Adventures in Polishland

Keep the Stress at Bay with Holiday Essentials from Duane Reade! #DRHoliday

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

CB-sponsored-post-black-600 Happy Monday! While the holidays are my favorite time of the year, they can also get a bit stressful. You may know that I am only a part time beauty blogger and a full time law student. That means I’m in the midst of finals, but still trying to enjoy the holiday season as much as possible. When I learned about the amazing items the Duane Reade holiday section has to offer, I couldn’t wait to get some goodies! I definitely needed a few things to get me in the Christmas spirit!

I went to Duane Reade with the mission of buying a few holiday decorations for my bedroom, and some candy to enjoy while studying for finals. I was so surprised to find a great array of options at the store! My tip is to look not only in the holiday aisle, but all around your local store. There were decorations, wrapping paper, and gift items all around! For instance, I spotted tinsel on the lower floor of my Duane Reade location. Here’s how beautiful the aisles looked!

As for decorations, I decided to grab some silver tinsel and a cute Merry Christmas sign. Both were very affordable, and I knew even these small touches would brighten up my bedroom at home. I decided to drape the tinsel around my bedroom door, and put my glittery sign near my makeup collection. While sitting at my desk, I can see both, and they put a smile on my face!

I also couldn’t say no to some holiday candy! I mean, snack breaks are an important part of studying for finals! I decided to go with some Sour Patch Kids and Reese’s Peanut Butter Trees. Maybe if my friends are lucky I’ll share with them!

I’m so glad that Duane Reade supplied me with some holiday essentials at great prices. My total for all of these items was just under $15 with tax! The decorations and candy may be a small touch, but it’s making my holiday season and finals much better. Of course, the Duane Reade Seasonal aisle has more than just decorations and candy – you can be sure to stock up on wrapping paper, gifts, stocking stuffers and more! Make sure to get yourself a little treat when you’re there as well.

Let me know how you keep the stress at bay during the holidays in the comments!

Subscription Sunday | December Birchbox

Posted on December 15, 2013December 12, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Subscription Sunday! It’s time for one of my personal favorite parts of each month – sharing my Birchbox with all of you! I really love this $10 box of goodies, and this month is definitely a good one. I haven’t added up the retail value of all the products yet, so I can’t wait to discover that total as I write this post. Let’s take a look at what was inside my December box!

First off, how cute is this month’s box?! December’s theme is Holiday 2013, and everything was packaged even cuter than it usually is. I reuse all of my Birchbox boxes, and I’m really loving this one.

My box was pretty heavy when it arrived this month! I think you can see why! I’ll describe these products from left to right.

Manna Kadar Cosmetics Sheer Glo Lotion – $7.83 – This illuminating lotion will make your skin look glowy and gorgeous! I’ve used this as a highlighter on my cheekbones a few times, and I like it. Stay tuned for a full review later this week!
Hair Rules Curly Whip – $2.63 – I’m a bit disappointed here. I’m not sure why Birchbox keeps sending me products for curly hair when in my profile I clearly have it marked that I have fine and frizzy hair. Oh well, I can always give this to a friend.
BeeKind Body Lotion – $1.88 – Now this is a great product for me! I love using body lotion, especially in the winter. This one smells divine, and a portion goes to support honey bee and sustainable pollination research. How cool is that?!
Grand Central Beauty S.M.A.R.T. Skin Perfecting Polisher – $10.13 – This product really intrigues me! It’s supposed to exfoliate, peel, tone, and hydrate the skin all at once! You don’t even have to rinse this off. I can’t wait to give this a try!

Birchbox Digimate – Bonus! – This month Birchbox included a complete bonus product – a digimate! This cute little patch sticks to the back of your phone, and you can remove it to wipe off your screen. It’s so handy! I love it!
Chuao Chocolatier Mini Bar in Honeycomb – $0.85 – Yum! This chocolate bar was just what I needed! So delicious that I want to get some more. There are tons of flavors to choose from as well (including Bacon and Potato Chip!).

TOTAL RETAIL VALUE: $23.05

RATING 1-5 (1 BEING WORST AND 5 BEING BEST): 4

OVERALL OPINION: Despite the retail value being low and receiving one product that I cannot use, I’m really liking my Birchbox this month. I can use all of the other products, and I’m rather impressed with the sample sizes. Plus, the Digimate was a great bonus, and I’ve already used it a ton! Birchbox also gets a high score this month for the wonderful packaging.

There you have it! My December Birchbox! As always, you can join Birchbox for just $10 per month HERE. I really do love getting this subscription service, and it’s one that I’ve kept despite canceling a bunch of others. If you get Birchbox, let me know what you received this month in the comments!

Beautiful NYC | Julep NYC Holiday Pop Up

Posted on December 13, 2013December 12, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I’m super excited to bring you the second official post in my Beautiful NYC series. I’ve labeled a few other posts into this category if it was an NYC event, or simply some shopping I’ve done around town, but today I’m highlighting the Julep Pop Up store that is officially opening today! I was lucky enough to be invited to a special Maven night at the store yesterday, and heard from the wonderful Jane Park – Julep’s CEO and Founder. As a huge Julep fan, it was really exciting to meet Jane (who is extremely nice, by the way!) and learn a bit more about Julep as a company. Let me show you some photographs I took inside the Pop Up shop!

Julep NYC Holiday Pop Up — The nail polish was separated by style profile. Look at how gorgeous the displays are!

Favorite Beauty Products — Helpful signs shared about the Maven program, and you could even vote for your favorite beauty products!

Modern Beauty — Of course, the beauty and skincare products were for sale as well!

Check out this cool nail polish bottle flowing from the ceiling!

Maven signatures — All of the Mavens were asked to sign this placard with our favorite nail polish! It will be brought back to Maven headquarters. Can you spot my name?!

Adventures in Polishland was here! — There I am! I chose the nail polish Drew!

The Pop Up store sells all the Julep polishes and products you love, plus some gift sets for the holidays. One great thing about the store is that you are able to build your own custom Maven box, and you can build as many as you want for the $19.99 price. Of course, I built my own custom box!

I decided to build my own It Girl box, complete with three nail polishes, and then grabbed the Julep Acetone Free Nail Polish Remover. While this remover is definitely a bit on the expensive side, it is my all-time favorite remover, and I decided to treat myself. If you would like a complete review just talking about that remover, let me know in the comments!

The first polish I grabbed is the same one I added to the Maven sign – Drew. I’m not sure why I didn’t already own this polish, because it is perfect for me! Drew is a bright pink creme, with just a flawless formula. I applied two coats, but it was nearly a one coat formula. I could literally wear this every day and not get sick of it! I really do love my pink nails.

Next up is Bette, a gorgeous purple polish that leans towards fuchsia. Bette has a “crelly” formula that is not quite a creme and not quite a jelly. It applied really well, and I am wearing two coats in the photos. Bette is very similar to a limited edition Wet ‘n Wild nail polish that I own, but I’m so happy to have this one because that bottle is halfway empty and not available any longer. Plus, Bette definitely has a better formula!

Last but not least is Lena, a beautiful teal polish with subtle gold shimmer. When I first spotted Lena at the store, I thought it was a creme polish, but I actually love the shimmer added in! This polish is also a winner because it has a one coat formula! I just love when I make that discovery! Lena also reminds me of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Any other fans out there?!

All in all, I had a great time exploring the Julep NYC Holiday Pop Up and attending Maven night! If you will be in NYC during the holiday shopping season, be sure to stop by! The shop will be open starting today, December 13 through December 22. It’s located at 102 Fifth Avenue, amongst several other places to shop. You can find more details on Julep’s website HERE. Be sure to let me know if you visit the Pop Up!

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

Julie G Meet Up at Rite Aid in NYC!

Posted on December 11, 2013December 11, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! This past Saturday I had the amazing opportunity to meet YouTuber Julie G at Rite Aid in New York City. Julie has her own nail polish line with the brand Jesse’s Girl Cosmetics, and they held a meet up to show off the new Holiday Frosted Gumdrops Collection. I was so excited to meet Julie. I’ve watched her YouTube videos for a while now, and I love her nail polish line. Adventures in Polishland is all about fabulous and affordable nails, and Julie’s line retails for just $3.99! Let me show you the nail polish I wore to meet Julie, and all about the event!

I knew that I had to wear a JulieG nail polish to the event, so I chose Hot Cinnamon from the original Frosted Gumdrops Collection. Hot Cinnamon has the perfect formula, and is opaque in two coats. I love the bright red color, and how sparkly it is! It’s definitely perfect for the holiday season. Little did I know my nails would be even more festive thanks to Julie!

Yes! That’s me with Julie, and those are my nails on her Instagram! When I arrived at Rite Aid, Julie was all set up to give manicures to her fans using her polish collection. She used two of her new Holiday Frosted Gumdrops to create some nail art on my nails – Gift of Gold and Mistletoe. I love how it turned out!

Here are some more photographs from the event. It was such a fun time!

Image Courtesy of Jesse's Girl Cosmetics — Getting a Manicure from Julie! (Image Courtesy of Jesse’s Girl Cosmetics)

Jesse's Girl even gave us goodie bags! — Jesse’s Girl even gave us goodie bags!

All in all, I had a wonderful time at the meet up! It was so great to meet Julie, and talk about all things nail polish. I recently ordered the full JulieG Holiday Frosted Gumdrops Collection, so keep an eye out for that review soon. Until then, stop by your local Rite Aid to pick up polishes from the JulieG line, or shop online HERE. Thank you again to Julie, Jesse’s Girl Cosmetics, and Rite Aid for the wonderful experience!

Manicure Monday | Milani Blue Jay + Daphine Polish Frosty

Posted on December 9, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! You may be surprised to hear that most of my every day manicures don’t make it onto my blog. I thought it would be fun to share with you one of my recent manicures. I actually wore it last Monday (through Thursday!), but it works for today’s Manicure Monday post as well. Let me show you what I wore on my nails!

I began by applying Milani Blue Jay as a base color. I reviewed this polish HERE in July, and I’ve been eyeing it in my nail polish collection ever since. While this is a limited edition polish, it is still available on Milani’s website HERE for just $4.49. As you may know, I am a huge fan of Essie Butler Please, and since my bottle is already showing a significant fill line, I decided to use another blue that I own. I think it was a great decision!

To complete my manicure, I added an accent nail of Daphine Polish Frosty (review HERE). I really wanted to experiment with Frosty to see what it would look like over different colors, and I’m loving it over Blue Jay! And yes, the photo above was taken at school while I was studying for my Evidence class. See, this really was one of my every day manicures!

All in all, I hope you enjoyed seeing my manicure today! I really loved this combination of bright blue and a bit of glitter, and I can’t wait to use Frosty over even more colors to see the result. If you would like to see more Manicure Monday posts, please let me know 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.

Subscription Sunday | December Julep Maven Box

Posted on December 8, 2013December 8, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Subscription Sunday! Now that I am down to just two subscription boxes, my Subscription Sunday posts will be less frequent, but I still look forward to them! This month I was really excited to get my Julep Maven box – the polishes looked so pretty! I opted for the It Girl style this month. Let me show you my December box!

This month’s theme is The Glitterati Collection, and I’m loving it! As a special bonus, Mavens received two yoga hair ties, and a 40% off discount code (not shown). Of course, my three polishes look absolutely stunning, even in the bottle!

First up is Celia, what Julep describes as an “icy green metallic”. Celia has a wonderful formula that is opaque in two coats. A few streaks are visible, as in most metallic polishes. As for the color, I’m loving it! It’s very unique and quite perfect for the holidays. Celia definitely gets a thumbs up from me!

Next up is Shoshanna, a yellow-gold holographic glitter. Shoshanna’s formula is a bit on the thick side, but easily maneuverable. It’s also opaque in two coats. I am blown away by this polish! It is stunning , and I truly own nothing else like it. I bet this would look great layered as well.

Last but not least is Evelyn, a deep purple creme polish that leans towards a berry shade. Evelyn had a good formula, and is opaque in two coats. I like that this more subdued polish came in my box this month. After two very unique shades, it’s nice to have a classic creme as well. Evelyn is quite beautiful!

All in all, I’m loving my December Julep Maven Box! It’s one of my favorite Julep boxes of all time, and I can’t wait to use these polishes over and over. If you’re not yet a Julep Maven member, you can join HERE. Use code FREEBOX to get your first box for free (you just pay shipping). Let me know what you got in your Julep box this month in the comments!
This post contains an affiliate link. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Products I’ve Used Up #1

Posted on December 6, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I have my first ever “empties” post, where I talk about products I’ve completely used up. I love watching these types of YouTube videos, and thought I could share my empties with you in blog form! This is a great way to learn about a lot of products in a short amount of time! Let me share my empties with you, and let you know if I would repurchase them!

HAIR CARE

L’Oreal EverSleek Intense Smoothing Shampoo – I’ve used this shampoo and conditioner set from L’Oreal many times! I love that it is sulfate free, and really leaves my hair feeling soft and healthy. It retails for around $6 at the drugstore, and is a shampoo I return to every once in a while. I definitely recommend it! [BUY]
Klorane Dry Shampoo – After getting a sample in a Birchbox, I just had to get the full size version of this dry shampoo. It is amazing! It zaps the oil right out of my hair and makes it feel clean. It’s the best dry shampoo, and worth the $18 price tag. The only drawback is it does run out rather quickly. I plan on getting another one soon, though! [BUY]
Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment – This is a new holy grail product! It has changed my hair for the better! My hair is much healthier now that I apply this oil, and I just love it. This travel size lasted me about six months, and it is worth it. I’ve already repurchased it! [BUY]

SKIN & BODY CARE

Sukí Face Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser – I got this sample in a Birchbox, and I loved it! This is a two-in-one cleanser and exfoliant, and it smells like lemons. It was pretty gentle as a scrub, and my face always felt great afterwards. The only reason I am not going to repurchase this is because the full size is $32.95. Otherwise, I love it! [BUY]
Lulah Body Wash in Magnolia Fig – I am just using up my subscription box products! I got this body wash in a PopSugar box, and it was so nice and luxurious. I loved the rich scent, and even the packaging is cute. At $11.25 I’m not sure I would repurchase this for myself, but it would make a great gift! [BUY]
Whish Exfoliating Body Wash – This is a body wash I wasn’t too thrilled about. While it had a pleasant scent, I didn’t like using a body cleanser with an exfoliant added in. I just prefer to do that separately. Plus, I had to use a lot of product to feel clean. I’m going to pass on this one! [BUY]
Burt’s Bees Hand Salve – This little tin contained a medicinal hand cream. I really enjoyed it for days where my hands really needed some extra help. It is quite greasy, but works well. It’s not my favorite hand cream, but definitely a good product. [BUY]

NAIL CARE

Rite Aid Renewal 100% Pure Acetone – For some reason I’ve never used pure acetone to remove my nail polish before. Now, I’m hooked! This is the best nail polish remover I’ve ever used, and it didn’t damage my nails or cuticles. Plus, this bottle lasted me a long time because I didn’t have to use as much remover. I am definitely going to be buying this again! [BUY at Rite Aid]
Sephora Collection Base Coat – This is hands down the best base coat I’ve ever tried as well! It dries really quickly, and I love the large, flat brush. The only downside is that it can only be purchased on Sephora’s website, but I’ve already gone ahead and repurchased another bottle. At $6, I think it’s a steal! [BUY]

MAKEUP

CoverGirl Natural Lash – I use this clear mascara to keep my eyebrows in place! Now I don’t have crazy hairs anymore! Unfortunately I dropped this, and it dried out rather quickly. I did repurchase, though, and I love this product! It’s around $5 at drugstores. [BUY]
CoverGirl NatureLuxe Mascara – I also used up a black mascara from CoverGirl. I absolutely loved this one because it gave me natural and clump-free lashes. Unfortunately this line has been discontinued, but you can still purchase it on Amazon. I highly recommend it! [BUY]
Buxom Sculpted Lash Mascara – Last but not least is another mascara! This is a high end one that I got in a PopSugar box. I absolutely loved it, and I was amazed how well it curled my lashes. I was so sad when it dried up because I’m not going to repurchase it at $19. It’s worth it if you can afford it, though! [BUY]

Those are all of the empty products I have to share with you today! I hope you enjoyed learning more about these products. Please let me know if you would like to see more Products I’ve Used Up posts in the future!

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

Indie Spotlight | Daphine Polish’s Holiday Collection 2013

Posted on December 4, 2013December 1, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I am excited to share with you three beautiful polishes from the indie brand Daphine Polish. While I first tried this brand just a few months ago, it has quickly become one of my favorite indies! I was thrilled to review some of the holiday polishes for all of you. Let me show you these gorgeous polishes!

First, I wanted to show you how nice the packaging from Daphine Polish is. I love when brands put in that extra effort. It really makes getting a package even more exciting!

The first polish I have to show you is Poinsettia, a Christmas red polish with holographic shimmer throughout. Poinsettia is the perfect holiday polish! The formula is amazing, and is opaque in two coats. Plus, it dries quickly. I recommend sealing Poinsettia with a top coat shortly after application to ensure the holographic quality really stands out.

Next up is Rudolph’s Nose, a glitter topcoat with a variety of red glitters and a sprinkling of green and gold granules. I layered one coat of Rudolph’s Nose over Poinsettia, and I’m loving the result! There is no fishing for glitters in this polish, and I love how beautiful these two look together. Of course, you can layer Rudolph’s Nose over many other polishes as well!

Last but not least is Frosty, a glitter top coat with a mix of white and iridescent glitters. I layered one coat over Zoya Hunter (see review HERE), and I’m so amazed with the result! Not only does Frosty have an amazing formula, but the iridescent glitters transform on the nail. As you can see in the photos above, shades of blue and purple magically appeared on my nails! I bet you will get a different result depending on the layering combo. I will have to experiment with Frosty more in the future for sure.

All in all, these holiday polishes from Daphine Polish are wonderful! I highly recommend them! Make sure you check out the full holiday collection on Etsy HERE. Full size polishes are $10 each, but keep an eye out for holiday sales by liking Daphine Polish on Facebook HERE. Let me know which of these three is your favorite 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.

Ho-Ho-Holiday Giveaway!

Posted on December 3, 2013December 3, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! It really is the season of giving, and I am celebrating with you by participating in another mega giveaway hosted by fellow blogger Beauty Pop Stop. First up, let me show you the eleven prizes you have a chance at winning. Then stay tuned for the entry form!

ADVENTURES IN POLISHLAND

BEAUTY POP STOP

Enkore Makeup Pro Ultra Brush Soap, Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Crash, Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Mini Body Butter, Make Up Forever Aqua Shadow 28E, LUSH Ickle Baby Bot Bath Bomb

BEYOND BEAUTY LOUNGE

COSMETIC SANCTUARY

Colors by Llarowe – Behead the Drama Queen, Zoya London Pixie Dust, 2oz Zoya Remove+

THE LACQUEROLOGIST

WORK / PLAY / POLISH

Zoya Matte Velvet Jewels LE Gift Set Trio

ENTER HERE

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mobile Friendly Link: http://bit.ly/15NXhdJ

Thank you as always for following Adventures in Polishland! It really means a lot to me, and I hope this giveaway is a special way to give back for the support I’ve received over this past year and a half. Please make sure to visit all of the other amazing bloggers who are participating in this giveaway as well! Have a wonderful holiday season!

November 2013 Favorites!

Posted on December 2, 2013December 2, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! I can’t believe it is already December, and November has come to a close. Time flies by this time of year, and I try to enjoy it as much as possible. Let me share with you the products I loved during the month of November!

NAIL POLISH

Michael Marcus Once You Go Matte – $15 [BUY]

I’ve been obsessed with this black matte nail polish! I’ve already worn it twice! I definitely suggest following up with a matte top coat to ensure it is long-lasting.

CLEANSER

Murad Clarifying Cleanser – $26 full size [BUY]

I received this cleanser in a swap, and I am loving it! It’s gentle, clears my skin of impurities, and smells like lemon-lime soda. I’ll be sad when I finish this travel size!

MOISTURIZER

Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair Moisturizer – $65 [BUY]

I received this moisturizer in a PopSugar box, and it’s amazing! It smells like lemons, and is perfect as a day moisturizer since it is not greasy and quickly absorbs into the skin. I’ve been combatting my winter skin this month, and this moisturizer has really helped!

EYESHADOW

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Just Beige – $8 [Drugstore!]

For a long time I’ve wanted a MAC Paint Pot just to cover up all of the veins on my eyelids. I didn’t want to splurge, so I was thrilled to get my hands on this Limited Edition Color Tattoo from Maybelline. It matches my skin tone well, and covers up the imperfections on my eyelids. Check your local drugstore to find it!

LIP PRODUCT

Baby Lips in Peach Kiss – $4 [BUY]

I am a self-diagnosed Baby Lips addict! I love all Baby Lips, but in November I wore Peach Kiss a lot. It is a gorgeous nude shade with a hint of sparkle. It moisturizes my lips while adding a little bit of color. I love it!

PERFUME

Taylor Swift Enchanted Wonderstruck – $49.50 full size [BUY]

I’m not a Taylor Swift fan, but I tried out this perfume sample and I’m hooked! It smells amazing, and I made this sample last as long as possible. Enchanted Wonderstruck is a great scent for the fall, and I even added the full size to my Wish List!

FASHION

Guess Pumps – $29.99 [BUY SIMILAR]

I was invited to my school’s annual gala, and I desperately needed some simple, black pumps. I found these ones from Guess at Burlington Coat Factory for just $29.99 with the original retail value of $60! I was so surprised at how comfortable these heels were, and how easy they were to walk in. I meandered the streets of Manhattan with ease!

BOOK

Allegiant by Veronica Roth – $6.99 [BUY]

I made time in my schedule this month to read Allegiant, the last book in the Divergent series. It is amazing! I won’t say too much, because I don’t want to spoil the story, but I did love it. I ordered the Kindle edition of the book so I could read it on my iPad and not wait for it to arrive in the mail. I highly recommend this book!

That’s it for my November favorites! I hope enjoyed this post, and be sure to let me know what your November favorites were in the comments!

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.