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Manicure Monday | Dream Designer Nail Kit in Going Home Blues

Posted on February 23, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! It’s that time of the week where I show you my manicure! I am on to the letter D in my Alphabet Challenge. Surprisingly, I don’t own many polishes from a brand that begins with D, but I did find some from Dream Designer Nail Kit (hereafter “DDNK”) that I reviewed last year. You can see my full review of the Beginner’s Luck Collection HERE, which is based off of Las Vegas. Since first testing the collection, I’ve visited Vegas for this first time with my grandma and cousin. It was an awesome trip that I will remember for a lifetime, so I have more of a connection with these polishes now. I especially can understand Going Home Blues!

Going Home Blues is a jelly formula in a deep blue shade. It is opaque in two coats, and has a really great formula that dries to a satin finish that is still shiny. I love the deep pigmentation with this polish. Blues are some of my favorite shades to wear, and Going Home Blues is a standout in my collection. I even got a compliment on my manicure from a friend at work! I certainly don’t have the blues while wearing Going Home Blues!

All in all, I highly recommend this indie polish. DDNK is currently on hiatus from making new polishes, but she will be back very soon. You can still purchase this polish and her already released collections on the brand’s website for $8.99 each, or you can get a discount when you purchase a full collection. Please find all of this brand’s links below, and be sure to let me know in the comments what your favorite Vegas memory is!

CONNECT WITH DDNK

Shop | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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

A England Princess Sabra & Love is Enough from Beautometry.com!

Posted on February 21, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! I’m so excited to share with you two new-to-me polishes today. My friend Therese over at the nail polish e-tailer Beautometry sent me some A England shades to review after learning that I didn’t have any in my collection. I thought that was so nice of her, and was thrilled to review some of these coveted polishes. I did try A England Holy Grail way back in the day (you can see that blog post HERE), but it’s no longer in my collection simply because that shade wasn’t for me. Let me go ahead and share the two A Englands that Beautometry sent me!

First up is Princess Sabra from The Legend Collection. Princess Sabra is a beautiful holographic polish that is a golden bronze shade with a hint of olive pigmentation as well. This polish has an excellent formula that applies with ease and is opaque in two coats. I love how strong the holographic effect is, and I definitely recommend Princess Sabra for those of you new to holo polishes. Its neutral base will look good with any skin tone!

Next up is Love is Enough from the Heavenly Quotes Collection. Love is Enough is another unique polish! It is a mix between a glitter and metallic formula, with a greenish-black base and green and gold shimmer. Love is Enough has a good formula that dries amazingly fast. I’m not wearing top coat in the photos, so you can see the super shiny finish. Love is Enough is definitely an edgy polish, and I think it will look awesome paired with a leather jacket!

All in all, I’m so glad I got to try these A England polishes courtesy of Beautometry! They are definitely a specialty brand that I wouldn’t normally use. I’m loving Princess Sabra for every day wear, and Love is Enough when I want something funky. You can purchase these polishes direct from Beautometry for the sale price of $10 each. Please show this small e-tailer some love across the web, and be sure to let me know your favorite A England polishes in the comments!

CONNECT WITH BEAUTOMETRY

Shop | Facebook | Instagram

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

Indie Spotlight | Play Love Laugh Natural Peel Off Nail Polish Review & Giveaway

Posted on February 7, 2015February 7, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! It has been quite some time since I’ve reviewed an indie nail polish brand here on Adventures in Polishland. I’m so happy to be highlighting a company today that is quite unique. Play Love Laugh is natural nail polish made with a fruit and vegetable base. The polishes are designed to be odorless, and they feature a peel-off formula that dries extremely quickly. Play Love Laugh is the perfect nail polish for kids, but of course adults can use it, too! Let me go ahead and share the two shades I tested out, and stay tuned for a giveaway!

First up is Royal Princess, a pink-purple shade with a purple shimmer. I applied two coats without a base or top coat, and I really like the result. The formula is great, and opaque in two coats. It definitely has a satin finish, and I think it looks super pretty. I was so impressed that Royal Princess truly is odorless. It’s such a fun polish!

Next up is Purple Fairy Twinkle, a purple glitter polish. I was a bit disappointed with this one, because I thought it was going to be a lilac base with purple glitter in it. However, as you can see from the photos, the base is nearly clear. I applied three coats in the photos above, and didn’t get any pigmentation. I would definitely recommend this for layering only.

THE REMOVAL PROCESS

Play Love Laugh polishes are designed to peel off the nail without using any nail polish remover. The directions say to soak your nails in warm water, and then peel off the polish from the base of the nail. This process did not work for me whatsoever. I soaked my nails for about two minutes, and couldn’t get the polish to peel. However, if I soaked my nails, then ran them under warm water and gently rubbed at the polish, it came off with ease. I do worry how these polishes would wear for a longer period of time. Play Love Laugh states on its website that a manicure will last 1-7 days, but I’m thinking if I took a shower with this nail polish on, it would just come off in the hot water while I’m washing. Thus, I don’t think Play Love Laugh is practical for adults in its natural state, but definitely great for kids. I can see it as a fun activity at birthday parties and sleepovers!

I decided to do an experiment with these Play Love Laugh polishes to make them suitable for adults as well. I applied Royal Princess with Purple Fairy Twinkle on top, and then sealed with my regular glossy top coat. This made my manicure last, and I didn’t have to worry about it washing off in the shower. Simply remove with your regular nail polish remover. This makes Play Love Laugh polish perfect if you have kids, because both you and your children can get great use out of them!

GIVEAWAY

Play Love Laugh is kindly sponsoring a giveaway! Enter to win one bottle of Play Love Laugh through the Rafflecopter below. This is a United States ONLY giveaway. Please read all of the Terms & Conditions in the Rafflecopter widget before entering. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

All in all, I think Play Love Laugh is the perfect polish if you have children and want to ensure the products you’re using are safe for them. You can purchase the polishes direct from the company on its website HERE, where trios are $27.50 each. You can also purchase individual polishes on the brand’s Etsy site HERE for $9.50 each. Keep in mind that each polish is handmade in New York!

Please let me know what you think of Play Love Laugh 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.

My 2014 Holiday Manicures! | 3 Nail Polish Looks

Posted on December 16, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! Today I wanted to show you the three manicures I’ve worn so far this holiday season. I’ve already reviewed some of these polishes, so I will leave links to those blog posts alongside each manicure. I hope these nail polish looks bring you some inspiration as we head into the New Year! That reminds me – stay tuned for an exciting announcement very soon about my Annual New Year’s Eve Manicure Contest! For now, let me show you my 2014 holiday manicures.

NYC New York Color – Queen of the City [REVIEW]

I started off the holidays with a red that isn’t so “in your face” Christmas. I really love Queen of the City because of its unique shade and shimmery formula. It looks amazing with my fair skin tone, and goes with a ton of different outfits as well. If you’re looking for an edgier manicure this holiday, grab a deep shade like this one.

Zoya – Giovanna [REVIEW]

Next I went for more of a true Christmas color with an emerald green polish. Giovanna is just perfect for this time of year! It’s festive but still really classy. You can also use Giovanna for nail art as well. I do recommend a nice layer of base coat with this polish, though, as it tends to stain a bit.

Glitzology – Island of Misfit Toys

Chrome Girl – Birthday Suit [REVIEW]

Finally, I am currently wearing a combination of Island of Misfit Toys and Birthday Suit. I got this Glitzology polish two years ago, but never used it! Unfortunately, this indie polish brand is now out of business, but to create a similar look use a glitter polish that contains fine silver glitters and larger multi-colored glitters. Feel free to use multiple glitter polishes if necessary! I decided to go with a pastel pink base so that all of the glitters would really stand out. It’s not quite your typical Christmas manicure, but I’m thrilled with the result!

I hope you enjoyed seeing my holiday manicures so far in 2014! Please let me know if you liked this post in the comments. I’d be happy to show off any more nail polish looks I put together through the holiday season. Of course, I want to see your holiday manicures as well. Please share a photo on my Facebook Page HERE or feel free to use the hashtag #PolishlandPresents so I can find your posts on any social media site. I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season!

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.

Indie Spotlight | Beginner’s Luck Collection from Dream Designer Nail Kit

Posted on February 27, 2014February 25, 2014 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! It’s been a little while since my last indie spotlight post, but I’m super excited to share with you a brand new indie brand! Dream Designer Nail Kit, or DDNK for short, just launched this year. DDNK’s first collection is called Beginner’s Luck, inspired by a weekend in Las Vegas. I think that’s a really fun idea for a collection! Let me share the five gorgeous polishes with you!

Of course I had to show you the unique bottles that each DDNK polish comes in. I’ve never seen any other brands with bottles like these before! The shape reminds me of coins, which coincidentally goes well with the Vegas theme.

First up is Go-Go Getter, a burnt orange glitter polish with blue glitters just sprinkled in. I was so impressed with Go-Go Getter’s formula! It applies like a dream, and is opaque in two coats. This polish is super sparkly, and would be great for the fall season.

Next up is Going Home Blues, a royal blue polish that dries to a statin finish. Going Home Blues has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. It has a bit of a “crelly” formula (mix between a creme and jelly), and that makes for a unique polish. I think this is my favorite in the collection!

Next is Royal Flush, a purple polish with silver and holographic glitters. Royal Flush also has an awesome formula that is opaque in two coats. I really love this one! I could see myself wearing this quite often.

Sunset on the Strip is next, and it’s a gorgeous black base filled with bronze glitters. It applies really well, and is opaque in two coats. Sunset on the Strip is really unique! I love that the glitters make the black base sparkle when the light hits them just right.

Last but not least is Vegas Night Sky, a glitter polish with charcoal, gold, blue, and purple glitters. This polish is opaque on its own in two coats, and applies with ease. I’m always happy when I don’t have to layer a glitter polish! I love the combination of colors as well.

All in all, I’m really impressed with these polishes from Dream Designer Nail Kit! They all have great formulas, and the colors are rather unique. Each polish retails from $8.99-9.99, and you can purchase this complete collection for $37.99. Shop on Etsy HERE or on eBay HERE. Also make sure to like DDNK on Facebook HERE to stay in the loop about upcoming collections! Let me know what you think of DDNK 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.

Valentine’s Day Nail Art | Free Hand Hearts

Posted on February 8, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so I thought it would be fun to create a simple, nail art look. I grabbed two of my favorite nail polishes, and decided a free hand design would be quick and easy. Let me show you the manicure I put together!

To create this manicure, I started out with a base of Wet ‘n Wild Megalast in On a Trip (full review HERE). Once that was completely dry, I took Rainbow Polish in Wild Orchid (review HERE) and did free hand hearts all over my nails. Hearts are really easy to create – just make a “V” shape and you’re all set! Wild Orchid is one of my favorite indie nail polishes, and I thought the pink base with pink and purple glitters would be perfect for Valentine’s Day! To seal the entire look, I finished up with a layer of butter LONDON Hardwear Top Coat.

All in all, I think this manicure is really cute, and great for Valentine’s Day! I love how quick and easy it is to create, and there is no need to be absolutely perfect with your free hand hearts. This look is also customizable to your personal tastes, as you can choose any colors you wish. Let me know in the comments if you like this look!

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.

Manicure Monday | Milani Blue Jay + Daphine Polish Frosty

Posted on December 9, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! You may be surprised to hear that most of my every day manicures don’t make it onto my blog. I thought it would be fun to share with you one of my recent manicures. I actually wore it last Monday (through Thursday!), but it works for today’s Manicure Monday post as well. Let me show you what I wore on my nails!

I began by applying Milani Blue Jay as a base color. I reviewed this polish HERE in July, and I’ve been eyeing it in my nail polish collection ever since. While this is a limited edition polish, it is still available on Milani’s website HERE for just $4.49. As you may know, I am a huge fan of Essie Butler Please, and since my bottle is already showing a significant fill line, I decided to use another blue that I own. I think it was a great decision!

To complete my manicure, I added an accent nail of Daphine Polish Frosty (review HERE). I really wanted to experiment with Frosty to see what it would look like over different colors, and I’m loving it over Blue Jay! And yes, the photo above was taken at school while I was studying for my Evidence class. See, this really was one of my every day manicures!

All in all, I hope you enjoyed seeing my manicure today! I really loved this combination of bright blue and a bit of glitter, and I can’t wait to use Frosty over even more colors to see the result. If you would like to see more Manicure Monday posts, please let me know 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.

Indie Spotlight | Daphine Polish’s Holiday Collection 2013

Posted on December 4, 2013December 1, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I am excited to share with you three beautiful polishes from the indie brand Daphine Polish. While I first tried this brand just a few months ago, it has quickly become one of my favorite indies! I was thrilled to review some of the holiday polishes for all of you. Let me show you these gorgeous polishes!

First, I wanted to show you how nice the packaging from Daphine Polish is. I love when brands put in that extra effort. It really makes getting a package even more exciting!

The first polish I have to show you is Poinsettia, a Christmas red polish with holographic shimmer throughout. Poinsettia is the perfect holiday polish! The formula is amazing, and is opaque in two coats. Plus, it dries quickly. I recommend sealing Poinsettia with a top coat shortly after application to ensure the holographic quality really stands out.

Next up is Rudolph’s Nose, a glitter topcoat with a variety of red glitters and a sprinkling of green and gold granules. I layered one coat of Rudolph’s Nose over Poinsettia, and I’m loving the result! There is no fishing for glitters in this polish, and I love how beautiful these two look together. Of course, you can layer Rudolph’s Nose over many other polishes as well!

Last but not least is Frosty, a glitter top coat with a mix of white and iridescent glitters. I layered one coat over Zoya Hunter (see review HERE), and I’m so amazed with the result! Not only does Frosty have an amazing formula, but the iridescent glitters transform on the nail. As you can see in the photos above, shades of blue and purple magically appeared on my nails! I bet you will get a different result depending on the layering combo. I will have to experiment with Frosty more in the future for sure.

All in all, these holiday polishes from Daphine Polish are wonderful! I highly recommend them! Make sure you check out the full holiday collection on Etsy HERE. Full size polishes are $10 each, but keep an eye out for holiday sales by liking Daphine Polish on Facebook HERE. Let me know which of these three 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.

Indie Spotlight | Sweet Tea Polish: Hand-Mixed Polishes Inspired by the Sweet South

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! Today I am excited to share with you a new indie brand called Sweet Tea Polish. As you may have guessed from this post’s title, Sweet Tea Polish is inspired by the Sweet South, and handmade by a wonderful lady named Darah. I was thrilled when I got the opportunity to review some of her polishes. Let me show you what she sent me!

Not only were my polishes packaged really well, but they came with a set of yoga hair ties (my favorite!). The hair ties are an example of one of the free gifts that you get with a purchase of Sweet Tea Polish. I think that’s a great extra!

Now, onto the polish! First up is Wabash Cannonball, a silver polish with a holographic shimmer that dries to a matte finish! I just love matte polishes, and Wabash Cannonball is no exception. The formula was amazing – it applied smoothly – and is opaque in two coats. No top coat needed! Of course, I couldn’t help but wonder what this looked like with a glossy finish….

... and it looks great! When I added on a glossy top coat, the holographic sparkle really stood out. Wabash Cannonball is thus a great two-in-one polish!

Next up is Gramma’s Grape Jelly, a purple jelly polish filled with pink and purple hexagonal glitters, and some light purple square glitters as well. Gramma’s Grape Jelly is opaque on its own in two coats. The formula is good, but I suggest thin coats as the glitters make this polish a bit heavy on the nail. I also suggest finishing up with a glossy top coat, and you are good to go! I think this polish is adorable!

The last two polishes are a part of the limited edition AU-Some Tigers set! First is this gorgeous, deep metallic blue polish with a hint of blue and purple shimmer. The formula is just flawless, and it looks stunning on the nails. I love this polish for fall!

The AU-Some Tigers set is complete with a glitter top coat containing orange hexagons, blue squares, and fine silver glitters. I applied two coats over the blue for the manicure above, and these polishes were truly made for one another! Of course, you could wear them separately as well, but the pair is so perfect, and a must have for any AU Tigers fan!

All in all, I am really impressed with these polishes from Sweet Tea Polish! I love everything about the brand from its name to its bottle shape, and, of course, the polish! I highly recommend it. You can purchase Sweet Tea Polish online HERE. Mini bottles are $4 each and full size bottles are $9 each, with the AU-Some Tigers set at $7 and $16 respectively. You can also like Sweet Tea Polish on Facebook HERE. 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.

Indie Spotlight: Smitten Polish in Mint Chip

Posted on October 9, 2013October 9, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! If you’re like me, you probably have quite a few polishes in your collection that you’ve had for a long time, but haven’t tried out yet. A couple weeks ago, one of my favorite beauty bloggers, Cosmetic Sanctuary, reviewed the Smitten Polish Fall Collection, and I was in awe! It sparked my memory that I own just one bottle of Smitten Polish, and I just never tried it out. Cosmetic Sanctuary inspired me to test out that polish, and I am not disappointed!

Here is Smitten Polish in Mint Chip, a mint based polish with brown glitters both small and medium sized. Application was great, and I achieved opacity in three thin coats. Not only is mint chocolate chip my favorite ice cream, but I just love mint nail polish, so Mint Chip is perfect for me! I’m so happy I finally gave it a try.

All in all, Mint Chip is a great polish, and I can’t wait to try more from Smitten Polish. You can purchase Smitten Polish on Etsy HERE for $9.00 each. While Mint Chip is not currently for sale, similar polishes are Adeste Fidelis and Groovy Baby. Plus, I’m sure you can’t go wrong with the brands stunning holographics. Be sure to follow Smitten Polish on Facebook as well, and let me know if you own any Smittens in the comments.