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Try it on Tuesday: Milani 3D Holographic in Cyberspace

Posted on January 29, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! It’s been a long time since I’ve participated in Try it on Tuesday, but I’m back today with a stunning polish! Each week Jilltastic Nail Design asks nail bloggers to use a polish that has been sitting in our collections untried for a while. I happily picked out Milani 3D Holographic polish in Cyberspace! The nail polish community goes crazy for holos, and I had to understand why! Let me show you what all the fuss is about.

Cyberspace is a light blue holographic polish. What is a holo polish, you ask? The easiest way to describe it is picturing a rainbow on your nails! The polish sparkles in the sunlight, and reflects every color you can think of! Remember THESE cool stickers you had as a kid? That’s just like holo polish! When you move your hands, the colors shift and magically change. Typically, holo polish can be really expensive. Layla Hologram Effects sell for around $15, and Color Club Halo Hues can be up to $10. When I heard that the 3D Holographic line from Milani was 75% off at CVS, I just had to get them! So far I am thrilled with Cyberspace!

Cyberspace has a great formula that is fully opaque in three coats. The coats are sheer, but they are easily buildable. I had heard that holo polishes are hard to work with, but I didn’t find that to be the case at all! I am very impressed with the quality of this nail polish, as I have not had good luck with Milani in the past. I’m glad I gave this brand a second chance! Cyberspace is stunning, and I can’t wait to try the other polishes from this collection.

I scored this polish on clearance at CVS for just $1.44, but they are still being sold on Milani’s website HERE for just $4.99! This polish is certainly fabulous and affordable, and it helped me understand the craze surrounding holo nail polish. Make sure you give this trend a try!

Cuticle Care: Sunny’s Miracle Balm from 365 Days of Color

Posted on January 27, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Sunday! Today I have something a bit different for you. I don’t have any nail polish, but I do have a fabulous and affordable nail care product! Last month, I won a giveaway from the blog Glittery and Polished. One of my prizes was a tub of Sunny’s Miracle Balm from the indie brand 365 Days of Color. I couldn’t wait to give it a try!

Sunny’s Miracle Balm is a cuticle balm that keeps your cuticles moisturized. I was thrilled to win this during the cold, winter months! Plus, if you change your nail polish a lot like I do, your cuticles have seen better days! Remover is extremely drying, so it’s important to keep your hands looking and feeling good. I love this balm in particular because it is 100% organic, and includes vitamin E, biotin, and odorless garlic oil to help strengthen the nails as well as moisturize. It’s an all-around great nail care product!

I have been applying Sunny’s Miracle Balm every night when I go to bed. I take a small amount and rub it all around the cuticle and the nail. The balm is a bit greasy, but that’s why I apply it at nighttime when I won’t need my hands. The scent I have is Pink Sugar, and it smells amazing! I can’t quite explain it, but it’s very sweet and when I wake up in the morning my hands smell great! I also noticed improvement in my cuticles after just a few uses of Sunny’s Miracle Balm. They’re not as dry, and thus not as noticeable! I usually get hangnails in the winter because my hands are so dry, but I haven’t gotten any so far this season! I’m betting that this balm has something to do with it!

All in all, I highly recommend that you get yourself a tub of Sunny’s Miracle Balm. They come in dozens of scents, so I’m sure there is one for you! Plus, they are only $3 for a 0.5oz tub (like the one pictured above). If you aren’t sure which scent you would like, Sunny also offers a sampler of three tubs for $5. You really can’t beat this deal! Shop online HERE and follow 365 Days of Color on Facebook HERE.

Keeping it Neutral with L’Oreal Greycian Goddess

Posted on January 25, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I have another fabulous and affordable nail polish to show you from the brand L’Oreal. This line of polish can be purchased at drug stores for around $6 per bottle, but I got this one at a street fair in NYC where all L’Oreal polishes were just three for $5! You can learn more about Street Fair Cosmetics HERE, though they are now closed for the season. Let me show you one of the beautiful polishes I purchased from the fair!

Greycian Goddess is the perfect grey nail polish with blue undertones. This polish took two coats to be opaque, and had a very good formula. I was impressed with how cleanly and evenly it applied! I also really liked the brush that came with Greycian Goddess. It was very easy to work with due to it’s long bristles that stayed perfectly in place during application. Greycian Goddess is an all-around great polish. Not only is the quality top-notch, but it is a nice neutral shade for winter. Instead of reaching for a tan or nude, next time you want a neutral nail, grab a grey! This shade is perfect for layering as well.

Greycian Goddess is the third polish from the L’Oreal Colour Riche line that I’ve tried. Just like the others, it is fabulous! If you’re looking for a more affordable polish with guaranteed good quality, I highly suggest this line. Plus, they are often on sale! Keep an eye out for coupons in the Sunday paper for added savings.

Save More and Make it Mini: OPI in If You Moust You Moust

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

Happy Wednesday! Today I am excited to be bringing you a lovely pink color to celebrate Pink Wednesday, and to show you a perfect Valentine’s Day polish. If you’re like me, you love to try out a lot of different nail polish colors without spending big bucks. OPI is a great brand, but I don’t like spending up to $8.50 for a full size bottle that will only be used a handful of times. Thankfully, whenever it comes out with a new collection, OPI will release a set of mini polishes so that those of us on a budget can enjoy the collection at a discounted price. As a lifelong Minnie Mouse fan, I knew I just HAD to have the Vintage Minnie Mouse collection mini set. Luckily, I won it in a giveaway over the summer, but it is selling on Amazonright now for just $6.96! That’s an amazing price for three colors and a top coat. Let me show you one of those polishes.

If You Moust You Moust is what I am calling the perfect Valentine’s Day pink! It is a classic pink polish, and I am just in love with it! The formula was great — a bit streaky with the first coat, but evens out well with the second. Just two coats are needed for opacity. I used this polish as the base for a glitter manicure that you will soon see, but it can easily be worn alone. It’s perfect for the office, as it’s bright and feminine, but not too out there. Plus, OPI polishes last a long time without chipping so it is great for the girl on the go! As a pink aficionado, this is one of the best pinks I’ve tried!

If you love this polish and Minnie Mouse as much as I do, I highly suggest going to Amazon and purchasing one of these sets right away. As I’m typing this, there are only 8 more left in stock! Click HEREnow to get it for just $6.96!

SinfulColors in Mint Apple

Posted on January 12, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Adventures in Polishland began as a way to highlight nails that are both fabulous and affordable, and I want to make sure I stay true to that motto as this blog continues to grow. In the next few weeks I will be bringing you some amazing reviews of indie polish, but I hope to intermix some affordable brands and some do-it-yourself nail art in there as well! Today I want to show you a stunning polish from the brand SinfulColors. Let’s take a look at Mint Apple.

Mint Apple is a gorgeous seafoam green color that is full of green and gold shimmer. I applied two coats in the photos above to achieve opacity. I was really impressed with the formula of Mint Apple — it applied evenly and dried really quickly! My one complaint is that the brush for the polish was a bit more fanned out than I would have liked, but that luckily did not affect the application. Other than that, I love Mint Apple! The shimmer is so beautiful, and gives it a lot of dimension. I originally wanted this color because I love mint green nail polishes, but as you can see, this is a really different shade. I am happily surprised!

The best part about SinfulColors nail polish is that it can be purchased in drug stores and department stores for just $1.99! That is super affordable! Although I have only tried this one polish, the formula seems to be great quality. Plus, SinfulColors has an extensive line that features almost any color you can think of. I highly suggest you buy yourself a few of these, especially if you are on a tight budget but are looking to try some new colors out. I can’t wait to give more SinfulColors a try!

Chick Nail Polish in Raven’s Egg: An OpenSky Score

Posted on January 2, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I have a gorgeous blue nail polish to show you from the nail polish brand Chick. Typically a bottle of polish from this line costs $8, due to it being vegan friendly and chemical free. I was lucky enough to score a set of four Chick polishes on the website OpenSky for just over $6 when I joined and got a bunch of free credits. I got two sets of polishes from this one purchase alone. First I showed you Hello, I Love You! from ncLA, and now I will show you Raven’s Egg!

Raven’s Egg is a navy blue polish with a shimmery finish. It truly shines in the light and has a duochrome feel to it. At times it looks dark purple, but Raven’s Egg is a true navy. This polish also reminds me of a metallic polish, but with a formula that is easy to apply and opaque in two coats. It did chip off in a couple days, but I did not apply top coat when I wore it. Raven’s Egg is a great blue polish, and is unlike any other polish that I own. I think it would be great as a base for nail art! Plus, I love the cute bottle. The rectangular shape makes it easy to store.

Overall, I love the dark blue of Raven’s Egg from Chick Nail Polish! It was a fabulous price on OpenSky, and I would recommend it if you can find it for a bargain, too. I do think $8 would be too much for this polish. You can join OpenSky HERE and you will receive $10 in credit when you sign up. Unfortunately you must spend $50 to use the credits, but you can still get a great deal. Happy Shopping!

P.S. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite manicure in my New Year’s Eve Manicure Contest on my Facebook page HERE!

Shop Cyber Monday Deals on Coterie!

Posted on November 25, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Remember when I wrote THIS blog post about the new website Coterie? I scored an amazing deal on Butter London nail polish that I could never have afforded otherwise. Well, Coterie let me know about the huge Cyber Monday sale they are having tomorrow, and I wanted to share the details with all of you. Not only will there be nail polish on sale, but Coterie has other special treats as well.

In addition to the sales already going on at Coterie, on Cyber Monday (tomorrow, November 25th), there will be three main events.

Get 3 Julep Nail Colors for $23 and with your Julep purchase choose between the Glow on Age Defying Hand Brightener or Facial for Hands Glycolic Hand Scrub for free
Back by popular demand with the best offer yet — 50% off MOR Salt & Sugar Scrubs
More than 40% off on Oscar Blandi Texture and Volume styling products

Plus, Coterie will be choosing 20 random shoppers to receive their entire Cyber Monday purchases for FREE! I definitely plan on purchasing the Julep deal!

Remember, you can join Coterie HERE. It is free to join so there really is no catch. You can also follow Coterie on Twitter. Search for @Coterieinc.

Happy Shopping!

Compare & Save: Sephora by OPI It’s Real 18k Gold Top Coat

Posted on October 28, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

One of the latest trends sweeping the nail polish nation is the 18k gold top coat. That’s right! You can wear real gold on your fingers if you’re willing to pay the price. For around $30 you can purchase a real gold top coat from a number of nail polish brands. OPI just released The Man With the Golden Gun ($30), Jessica Cosmetics has Gold Leaf ($29.95), and Zoya has the Gilty Box, which includes the gold polish plus a black & white polish for layering ($35). Because of these steep price tags, I was going to pass up on having golden fingers, but I lucked out! While at Sephora inside JCP a couple weeks back, I found the Sephora by OPI It’s Real polish on clearance for $8. I couldn’t believe it! I snagged that beauty up right away. Let me show you how gorgeous it is!

I layered It’s Real over Julep’s Eloise (see Eloise HERE). I used one coat to get the look in the photos. It’s Real is in a clear base, so you can layer it over any polish to add some gold! What makes this polish really unique, is that the flakes of gold are all different sizes and shapes. You never know the exact look you are going to get! I really like the subtle, golden shine that one coat of It’s Real has, but if you want more just add on another coat. I felt really fancy having gold on my nails!

You can find It’s Real at Sephora stores and online HERE. You will notice that online the price of It’s Real is $15, so I suggest going to your nearest Sephora store to see if you can find one on clearance for $8 like I did. If you have a Sephora inside JCP near you, definitely check there first!

We should never have to pass up on a fabulous nail polish trend just because it is expensive! With a little searching, we can always find a more affordable (but just as fabulous!) option.

Make Your Mani Last: How I Wore Essie Stylenomics!

Posted on October 26, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Earlier this week I showed you Essie Stylenomics that I got from Klout as a free perk. Not only did I wear Stylenomics alone, but I did two mani upgrades with it. One of my Facebook followers suggested that I try matte stripes, so I gave that a try. Then, I changed the look again by adding some glitter. Let me show you both mani upgrades!

The first mani upgrade I did with Essie Stylenomics is matte stripes! All you have to do to achieve this look is place scotch tape across your nails in horizontal stripes, paint over them with a matte topcoat, and remove the tape. Voila! Your manicure will go from glossy to both glossy and matte in an instant. Matte stripes are the perfect way to upgrade your manicure if you are looking for a subtle change. For more information on how the scotch tape technique works, visit THIS blog entry.

Although I did like the look of matte stripes, I just had to add some glitter to my manicure! First I used a glossy topcoat over the stripes to erase the matte look. Then I grabbed Milani Jewel FX in Gems to use as a glitter topcoat. Gems is such a fun polish. It is a clear base filled with lots of multicolored glitters. I applied one coat over Essie Stylenomics to get the look in the photos. The best part is, Milani can be found at drugstores and department stores for around $4-5 per bottle, which makes it more affordable than similar polishes that range from $8-16. I just love the combination of Stylenomics and Gems!

Mani upgrades are the perfect way to make your manicure last as long as possible. By adding topcoats you lock in the original color, and with glitter you can hide the appearance of any chips you are starting to see. Plus, mani upgrades are a quick solution for the girl on the go who wants to change her polish as much as possible, but doesn’t have the time for a complete manicure.

Do you have any ideas for a great mani upgrade? Share them in the “comments” section and I will try them out!

Street Fair Cosmetics: A Polish Lover’s Dream in NYC!

Posted on September 28, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Being new to NYC, I did some investigating online to see if I could discover some great places for affordable nail polish in the city. I came across THIS YouTube video that spoke about Street Fair Cosmetics, a family-run business that sells nail polish at street fairs throughout New York City. I knew I had to find this vendor, so I looked up their Facebook page and discovered they would be within walking distance from my apartment at a feast in Little Italy. I headed over a couple weeks ago and got some amazing polishes at extremely discounted prices. Here are some photos of the booth:

Look at all of the polishes! There are so many to choose from! Milani & Maybelline polishes are just $1 each, and Essie & Color Clubs are 3 for $10. There are lots of other brands and other cosmetics, too. I ended up spending $20 and got 11 polishes! I definitely find it helpful to set a budget before you go, because even though the prices are so low you can end up spending a lot. Also, this is a really popular booth, so be prepared to sift through lots of bins while other ladies are doing the same. It’s a bit like Black Friday on a smaller scale! I definitely plan on stopping by this booth again in the future.

Follow Street Fair Cosmetics on their Facebook page HERE to find out where they will be located! They currently have a schedule showing their locations through November. Happy Shopping!