Tag: glitter polish

A Jelly Sandwich with ncLA Hello, I Love You! & Zoya Electra

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

When I first started checking out other nail polish blogs, I had no idea what a jelly sandwich manicure was! Today I will show you the first jelly sandwich I have ever done, and explain how to get such a fun and unique look! I used two polishes from previous posts so you can see this mani upgrade in action. See ncLA Hello, I Love You! HERE and Zoya Electra HERE.

So, what is a jelly sandwich? It is simply combining two polishes in oreo cookie fashion. You will need one jelly finish nail polish. I used ncLA Hello, I Love You! for that. A jelly polish is one that is very sheer. Basically, think of a jelly polish as one that is a clear base with some added pigment. If you aren’t sure whether a polish has a jelly finish or not, try experimenting. If a polish is opaque in two coats, it is not a jelly. However, if takes three or more coats to build opacity, it will probably be great for layering!

 

To begin your jelly sandwich, paint 2-3 coats of your jelly polish and let that dry. Then, grab your second polish. Typically jelly sandwiches use a glitter polish as the middle layer because the glitter is easy to see through the sheerness of the jelly. I chose Zoya Electra, a holographic bar glitter, as my “middle” polish. I layered on one coat of Electra, but depending on the glitter you are using you may want to do two coats. It is more of a personal preference. Once the glitter has dried, finish up with one more coat of your jelly polish. You will have a really fun, layered look!

 

 

What do you think of my jelly sandwich manicure? I like it, especially for a first try! Plus, a jelly sandwich is a great way to upgrade a current manicure. Simply add the glitter and a final coat of the jelly, and you have a whole new look! I can’t wait to try this out again soon.

Happy Belated Halloween!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

I originally planned to have this post up on Halloween, but it got a bit delayed due to Hurricane Sandy. After polling my Facebook fans, I’ve decided that it’s better late than never. Let me show you the fun manicure I wore for Halloween!

 

 

I began my manicure with two coats of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Green with Envy. This polish is a creamy light green that is not neon enough to be called lime, but I would put it in that color family. I’ve had this polish for a long time and barely ever wear it because I thought the formula was a bit off. Imagine my surprise when I get this beautiful result on my nails! The polish was a little watery, but it wasn’t as bad as I remembered. When you pay around $3 for a bottle of polish, I think it is okay if it isn’t perfect! Overall, Green with Envy is a really fun green that I wouldn’t wear every day, but it was perfect for Halloween nails.

 

Next, I topped my manicure with two coats of this neon green, glow-in-the-dark pumpkin polish. These cute pumpkins can be found at Rite Aid drugstores around Halloween for just $2.99! I love that it is an every day affordable price. This polish is very sheer, so that is why I layered it over another green polish. The formula is easy to work with, but the disappointment is that it doesn’t glow in the dark very well. I was able to see the polish glow a bit, but none of my photos were able to capture the effect. Even though it didn’t glow brightly, it’s still a fun polish to wear!

 

 

Finally, I added an accent nail of The Koompa King from Dollish Polish. You can read more about The Koompa King HERE, but it is a glitter top coat that has orange and black glitters, so I thought it would be great for Halloween. It was the perfect touch on the lime green color, too!

I hope you enjoyed my Halloween manicure as much as I did, even though it was a bit late! What did you wear on your nails for Halloween?

 

Indie Spotlight: Above the Curve in Funilla Icing

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today is the last post to feature an indie brand from my current giveaway! I hope you have enjoyed these reviews as much as I enjoyed showing you these amazing polishes. I saved Above the Curve’s Funilla Icing for the last post because it is birthday themed, and my birthday is tomorrow! Don’t forget, my giveaway ends at midnight. Enter now before time runs out, and let me show you this delicious polish from Above the Curve!

Funilla Icing is a polish with a white base and a mix of rainbow, hexagonal glitters mixed in. I applied three coats in the photos above, and although the polish was not completely opaque on its own, I still loved the look! If you want to achieve opacity, begin with a base of white polish first. Funilla Icing’s formula was great! No streaks or clumps, and it dries quickly. I absolutely love this polish! It really does look like Funfetti icing, too. I also got lots of compliments on this polish from classmates when I wore it. Funilla Icing is a super fun polish!

You can buy Above the Curve polishes on Etsy HERE. For each polish that you purchase, $1 is donated to Shriners Hospitals for Children!

Also, don’t forget that you can win a bottle of Funilla Icing in my giveaway! Enter HERE before it ends at midnight!

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

Indie Spotlight: Charm Your Nails in Instant Gratification & Follow the Chartreuse Brick Road

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Today I have another post for you featuring an indie brand that is sponsoring my giveaway!  Charm Your Nails sent me two amazing polishes from her shop to review for you. I am in love with both of them and highly recommend her shop! Let me show you the gorgeous, glitter topcoats from Charm Your Nails!

Firs up is Instant Gratification, which I layered over Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Lacey Lilac (see Lacey Lilac on its own HERE). Instant Gratification is filled with black, white, and purple glitters, with some fine pink glitter thrown in the mix. There are black and white bar glitters, white hexagonal glitters, and purple and black square glitters (my favorite!). Not only does Instant Gratification look amazing, but the formula is easy to work with and dries quickly. I applied two coats in the photos above. I love purple, so this is the perfect polish for me! I can’t wait to use it again.

Next ups is another glitter topcoat called Follow the Chartreuse Brick Road (FCBR). It may be a mouthful, but this polish is gorgeous! I applied two coats over Julep Lisa to get the look you see in the photos (see Lisa on its own HERE). FCBR is packed with gold and red glitters. Both colors are used as fine glitters, and then the gold is seen in small and large hexagons and the red in square glitters. Once again, the formula was fantastic! It is easier to work with than other glitter topcoats I’ve tried in the past. I was also surprised by how much I liked FCBR. I am not the biggest fan of gold or red nail polishes, but I loved it in glitter form. Also, by wearing this polish over a neutral shade, it subdued the red a bit more.

All in all I am really impressed by these polishes from Charm Your Nails! You can purchase this brand on Etsy HERE. Full size polishes are $8.50 and minis are $3.50.

Don’t forget, you can also win a bottle of nail polish from Charm Your Nails in my current giveaway! Enter HERE to win one of 13 prizes!

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

Indie Spotlight: Utopia’s Polish in Doodle-Bug

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Sunday! Today I have another polish from one of the indie brands that is sponsoring my current giveaway. Utopia’s Polish sent me a fun polish called Doodle-Bug to review for you. It is really unique, and not like any other polish I own. I also used my matte topcoat over this polish, and I will include that at the end of the post. Let me show you Doodle-Bug in its natural form!

Doodle-Bug is a light pink polish filled with lots of different glitters. First, there are fine pink glitters that compliment the base nicely. Then, there are hexagonal glitters from small to extra large mixed throughout in the colors pink, red, purple, blue, and white. I applied three coats of Doodle-Bug to achieve full opacity in the photos above. As you can see, the glitters are super fun, and stand out well from the pink base. I did not have any problems with the formula whatsoever, but it did require extra drying time because of the three coats I applied. Doodle-Bug reminds me of strawberry funfetti! It’s really cute.

I thought that Doodle-Bug would look great with a matte top coat over it, so I got out my Butter London Matte Finish. I absolutely love the way this polish looks when it is matte! The glitters are smoothed out completely, and the pink color looks creamy. Doodle-Bug looks great both glossy and matte, but I personally prefer the matte look. I love how versatile this polish is!

You can find Utopia’s Polish on Etsy HERE. Full size polishes sell from $9.00-10.00, minis are $4.50-5.00, and she even sells glitter that you can use to make your own polish for $3!

Don’t forget, you can win a polish from Utopia’s Polish in my giveaway! Go HERE to enter!

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

Indie Spotlight: LynBDesigns in Oogie Boogie

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Today I have a really fun nail polish to show you from the Etsy shop LynBDesigns. Halloween is just around the corner, and she sent me Oogie Boogie from the Nightmare Begins collection. This polish is really cool because it glows in the dark. First, I will show you the polish in normal light, and then in the dark so you can see the special effect.

The first thing I noticed about this polish is the fun bottle! It’s definitely unique and eye-catching. The polish is great, too! Oogie Boogie is a glitter top coat in an off-white base. It is filled with fine, orange glitters that are holographic! I layered two coats of Oogie Boogie over two coats of white polish. I love the way the glitter shines in the light and changes colors as you move your hand. It would definitely look really pretty layered over other colors, too. I also like the finish Oogie Boogie has. It’s not matte nor shiny, but silky smooth. In the photos above I am not wearing a top coat.

Here are some photos of Oogie Boogie in the dark! It was hard to capture, but as you can see, this polish really does glow! LynBDesigns suggests that you shake the bottle well before applying this polish to make sure the ingredients are fully mixed. That way you will be sure to get a good glow from your polish! I held my nails up to the light for a few seconds to “charge” the polish before I took these photos.  I love glow-in-the-dark nail polish, and this one is really cool!

I really like this polish from LynBDesigns! It is perfect for Halloween and the fall season in general. Make sure to stop by her Etsy shop HERE to purchase her polishes for $8.50.

You can also win a polish from LynBDesigns in my current giveaway! Be sure to enter HERE!

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

Sephora by OPI It’s My Pink!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Pink nail polish is my all time favorite, and It’s My Pink! from Sephora by OPI is no exception. I received this polish in a grab bag I purchased in a nail polish swap group for $20. A lot of nail polish aficionados end up selling their unwanted (and unused!) polish in grab bags to clear them out. I got an amazing bag with two full size indie polishes, and lots of other goodies. The value was well over $20. I was also really excited to get It’s My Pink! in the bag. I had been eyeing it on Copious for some time!

It’s My Pink! is from the Betsey Johnson line featured only at Sephora stores. The formula was great! I applied two coats for full opacity, and there were no streaks whatsoever. It also dried very quickly. My only complaint with this polish is that it did chip along the tips after about a day or two. Otherwise, I love this polish and plan to use it very frequently. I already used it as a pedicure, too!

Not only is It’s My Pink! a gorgeous Barbie pink, but it is scented! Once the polish dries, you will smell Betsey Johnson’s fragrance Too Too. The smell is not overwhelming, but is just enough for you to notice it. I loved the scent, and actually painted on an extra coat after a few days so I could revive the perfume. I know that a lot of people are not a fan of scented nail polishes, but this fragrance is so light that you should give it a try. This is an all-around fantastic polish!

 

I also finished up with an accent nail of OPI Nothin’ Mousie ‘Bout It from the Vintage Minnie Mouse Collection! This is a light pink glitter polish with hearts in it. I think it went perfectly with It’s My Pink! It gave my manicure a little something extra, without being too glittery.

If you love pink nail polish, I definitely suggest buying a bottle of It’s My Pink! The original retail price is $9.50, but Sephora has the Betsey Johnson line on sale for just $5 now. Try to find this polish before it sells out!

Favorite Friday: Neon Pink + Glitter

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I bring you a look created with two of my favorite nail polishes. Every Friday I like to use a polish that I love, but that I haven’t used in a while. I thought today would be the perfect time to use a neon pink with glitter over it. Remember when I got L.A. City Nights from Jordana? I knew that it needed to be used over pink! You can read that post HERE. Not only is today’s manicure fabulous, but I used polishes that both retail for $1.99 each! They can be found at your local drugstores.

 

 

I began with two coats of Plastic Flamingo by Spoiled. This polish has been featured many times on my blog already, but it is such a great neon pink! The formula is a little streaky, but it evens out with two coats. For just $1.99, there is no excuse to not have Plastic Flamingo in your nail polish stash. The best part is that neon pinks are still in for fall! I’ve spotted many girls sporting this color on the subway.

 

 

I’ve worn Plastic Flamingo alone a few times, but today I wanted some extra sparkle. Jordana Glitters in L.A. City Nights is a glitter polish with fine purple grains and small blue hexagonal glitters. I applied one thick coat over the neon pink, and then applied a glossy topcoat. I absolutely love the look! It is so fun! I wish I could capture the glitter better, but as you can see it is quite bright and sparkly! It is definitely the perfect manicure for the weekend, or any day! I love that Jordana nail polishes are sold for $1.99 also. How can you go wrong?

What do you think of my Favorite Friday manicure? Do you rock similar polishes?

Coterie Grand Opening & Butter London Review

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

I am extremely excited to tell you all about a brand new website called Coterie. Similar to HauteLook, Coterie is a website that features flash sales on beauty brands. Its grand opening is today, but I was lucky enough to hear about a preview sale they were having last week featuring the nail polish brand Butter London. This brand usually retails for $14 a bottle, quite a bit out of my price range. With Coterie’s preview sale, I got 3 Butter Londons plus a matte topcoat for a total of $11 shipped! That is a $60 value for just $11! Let me show you the polishes I got. I’ll show you the polishes on their own, and then with the matte topcoat.

First up is Knackered. This is a duochrome polish with holographic glitters in it. Knackered is a purple/blue polish, and looks amazing in the bottle. I was a bit disappointed when I tried it out, though, because it is really sheer. It is definitely best used as a layering polish. In the photos above I am wearing three coats of Knackered. I love the glittery look, but definitely need to try this over another polish since I am not a fan of the sheer look. Besides that issue, I had no problems with the formula whatsoever.

 

 

Above is Knackered with the matte topcoat over it. It does look neat, but the matte took away the look of the holographic glitters, my favorite part of this polish. The best part about the matte topcoat is that if you don’t like it, you can apply a glossy topcoat right over it and restore the look of the original polish. No harm done!

 

 

Up next is West End Wonderland, a gold glitter nail polish with hints of orange. Luckily this polish lived up to how it looked in the bottle, and I got full coverage with just two coats. I have used gold glitter polishes before, but West End Wonderland is truly unique with the incorporation of the orange shade. It gives the polish more dimension. I also have to note that this glitter polish was the easiest to remove! I used the tin foil method, but only had to wait 3-5 minutes for the polish to come right off. Definitely a time saver!

 

 

Here is West End Wonderland with the matte finish. I have been dying to try out a matte topcoat over glitter, and I’m so happy I got the chance! The glitter is more subdued and not as shiny, but instead has a cool, grainy look. I can’t wait to try this finish over square/hexagonal glitters!

 

 

Last up is All Hail the Queen, my favorite polish of the bunch. This polish is a neutral shade with lots of shimmer, including holographic shimmer! That means this beige polish reflects all colors of the rainbow when it reflects light. My photos just don’t do this polish justice! All Hail the Queen is a great polish to spice up any neutral look. I used two coats of this polish to achieve opacity.

 

 

Finally, here is All Hail the Queen with matte topcoat. Just as with Knackered, this polish loses its holographic shine with this finish. To be honest, I applied my glossy topcoat to this manicure as soon as I could. The matte looked too much like sand for my liking! I also finished up my manicure with Julep’s Yumi. I couldn’t resist adding more glitter!

 All in all, I am still super excited about Coterie! I got an amazing deal on these polishes, and I can’t wait to see what sales they feature in the future. Make sure you join Coterie HERE. The Butter London sale is still available for a limited time. Enter code ZOEREPORT at checkout to get $25 off!

Indie Spotlight: Dollish Polish Mario Collection

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Yesterday I polled my Facebook fans and asked what post they wanted to see next on my blog. The votes are in! Today I have for you an Indie Spotlight featuring two polishes from the Dollish Pollish Mario Collection. I purchased 1-Up and The Koompa King on Copious as a part of a group order. There was a listing for the complete collection, but by splitting up the polishes, I got to spend less money and try out two polishes that I really liked. A group order is a great way to get expensive and hard to find polishes at a discount price! Let me show you 1-Up and The Koompa King.

 

 

1-Up is a glitter top coat in a clear base. It is comprised mainly of small, green hexagonal glitters, but also has small, white squares, large white hexagons, and white bar glitter. The formula is great and dries really quickly. In order to get the glitters the way you want them, it does take a bit of special application techniques, but with two coats I achieved a fabulous look. I layered 1-Up over Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Mint Sorbet. Though 1-Up is Mario themed, I could definitely see this polish as a Saint Patrick’s Day manicure.

The Koompa King is also a glitter top coat in a clear base. It’s main color is gold, which is found in small grains and small and large hexagonal glitters. Mixed in are red squares, small white hexagons, small and large green hexagons, large silver hexagons, black bar glitter, and (my personal favorite) holographic diamonds. I layered The Koompa King over Illamasqua Optimist, and the look I got was so fun! I only needed two coats of this glitter to achieve this look. I got lots of compliments on this polish! I can’t wait to use it again.

You can buy Dollish Polish direct from their website HERE. The Mario Collection has become hard to find, but keep your eyes open and you might just spot a good deal like I did.

What do you think of these polishes? Have you tried Dollish Polish?