Tag: 2014

My Top 14 Nail Polishes of 2014!

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!

My Top 14 Nail Polishes of 2014! | Adventures in Polishland

Milani Gold Label Specialty Nail Lacquer

Milani – Splendid Strawberry

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

Milani – Blue Zoom

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

Milani – WhiteWhite [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

Zoya – Cole

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

Zoya – WendyWendy [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

L'Oreal – Jean & Tonic

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

Milani – Hot Pink Rage

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 

Milani – Blue Print

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

Julep – Katie

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

Zoya – Ryan

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

NYC New York Color – Queen of the City

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

NYC New York Color – Queen's Jewels

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

Zoya – Savita 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

NYC New York Color – Black Elixir

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.

New Milani High Speed Fast Dry Nail Lacquer for 2014

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!

Milani – Aqua Brisk Milani – Aqua BriskFirst 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!

Milani – Sangria Rush Milani – Sangria RushNext 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!

Milani – Blue Zoom Milani – Blue ZoomLast 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. 

My First Manicure in 2014 featuring JulieG Silver Bells!

Happy Wednesday! I’m back today with a new blog post after not polishing my nails for over two weeks! The holidays were just so busy that once I took off my old manicure, I decided to take a bit of a polish break. Soon I’ll be testing out all sorts of new polish goodies for the new year, but to break my polish hiatus, I grabbed one of the Holiday Frosted Gumdrops from JulieG. Let me share my first manicure of 2014 with you!

JulieG – Silver Bells JulieG – Silver BellsJulieG Silver Bells is a silver nail polish with silver glitters and a textured finish. The formula was good and manageable, but a bit on the thick side. I suggest three thin coats for full opacity, as I wore for my manicure. Silver Bells dries very quickly, and looks stunning! I’m not usually a huge silver nail polish fan, but the sparkle in Silver Bells makes it wearable and perfect for winter.

JulieG – Silver Bells All in all, I’m really liking Silver Bells, and I’m glad it got me out of my nail polish funk! I’m excited for the coming year, and can’t wait to continue trying and testing more nail polish and beauty products. I hope you’ll join me on my Adventures in Polishland as I soar into my second year of blogging!

You can purchase JulieG polishes for $3.99 at your local Rite Aid or on the Jesse’s Girl website HERE. I purchased mine from Groupon!

My New Year’s Beauty Resolutions for 2014!

Happy Wednesday, and Happy New Year! Today I’ll be sharing my New Year’s Beauty Resolutions with you, and encourage you to participate as well. Whether it’s budgeting money, taking better care of your skin, or simply trying out some new products, New Year’s is the perfect time to set some goals for the year ahead, even when it comes to beauty. Let’s celebrate the start of 2014 together with some beauty resolutions! Make sure to stay tuned to the end of this post to learn how you can get involved, and share your resolutions with the beauty community!

MY BEAUTY RESOLUTIONS

Always Remove Makeup Before Bed

PONDS Makeup Remover WipesI’m usually pretty good about removing any makeup I’m wearing before bed, but there are those nights when I find myself under the covers ready to catch some z’s and I’m not getting up again to wash my face. While I know it’s best to go through a complete nighttime skincare routine, I’m pledging to at the very least use makeup remover wipes to get makeup off my face before bed. Did you know that for every night you don’t remove makeup your skin ages 30 days? I’m combatting that with PONDS Evening Soothe Wet Cleansing Towelettes at the moment.

Take Better Care of My Hands and Cuticles

Burt's Bees Honey & Grapseed Hand CreamDespite being a nail polish blogger, my hands are far from perfect! My cuticles deserve some extra TLC, so I’m hoping to get moisturized this winter and stay that way throughout 2014. I received this Burt’s Bees Honey & Grapeseed Hand Cream as a gift, and it’s the perfect product to help me begin taking care of my hands. It smells great, and is 99% natural!

Use an Eye Cream in My Skincare Routine

First Aid Beauty Eye CreamI’ve received a few eye creams as samples in the past, but I recently purchased this full size tube of First Aid Beauty 5 in 1 Eye Cream. I may be a bit young to start an anti-aging skincare routine, but I’ve noticed that I do have a lot of wrinkles under my eyes, and that is most likely due to dryness. I’m hoping this cream will help take care of that sensitive area that I’ve been neglecting.

Floss Teeth Daily

Reach Dental Floss

A beautiful smile starts with healthy teeth! I think many of us are guilty of not flossing daily, and that is going to stop. I’m grabbing this floss that I already have, Reach Cleanburst, and starting a new daily flossing routine!

Reorganize My Nail Polish Collection and Try the Untrieds

Julep & JulieG Nail PolishLast but not least, I want to tackle my nail polish collection! I’ve let it get all jumbled and disorganized the past several months, and I hope to go through it, weed out the polishes I don’t want, and try all of my untrieds. Above is a photo of just a few untried polishes I have laying around. Keep an eye out on my blog – you’ll probably see them soon!

SHARE YOUR BEAUTY RESOLUTIONS!

I hope you enjoyed hearing about my New Year’s Beauty Resolutions for 2014! Now it’s your turn! Share your resolutions with me in the comments, or use hashtag #NewYearsBeautyResolutions on social media so I can see your posts. If you’re a blogger, you can add your link to the inlinkz widget below. Let’s start a movement of positivity in the beauty community as we ring in 2014! Happy New Year!