Adventures in Polishland

Subscription Sunday | October PopSugar MustHave Box

Posted on October 20, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Subscription Sunday! Today I have a somewhat sad post – it’s my last PopSugar MustHave Box. While PopSugar is definitely my favorite subscription service, it’s also the most expensive. I was willing to make room in my tight budget for $35 per month, but I got an email from the company saying they are raising its prices to $39.95 come November 4, and I just wasn’t willing to pay that much. Thankfully, the October box is a great way to honor my love for PopSugar. Let me show you the amazing products!

First up are three Must Have Beauty products! The first item is a nail polish duo from Julep that contained the Freedom Polymer Top Coat and Char, a beautiful blue polish. I personally think the Freedom Top Coat is horrible, but I’m so happy to have Char. The retail value for this duo is $32!

Next, I got two items from NYX Cosmetics. The first is the Smokey Fumé Palette complete with six eyeshadows, and the next is the Liquid Eyeliner in Black. These products retail for $7 and $6 respectively. I’ve been wanting to try out some NYX products, so I’m really glad to have these!

The next Must Have Beauty product is The Wet Brush, which retails for $14. This is one of those products that seem really gimmicky, but it actually works! I am so impressed with this brush, and my hair is loving it. I highly recommend this product!

Now onto Must Have Fashion! First is the Gorjana Charity Bali Bead Bracelet. Not only do I love the hot pink color, but 100% of the proceeds for this $45 bracelet is donated to Breast Cancer research. Super cute, and a great cause! As a special extra this month, PopSugar threw in a $20 promo code to Stitch Fix, a website I’ll have to check out. Plus, I also got some cute bobby pins from Jane Tran that retail for $12.

My favorite item in my October Box is The Can’t Cook Book by Jessica Seinfeld. I feel like this book was made just for me! I struggle with cooking, and this book is so well-written and includes amazing graphics and directions. Plus, there are a lot of vegetarian recipes that fit my lifestyle. I can’t wait to try it out! This book retails for $27.99.

Last but not least is a Must Have Food item from The Crispery. This Halloween Crispycake is a huge treat! If you love marshmallows, this is for you. It retails for $3.95!

All in all, I’m glad my last PopSugar MustHave Box was a great one! The total retail value was $167.94, and I’m loving the items. If you have room for PopSugar in your budget, I highly recommend this box. It’s a great variety, and is so exciting to get in the mail. Plus, if you sign up before November 4th, you can lock in the $35 price by signing up for a 3-month subscription. You will pay in advance, but use code MUSTHAVE10 to get $10 off your purchase HERE. Let me know what you think of PopSugar MustHave in the comments!

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

Halloween Week Roundup!

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! I hope you have enjoyed Halloween Week here at Adventures in Polishland! If you missed any of this week’s posts, here is a quick roundup. As always, you can subscribe to my blog via email to receive updates in your inbox. It’s free! Just enter your email in the box on the top right that says “Follow My Adventures” from the Adventures in Polishland Home screen.

Be Boo-tiful this Halloween with Duane Reade Hosiery

Leopard Nails with Sally Hansen Real Nail Polish Strips

Easy Pumpkin Nails with Zoya Nail Polish

Fall Glitter with China Glaze Nail Lacquer

Candy Corn Nail Art

My Top 10 Halloween Movies

I hope you all have a great Halloween! Please let me know if you enjoy theme weeks in the comments.

Halloween Week | My Top 10 Halloween Movies

Posted on October 18, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! I wanted to close out Halloween Week here at Adventures in Polishland with something a little bit different! Halloween is a great time to break out the holiday movies, and I thought I would share my favorites with you. Here are my Top 10 Halloween Movies!

10. Halloween

I don’t like scary movies, but Halloween is a classic! I remember watching it at my friend’s Halloween party in high school. This is perfect for those who can’t handle anything too frightening, but still want a scare.

9. The Addams Family

They’re creepy and they’re cooky, and they’re hilarious! The Addams Family is a great movie to watch with your family on Halloween. I love Christina Ricci as Wednesday!

8. Young Frankenstein

Young Frankenstein is one of my all-time favorite movies, and is only number eight on this list because I want watch it all year long! If you need a laugh, this is the perfect film. My favorite scene is Puttin’ on the Ritz!

7. The Rocky Horror Picture Show

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a cult classic. I love to do the Time Warp at least once per year! Keep in mind this movie is for older audiences, but it’s definitely a must for Halloween.

6. The Nightmare Before Christmas

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas is such a fun movie with great music. Plus, it’s perfect to watch right through the Christmas season as well! My favorite song is What’s This?!

5. Beetlejuice

If you’re looking for something delightfully scary, Beetlejuice is a must! Who doesn’t love the Shake Senora scene?! This is another great family film.

4. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

No holiday is complete without the Charlie Brown special. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is sweet and charming, and has some great moments. I hope you don’t get a rock trick-or-treating this year!

3. Garfield’s Halloween Adventure

Garfield’s Halloween Adventure is one of the most underrated Halloween movies. I just love this holiday special, including the music! Grab some candy, candy, candy while you watch this one!

2. The Halloween Tree

Another lesser-known film is The Halloween Tree, based of off a Ray Bradbury novel. My brother introduced this film to my family when I was younger, and it’s just a wonderful story replete with friendship and Halloween history!

1. Hocus Pocus

My number one favorite is none other than Hocus Pocus! I’ll never forget the first time I saw it at my friend’s sleepover party in second grade. It put a spell on me, and I’ve loved it ever since! I’ve seen Hocus Pocus so many times I can recite the whole movie, but it doesn’t stop me from watching it several times per year! I hope you love it as much as I do!

Make sure to let me know what your favorite Halloween Movies are in the comments! Have a fun and safe Halloween!

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

Halloween Week | Candy Corn Nail Art

Posted on October 17, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! One of my personal favorite parts of Halloween is the candy, and that includes the classic candy corn. I thought it would be fun to create an easy nail art look to represent the yummy treat. All you need is a white, orange, and yellow polish, matte top coat, and some scotch tape. Let’s get to painting!

The first step is to paint your nails with a white nail polish and let it dry completely. I used LVX Fantom, but any white will do! Then, take some scotch tape and place it on the top section of your nails, as if you were creating a reverse French manicure. Paint over your entire nail with your choice of orange polish, remove the tape, and let dry. Then, repeat the entire process again with the yellow polish by moving the tape two-thirds down your nail. Let your manicure dry completely, and then apply matte top coat!

Here is my finished candy corn manicure! You can see there are a few smudges because I wasn’t patient and applied my matte top coat before my polish was 100% dry. Even with the mistakes, I’m loving it! Candy corn is never perfect in real life anyway! Plus, I love that the matte top coat gives the nails a waxy look, just like the candy. As for my orange and yellow polishes, I used Priti NYC Fireglow and Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Traffic respectively. The key is to use what you already have in your collection!

Let me know what you think of my candy corn nails in the comments below! Feel free to share your Halloween manicure on my Facebook Page.

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.

Halloween Week | Fall Glitter with China Glaze Nail Lacquer

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

Happy Wednesday! For today’s Halloween inspired manicure, I put together a simple look for those who like more abstract designs. While nail art is always fun, sometimes a bit of polish and some glitter will represent the holiday just as well. I grabbed a couple of my China Glaze polishes from the Hunger Games collection since I am so excited for the upcoming release of Catching Fire, but you can use any polishes in your collection. Let me show you the look I created!

I love fall colors – browns, reds, golds, oranges – they’re all so pretty this time of year! I began my manicure with Mahogany Magic, a nice coffee brown creme polish. Then I added one thin coat of Electrify to complete the look. Electrify is a gold and red glitter polish that can easily be worn alone in two coats. I finished up with a glossy top coat and was ready to celebrate the Halloween season in style!

All in all, if you are looking to celebrate autumn, try a glittery look like this one! It’s so easy to create, and represents fall foliage perfectly. Plus, this is a great alternative to nail art if that isn’t your thing. Let me know what your favorite glitter for the Halloween season is in the comments!

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

Halloween Week | Easy Pumpkin Nails with Zoya Nail Polish

Posted on October 15, 2013August 17, 2025 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! One of my favorite parts of Halloween and the fall season in general is all of the delicious pumpkin foods. If it’s pumpkin flavored, I will try it! I thought it would be fun to showcase pumpkins on my nails, so I put together a simple manicure to show homage to the pumpkin. I grabbed three polishes from my Zoya collection, and got to work!

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

How cute are my little pumpkins?! I know they aren’t perfect, but I like them just the same. To create this look, I started off with Zoya Flynn as a neutral base. Then, I chose Zoya Amy for the pumpkins to give them a bit of added dimension and sparkle. I carefully painted a rounded arc on my nails to get that look. Last but not least, I added a stem and leaf to each pumpkin using Zoya Hunter. Finish up with any glossy top coat and you are all set to wait for the arrival of the Great Pumpkin in your local pumpkin patch!

If you are looking to add some pumpkin flair to your nails this season, try out this simple look! Feel free to post a photo of the completed product on my Facebook page so I can see how yours turned out. Stay tuned for more great manicures during Halloween Week!

Halloween Week | Leopard Nails with Sally Hansen Real Nail Polish Strips

Posted on October 14, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Yesterday I kicked off Halloween Week here at Adventures in Polishland with a DIY Leopard Costume complete with a leopard manicure. Today I wanted to review the nail polish strips I used, and give you a close-up of what they look like. If you’re as busy as I am this time of year, don’t let your nails be an extra task. Nail polish strips can really be a help!

While Sally Hansen is my all-time favorite nail polish brand, I’ve actually never tried out any of the Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips before. I grabbed the kit called Kitty, Kitty to complete my leopard costume. This kit comes with 16 strips, an emery board, a cuticle pusher, and instructions. I think this is a pretty good value at $10.99, especially when they often go on sale!

I am loving the final result of Kitty, Kitty! The application process is so easy – peel, stick, file. There really is no drying time needed whatsoever. I found the Sally Hansen strips are packaged almost identically to the Incoco nail appliqués I recently tried out. The main difference was that Kitty, KItty definitely felt more sticky, and more like real nail polish. I think the sealed foil packets held in the moisture a lot better than the plastic wrap Incoco uses. While I have not done a true wear test on these, I am one day in and they still look great! Make sure to follow me on Twitter to see how long they last.

All in all, I think Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips are great for the girl on the go who wants a fancy Halloween manicure. While $10.99 may be a lot for an everyday look, it is more affordable than a professional manicure. Plus, it’s nice to splurge for a special occasion. Stop by your local drugstore or shop on Amazon HERE to sport some feline phalanges on Halloween!

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

Be Boo-tiful this Halloween with Duane Reade Hosiery!

Posted on October 13, 2013October 21, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

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Happy Sunday, and welcome to Halloween Week here at Adventures in Polishland! Every day this week I will be sharing Halloween nail art ideas, and I’m kicking things off with a fun costume. Being a full-time student is busy and stressful, so when it comes to picking out a costume I want the process to be as simple as possible. After hearing about the items available at Duane Reade, I headed to my local store to stock up. My first task was searching through my closet for costume ideas.

When I spotted three leopard print dresses in my closet, I knew I would use one as my starting point. Many women own at least something with leopard print, so whether you have shoes, a scarf, or even a leopard print purse, this is a great piece to build upon. After choosing this dress from Express, I headed to Duane Reade with a leopard agenda!

Check out this amazing hosiery section at my local Duane Reade! Whether you’re looking for something sheer or opaque, nude or black, patterned or plain, you’ll find it here for an affordable price. I actually had a difficult time deciding which tights I would purchase, but finally picked out two pairs.

First, I grabbed a pair of Sheer stockings in the shade nude just to play it safe. Then, I grabbed some black tights with a fancy pattern. These tights retailed for $6.99 and $7.99 respectively, and had a handy size chart on the back (which is actually accurate!).

Here is a close-up of the patterned tights. It reminded me a bit of animal print, so I thought it would go well with my leopard theme. The style number of this pair is 89138A in case you’re looking to grab the same ones!

To complete my outfit, I made a stop in the Halloween aisle and the beauty aisle. No leopard costume is complete without some cat ears! This headband was just $3.99, so I couldn’t pass it up. For an added touch of leopard, I grabbed some Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips in Kitty, Kitty. For $10.99 I couldn’t say no!

Here is my completed Halloween costume! To transform my leopard print dress, I added the patterned tights, black ballet flats, a black cardigan, and the ears! My finishing touches include the Sally Hansen strips and a bit of black eyeliner for a nose and some whiskers. I love the end result! It is so easy to put together this outfit, and I’m feeling Boo-tiful! Plus, I love that this dress has pockets so I don’t need to worry about carrying a purse – I can tuck my essentials easily inside! To recreate this look for Halloween, use any of the leopard print items in your closet. Make it your own with a scarf or belt – the possibilities are endless.

All in all, I’m so glad Duane Reade made putting together a Halloween costume so simple! My grand total for this outfit was just $31.29, a bargain compared to most Halloween costumes. The trick is to use what you have, and then buy the extras. I’m also glad to know that Duane Reade has a full hosiery line for when I need a pair of tights. They are great quality, and so fabulous and affordable!

Make sure you head on over to Duane Reade’s Facebook page and enter the Boo-tiful Legs Contest to share how you are incorporating Duane Reade hosiery into your Halloween costume. You could win a spa weekend in NYC!

Stay tuned for the rest of Halloween Week!

Gold Square Studs from Born Pretty Store!

Posted on October 11, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Now that fall is in full swing, I just love making sure my nails are following the season’s trends. Just like with fashion, I keep my nails fabulous and affordable, so I was too excited to try out some gold studs from Born Pretty Store. Let me show you how the look I created!

First I started out with an on-trend color for fall, RUFFIAN Nail Lacquer in Hedge Fund. You can see a full review of this polish HERE.

I let my base color dry until it got tacky, and then got to work placing the studs. I used a pair of long-nosed tweezers (similar to THESE ones) so that I would have more control. Then, I simply placed one stud at the base of each nail, and for an accent I placed four in a diamond shape. Gently press the studs down and seal with a top coat to ensure they’ll stay in place, and you’re good to go!

All in all, I’m loving my manicure! The army green and gold colors go great together, and this nail art look was so easy to complete. You can purchase these gold studs on Born Pretty Store’s website HERE. For just $5.84 you get a bag of these studs, so you can create lots of different manicures. Don’t forget you can get an extra 10% off with coupon code FZL91, and every order gets free international shipping. I can’t wait to use these studs again soon!

The product in this post was provided for my unbiased review. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Indie Spotlight: Smitten Polish in Mint Chip

Posted on October 9, 2013October 9, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! If you’re like me, you probably have quite a few polishes in your collection that you’ve had for a long time, but haven’t tried out yet. A couple weeks ago, one of my favorite beauty bloggers, Cosmetic Sanctuary, reviewed the Smitten Polish Fall Collection, and I was in awe! It sparked my memory that I own just one bottle of Smitten Polish, and I just never tried it out. Cosmetic Sanctuary inspired me to test out that polish, and I am not disappointed!

Here is Smitten Polish in Mint Chip, a mint based polish with brown glitters both small and medium sized. Application was great, and I achieved opacity in three thin coats. Not only is mint chocolate chip my favorite ice cream, but I just love mint nail polish, so Mint Chip is perfect for me! I’m so happy I finally gave it a try.

All in all, Mint Chip is a great polish, and I can’t wait to try more from Smitten Polish. You can purchase Smitten Polish on Etsy HERE for $9.00 each. While Mint Chip is not currently for sale, similar polishes are Adeste Fidelis and Groovy Baby. Plus, I’m sure you can’t go wrong with the brands stunning holographics. Be sure to follow Smitten Polish on Facebook as well, and let me know if you own any Smittens in the comments.