mani – Page 8 – Adventures in Polishland

Tag: mani

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 | OPI Louvre Me Louvre Me Not

Posted on May 18, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Manicure Monday! I can’t believe we’re already on to the letter O in the Alphabet Challenge. Time flies when you’re having fun! This week I reached for an OPI classic that I’ve had in my collection for years now. My mom gave me Louvre Me Louvre Me Not as a gift years ago now, and it’s one that I used to use a lot. Let me show you this pretty purple!

Louvre Me Louvre Me Not is a beautiful purple polish with magenta shimmer. It has a perfect formula that is opaque in two coats. I love the flat brush that OPI polishes have, and using this one made me want to expand my OPI collection. I definitely stay away from OPI because of its price tag, but I’ll have to make room for an OPI in my budget every now and then. I know I’ll always get a quality polish!

I’m so glad I got the change to use Louvre Me Louvre Me Not again. This polish was originally part of a limited edition collection, but is now available as part of the permanent line. You can purchase it on Amazon HERE for under $7.00! Make sure to let me know what your favorite OPI polishes are in the comments!

Manicure Monday | ncLA As If + Miss Sunset Strip

Posted on May 11, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! I’m all caught up with the Alphabet Challenge now, and I’m moving on to the letter N. I really had to dig in my collection to find an N brand, but then I found two purple polishes from ncLA that I thought would go perfectly together. ncLA is a boutique brand that makes 5-free polishes in the USA. I’ve never purchased directly from ncLA’s website, but over the years I’ve received a few bottles in subscription boxes. It’s been quite a while since I’ve put them to use!

I began today’s manicure with a base of As If, a pastel purple polish with a creme formula. As If is a bit on the streaky side, but because I was using it in a glitter manicure, it worked out just fine in two coats. If I was wearing it alone, I would layer on three very thin coats. To top of As If, I added one coat of Miss Sunset Strip, a clear base filled purple and silver hexagonal glitters. I love the formula of Miss Sunset Strip, as tons of glitters come out with one coat, and it applies really smoothly. These polishes go so well together!

All in all, I’m glad I reached for these ncLA polishes in my collection. I would not buy them regularly, as they retail for $16 each, but if you are looking for a splurge polish I think this is such a fun brand. If you sign up for the brand’s email list, you’ll be sent a 15% off coupon, so definitely snag that extra savings. You can shop online directly from ncLA HERE.

Have you tried ncLA? Let me know in the comments!

Manicure Monday | LVX Viridian + Milani Hot Pink Rage

Posted on May 4, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Manicure Monday! I’m catching up on the Alphabet Challenge again this week, so I searched my stash for brands that begin with L and M. With summer just around the corner, I decided to grab two bright colors in pink and green. I also paired up a high end brand with a drugstore brand, so I thought that was a great combination. Let me go ahead and share the manicure with you!

I thought I would go for a cloud manicure today, so I began with a base of Hot Pink Rage by Milani. This polish is amazing – the formula is just perfection and it’s a one-coat polish. Then, I used LVX Viridian to create some clouds on each nail, and finished up with another coat of Hot Pink Rage. I think these two colors go really well together! I really like Viridian, but I remember it stained my nails the last time I used it, so I decided to use it layered. It worked like a charm!

All in all, I love this cute and simple manicure. It’s really fun to pair bright colors together. Both pink and green are my favorite polish colors, so it makes sense they work together. You can buy LVX polishes on the brand’s website HERE for $16.00 each. Make sure to keep an eye on HauteLook for special sales, though! Of course, Milani can be purchased at your local drugstore for a fabulous and affordable price. Let me know what you think of my manicure 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.

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 | Julep Florence

Posted on March 9, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Manicure Monday! Last week all of you were so helpful when I asked if you knew of any nail polish brands that began with the letter F. Unfortunately, I didn’t own any of those brands (which I know is hard to believe)! I searched through my collection and finally found a polish whose name begins with an F, so I decided that would have to suffice for this week’s entry into the Alphabet Challenge! Let me show you Julep Florence!

Florence is a beige nude polish with a creme formula. It applies well in two coats, but is a bit on the streaky side. I received Florence in my Julep Maven box way back in September 2013 (see that post HERE) and haven’t used it since then! I do really like this shade with my skin tone, but the formula definitely wasn’t the best. Nonetheless, I’m glad I was able to use it again for the Alphabet Challenge!

I have decided to destash Florence, as I have plenty of other nude polishes in my collection with better formulas. As I sit here looking at how gorgeous Florence is in the photos, though, I’m almost rethinking my decision! If I wasn’t so desperate to shrink my polish collection before I move in a few months, I’d definitely hang onto this one. What do you think – is Florence a keeper for you?!

This post contains an affiliate banner. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

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.

My First Manicure in 2015 featuring Maybelline Color Show Holographic in Blue Blaze!

Posted on January 2, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! It’s now 2015 and that means another year of new manicures! Last year I posted about 2014’s first manicure (see that review HERE), so I figured it was fitting that I continue the tradition. I raided Momma Polishland’s nail polish stash again and discovered a lone Maybelline Color Show polish from the Holographic Collection. I decided to put it to the test to see if a drugstore brand can get that holographic formula right!

Blue Blaze is a silvery-blue polish with a metallic formula. It does have some holographic shimmer mixed throughout the base, but I would not call this a holographic polish at all. The formula felt just like a metallic – it was patchy and pulled easily. However, it did build up well. I applied three thin coats to get the look you see pictured. I am happy with the result, but I would definitely label this polish a metallic and not a holographic.

I took these pictures in direct sunlight to ensure that any holographic effects would be captured. As you can see, there is a bit of shine, but no strong rainbow prism effect. Thus, while this is a good polish with a unique color, it does not compare with the holographic formulas we know and love.

You can find Maybelline Color Show Holographic in Blue Blaze for sale on Amazon HERE for about $4.50. I’m quite interested to know your experience with this range of polishes if you’ve tried them. Did you get a strong holographic effect, or did they apply more like a metallic for you as well? Let me know in the comments!

This post contains an affiliate link. 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.