Adventures in Polishland

Pretty Polished Pointers 5k/6k Giveaway!

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! I’ve teamed up with some fellow bloggers and indie makers to celebrate Pretty & Polished Pointers reaching 5,000 Facebook Likes! Please make sure to read through this entry carefully, as the rules are a bit different than the giveaways I host. Let me know if you have any questions!

Starts 2/10/14 12am MST Ends 3/3/14 12am MST

Pretty and Polished Pointers: Zoya, Dazzle Dry, Nicole Opi, Incoco and Nail art Supplies Prize Pack!Prize Pack #1

Beauty Shoes Nails and Fun: China Glaze and Stripping tape Prize Pack

Prize Pack #2

LynBDesign: He’s Cluing for Looks and We All Do Silly Things

Prize Pack #3

Lemonade Nail: Salon Effects nail app and Nail Art supplies Prize Pack

Prize Pack #4

Coloure My Obsession Picture Polish and Butter London

Prize Pack #5

Lace & Lacquers: OPI, Sally Hansen and Sephora Prize Pack

Prize Pack #6

Peace, Love and Polish: $15 Llarowe egift Card

Prize #7

Llarowe E-Gift Card

Jindie Nails: Valentine Duo

Prize Pack #8

Pointless Cafe: Qtica, Sealore and Lynderella Prize Pack

Prize Pack 9

Tall Girl in Heels: OPI Prize Pack

Prize Pack 10

The Nail Files: OPI Fit to Tied Set and Bracelets Prize Pack

Prize Pack 11

Mentality: $25 Gift Certificate

Prize Pack 12

Adventures in Polishland: Favorites Prize Pack

Prize Pack 13

Baroness of Glitter: Bubble Goth

Prize Pack 14

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Rules:

Giveaway ends 3/3/14

13 winners

Open to US addresses only

Must be 18 years old to enter

Winner has 48 hours to respond back to their prize sponsor or a new winner will be chosen

Enter through the Rafflecopter Widget

Extra entries can be gained daily

All entries will be modified (no cheating)

Good Luck!

New Milani Nail Lacquer for 2014!

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

Happy Monday! Today I have my last review of the new Milani nail polishes for 2014. In addition to the Gold Label Specialty Nail Lacquer, and the new High Speed Fast Dry polishes, Milani is also expanding its regular collection with ten new and trending shades. Let me show you these beautiful polishes (and please forgive my dry cuticles – winter has not been good to me!).

First up is Vanilla Almond, a tan creme polish. Vanilla Almond has a great formula that is opaque in just one coat! I was beyond thrilled to find such a full coverage polish in this nude shade. If you’re looking for a perfect neutral, I definitely suggest Vanilla Almond!

Next up is White, a white creme polish. I’ve been looking for an affordable white polish for a long time, and I am so excited that Milani released this one! The formula is very good – the first coat was streaky, but the second is nearly flawless. White polishes are so hard to get right, but Milani’s done it! I even love wearing white alone in the summer months.

Mauve Medley is next, and it’s a gorgeous, deep berry creme. Mauve Medley has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I was actually surprised at how much I love this polish! The shade just looked really awesome with my skin tone, and the color is appropriate for a work setting, yet not boring one bit.

Golden Romance is my absolute favorite in this post! It is a glitter polish with very fine yellow gold glitters and small and medium rose gold hexagons. Not only is the polish beautiful, but it is full coverage in just two coats! The formula is really easy to work with as well. I’m truly obsessed with Golden Romance!

Next up is Mulberry Sugar, a reddish-brown shimmer polish. Mulberry Sugar has an awesome formula that is opaque in two coats. I’m not usually one for brown polishes, but the shimmer in this one makes it really unique and a bit more fancy. Mulberry Sugar is the perfect fall shade, though of course it can be worn all year long!

Iced Mango is the other new shimmer polish, this time in a burnt orange shade. Iced Mango also has an amazing formula that is opaque in two coats. If you’re looking for a wearable orange, try out this one! I’m loving it, and I bet it would make for great nail art as well. Try it paired with Mulberry Sugar!

If you’re looking for a creme orange, maybe Canyon Country is for you! It is a burnt orange shade as well, but with a dustier pigmentation. Canyon Country has a great formula, and I applied two coats to achieve opacity. This polish definitely reminds me of when I visited the Grand Canyon – I wish I could have worn it when I was there!

Next up is Peach Innocence, a beautiful peach creme polish. Peach Innocence has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I actually don’t own another peach polish like this one, so I’m so glad Milani released it. Plus, I think Peach Innocence will look awesome with all skin tones!

Heather is up next, and it is a dusty plum creme polish. Heather’s formula is awesome as well, and it is opaque in two coats. I like that this is a more subdued polish, yet is still quite pigmented at the same time. If you don’t like bright shades, Heather is for you!

Last but not least is Cupid’s Touch, a pink creme polish with blue undertones. Cupid’s Touch is so pretty, and, of course, it has a great formula. I love that this shade has a hint of blue, and that makes it unlike the other pinks in my nail polish collection. Cupid’s Touch is perfect for Valentine’s Day, too!

All in all, I am really loving all of these new Milani polishes. Golden Romance is by far my favorite, and I’m also excited to have an affordable white in my collection. You can purchase these polishes for just $3.99 each at your local CVS store. They can also be purchased on Milani’s website HERE. Let me know in the comments what your favorite new release from Milani is!

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

Valentine’s Day Nail Art | Free Hand Hearts

Posted on February 8, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so I thought it would be fun to create a simple, nail art look. I grabbed two of my favorite nail polishes, and decided a free hand design would be quick and easy. Let me show you the manicure I put together!

To create this manicure, I started out with a base of Wet ‘n Wild Megalast in On a Trip (full review HERE). Once that was completely dry, I took Rainbow Polish in Wild Orchid (review HERE) and did free hand hearts all over my nails. Hearts are really easy to create – just make a “V” shape and you’re all set! Wild Orchid is one of my favorite indie nail polishes, and I thought the pink base with pink and purple glitters would be perfect for Valentine’s Day! To seal the entire look, I finished up with a layer of butter LONDON Hardwear Top Coat.

All in all, I think this manicure is really cute, and great for Valentine’s Day! I love how quick and easy it is to create, and there is no need to be absolutely perfect with your free hand hearts. This look is also customizable to your personal tastes, as you can choose any colors you wish. Let me know in the comments if you like this look!

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

Show Team Spirit with a CoverGirl Fanicure! #DRBigGame #CollectiveBias

Posted on February 6, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

CB Disclosure White Background 600 px wide

Happy Thursday! Today I’m excited to tell you all about a fun event I attended at Duane Reade last week. P&G and CoverGirl are celebrating female fans by offering team-inspired nail looks for spirit all season long, and to prepare for the Big Game, CoverGirl gave free manicures to Duane Reade customers. Let me tell you all about the Fanicure event, and show you how to create one of your own!

The Fanicure event was so much fun! I chose to get a Seattle themed manicure, since I’m still bitter about New England losing to Denver in the playoffs. My manicurist used three CoverGirl Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss shades in Sapphire Flare, Appletini, and Snow Storm to create the look. With a smooth finish, even color and glossy shine, this polish can last as long as a week with no top-coat required!

I also got to hang out with some other great bloggers! Make sure to head over to their blogs to see the Fanicures they got as well.

Momma D and Da Boyz, Beauty 101, and Adventures in Polishland

HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN FANICURE!

While I was at Duane Reade, I also picked up the shades that correspond with my favorite football team, New England. Each of the 32 teams has its own custom nail gloss bundle to ensure fans can really show team spirit. New England’s CoverGirl colors are Snow Storm, Ever Reddy, and Sapphire Flare. At the Duane Reade where I was shopping, the CoverGirl display was upstairs on the second floor in the Look Boutique.

Next, I got started on creating my own Fanicure. I began with applying Ever Reddy as a double accent nail, and Sapphire Flare on my other nails. Once that was completely dry, I used some striping tape and then finished up with Snow Storm. I am loving the completed look! It was easy to create, and I’m ready to support my favorite team in style.

All in all, I had a great time at the Duane Reade Fanicure event, and I’m loving the New England Football Fanicure I created. You can create your own Fanicure by visiting the CoverGirl website HERE and seeing what nail polishes correspond with your favorite team. Either shop online, or stop by your local drugstore to pick up these fabulous and affordable polishes at just $5.49 each!

You can also catch up on Big Game news by stopping by the Duane Reade Big Game Social Hub HERE. This is a hub where Tweets, Instagram content, and Vine videos using the #DRBigGame hashtag are congregated in one place. Duane Reade is the perfect place for all your game day needs, including nail polish!

Be sure to let me know what you think of my Fanicure in the comments!

New Milani High Speed Fast Dry Nail Lacquer for 2014

Posted on February 5, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Not only is Milani releasing the amazing Gold Label Specialty Nail Lacquers this month, but there are also three, brand new colors in the High Speed Fast Dry line. These polishes are designed to be a full coverage, one coat formula. I first tried this line back in March (see that post HERE), and I was so excited when I saw the new colors. Let me show you the three new shades for 2014!

First up is Aqua Brisk, a bright aqua creme polish. Aqua Brisk is definitely a perfect, one coat formula. I’m really impressed that such a light colored shade is so opaque in one coat! Plus, the bright color is beautiful and right up my alley. I’m obsessing over Aqua Brisk for sure!

Next up is Sangria Rush, a deep berry creme polish. Sangria Rush is also a one coat formula, living up to Milani’s claim! This polish is definitely a rich shade, and very on trend for this winter. I see a lot of women rocking polishes like Sangria Rush around NYC!

Last but not least is Blue Zoom, an electric blue creme polish. Blue Zoom is a polish after my heart. I just love bright blue nail polishes, and this one is amazing! Blue Zoom is a true one coater, and I can’t get enough of it. With its high-shine finish, I won’t even need to worry about top coat!

All in all, I am loving these new High Speed Fast Dry polishes from Milani! They are all truly one coat formulas, and the colors are just beautiful. They are available at CVS stores for just $4.69 each. You can also purchase them on Milani’s website HERE. Have you tried any polishes from this line? If so, let me know what you think 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.

Flashy Fingers with Nail Rock Sequin Manicure

Posted on February 3, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! One of the items in my January Birchbox was a nail art kit from the brand Nail Rock. Of course, I had to give it a try! This kit is designed to give you a sequined manicure. I’ve never tried anything like this before, so I was definitely intrigued. Let me show you what is inside the kit, and the fancy fingers I created!

The Nail Rock Sequin kit comes with one bottle of Rock Polish Grip and one nail sequin pot. My kit is in the shade Green. I love that the price tag is just $7.00 – over half off the competing product made by Ciaté! This kit also comes with a direction sheet, that explains all you have to do is apply two coats of the Rock Polish Grip, and dunk your nail into the pot to complete the look.

Here is my completed manicure! I followed the directions, and I think the result is pretty awesome. I actually really like how it turned out. Of course, this is not a practical manicure for daily life, but if you have a special event you want some extra bling for, this will definitely work! I highly recommend laying down newspaper or a paper towel before opening the sequin pot. Even though I was careful to not spill the sequins, they still migrated a bit outside my paper towel. Removal, however, was a breeze. All you need is regular nail polish remover.

All in all, I thought it was so fun to try out this sequined manicure. I felt so flashy with my nails decked out, but I don’t know if or when I’ll recreate the look. Nail Rock does have several other nail art kits, which can be purchased on the Birchbox website HERE. Have you ever tried a sequined manicure? Let me know in the comments!

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

Subscription Sunday | February Julep Maven Box

Posted on February 2, 2014February 1, 2014 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Subscription Sunday! When I saw the Julep Maven February selections, I just knew I had to grab my box this month. Let me show you what was inside!

This month, Julep is releasing the Dramatic Collection. Every box came with a special bonus polish called Love, in addition to the box’s regular contents. I decided to go with my style profile, and grabbed the Classic with a Twist box with two polishes and a beauty product.

The first polish I got is Greta, a berry toned shimmer polish. Greta is opaque in two coats, and has a great formula. The color is stunning, and I’m loving the holographic sparkle. It’s a great transitional color from winter to spring.

The other polish is Octavia, a bright indigo creme. Octavia has a great formula as well, and is opaque in two coats. I love how pigmented this polish is! It is definitely unlike other blue-toned polishes in my collection.

The beauty product this month was a brand new Julep Eye Sheen in the shade Dusty Taupe. I was expecting this to be a cream eyeshadow, but it’s more of a mousse. The formula is nice, and easy to apply with your fingers. I like the shade, but it has a lot of glitter in it, so it’s more of a special occasion product for me. I was also disappointed with the product’s size – it’s much smaller than the standard cream shadow.

Finally, the bonus polish each Maven got this month is Love, a rose gold glitter polish with hints of red glitter. I was happy to discover that Love is opaque on its own in two coats. It also has a formula that applies with ease. Love is such a great bonus product, and I’m loving it!

All in all, I’m so glad I got my February Julep Maven Box! It truly was a bargain at $19.99. If you’re not a Julep Maven member yet, I highly recommend this monthly program. I’ve been a member since July 2012! My favorite part of the program is the ability to skip any month that you don’t want to purchase. Try the program for just $3.99 shipping today by entering code FREEBOX at checkout HERE. Are you a Maven? Let me know in the comments!

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

Geometric Rose Garden Nail Art featuring Nail Stickers from Born Pretty Store

Posted on February 1, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! It’s still officially winter, but my nails are ready for the spring! Born Pretty Store sent me some beautiful rose nail stickers to review, and I decided to put together a geometric rose garden manicure. I’ve been really inspired with nail art lately, so I hope you like what I’ve put together. Let me show you the rose stickers and the look I created.

Here is the sheet of nail stickers from Born Pretty Store. The sheet contains 28 golden rose stickers in a few different designs, and retails for just $2.22 HERE! Instead of just placing these on a solid background, I thought it would be fun to use both green and pink together to symbolize the flower and stem colors.

I began my manicure using Julep Payton as a green base. You can see my full review of Payton HERE, but I thought the bright green color and creme finish would be the perfect base for my rose garden!

Next, I let Payton dry completely, and then used scotch tape to mark off sections of each nail. I did a different design on each nail, but you can do each nail the same if you like. Once the tape was in place, I used Julep Drew as my pink, rose color. Before Drew dried, I carefully peeled off the tape. I have a few minor mistakes, but no worries – my roses can go right on top of the less-than-perfect parts! I let Drew dry, and then used butter LONDON Hardwear Topcoat to even out the edges.

Finally, I added a rose nail sticker to each nail. It is so easy to use these stickers. All you have to do is peel and place! I followed up with another layer of top coat to seal everything in place. I chose to use a sticker on each nail, but this look is customizable to you! Use the stickers on an accent nail, or use the same design on each nail. The sticker sheet has enough stickers for 2+ manicures, depending on how many you use.

All in all, I am really loving this geometric rose garden nail art! It is simple to create, yet looks funky and feminine at the same time. As always, you can purchase fabulous and affordable nail art supplies on Born Pretty Store’s website HERE. Use discount code FZL91 for an additional 10% off. Let me know in the comments what you think of my manicure!

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

January 2014 Favorites!

Posted on January 30, 2014January 30, 2014 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! January is quickly coming to a close, and it’s time for me to share some of the things I’ve been loving this month with all of you. I don’t have too many beauty favorites this month, since I’ve been keeping it rather natural in the new year. Nonetheless, here are my January 2014 favorites!

NAIL POLISH

Milani Nail Polish in Popping Pink and Sugar Rush [REVIEW 1] [REVIEW 2]

As you may have guessed, I am just obsessed with the new Milani Gold Label polishes that will be in CVS stores starting in February. My favorite combination is one coat of Sugar Rush over Popping Pink. This manicure is so fun, and I love everything about these polishes. I highly recommend them!

BLUSH

NYC Cheek Glow in Riverside Rose [BUY]

I recently picked up this blush from NYC at Rite Aid during a sale event (see my haul post HERE), and I’m so impressed! The color is just right for my skin tone, and it looks so natural. I can’t believe this costs just $2.99! Run to the drugstore and grab this now!

MASCARA

L’Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara [REVIEW] [BUY]

It’s probably no surprise at this point that I love this new mascara from L’Oreal! As much as I love trying out different mascaras, I am rushing to finish the other ones in my stash so I can wear this every day! The wand is beyond amazing, and the formula is perfect for my lashes. Every mascara fan needs this one in her collection!

HAIR

Got2b Guardian Angel Heat Protectant [BUY]

I purchased this heat protectant several weeks ago during a sale event at CVS. I had a coupon, so I figured I would give this a try at a low price. I’m so glad I picked it up! My hair has never looked more smooth or shiny (yet not greasy). Since I straighten my hair most days, this heat protectant is tailored to my needs as well.

BODY LOTION

Nivea Extended Moisture Body Lotion [REVIEW] [BUY]

As soon as I returned to NYC after my winter break, I couldn’t wait to grab my Nivea lotion. It really is my all-time favorite body lotion thus far. Not only does it work, but it doesn’t have an annoying scent. Keep an eye out for coupons in the Sunday paper for added savings!

FOOD

Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels

I grabbed these pretzels at TJ’s and quickly devoured the bag. In fact, I may have polished off the remnants while I’ve been writing this post… whoops. These may not be the healthiest snack in the world, but at least I know that they’re all natural. I think I’m going to hold off on buying another bag for a while, though. I just don’t have any self control when it comes to these goodies!

MUSIC

The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2 by Justin Timberlake [BUY]

I’ve been listening to JT’s latest album nonstop lately. Granted, everything he touches turns to gold in my eyes, but this album is fantastic! I love the entire thing, but my favorite songs are Not a Bad Thing and Murder. If you don’t have this album yet, you should definitely buy it!

That’s it for my January favorites! I hope you enjoyed seeing what I’m currently loving, and please share your favorites with me as well. Leave your thoughts in the comments, or use hashtag #PolishlandFaves on social media.

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

Pinspiration | Dry Brush Technique featuring Milani Gold Labels

Posted on January 28, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! I was loving the new Milani Gold Label Specialty Nail Lacquers so much that I knew I had to create a nail art look with them. I browsed through my Nail & Beauty Inspiration Board on Pinterest for ideas, and settled on the Dry Brush Technique. I first learned of this nail art method on The Lacquerologist back in December, and Pinned the blog post for later. I love the easy tutorial that Emily created, and knew I’d be trying it out at some point. Let me show you the look I created!

To create this bright and funky manicure, I followed Emily’s tutorial and used polishes from the new Milani Gold Label line. I began with a base color of Popping Pink, and used Vivid Violet, Power Periwinkle, and Sugar High with the dry brush technique. I sealed the look with butter LONDON’s Hardwear Topcoat, and I really love the final result! The look was so easy to create, and the bright colors go so well together. Plus, I couldn’t resist adding in a bit of glitter, too.

All in all, I’m so glad I tried out the dry brush technique after seeing it on The Lacquerologist! It’s simple, yet looks really cool. The possibilities are endless as well, so I’ll definitely have to try this again in the future! Let me know in the comments if you’ve ever tried this technique, or if there are any nail art designs you would like me to test out on Adventures in Polishland.

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.