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My Top 5 Dark Nail Polishes for Fall | #FallintoPolishland

Posted on September 28, 2015September 16, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! My fall nail polish series #FallintoPolishland continues today with my top five dark nail polishes. When I first began my blog three and a half years ago, I absolutely avoided dark polishes! I was into brights and neons, but when I first received dark nail polishes for review I was converted. I now absolutely love dark polishes, especially in the colder months. Let me go ahead and share my favorites with you!

LVX – Dahlia [BUY]

First up is Dahlia from the high end brand LVX. This is a deep crimson polish that has a great formula. Dahlia is perfect for those of us who don’t like the traditional red nail. It looks beautiful even on those with the fairest skin tone. LVX is a vegan brand, so I think it’s worth the higher price tag!

Covergirl – Sapphire Flare [BUY]

I, of course, have to include a couple dark blue polishes, as blue is my go-to shade in the fall. Sapphire Flare from Covergirl is a great option from the drugstore. It is a navy polish that is opaque in two coats. While dark, the polish is still very blue in color. Plus, this shade is great for nail art as well!

Milani – Ink Spot [BUY]

Next up is Ink Spot from Milani, an even darker blue polish. Ink Spot has an amazing, high-gloss formula. It is nearly black, but still has a rich blue pigmentation. Ink Spot also has undertones of purple, so take that into consideration when you’re deciding between it and Sapphire Flare!

Julep – Brandt [BUY]

One of my all-time favorite Juleps is Brandt, an off-black polish from the Trina Turk collection. Brandt has an amazing formula that is opaque in two coats. It looks good with any outfit because the color is not a stark black. Brandt looks great layered under glitter, or on its own! It’s been a staple of mine for the past three years.

Michael Marcus – Once You Go Matte [BUY]

Last but not least is Once You Go Matte from Michael Marcus. I really love matte nail polish, and it’s always a bonus when a polish has a matte formula because I don’t have to reach for a separate top coat. Once You Go Matte has an amazing formula that dries quickly. I’ve worn it countless times since I got it!

That wraps up another #FallintoPolishland post! I hope you were inspired to grab some of your dark nail polishes out of the back of your collection to wear this season. If you’ve shied away from darks in the past, now is the perfect time to try them out! Of course, please share your favorite dark nail polishes with me 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.

What’s Under There? Part Three

Posted on August 22, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! It’s time for another edition of What’s Under There?! In this series, I share with you polishes that I layered under glitters, or used in nail art. Today I’ll be showcasing the polishes that served as the bases in my Kawaii Nail Lacquer post. You can see that review HERE if you missed it. Let me show you what was under those glitters!

First up is L’Oreal Breaking Curfew, a super dark, plum jelly polish. Breaking Curfew is definitely outside of my comfort zone! I got it at Rite Aid a few months ago because I wanted to try something new. Unfortunately, the formula is a bit difficult to work with, but three coats is a full coverage, opaque look. I do love the color, and I think it’s perfect for fall. I might have to try this as a jelly sandwich at some point!

Next up is OPI Skull & Glossbones from the Pirates of the Caribbean Collection! Skull & Glossbones is a gorgeous off-white polish with a hint of green. It is the perfect neutral shade, and applies really nicely. I need two coats to achieve opacity. I really love how Skull & Glossbones is understated and classy at the same time. Even though it is from a retired collection, it is still available on Amazon!

ncLA’s Malibu Beach Babe is up next. This is a deep teal creme polish that just screams “fall” when I put it on despite its summery name. Malibu Beach Babe has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I’ve worn it twice now, and I’m sure I’ll continue to get even more use out of it. ncLA polish retails for $16, but it is worth the splurge for this one!

Last but not least is Julep Brandt, an off-black creme polish. Brandt is one of my favorite dark polishes of all time. It has an amazing formula that is opaque in two coats, and is edgy without being a harsh true black. Brandt is great on its own, but I’ve also used it for nail art. This is just an all-around fabulous polish!

All in all, I hope you liked finding out more about these polishes! Make sure to stay tuned for more What’s Under There? posts in the future! Also, don’t forget to enter my Back to School Giveaway HERE. Leave me a comment telling me your favorite polish in this post!

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

Saran Wrap Nail Art

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

Have you heard of the nail art technique that uses saran wrap to get a funky design? I saw THIS pin on Pinterest, and just had to try it out! Since I am not great at nail art, I was thrilled with how easy this technique is. Plus, we all have some saran wrap in the kitchen. Let me show you how my saran wrap manicure turned out. Please note that the photos in this post were taken with flash to showcase the design.

To get this look, first paint your nails in any color you want. I chose Julep Brandt. Make sure your polish is completely dry before moving onto the second step. Next, get out your saran wrap and your second polish color. It is easier to work with smaller pieces of saran wrap. Take your second polish (I chose Julep Sophie) and paint one coat directly over your original manicure. Then, bunch up the saran wrap and lightly dab all over your nail while the polish is still wet. Continue these steps on each nail and finish up with a top coat. Voila! You now have a super cool manicure!

The design reminds me of acid wash jeans! I definitely can’t wait to try out this technique with other colors and finishes. I think it would look great with glitter polish! Be warned that this technique can get a little messy when you’re dabbing with the saran wrap. A little clean-up is needed, but it’s definitely worth it. Be sure to try it out!

Don’t forget, you can get your first month of Julep for just one penny with code MAVENINTRO at checkout! I heard a rumor that they are also throwing in two bonus polishes at the moment. Sign up HERE!

My September Julep Maven Box

Posted on September 14, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

By now you all must know how much I love the Julep Maven program! I can’t wait to show you what I got this month. Julep teamed up with fashion designer Tina Turk to create a nail polish line that coordinates with her fall clothing line. For the first time since I’ve joined Julep, I actually stayed with the style that I got by answering the quiz — Classic with a Twist. I had a little surprise when by box came in the mail, too. A bit of the packaging was coming out! Luckily everything was safe inside, and the packaging was adorable as usual.

This month each Julep Maven member got a magnet of a girl wearing clothing inspired by Trina Turk’s new line. It was a nice little surprise! Of course, I also got two nail polishes and a mascara. Both of my polishes this month were neutral shades, but are gorgeously pigmented and creamy. I can’t wait to use them over and over this fall! Let me show you both of them.

First up is Brandt, what Julep calls “off-black.” And it’s true! I wasn’t sure how good Brandt would look with my fair skin tone, but since it wasn’t a true black it looked great. The formula on this polish was a dream, and it was opaque in two coats. As with all Juleps, it also dried really quickly. I really liked that Brandt is not a harsh color, but is still considered to be in the black color family. I plan on using this on a regular basis!

Sophie is a neutral color that Julep calls “truffle mushroom.” I would describe it as a greenish brown color, but it is so pretty! Just like Brandt, Sophie has an amazing formula and was opaque in two coats. It is a perfect neutral for fall! I can also see it teamed up with a fun neon color for a nice contrast.

All in all, I really loved my September box! I got two nail polish colors that are great to have in any stash, and can be used often. I’m never disappointed with Julep! Don’t forget that you can join Julep Maven and get your first box for just one penny when you use code MAVENINTRO at checkout. Just click HERE and start shopping! Enjoy!