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Your Guide to Buying and Swapping Nail Polish Online

Posted on February 10, 2013November 30, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

The internet is an amazing platform that provides us nail polish addicts with great ways to acquire nail polish from all over the world. With so many indie brands and Facebook swap groups to choose from, it can sometimes be confusing, and at times quite scary, to purchase nail polish online. After a recent, negative experience I had with an indie brand, I was reminded of the precautions we must take to protect ourselves and our purchases. I have put together this guide to help those in the nail polish community stay safe when buying and swapping.

Do your research! You’ve finally found that perfect polish you were looking for, but before you hit the “checkout” button, head on over to Google. Type in the indie shop you are hoping to purchase from and see what pops up. This simple step can provide you with lots of helpful information regarding a seller’s reputation that you can easily miss without doing your research. An indie’s name can bring up feedback, blog posts, online forums, and other useful tools to shed light on the product you wish to buy. Along the way you could find out that the quality of an indie polish is not what you want it to be, or that the seller simply does not ship items. If I did my research I would have found a Facebook post letting me know the seller I had trouble with is known for not shipping packages!
Pay with PayPal! Always ensure that you are protecting your money by using PayPal when shopping. Almost all indie brands sell on websites like Etsy and BigCartel that use PayPal, but if you are buying from a seller on Facebook or through a blog sale that may not be the case. Always request a PayPal invoice. An invoice will outline your purchase as an itemized list, and it is the only way you can file a claim for goods you never receive. If a seller refuses to create an invoice for you, that is a red flag that she is not reputable.
Get Delivery Confirmation! Almost all sellers provide delivery confirmation, otherwise known as a tracking number, with every purchase. If you are swapping, however, it is imperative that you and your swap partner use delivery confirmation. This is your “insurance” that your package has been mailed. Make sure your swap parter sends you the tracking number as soon as your polish has been mailed.
Keep your personal information private! This may go without saying, but do not give out your home address or other personal information if you do not trust the person from whom you are buying or swapping. If possible, get a PO Box to use when you are shopping online. You can also give out your work address if it is permitted by your employer. Otherwise, only give out your home address if you have done your research and trust the seller.
Be active in the community! If you plan on doing a lot of nail polish shopping online, join some Facebook groups dedicated to nail polish chat. By actively engaging with other nail polish aficionados you will soon learn which indie brands are great, and which to avoid. You will also learn who trusted swappers are. ~~If you would like to know of some Facebook groups I recommend, please email me at adventuresinpolishland@gmail.com.~~ I am not actively participating in any Facebook groups for buying/swapping nail polish that I recommend as of 9.9.15.
If swapping, invoice each other! This is a tip that I recently learned. If you are doing a swap, you and your partner should invoice each other on PayPal for the same amount of money. For example, if you are swapping a $5 nail polish, invoice each other for $8 to cover shipping. That way if one person does not follow through with the swap, you can file a claim on PayPal.

“I never received my polish! What do I do?”

If you followed the steps above and you find yourself without your purchase, you can still rectify the situation!

Contact the seller! If a few weeks go by and you never receive your polish, the first thing to do is to get in contact with the seller. Most sellers have an email address, but others can be contacted directly through Etsy or social media. Every once in a while, a seller can simply overlook an order, or something may come up in her life that causes a shipping delay. Whatever the reason, politely ask the seller why your order is taking so long. Usually this step will clear up any issues.
File a PayPal Dispute! If the seller does not respond to your message in a timely manner, file a dispute with PayPal in the Resolution Center. Doing so will alert PayPal that you never received your purchase, and will also contact the seller an additional time. If a seller does not respond to your dispute, your money will be refunded. If she does respond, your purchase will either be fulfilled, or the seller may choose to refund your money. If you properly used PayPal to purchase your item, you will always be protected!
Contact the admin of the Facebook group! Many sales and swaps occur in Facebook groups. If you try to contact the seller or swapper to no avail, message the admin of the Facebook group. She will be able to help you resolve the problem, and will warn others from dealing with that person in the future.

I hope you have found this guide to buying and swapping nail polish online helpful! I love indie nail polishes and will continue to buy them, but I will be doing my research from now on. Out of all the brands I have dealt with thus far, I have only had issues with one. Keep an eye out for the bad eggs and you will be good to go! If you have any questions, or would like to add a tip to this list, please email me at adventuresinpolishland@gmail.com.

Stay Safe & Happy Polishing!

Indie Spotlight: I Love Nail Polish

Posted on January 31, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! Today I have a very exciting review of three polishes from the indie brand I Love Nail Polish. The first thing I noticed about I Love Nail Polish, is the fabulous presentation. They come in really cute boxes, and are very professionally made. I was already impressed before I even tried them out! Having such cute boxes makes me have more faith in the brand from the get go. The best part is, the polish lives up to the hype! Let me show you these gorgeous glitters!

Up first is Fully Turqued, a clear glitter top coat. Fully Turqued is full of a variety of black and white glitters in all shapes and sizes, and turquoise square glitters. I layered two coats over Milani Cyberspace (see that polish HERE). Fully Turqued has a great formula — it was easy to apply and the glitters came right out of the bottle and onto the nail. I love the look I got while layering Fully Turqued over a holographic polish in a complimentary color! My first thought was to use a sky blue as the base, but the added sparkle added a “wow” factor for sure. I also love square glitter, so the pop of turquoise was my favorite part of this polish!

Up next is Once Upon a Starry Night. This polish is also a glitter top coat, and is filled with white, blue, and silver glitter. The highlight of this polish is the silver, holographic stars! I added in an extra photograph so you can see how the stars reflect a rainbow of colors in the light. Simply gorgeous! Plus, they were surprisingly easy to get out of the bottle! No fishing for stars here. I layered two coats of Once Upon a Starry Night over L’Oreal Greycian Goddess (see that polish HERE). At first the silver glitters blend in with the background, but they sparkle in the light! If you want more of a “nighttime” feel, I suggest layering Once Upon a Starry Night over a true black.

Last but not least is my favorite polish from the bunch, All Gold Everything. This is a clear glitter top coat filled with gold glitters in all shapes and sizes. I have so many gold glitter polishes that I wasn’t too excited to try this one out, but All Gold Everything is stunning! I layered two coats over LASplash Blowfish Pink, and that was the perfect base color. Many thanks to my Facebook follower Roberta for suggesting a peach as a base! All Gold Everything has a fabulous formula, and I especially love the circle glitters! Overall, I find this manicure to be really fabulous and classy. I’ve even been wearing it for four days now! From now on this will be my go-to gold glitter.

All in all, I love these polishes from I Love Nail Polish! They all have great formulas, and the glitters were really easy to apply. You can shop for these polishes on Etsy HERE and follow on Facebook HERE. Full size bottles are $10 each.

P.S. You can always click on a photo to see it larger and in more detail!

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: The Last of the Time Lords Collection from Lucky 13 Lacquer

Posted on January 20, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Calling all Doctor Who fans! Today I have some awesome polishes to show you from the new collection by Lucky 13 Lacquer called The Last of the Time Lords. This collection is inspired by the revival series of Doctor Who, and you will see characters, episodes, and memorable quotes represented throughout the entire set. I have four of the thirteen polishes to show you. Let’s get started!

First up is A 51st Century Guy, a clear glitter top coat. This polish is filled with small white squares, gunmetal grey hexagonal glitters, and red hearts. I layered two coats over OPI in If You Moust You Moust (see that polish HERE). While the overall formula was great, I had the hardest time getting the hearts out of the bottle and onto my nails. I did everything I could think of to get those hearts out, but they were stuck to the sides of the bottle. I was able to get out just three so I could show you what they look like! I think if you had the full size bottle, it would be easier to fish out the hearts. Besides that issue, however, A 51st Century Guy is a great polish and has a fast-drying formula. I thought layering this over a pink would give me a Valentine’s Day manicure. I love the finished product!

Note: Lucky 13 is aware of the difficulty with the hearts, so until lightweight hearts can be added to the new batch of polishes, the brand is including extra hearts that can be hand placed with each purchase!

Up next is Fantastic! This is another clear glitter top coat, and is filled with tiny black hexagonal glitters, and medium gunmetal grey hexagons. Fantastic! has a good formula – no fishing for glitters with this one! I layered two coats over Zoya Julie for the look you see in the photos. My one gripe with Fantastic! is that it has a strong aroma, but otherwise it’s a great polish. I love the way it makes a pastel purple look edgy. Fantastic! would also liven up a plain black nail polish.

Another polish from The Last of the Time Lords collection is Bowties Are Cool. This polish has a brown shimmer base, and is filled with tiny bronze squares, and red, brown, and caramel colored hexagonal glitters. I knew it would take at least three coats to be opaque on its own, so I layered two coats over Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Mellow Yellow (see that polish HERE). I absolutely love the result! My fingers were sporting a golden yellow combo! Bowties Are Cool has a great formula, and the glitters come out of the bottle with ease. Just as A 51st Century Guy became a Valentine’s Day manicure, Bowties Are Cool is also extremely versatile! Your base color has the power to transform this polish, and you can get a different look every time!

Last but not least is my favorite polish of the bunch, Are You My Mummy? This polish is a clear glitter top coat and is filled with tiny green hexagonal glitters, and orange, brown, and yellow hexagons as well in various sizes. I layered one coat over Illamasqua Rampage. I was absolutely thrilled with Are You My Mummy?! One coat provided great coverage, and the glitters applied very well. This is a great nail polish for the fall, especially when layered over a dark green!

All in all, The Last of the Time Lords collection is extremely versatile and is perfect for Doctor Who aficionados and nail polish lovers, too! This collection can be purchased on the Lucky 13 Lacquer website HERE. Full size bottles are $8 each and mini bottles are $4. Lucky 13 is also offering a special bonus — buy 7 or more polishes from this collection and you will get a bonus bottle! You can also like Lucky 13 Polish on Facebook HERE.

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

Indie Spotlight: The Hidden Valley Collection from A Rhyming Dictionary Polish

Posted on January 14, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Today I am extremely excited to show you five amazing polishes from the indie brand A Rhyming Dictionary Polish. These polishes are from the soon-to-be-released collection called The Hidden Valley, which will be available very soon. I first tried A Rhyming Dictionary back in early December when I brought you the post highlighting Unc Nunkie (read that HERE). Now that I have tried a substantial amount of polishes from this brand, I can tell you that it is of the highest quality. Definitely be sure to check out the Etsy shop and pick yourself up a few of these! I will post the link at the end of this post. Let me show you some of The Hidden Valley collection!

First up is Scraps, an extremely unique polish in a purple jelly base. Scraps is full of black and white glitters in all shapes and sizes. There are hexagonal glitters, square glitters, and shards, too! This polish also has a holo shimmer, so it truly sparkles. I used three coats alone, and while it was not opaque, I loved the look! If you would like an opaque look, I suggest you layer this over a purple or black polish. Moreover, Scraps has a great formula — lots of glitters come out upon application and they lay flat. The polish was a little hard to work with because of all the glitter, but when it dries it looks super cool. I applied two coats of top coat to even out the finish. Overall, I love Scraps! It is unlike any other polish I’ve tried before, and it reminds me of my undergrad’s school colors. I was staring at my nails a lot with this one!

Up next is Collapsible Kite, a glitter top coat in a clear base. I layered two coats over Zoya GeiGei (which you will see very soon!). This polish has magenta, yellow, and orange glitters, and is a mix of hexagonal, square, and fine glitters. The formula was fantastic, and I didn’t have to fish for glitters. The glitter lay flat on the nail, too. I finished up with one coat of top coat. I just love the color combination of Collapsible Kite! I wore this as my New Year’s Eve manicure, and it matched my pink dress perfectly! The light pink base was an ideal choice, because none of the glitters got lost in the background, but it was still complimentary. A great combination, I think!

The next polish from The Hidden Valley collection is Magic Muffins! This purple polish has a holo shimmer throughout. I applied three coats for full opacity. It was a bit streaky at first, but evens out very well. I also love the gorgeous satin finish of the polish, so I did not apply top coat. Not only does this polish have a super cute name, but it is a complete manicure all in one or can be used for layering. In fact, I used this as the base for the next polish in the collection!

Here is Equinots, a glitter top coat in a clear base. I layered one coat over Magic Muffins to get the look in the photos. Equinots is full of pink hexagonal glitters, magenta square glitters, and royal purple hexagonal glitters. There is also a sprinkling of magenta grains. This went perfectly with Magic Muffins, and was a dream to apply! One coat brought out a lot of glitters, so I left it at that. I applied one coat of top coat to complete the look. The finished product looks like one gorgeous polish! The holo shimmer from Magic Muffins stands out and combines with the glitters of Equinots for a stunning look. This is just one way to use the polishes from this collection together, alone, or with other polishes! They are so versatile!

Last but not least is Kite Island, a glitter top coat in a clear base. I layered two coats of Kite Island over Sinful Colors Mint Apple (see that polish HERE). Kite Island is a really fun polish! It has fine glitters in pink and green, hexagonal glitters in orange, blue, pink, and green, small green squares, and (my favorite!) large white squares. Just as with the other polishes from A Rhyming Dictionary, the glitters came out with ease and lay flat on the nail. I just love the mix of colors in Kite Island, and the white glitters are a surprising touch. With one coat of top coat my manicure was complete. I chose a seafoam green background so none of the glitters would blend into the base. Overall, it is a super fun manicure!

All in all, I love all of these polishes from The Hidden Valley collection. The best part is that there are even more polishes in this collection that I’m sure will be just as fabulous! This collection will be released very shortly, and I will announce on my Facebook page when they are available for purchase. For now you can shop for other polishes at the A Rhyming Dictionary Etsy shop HERE and follow on Facebook HERE.

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

Indie Spotlight: Different Dimension in Bazinga

Posted on January 7, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

I was extremely excited when I discovered that the indie brand Different Dimension sells a collection named after the TV show The Big Bang Theory. I am a huge fan of the show, and immediately added the collection to my wish list. I was even more excited when my mom bought the collection for me! Right before Christmas, I tried Bazinga. Let me show you this super fun polish!

Bazinga has a light yellow jelly base and is filled with yellow and red hexagonal glitters, and small red fine glitters. I layered two coats over SquareHue Champagne Toast to get the look in the photos. As with the other polishes I’ve tried from Different Dimension, Bazinga had a great formula. I wish the larger hexagonal glitters came out more often during application, but otherwise I love the polish. Bazinga looked really nice over a gold tone for a holiday look, but the yellow glitters did blend into the background a little bit. I think next time I will layer Bazinga over a different color to ensure that the glitters really stand out from the base. I can’t wait to try Bazinga again!

You can buy this polish on Etsy HERE for $8.50. You can also “like” Different Dimension on Facebook HERE.

Indie Spotlight: Cameo Colours Lacquer

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

Happy Wednesday! I hope those of you who celebrate Christmas had a great holiday yesterday. I am back to blogging now after a short break, and I have three polishes to show you from the indie brand Cameo Colours Lacquer. Two of these polishes are holiday themed, but they are both still available to buy, plus they can be worn any time of year. I love how versatile glitter top coats can be! Let me show you the beautiful polishes from Cameo Colours.

Up first is Stroke of Midnight, which I layered over Essie Play Date, a lilac purple color. Stroke of Midnight is a glitter topcoat in a clear base that is filled with silver bar glitter and circle glitters in pink, purple, and blue. I layered one coat over Play Date to get the look in the photos. Stroke of Midnight has a great formula. The glitters were easy to apply and were perfectly flat upon application. I love the manicure I got when I layered Stroke of Midnight over a purple color. It’s perfect for any time of year!!

Next up is Tangled Lights, which I layered over Julep Isla, a metallic white polish. For this manicure I went with more of a holiday feel. Tangled Lights is another glitter top coat filled with small hexagonal glitters in every color you can think of! The base is also full of holographic shimmer, which really makes the polish shine in the light. I applied two coats of Tangled Lights over Isla to get the look in the photos above. I love this manicure! Tangled Lights can be worn over another color for use throughout the year.

Last but not least is Kings and Queens from the Thirty Seconds to Mars Collection. This is an orange jelly base filled with holographic glitters. There is a holo shimmer throughout, plus small hexagons, and crescent moons! I was quite surprised when Kings and Queens was opaque in just two coats. This polish was a dream to apply, but I did have a hard time getting the moon glitters to come out of the bottle. Make sure to give yours a good shake so they will rise to the top of the polish! Kings and Queens is just gorgeous!

All in all, I really love these polishes from Cameo Colours Lacquer! I was very impressed with the quality of the formula, and I definitely recommend this brand. Make sure you stop by to purchase the holiday polishes before they sell out! You can shop on Etsy HERE. Full size bottles are $8 each. You can also visit the Cameo Colours Facebook page HERE.

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

Indie Spotlight: I’m Doing My Nails Today in Beach Barbie

Posted on December 17, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Today I have a really fun polish to show you from the new indie brand called I’m Doing My Nails Today, or IDMNT for short. This brand is just getting started, and I’m loving what I’ve tried so far! Let me show you the polish Beach Barbie.

Beach Barbie is an aqua based polish filled with pink glitters. There are fine glitters, small hexagons, and shards. I used two coats in the photos above, and while it is not fully opaque, I love the look! You could add a third coat if you would like it to be opaque. Beach Barbie is definitely a unique polish. IDMNT told me that the blue base is to represent the beach, and the pink glitters to represent Barbie. I think that is a really cute idea! Plus, I am a huge Barbie fan, so this polish was made for me. I’m also surprised at how the blue base has a slight duochrome quality to it, and shifts from green to blue depending on the light. Understated yet fun all in one polish!

You can buy Beach Barbie and other polishes from IDMNT on Etsy HERE. Full size bottles are just $5.99 and minis are $3.99. This is a bargain compared to many indie brands! You can also follow IDMNT on Facebook HERE.

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

Indie Spotlight: Shimmer Polish Part II

Posted on December 12, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Remember a few months back when I posted THIS entry featuring Shimmer Polish?! Well, today I have part two to share with all of you! Shimmer Polish is an amazing indie brand that has the best glitter polishes I’ve tried yet. Each polish is opaque in 2-3 coats, and can be worn alone or layered over another polish. If you are a glitter girl like me, you should definitely treat yourself to some Shimmer Polish! Let me show you four more of these beauties.

First up is Cindy, a true red polish with a hint of holographic glitters mixed in. I am not a huge fan of red polish, but Cindy is gorgeous! The holo glitters make the manicure really pop and look multidimensional. I also love that Cindy is opaque in two coats, and that the formula isn’t goopy like some glitters. If you love red, Cindy is a must!

Up next is Jenny, a blue-based glitter mixed with purple and gold with extra hints of green and red. I love the color combination! I applied three coats of Jenny in the photos above to achieve opacity. Jenny is definitely a unique polish. I think it would look great layered over another polish, too!

Melissa is the next from Shimmer Polish that I have to show you. This polish is a mix of red and plum purple with hints of gold and teal. Melissa is opaque in two coats and has that same great formula that all of the Shimmers have! The plum purple color makes this polish more understated than the bright red of Cindy, but just as stunning. Plus, the hints of turquoise are a beautiful touch! Melissa is a must for all purple lovers!

The last polish I have to show you today is Gerry, my favorite of the bunch! Gerry is a mix of dark blue and purple with hints of red mixed throughout. I love both purple and blue polishes, so both of them mixed together is a winner in my book! Just two coats are needed to achieve opacity with this polish. Gerry actually reminds me of a higher quality version of L.A. City Nights from Jordana! I would pick Gerry over that polish any day!

All in all, I love these glitters from Shimmer Polish! You can purchase Shimmer on Etsy HERE and visit the Shimmer Facebook page HERE. Stay tuned, because I have even more of these amazing polishes to show you!

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

Indie Spotlight: A Rhyming Dictionary Polish in Unc Nunkie

Posted on December 1, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Today I am very excited to show you a beautiful polish from the indie brand A Rhyming Dictionary. This brand is owned by a lovely lady named Morgan, and she sent me this polish from her line a few weeks ago as an RAOK (Random Act of Kindness). I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved Unc Nunkie when I put it on, and wore it for four days! Let me show you this amazing polish.

Unc Nunkie is a glitter polish with pink, red, purple, blue, and turquoise hexagonal glitters in small and large sizes. Plus, the base is filled with blue shimmer! I layered two coats over Julep Jennifer (see Jennifer HERE) and was amazed by the result. I do admit, I had to fish a little bit to get the hexagonal glitters on the nail, but it was definitely worth it. The polish dried very quickly, and the glitters lay perfectly flat. I did finish up with a glossy top coat for some extra shine! Unc Nunkie, like all of the polishes from A Rhyming Dictionary, is named after a character from L. Frank Baum’s Oz series. To me it looks like candy! I loved the outcome of this manicure so much I found myself staring at my nails a lot. I highly recommend it!

You can shop for A Rhyming Dictionary Polish on Etsy HERE. Full size bottles are $7.50. You can also follow on Facebook HERE.

Indie Spotlight: Kelara Lacquers

Posted on November 27, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Today I have three polishes from the brand new indie brand Kelara Lacquers to show you. These polishes are amazing right down to the cute bottles with professional labels. Let me show you these gorgeous polishes!

First up is my favorite of the polishes. It is Uranus from the Planetary Collection! Yes, the name is silly, but I just love this color. Uranus is a gorgeous teal polish with holographic micro glitters mixed in. It has a textured finish, which I love. The formula is spot on for this one, as it is opaque in just two coats. It is also chip proof! I had this one on for days without any signs of wear. I absolutely love Uranus and hope to wear it often.

Up next is Seaside from the Fantasy Collection. This polish is a gorgeous sea blue with hints turquoise glitter. It really does look like an ocean on your fingers! Seaside was opaque in just two coats, and has a jelly texture to it. This is a great blue nail polish, especially with the green glitters thrown in. I recommend it to any blue lovers!

The final polish from Kelara Lacquers that I have to show you is Butterfly Kisses, also from the Fantasy Collection. Butterfly Kisses is a slightly tinted purple base filled with fine purple and turquoise glitters and pink butterfly glitters! This is definitely a unique polish! The first photo shows three coats of Butterfly Kisses on its own, and the next two show one coat over Seaside. While you can build opacity in three coats, I definitely suggest using Butterfly Kisses as a layering polish. Three coats was too bumpy, but one coat looks great as a topper! Although I am not a huge butterfly fan, this polish is adorable! I can guarantee you don’t have anything like Butterfly Kisses in your collection yet.

All in all, I love Kelara Lacquers! The polishes are really good quality, and I love that the brand offers a variety of colors and finishes. You can shop Kelara Lacquers on Etsy HERE. Full size bottles are $9 and minis are $4.50. You can also follow Kelara on Facebook HERE.

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