stunning black as well! I can’t get over how this super affordable NYC New York Color polish is so flawless. It is a great reminder that lower priced items can sometimes be amazing quality.

All in all, I’ve discovered some great new nail polishes in 2014! I’m quite surprised that my top brands are Milani, Zoya, and NYC New York Color! I reach for them more than anything else it seems. What about you? Please share your favorite polishes of 2014 in the comments, and let me know which brands you wore most often this year.

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

My Most Successful Sephora Haul Ever | $100+ in Product for $33!

Posted on December 29, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! If you’ve been a follower of Adventure in Polishland for a while, you’ll know that I only shop at Sephora a few times per year. And when I do drop some cash on high end products, I make sure to get the most for my money. I’ve written two step-by-step guides on How to Get the Most for Your Money at Sephora in the past (see them HERE and HERE), and today I just have to share my latest haul! Let’s jump right into the products!

REGULAR PRICE ITEMS

As always, every Sephora haul starts out with the purchase of regularly priced products. I always spend as close to $50 as possible to get free shipping online. This time around I hit the $50 mark right on the nose! Here is what I purchased from left to right:

Urban Decay De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray – $30 [BUY] – This product is the entire reason for this Sephora purchase! I absolutely love this setting spray, but it’s definitely a splurge item. One bottle lasts me nearly a year, so it’s definitely worth it when I can afford to spend the money.
Soap & Glory The Righteous Body Butter – $6 [BUY] – I added this body butter to my cart in order to make it to $50. I can always use a nice moisturizer, and I’ve loved the products from this line that I’ve tried in the past.
Lavanila Pure Vanilla Mini Deo Duo – $14 [BUY] – I’ve heard great things about this natural deodorant from several beauty gurus, but most recently Ingrid Nilsen (watch her on YouTube HERE). I love my Dove deodorant, but I’ve been wanting to try a natural option, so I figured now was the time. More thoughts on this product to come in a future blog post!

With these three items, I hit the $50 for free shipping, but I also lucked out big time! I used my $15 off of $50 coupon that all Beauty Insiders received in December and only spent $35 total. I was so excited that I still got to use free shipping! And, that means all of the products I show you in the rest of this post were completely free.

WEEKLY SPECIAL COUPON CODE

The reason I love to shop at Sephora online is because of the freebies available in the Weekly Specials section of the Sephora website, which you can find HERE. This page includes all of the bonus coupon codes that can be used. There is always a great perk for spending $25 in regular priced merchandise, but this time I surely hit it big! I grabbed the Pampered Party Prep makeup bag filled with all of these samples! Let me tell you all of the products inside and their retail values.

Living Proof Style Lab Satin Hair Serum – $3.29 [BUY] – I am so excited about this hair serum sample! I recently discovered the amazing product line that is Living Proof, and want to test out everything.
Nude Perfect Cleanse Omega Cleansing Jelly – $ n/a [BUY] – I can’t assess the value of this foil packet, but it’s definitely a nice bonus in the bag. I use foil packets when I travel, and facial cleansers are always great to have on hand.
GLAMGLOW Powermud Dualcleanse Treatment – $9.74 [BUY] – I’ve been wanting to try the coveted GLAMGLOW line for so long! As you can tell from the sample’s retail value of nearly $10, this is a luxury skincare brand known for its masks. This one sounds awesome!
Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil – $5 [BUY] – This is the only goody in the bag I’m not too excited about. My skin does not like face oils, but I know Fresh is a great brand. It is definitely a good product to include, and has an awesome retail value!
Calming FX Calming Primer – $6.08 [BUY] – I’ve never heard of this brand before, but this primer sounds great! It’s formulated for sensitive skin, and is designed to reduce redness. I can’t wait to put it to the test!
Benefit Stay Flawless Primer Stick – $2.37 [BUY] – I’m surprised there was another primer included, but I’m not complaining! Primers are very expensive, so getting free samples is perfect.
Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Face Polish – $3.76 [BUY] – This is a face exfoliant that I’ve yet to try. I’m sure it will be great! Laura Mercier has a wonderful reputation in the skincare world.
Lancome Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate – $1.85 [BUY] – Wow, can you believe this foil packet is worth so much?! It’s because this serum is valued at over $100 for the full size bottle.

The grand total for the Pampered Party Prep makeup bag in terms of retail value is $32.09! How awesome that I get to try them all for free! In fact, that’s nearly how much I paid out of pocket for this order. I’ve almost doubled the value already!

3 FREE SAMPLES, BIRTHDAY GIFT, & POINT PERK

I know I sound like an infomercial when I say this…. but wait! There’s more! I still have more free products to show you! Each Sephora online order comes with three free samples. This time I got:

Algenist Multi-Perfecting Pore Corrector Gel Moisturizer – $1.63 [BUY] – I’ll definitely be using this moisturizer when I’m traveling this month! Foil packets come in handy!
Agave Oil Treatment – $1 [BUY] – Oil treatments for hair are always a plus during the cold winter months. I’m sure this will smell amazing and tame my frizz!
Anna Sui La Nuit de Boheme – $1.80 [BUY] – My last sample is perfume. I love getting perfume samples because it’s fun to try out new scents without having to walk into a perfume store and spray ten of them!

Next, I got my annual Birthday Gift, and I discovered a way to cheat the system! My birthday is actually in October, but I didn’t plan on purchasing anything. So, I logged into my Sephora account in October and added my Birthday Gift to my cart. There it sat all the way through to December. So, here is your trick – add the gift to your cart during your birthday month and it will be there when you want to make a purchase in the future! This year, Beauty Insiders received a Make Up For Ever mascara and lipstick duo worth $22.14! Amazing!

Finally, the last product I got was a Point Perk that I cashed in 100 rewards points to receive. I got a mini Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in F-Bomb that has a retail value of $8.56! I’ve heard so many great things about this lipstick range, but I didn’t want to drop $22 for just one. Now I get to test the formula!

My grand total retail value for all of the products I purchased in this Sephora haul is (drum roll please) $101.95! That’s right, I got over $100 worth of products and only spent $35. That’s nearly triple my spendings! Of course, I also shopped through Ebates and received $2.00 cash back on my purchase. That means I only spent $33. I think this is definitely my most successful Sephora haul ever! Now, it’s not every day that Sephora offers a coupon or such an amazing Weekly Special, but you can use all of the tricks I shared here to get an amazing Sephora haul as well. Please share your amazing Sephora goodies in the comments!

Simple Saturday | Julep Cloud Manicure

Posted on December 27, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Now that Christmas is over, I took the time to paint my nails after going a week without any polish. I rather enjoy short nails, and after doing so much housework the past week to get ready for holiday get-togethers, I actually enjoyed chopping them down. Since I am separated from my nail polish stash at the moment, I raided Momma Polishland’s collection (with her permission, of course). She’s grown quite a substantial pile of polishes in the past few years – that seems to happen when your daughter is a nail polish blogger, even if she’s moved out of the house! Let me show you the quick and easy nail art look I created.

I began with a base of Julep Dianna, a stunning navy polish. Dianna has a great formula, and I applied two thin coats to achieve opacity. This was easily done very fast – I forgot that Julep switched to wide, flat brushes! They can be tricky at first, but really easy to use once you get the hang of the feel.

For an accent nail, I grabbed Julep Briana, a mint shade that leans towards blue. I thought Briana looked perfect when paired with Dianna! I simply used the cloud nail art technique (full details on how to create the clouds HERE). The creme formulas look amazing, and the blue tones are wintery yet no longer holiday themed. I applied a glossy top coat to finish the look, and I was good to go!

All in all, I am really happy with my simple manicure. It looks fancy with the cloud accent nail, but was so easy to create. You can actually grab Briana for just $4.99 on Julep’s website HERE in the Savvy Deals section today. If you spend $25 or more from now until December 28, you get a free gift worth $50 with promo code SAVVY. This is definitely a great bargain! Be sure to let me know in the comments what you think of my manicure, and if you are picking up anything during Julep’s sale. Also, don’t forget to enter my 3rd Annual New Year’s Eve Manicure Contest! Details on how to enter HERE.

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

3rd Annual New Year’s Eve Manicure Contest!

Posted on December 26, 2014December 26, 2014 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season! Today I am excited to announce my 3rd Annual New Year’s Eve Manicure Contest! Make sure to read all of the rules below so you can enter to win some awesome prizes!

RULES

Who is eligible to enter?

US residents who are 18+ years old or have parental consent
You must be following Adventures in Polishland to enter – either through email or Bloglovin’
Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter

What kind of manicures are allowed?

Anything goes! Nail art, glitter, plain polish – I’m leaving this one up to you!
For inspiration, see past years’ entrants HERE and HERE

How does the contest work?

Create your manicure, and email me a photo of your nails to adventuresinpolishland@gmail.com with the subject line “NYE Manicure Contest”
You may include in your email 1-3 sentences describing your manicure, and why you think it’s great for New Year’s Eve (optional)
The deadline for submitting your manicure is Monday, January 5, 2014 at 11:59pm EST
On January 6, I will post all of the manicures in a photo album on my Facebook Page
On January 12, winners will be chosen and notified via email.

How will winners be chosen?

There are two winners in this giveaway!
One winner will be chosen by popular vote – whichever manicure receives the most Facebook likes (remember, the likes must be on the photo posted on my Facebook Page).
One winner will be chosen by a panel of objective judges based on which manicure is their favorite.

PRIZES

Each winner will receive a limited edition tin from Makeup by One Direction. One winner will receive the Niall tin and the other will receive the Liam tin. A full review containing the products can be seen HERE. I absolutely love the Makeup by One Direction nail polish!

Each winner will also receive bonus beauty products selected by me. Stay tuned for more details! You never know what can pop up as prizes.

I hope you will consider entering my New Year’s Eve Manicure Contest! It is a fun way for me to give back to all of you, and a great opportunity for your nails to shine after seeing mine all the time. If you have any questions regarding this contest, please don’t hesitate to email me at adventuresinpolishland@gmail.com. I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season!

Pinspiration | Snowman Nail Art

Posted on December 18, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! Today I have a nail art look to show you based on a photo I saw on Pinterest. I saw THIS adorable manicure and just had to recreate it to the best of my abilities. If you’ve been reading Adventures in Polishland for a while, you’ll know that I struggle big time with nail art. I simplified this snowman a little for my skill level. Let me show you the result!

I began with a base of Zoya Neve (full review HERE). Neve is a stunning deep blue/purple polish with blue and purple shimmer mixed throughout the base. I wanted a darker background color for my snowman, because I love looking at snow at night. There is just something beautiful about it! Plus, I thought Neve’s shimmer would be great as a base as well.

Once Neve was completely dry, I got going with my nail art! My first step was grabbing the dotting tools I got from Amazon (buy them HERE). I made some big dots and some smaller dots with white nail polish for the snowflakes. Then I used the regular nail polish brush, and painted the tips of my nails white for the snow banks. This was beyond easy to do, and it looks awesome! My little snowman was a bit more difficult. I did some freehand circles for his body and let that dry. Then, I used a black striper polish for his top hat and some dotting tools helped me create his eyes and buttons. I ran out of room for Mr. Snowman’s carrot nose, but I grabbed an orange polish and put it on there anyway. Finally, I used a red polish to make the snowman a scarf. Once everything was completely dry, I finished up with a top coat.

All in all, even though my little snowman isn’t perfect, I’m still really happy with my final manicure. The snowflake nails came out really well! I think with more practice I will get the hang of the snowman. He sure is cute, though! Please let me know in the comments if you like this wintery manicure and if you’ll be trying it out this year. If there are any nail art looks you want me to test out for you, let me know that as well. I hope you’re having a great holiday season!

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

My 2014 Holiday Manicures! | 3 Nail Polish Looks

Posted on December 16, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! Today I wanted to show you the three manicures I’ve worn so far this holiday season. I’ve already reviewed some of these polishes, so I will leave links to those blog posts alongside each manicure. I hope these nail polish looks bring you some inspiration as we head into the New Year! That reminds me – stay tuned for an exciting announcement very soon about my Annual New Year’s Eve Manicure Contest! For now, let me show you my 2014 holiday manicures.

NYC New York Color – Queen of the City [REVIEW]

I started off the holidays with a red that isn’t so “in your face” Christmas. I really love Queen of the City because of its unique shade and shimmery formula. It looks amazing with my fair skin tone, and goes with a ton of different outfits as well. If you’re looking for an edgier manicure this holiday, grab a deep shade like this one.

Zoya – Giovanna [REVIEW]

Next I went for more of a true Christmas color with an emerald green polish. Giovanna is just perfect for this time of year! It’s festive but still really classy. You can also use Giovanna for nail art as well. I do recommend a nice layer of base coat with this polish, though, as it tends to stain a bit.

Glitzology – Island of Misfit Toys

Chrome Girl – Birthday Suit [REVIEW]

Finally, I am currently wearing a combination of Island of Misfit Toys and Birthday Suit. I got this Glitzology polish two years ago, but never used it! Unfortunately, this indie polish brand is now out of business, but to create a similar look use a glitter polish that contains fine silver glitters and larger multi-colored glitters. Feel free to use multiple glitter polishes if necessary! I decided to go with a pastel pink base so that all of the glitters would really stand out. It’s not quite your typical Christmas manicure, but I’m thrilled with the result!

I hope you enjoyed seeing my holiday manicures so far in 2014! Please let me know if you liked this post in the comments. I’d be happy to show off any more nail polish looks I put together through the holiday season. Of course, I want to see your holiday manicures as well. Please share a photo on my Facebook Page HERE or feel free to use the hashtag #PolishlandPresents so I can find your posts on any social media site. I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season!

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.

#PolishlandPresents | Tea Drops + Coupon Code + Giveaway!

Posted on December 12, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! It’s time for another installment of #PolishlandPresents. Last week, I featured a small business that sells special mugs (click HERE if you missed it). Of course, you need something to put in your mug, so today I’m sharing a cool new tea company that I discovered. Let me go ahead and tell you about Tea Drops, and stay tuned for a special coupon code and giveaway at the end of this post!

ABOUT TEA DROPS

I thought I would share the Tea Drops Story video for all of you, because it does a great job of explaining the company and sharing the unique experience each Tea Drops customer enjoys. The company sent me a Variety Box so I could sample the teas and share my opinion on them with you. I’m so glad they did!

MY TEA DROPS EXPERIENCE

Each box of Tea Drops comes packaged in super cute paper wrapping. You know it is done by hand with the awesome seal. This makes Tea Drops not only fun to receive, but it’s already wrapped and perfect for gifting during the holidays!

Here’s the adorable box after I unwrapped it. I love the rustic packaging, and how the instructions are clearly printed on the side. Time to see the goodies inside!

The box contains little cubbies for each of the tea flavors. The Variety Box comes with eight teas in four flavors. Each tea is individually packaged. Wait until you see how the tea looks!

Here are the four teas inside the Variety Box. How cute are the shapes?! From left to right, the flavors are: Cardamom Spice (star), Citrus Ginger (bundt), Rose Earl Grey (flower), and Sweet Peppermint (heart). I am just obsessed with all of the little details that Tea Drops thinks about in presenting their products!

Time for my first @myteadrop experience! Trying Cardamom Spice first! Stay tuned for a full review & giveaway as part of #PolishlandPresents! #myteadrop

A video posted by Christina (@adventuresinpolishland) on Dec 12, 2014 at 6:16pm PST

Here is how to enjoy Tea Drops! You simply put a drop into the bottom of your mug, pour in hot water, and stir. I like to let my tea sit for about 30 seconds to one minute so all of the loose sediment can settle on the bottom of the mug. I have to say, I love this new way of drinking tea. Plus, it tastes AMAZING! Each flavor is very rich. I love drinking it black, but you can of course customize it to your taste. My favorite in the box is definitely the Cardamom Spice. I am going to be purchasing a full box of that flavor for sure!

COUPON CODE AND GIVEAWAY

Tea Drops is kindly giving all of my followers the opportunity to try out Tea Drops at a discounted price. Use the code POLISHLAND14 for 10% off your order at checkout. Each box of 8 drops is $12.00, so this is an affordable yet thoughtful gift for everyone on your list! You can visit the Tea Drops online shop HERE.

Tea Drops is also sponsoring a giveaway! One of you will win the Variety Box that I reviewed in this post. This giveaway will run for one week, ending next Friday, December 19th. It is open INTERNATIONALLY! Please read all of the Terms & Conditions in the Rafflecopter before entering. Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for reading today’s #PolishlandPresents post! I hope you are finding my gift guide series helpful! I’m excited to bring you great products and offers each week. We’re almost at the end! Can you believe it?! See you with a new installment on Monday.

The products in this post were received in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Makeup by One Direction Limited Edition Beauty Collection Review

Posted on December 10, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I have a review of another amazing beauty collection from the brand Makeup by One Direction. The company released a set of five tins – one for each member of One Direction – that contain some fun beauty products. They make perfect holiday gifts, and are also super affordable at just $12.95 each. Let me show you the tins and the goodies inside of them!

I was sent three of the five tins to review for you– Niall, Harry, and Liam grace the covers! Inside all of the products are the same, so make sure you stay tuned to Adventures in Polishland for giveaways in the future (hint hint!). I decided to open up the Harry palette. He was too STYLE–ing in that hat for me to resist.

Here is a quick overview of everything inside the tin. As you can see, you get six eyeshadows, four lip glosses, two nail polishes, a lip glitter, an eyeliner, and two applicators. I really appreciate that the lip glosses are packaged away from the eyeshadows so any fallout doesn’t get mixed into the glosses. Also, It’s great that the packaging contains the names of each product so I know what the colors are.

NAIL POLISH

The first nail polish is Stole my Heart, a bright pink polish with pink shimmer. Stole my Heart has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. It is such a fun shade, and I love the shimmer formula.

The other polish is Alive, a glitter top coat filled with a mix of multicolored glitters in a variety of shapes. Alive has a good formula, and I applied two coats over Stole my Heart in the photos you see here. I do wish more glitters applied with each coat, but the end look is awesome. I could see this as a New Year’s Eve manicure for sure.

EYESHADOW

Here are swatches of all the eyeshadows in this palette without primer. From left to right, the shades are: Everything About You, Summer Love, I Would, Same Mistakes, Tell Me a Lie, and Nobody Compares. I’m really impressed with the smooth formulas and great pigmentation in these shadows. Each is very shimmery and great for the holidays, but I will say I wish there was at least one matte shade in the palette. I would have to reach for another palette to get a full eyeshadow look. Nonetheless, this collection has some really nice shadows!

EYELINER

The eyeliner in this kit is I Want, a matte black pencil. I am really impressed with this product as well. It applies so easily and has a true matte effect. You can also smudge out this liner for a smokey look.

LIP GLOSS

This palette also includes four lip glosses and a lip gloss top coat. From left to right, the shades are: Over Again (lip gloss top coat), Heart Attack, Irresistible, One Thing, and Loved You First. Each lip gloss gives a subtle wash of color to the lips and has a sheen to it. If you want added glitter, Over Again is perfect. I do recommend using your own lip brush to apply these, as the one included in the kit does not work well at all. Of course, layer over lipstick for a more opaque look.

All in all, I think these Makeup by One Direction tins are great items for any One Direction fan. The nail polish is a huge favorite of mine, and I think the eyeshadows are a nice addition to any makeup lover’s collection. These tins can be purchased at Sears USA, KMart, Target, and Walmart Canada. At just $12.95, I think they are a steal. Let me know which tin you’d pick based on your favorite One Direction member 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.