indie polish – Adventures in Polishland

Tag: indie polish

Snow Day Manicure featuring Zoya Abigail

Posted on January 8, 2024 by Adventures in Polishland

This weekend we got our first big snowstorm of the winter season, and I decided my manicure would match the weather. At the end of December, I chose a few polishes from my collection to wear this month in January. I posted more about my nail polish “to be worn” pile on Instagram, but my plan is to share my manicures here on the blog weekly. While I wore a bright and fun look last week with Nail-Venturous Floam, this week my inspiration was a neutral shade from my nail polish stash in Zoya Abigail. I took this gray polish and added a bit of sparkle to create a snow day manicure!

Zoya Abigail is a cool-toned gray cream polish. The formula applies very nicely, and is opaque in two coats. I normally photograph all of my swatches in natural light, but this week I had to use artificial lighting due to the storm. Abigail is from the Toasty Collection released this time last year. I wouldn’t normally reach for a gray nail polish, but this one actually compliments my complexion nicely.

Different Dimension Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock

I then reached into my stash for a glitter topper from the indie nail polish brand Different Dimension. This shade is Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock from the Big Bang Theory Collection. The polish has a slightly blue tinted base, and is full of silver hexagonal glitters and white microglitters. I think this shade really mimics the snow that was falling outside!

I completed the look by adding two coats of the Zoya Naked Manicure Glossy Seal Top Coat. The result is quite beautiful! I like how the glitter topper really elevates what would otherwise be a neutral cream polish. I really enjoy putting different nail polish combinations together!

Abigail is available on the Zoya website for $12.00. You can use my referral link to save $5.00 off your first Zoya purchase. While you can no longer buy Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock, the brand Different Dimension is still in business on their website. Different Dimension was one of my favorite indie brands back in the day, and I’m glad the polishes I still own apply beautifully even years down the road. I’ll have to see what is currently available the next time I’m in the market for some new polish!

Manicure March | LynBDesigns in Ducky

Posted on March 26, 2016July 14, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! I have another indie nail polish to share with you today. Since beginning my nail polish declutter project, I’ve noticed that many indie brands have unfortunately shut down. LynBDesigns is a brand that is still going strong today! I reviewed some polishes for her back in my early days of blogging, and wanted to revisit one from The Land Before Time Collection. I was smitten with this collection because it was based off a nostalgic movie series for me. Plus, the polishes were super cute. That being said, I just don’t wear these polishes often. I wanted to see how Ducky looked on my nails once and for all!

Ducky is a green polish with green and gold glitter. The formula is good, but a bit on the sheer side. I wore three coats on its own, but Ducky can easily be used for layering as well. My immediate thought when I finished my manicure was: “This is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day!” Then I realized that I have plenty of other green glitters that I would probably reach for over Ducky. As gorgeous as Ducky is, it’s just not what I wear regularly. Functionality trumps again, and Ducky is being destashed.

All in all, I think Ducky is a great polish, and I’m so glad to discover that LynBDesigns is still around today (shop HERE). I know that I can often get sucked into buying nail polishes when the collection is based off of something I love. For example, I own the entire Hunger Games collection from China Glaze, and The Big Bang Theory collection from Different Dimension. I need to remember to only buy nail polishes that I’m going to wear! Please let me know in the comments if you’ve ever purchased a polish because of the name or for some other reason besides the color itself.

Join in #ManicureMarch by using the hashtag on social media and by tagging me in your photos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter!

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

Manicure March | Cameo Colours Lacquers in Hathor

Posted on March 21, 2016March 6, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today I have another indie nail polish to share with you during Manicure March. When I first started blogging I received a lot of indie polishes for review. It was so exciting, and I got to connect with a lot of great polish makers around the country. One of those brands was Cameo Colours Lacquers, a brand that is still making nail polish today! I received The Divine Collection to review, which contained six holographic polishes. These polishes are all so gorgeous, but I have to be honest – I just never wear holo nail polish! Holographic polishes are lusted over in the indie nail polish community, but they’re not my cup of tea. I decided to put the polish Hathor to the test to see how I feel about this holo formula.

Hathor is a blue holographic nail polish. The formula is excellent, as it applies smoothly and is opaque in two coats. I’m really impressed with Hathor! It not only looks stunning, but the formula is still amazing after living in my collection for a few years. Even though I think this polish is beautiful, though, I’m not going to keep it in my collection. Realistically, I won’t wear this nail polish. Holo formulas just aren’t my thing! I love looking at them on other people, but I don’t reach for them in my daily life. Thus, there’s no point in holding onto Hathor.

All in all, I’m glad I decided to part with the beautiful polish that is Hathor. I know that the person who ends up with Hathor after me will love it more than I can. It’s also great that I’ve discovered that Cameo Colours Lacquers is such amazing quality and can withstand the test of time. I highly recommend checking out the brand’s website HERE. Please also let me know in the comments if you own any polishes that you think are beautiful, but you just never wear them. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Join in #ManicureMarch by using the hashtag on social media and by tagging me in your photos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter!

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

Manicure March | Daphine Polish in Sekhmet

Posted on March 8, 2016July 14, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! The second week of Manicure March kicks off today with an indie nail polish review. When I first began my blog I got sucked into the indie community and had the opportunity to try out a lot of brands. I really miss using indie polishes! I need to get back into it for sure. Today I’m reviewing a polish from the brand Daphine Polish. I fell in love with Daphine Polish, but haven’t worn any in my collection for a long time. Let me share Sekhmet with all of you!

Sekhmet is a deep burgundy polish with a bit of red glitter in the mix. The formula is perfection. It applies smoothly and is opaque in two coats. The reason I put Sekhmet in my ‘to swatch’ pile is because this is not a polish color I wear regularly. However, I’m so glad I gave it another chance! I think Sekhmet looks great with my skin tone. Plus, it’s certainly a unique polish and I wouldn’t be able to find another like it. I’m keeping this in my collection for sure!

All in all, I’m so glad I tried out Sekhmet from Daphine Polish again! I really miss being up to date with everything that’s going on in the nail polish world, especially the small world of indie polish. You can purchase the nail polish featured in this blog post on Etsy HERE. Make sure to shop through Ebates to earn cash back on your purchase! Please share with me in the comments your favorite indie brands so I can check them out, too. I would love to post more about indie brands on Adventures in Polishland again.

Join in #ManicureMarch by using the hashtag on social media and by tagging me in your photos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter!

The product in this post was provided for my unbiased review. This post includes a referral link. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

KBShimmer Winter 2015 Collection | Swatches & Review

Posted on November 27, 2015November 19, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I am excited to be bringing you a review of seven KBShimmer nail polishes. The brand recently released its Winter 2015 Collection, which includes a variety of polishes as always. I really love how KBShimmer features different finishes, formulas, and colors each season. You never know what to expect, except the amazing quality. Let’s jump right into these winter shades!

First up is Fleece Navidad, a silvery grey holographic polish with hints of blue microglitter. Fleece Navidad has a great formula, but it is a bit on the sheer side so I applied three coats for opacity. This is a great holographic polish, especially if you’re looking to try out holos for the first time. It is wearable with nearly any outfit because of its neutral base, too!

Next up is Coal in One, a charcoal grey holographic polish. Coal in One has an excellent formula that is opaque in two coats. I’m so impressed with how strong the holographic effect is in this polish! It’s quite edgy, and will work well throughout the fall and winter months for sure.

Toying Around is this year’s charity polish, with $4 from the purchase of each bottle going to Toys for Tots. Toying Around is a glitter top coat packed with rainbow glitter in a variety of shapes, such as hexagons, triangles, circles, and more. Plus, there is microglitter sparkling up the polish as well! I applied one coat over KBShimmer Breaking Blues, and I am amazed at how easily the glitters apply to the nail. This is a top notch glitter, and it’s for a great cause!

Next up is Brr-tiful Dreamer, a purple-grey jelly polish packed with aqua, purple, silver, and fuchsia glitters. Brr-tiful Dreamer has a good formula, but I applied three coats to achieve full opacity. This polish is really stunniny! I think in the future I will wear it as an accent nail, and not a complete manicure.

How Corn-y is up next, and it is a yellow-orange jelly base filled with fall colored glitters in a variety of shapes and sizes. How Corn-y has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I am really impressed with this one! It is somehow extremely wearable despite being so funky. Plus, I like that it has a smooth finish despite being packed with glitter.

My favorite polish in the line is Chilly Pepper, a red creme with a rich pigmentation. Chilly Pepper has an absolutely perfect formula, and is opaque in two coats. You all know that I typically stay away from red polishes, but this one looks amazing with my skin tone! I’ll be wearing it for Christmas for sure!

Last but not least is sELFie, a glitter top coat filled with green glitter and a mix of other colors. I layered one coat over Chilly Pepper, and I feel like Christmas exploded on my nails! This is truly a glitter bomb polish – a ton of glitters easily applied without any extra effort by me during application. I’m also giggling over the name sELFie.

All in all, KBShimmer has once again delivered amazing nail polishes in its Winter 2015 Collection! The polishes range from $7.50-8.75 on KBShimmer’s website HERE or on Amazon HERE. These polishes make an amazing holiday gift, or snag a few up for yourself to rock all season long. I highly recommend them!

Which KBShimmer shades are you snagging? Let me know in the comments!

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

KBShimmer Fall 2015 Collection | Breaking Blues & I Feel Gourd-geous

Posted on October 5, 2015September 25, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today I am excited to review two of the polishes from the KBShimmer Fall 2015 Collection. This collection contains 12 nail polishes in rich, jewel tones. There are a variety of formulas, finishes, and shades available, and I have one cream and one full-coverage glitter to share. Let me go ahead and review Breaking Blues and I Feel Gourd-geous for you!

First up is Breaking Blues, a periwinkle blue with a cream finish. Breaking Blues has an amazing formula that is opaque in two coats. I absolutely love this polish! The color is so stunning, and not what I would traditionally think of for fall. I think Breaking Blues will look good with any skin tone, and I’m definitely going to be wearing this polish a lot in the coming months.

I Feel Gourd-geous is the other polish I tried, and it is a copper shade of holographic glitter polish. I Feel Gourd-geous is a full-coverage glitter that can be worn alone (as I’ve done) in three coats. Of course, you can use this polish to layer over other shades, but I’m amazed with how stunning I Feel Gourd-geous is alone! I layered a glossy top coat over the manicure to smooth out the glitter, and I think it’s beautiful. If you’re a glitter lover, you need this one!

All in all, I’m really impressed with these two polishes from KBShimmer. Each has an excellent formula, and I can see myself reaching for these countless times. KBShimmer is an indie brand and retails from $7.50-8.75 each. What I love about KBShimmer is that it can be purchased direct from the brand’s website HERE or on Amazon HERE. That way you can use an Amazon gift card, or if you have an Amazon credit card like I do you earn 3x the points! No matter where you shop, I highly recommend these polishes! Let me know in the comments if you’ll be purchasing either of these!

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.

Guest Post | Indie Manicure with Born for a Storm featuring Elevation Polish + Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer

Posted on May 28, 2015May 5, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Today’s guest post comes from Born for a Storm! Thank you for sharing!

I wanted to take a minute to post a really gorgeous manicure today! Elevation Polish El Cap 2 and Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer You’re Def My Bra.

Julie of Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer knows how to pick ’em. And make ’em. She picked out this beautiful Elevation to start with. She’s an Elevation connoisseur so I trust her judgement for sure. Then, she MADE this glitter just to go with this polish! That’s incredible. This combination is truly stunning, as you’re about to see…

I MEAN REALLY. The Elevation is a stunning periwinkle with a strong flash. The BEGL is a periwinkle microglitter, which is just so exciting to me… mostly because I’ve been pestering Julie for periwinkle everything lately. I’m wearing one coat of the BEGL over two coats of the Elevation with base and top coat on everything. (With microglitters I add a coat of Gelous before my topcoat to make it extra smooth!)

The macro doesn’t disappoint.

This beautiful BEGL was a gift (and cannot be purchased at this time)! You should definitely check out her shop for other gorgeous polishes, though! If you are interested in Elevation, I highly recommend the brand.

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Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer | Elevation Polish

Manicure Monday | Pahlish Typewriter Keys + Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Peachy Breeze

Posted on May 25, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Manicure Monday! It’s time for the letter P in the Alphabet Challenge, and I grabbed both a brand that begins with P and a polish name that begins with P. Might as well go all out, right?! Anyway, I received this Pahlish as a gift a while back and rediscovered it in my collection a couple weeks ago. I decided to pair it with a bright pink, and I think it’s a match made in heaven. Let me go ahead and show it to you!

For this week’s manicure I began with a base of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Peachy Breeze. This is one of my all-time favorite polishes. It really does dry quickly, and the formula is perfection. I’ve used it time and time again! When it was dry, I added one coat of Pahlish Typewriter Keys. This is a glitter polish with black, white, and holographic glitters. I’m obsessed with this combo! I can’t believe I never thought to pair these together before! I think these polishes were made for each other, don’t you?!

All in all, I think this is one of my favorite Manicure Monday posts yet! Unfortunately, Typewriter Keys is no longer available, but you can shop other Pahlish polishes on this indie brand’s website HERE. Sally Hansen Peachy Breeze is available on Amazon for the low price of $3.99 HERE. I highly recommend snagging that one up for your collection!

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

Manicure Monday | Julep Jennifer + KBShimmer Cotton Candy

Posted on April 27, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Manicure Monday! I’m a bit behind on the Alphabet Challenge now, but I’m going to catch up! This week I’m showing off two polishes for the letters J and K. I decided to grab a KBShimmer I’ve never tried, and a favorite from Julep. Let me show you this pink manicure!

I began my manicure with two accent nails of KBShimmer Cotton Candy. This is a glitter polish with a pink base filled with blue, purple, and pink glitters. The formula was great, but a bit on the sheer side so I layered on three coats. On my other nails, I added three coats of Julep Jennifer, which is a sheer pastel pink that I absolutely love. I finished up with my Essie Good to Go Top Coat, and I’m obsessing over this pink goodness! I can’t believe I’ve never used this KBShimmer before – it’s been hiding in my collection for a couple of years now!

All in all, I’d say this was a very successful Manicure Monday! I’m definitely impressed with this KBShimmer. It is discontinued now, but you can buy other polishes from this indie brand online HERE. KBShimmer is one of the few indie brand’s with an Amazon shop (HERE), which I love because you can buy the products with Amazon gift cards! Of course, be sure to check out Julep’s website HERE for Jennifer. Please let me know your favorite KBShimmer polishes in the comments so I can check them out!

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

Manicure Monday | Glitter Me This Purple Galaxy

Posted on March 16, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Manicure Monday! This week we are on letter G in the Alphabet Challenge, and I have to say this was a difficult letter as well. I finally spotted a G brand in my collection – a small indie label called Glitter Me This. A couple years back, I teamed up with Glitter Me This to host a naming contest for this polish (you can read that post HERE). I decided it was time to give Purple Galaxy some love again!

Purple Galaxy is a very sheer purple base filled with a mix of glitters in all colors and sizes. I layered one coat over Wet ‘n Wild Megalast in On a Trip (see that polish HERE). The result is a fun and frosty purple manicure that reminds me of a speckled Easter egg! I love how versatile Purple Galaxy is. I got such a different look this time around, because I used it over a dark polish in the past. I’m glad I tested it out again!

All in all, I’m so proud of myself for continuing on in the Alphabet Challenge! We are about a third of the way there! Make sure to leave me some H nail polish brands in the comments, because I don’t have the assigned Hard Candy for next week. Also, you can visit Glitter Me This on the web on Etsy and Facebook. She is currently selling glitter packets!

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