Tag: fall

Gold Square Studs from Born Pretty Store!

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!

IMG_3086First 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.

IMG_3090 IMG_3091I 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!

IMG_3094All 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!

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

Zoya Satins Collection for Fall 2013

Happy Friday! Today I have the last of the Zoya Nail Polish fall collections to share with you. I loved the PixieDusts, and the Cashmeres, and the Satins are no exception! Let me show you these gorgeous polishes!

IMG_2481 IMG_2484First up is Channing, a rusty red-orange polish with golden shimmer. Channing is opaque in two coats, and has a flawless formula. This polish just screams “fall” to me, as the color matches beautiful foliage. Channing is also really unique, and I’m loving it in my collection!

IMG_2487 IMG_2490Next up is Mason, a gorgeous purple polish with a pink undertone and shimmer. Mason is so beautiful, and has an amazing formula to match. It is opaque in two coats, and the finish is just stunning. Mason is definitely one of my favorites in this collection. The color is right up my alley!

IMG_2493 IMG_2497Claudine is up next, and is a titanium colored polish with silver shimmer. I am really impressed with Claudine. The formula is great, and opaque in two coats. I’m not usually a fan of dark colors, especially metallics, but this one is so edgy and has a rock star quality. Claudine is perfect if you don’t want black nails, but want something dark. I highly recommend it!

IMG_2498 IMG_2501Up next is Neve, a gorgeous, deep blue metallic polish with hints of purple shimmer. Neve is another one of my favorites in the Satins collection. The rich pigmentation is so beautiful, and of course the formula is spot on. I can’t wait to put on Neve again! I can see myself wearing it a lot this fall and winter.

IMG_2506 IMG_2507Giovanna is the next of the Satins, and is an emerald green metallic polish. Giovanna has an amazing formula and is opaque in two coats. Emerald is the color of the year, and this one is definitely the perfect choice. I love Giovanna, and I’m so glad to have it in my collection!

IMG_2473 IMG_2477Last but not least is Maria-Luisa, a gold toned flakie polish. Maria-Luisa can be worn as a top coat or on its own. I applied three coats in the photos above to get a full coverage look. Maria-Luisa does have a great formula, and the flakies are so gorgeous! I did apply it over each polish in the Satins Collection as well, so here’s what that looks like…

IMG_2512All in all, I’m really impressed with the Satins Collection. I recommend each and every one of the polishes, but my personal favorites are Mason and Neve. You can purchase the Satins Collection on the Zoya website HERE for $8 each of $48 for the whole set. Be sure to let me know which of these polishes 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. 

Zoya Cashmeres Collection for Fall 2013

Happy Monday! Today I have the second fall collection from Zoya Nail Polish to share with all of you (check out my PixieDust review HERE). Fall is the perfect opportunity to don your cashmere sweaters, and Zoya has transformed our favorite autumn hues into gorgeous, creamy nail polishes. Let me show you these warm-toned polishes!

IMG_2432 IMG_2434First up is Livingston, a true red polish. Livingston is the perfect red! It has a great formula that is opaque in two coats, and is a classic color to wear all year long. Not only is Livingston work appropriate, but it is fierce! With black and white trends in fall fashion, Livingston will be the perfect accessory to your outfits.

IMG_2438 IMG_2443Up next is Pepper, a dark, brick red polish. Pepper is also opaque in two coats, and has the same great formula as Livingston. Last fall we saw oxblood nails were all the rage, and it looks like they will be again this season! If you didn’t grab this haute hue last year, I definitely suggest Pepper.

IMG_2446 IMG_2449Sailor is next, and is a stunning navy polish. Sailor is definitely my favorite in the Cashmeres collection! It is the perfect navy polish that is opaque in two coats. It’s the perfect alternative to a black nail, since it’s not as harsh, yet it’s still edgy. I’m not usually partial to dark nail polishes, but Sailor is so nice!

IMG_2455 IMG_2460The next Cashmere is Hunter, a dark green polish. Hunter screams fall to me — the shade is one of the classic colors of the season! Just as with the other polishes in this collection, Hunter is opaque in two coats and has a flawless formula. If you’ve been hunting for a great green, look no further!

IMG_2461 IMG_2463Next up is Louise, a chocolate brown polish. Louise is an amazing one coat formula! I love when that happens! Plus, the color is so rich and pigmented. Louise is really the perfect brown, which I didn’t have in my collection yet. I can see this being great for nail art as well!

IMG_2470 IMG_2472Last but not least is Flynn, a camel brown polish. Unfortunately for me, Flynn just looks awful with my skin tone. I feel like I am so close to the dreaded mannequin hands with this one! Despite that personal issue, Flynn still has a great formula and is opaque in two coats. This polish would look beautiful with a darker complexion!

All in all, I am loving the Zoya Cashmeres collection! The formulas are so wonderful, and the colors are just perfect for the fall months. I definitely recommend each polish in the collection, but my favorites are Sailor and Hunter! You can purchase the Cashmeres collection on Zoya’s website HERE for $8 each or $48 for the whole set. Stay tuned for the last fall collection from Zoya Nail Polish soon!

 

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

Zoya PixieDust Special Texture Edition for Fall 2013

Happy Thursday! Today I have the first of three very amazing fall collections to share with you from none other than Zoya Nail Polish. I’m so excited that Zoya has a brand new PixieDust collection, since textured nail polishes are my favorite trend in the nail polish world. Let me show you the six new shades for fall!

IMG_2323 IMG_2325First up is Carter, a royal purple polish with magenta glitters. Carter is my absolute favorite polish in the collection! It is opaque in two coats, and has an amazing formula. I couldn’t capture how much Carter sparkles in real life, but this deep purple is just a favorite shade of mine. I wore it for an entire weekend, and to see Justin Timberlake in concert!

IMG_2390 IMG_2393Next is Tomoko, a gold polish with a metallic shine. Tomoko does have a great formula that is opaque in two coats, but I had some trouble with application because the polish was difficult to see on my nails when wet. I think Tomoko is just so close to my skin tone that it blended right in! Other than that issue, I really like this polish. I wore it for over a week and only had slight tip wear!

IMG_2398 IMG_2402Chita is up next, and is a stunning dark green polish with silver glitters. Chita is opaque in two coats, and has a fabulous formula. This one did take a bit of extra drying time, but other than that it’s flawless. I love Chita’s deep shade and strong pigmentation. This is a polish that can work for the holiday season as well as the fall.

IMG_2408 IMG_2411Sunshine is the next PixieDust in the collection, and is a navy blue polish with silver glitters. At first I was confused by the blue shade, but now I’m walking on Sunshine and I’ll tell you why — this is a one coat formula! With amazing pigmentation, one coat of Sunshine provides a full coverage manicure. This denim colored polish is going to be on my nails a lot this fall!

IMG_2416 IMG_2422Next up is Arabella, a bright rose pink with light pink glitters. Arabella has the perfect formula that is opaque in two coats. It also dries rather quickly, which I really appreciated. Arabella is a very flattering and wearable polish. It is just stunning for any time of year!

IMG_2425 IMG_2429Last but not least is Dhara, a bright orange polish with gold glitters. Zoya has certainly perfected the orange PixieDust! I loved Beatrix in the summer collection, and Dhara is definitely great for fall. It is opaque in two coats, and has a flawless formula. Don’t fear wearing an orange polish — this one will look nice with any skin tone!

All in all, I am loving the PixieDust collection for fall! I find each shade to be quite wearable, and the formulas are really nice overall. You can purchase these polishes on Zoya’s website HERE for $9 each or $54 for the complete set. Stay tuned for reviews of two more Zoya collections for Fall 2013 as well!

 

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

 

Essie Stylenomics: The Best Things in Life are Free!

It’s true! The best things in life really are free! Have you heard of the website Klout? I’ll be honest, it is a bit confusing to use. Basically, you connect your social networks all in one place, and Klout measures how influential you are. You then receive a Klout score, and you become eligible for perks. Essie has teamed up with Klout on a few occasions to reward Klout members that are influential about nail polish, and I was lucky enough to score a free bottle of Essie in Stylenomics! Let me show you this gorgeous fall color.

Essie Stylenomics is from the Fall 2012 line by the same name. It is a very dark green polish that looked almost black on my nails. I applied two coats and had no problems whatsoever with the formula! It also dried quickly. I do wish that the polish was more green, but I think this is a great polish for fall. I love the cream finish, too. I definitely recommend Stylenomics! Make sure you grab a bottle at your local drugstore or department store before it is gone.

Also, be sure to join Klout HERE! You never know when you could get a free nail polish, too.

P.S. A huge THANK YOU to everyone who entered my giveaway! All winners have been contacted by email.

The products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

Illamasqua Optimist: It’s Okay to Splurge (Sometimes)

While Adventures in Polishland is all about fabulous nails at an affordable price, there are times when it is okay to splurge on a special polish. After seeing beautiful swatches of the Illamasqua Limited Edition Rubber Finish Nail Varnish over at LacqueredLover.com, I decided to treat myself to a polish from the collection to celebrate my start of law school. I headed over to Sephora’s website, and chose Optimist, what Illamasqua describes as “warm yellow.” I was a bit surprised when my new polish came in the mail and it was a bright orange! At first I was a little bummed, but I paid $14 for my new Illamasqua and the least I could do was try it on.

I have never tried a polish with a rubber finish before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The formula is easy to work with, but you can definitely see any imperfections and brush strokes. I began with two coats, but I added a third coat just to make sure the finish looked the way I wanted it to. I knew that I wouldn’t be using a top coat with this polish, because the whole point is to showcase the rubber finish! It took a little while for me to get used to this new look, but after a few hours I came to love Optimist!

 

The color of Optimist actually reminds me of the Crayola crayon “Macaroni and Cheese.” I love how smooth and creamy the finish looks. I have been looking for the perfect orange polish, and I found it here with Illamasqua’s Optimist even though I thought I was buying a yellow polish. This color is great for fall, and even reminded me a bit of a pumpkin. I like how the color is bright, but not a neon.  That way it a bit more subdued, and not as “in your face.”

 

 

Though I can’t spend $14 for nail polish on a regular basis, I am sure glad I splurged on Illamasqua. If you are looking to try out a great, higher end brand be sure to stop by your local Sephora store. After buying this polish online and being surprised by the color, I definitely suggest looking at these in person first. That way you will find the perfect color for you!

Have you tried Illamasqua polish? What do think of Optimist?