manicure – Page 4 – Adventures in Polishland

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Dare to Compare | Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Wine Stock vs Madam Glam High Standards

Posted on May 4, 2016March 29, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! I’m excited to share another nail polish comparison post with all of you. I didn’t find too many duplicate shades in my red stash, seeing as I don’t wear red nail polish often. However, I definitely am a fan of the oxblood trend that seems to take place every fall. Deep red nails are easy to pull off and look good on just about everyone! I own two oxblood shades, one from Sally Hansen and the other from Madam Glam, that look nearly identical in the bottle. I just had to test these out side-by-side to see if they are exact dupes! Let’s get swatching!

First up is Wine Stock from the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel line. Wine Stock has a great formula, but it is on the sheer side so I layered three coats for full opacity. I love the wide and flat brush that comes with all Miracle Gel polishes. It makes application a breeze once you get used to a bigger brush. Wine Stock is a stunning polish, and one that is a staple in my fall nail polish wardrobe.

Next up is Madam Glam High Standards, which is another oxblood creme polish. High Standards has a good formula, but it is a bit on the goopy side. I applied two coats for full opacity, and it does dry to a beautiful finish. High Standards is a bit messier to work with than Wine Stock, but it looks just as gorgeous.

Here is a look at Wine Stock and High Standards side-by-side. I’m wearing Wine Stock on my pinky and ring fingers, and High Standards on my middle and pointer fingers. I cannot see any difference whatsoever between these two polishes. I can definitely say these are dupes! Personally I prefer Wine Stock by Sally Hansen because of the brush and smooth formula. High Standards is still an excellent polish, but I will be destashing it because of the goopy formula. Thankfully, Wine Stock is part of Sally Hansen’s permanent line, and available for purchase for under $10 at your local drugstore or online HERE. High Standards is currently out of stock on Madam Glam’s website.

All in all, I’m so glad to have found another dupe in my collection. I’m so excited to wear Wine Stock more in the fall months, as it truly is a perfect oxblood shade. I’m also excited that I can recommend it as the more affordable and available option. The Sally Hansen Miracle Gel line is a bit more expensive than most drugstore nail polishes, but keep an eye out for sales and coupons. There is almost always a way to save! Definitely let me know your favorite oxblood nail polish 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.

Dare to Compare | Milani Color Statement Red Label vs KBShimmer Chilly Pepper

Posted on May 2, 2016March 26, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today I have a nail polish comparison for you, and I’m excited to share the results. I’ve never been a big fan of the classic red nail polish, but every once in a while I find a shade of red that does work with my fair skin tone. In late 2015 I received KBShimmer’s Chilly Pepper for review and immediately knew this was a red made for me. As it turns out, I also own Milani Color Statement in Red Label, a shade that looks nearly identical to Chilly Pepper in the bottle. Now, I knew I would keep Chilly Pepper because it is one of my most used nail polishes, but I wanted to see if these polishes were dupes. Let me share the results with you!

First up is Milani Color Statement Red Label. This is a true red nail polish with a creme formula. Red Label has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. My only issue with the formula is that it is just a touch watery, but that is me nitpicking this polish. Red Label is an amazing red, and it’s a fabulous and affordable polish.

KBShimmer Chilly Pepper is also a bright red creme polish, but it does feel more like a ‘crelly,’ or creme and jelly formula. Chilly Pepper has a perfect formula. It applies with ease, looks beautiful in two opaque coats, and dries to a glossy finish with no top coat needed. I’ve used this polish so much since I received it, and you can tell by the messy state of the bottle. This is one loved polish!

Here is a look at Red Label and Chilly Pepper side-by-side. Red Label is on my pinky and ring fingers with Chilly Pepper on my middle and pointer fingers. Can you tell a difference between the two? It is very, very slight, but Red Label is a tad brighter. However, there is no reason for me to own both of these polishes. I knew I’d be keeping Chilly Pepper, so I’m saying goodbye to Red Label.

All in all, I’m glad I swatched these side-by-side so I could alert you to this dupe! I know KBShimmer is a higher end brand, and that Milani is more accessible for many of you at your local drugstore. If you can get your hands on Chilly Pepper, I highly recommend picking it up on Amazon HERE. That being said, I also recommend Red Label. It’s all up to how much you want to spend! Definitely let me know in the comments what your favorite red nail polish is. I would love to know!

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.

Dare to Compare | Milani Scarlet Ibis vs Milani Color Statement Mango Tango

Posted on April 25, 2016March 22, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today I have another nail polish comparison post to share, and this time the polishes are from the same brand! I own two red-orange polishes from Milani that look extremely similar in the bottle, and I had to test them out to see if they are duplicates. I did want to mention that these polishes are from two different Milani collections, so it’s understandable that the shades are so similar. Let’s take a look at Scarlet Ibis and Mango Tango individually and side-by-side.

First up is Scarlet Ibis, a red orange polish with a very slight shimmer. This polish is from the limited edition Fantastical Plumage Collection, which is one of my all-time favorite Milani collections (review HERE). Scarlet Ibis has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. It’s a tad bit watery, so I used thin coats and really liked the end result. The shimmer is just enough to add some dimension, but not make my manicure glittery. I really like Scarlet Ibis!

Next up is Mango Tango from the currently-in-stores Color Statement line. This is a red-orange creme polish with a rich pigmentation. Mango Tango has a good formula that is opaque in two coats. I really like the brush in this new Color Statement line from Milani, so that made the application process a bit better than it was with Scarlet Ibis. That’s definitely something I keep in mind when deciding whether or not to destash a polish.

Here are Scarlet Ibis and Mango Tango side-by-side. I have Scarlet Ibis on my pinky and ring fingers, and Mango Tango on my middle and pointer fingers. There is definitely a slight difference between these two polishes, so I wouldn’t call them exact dupes. That being said, there is no reason for me to keep both of these in my collection. While I like the brush and formula of Mango Tango a bit more, I’ve decided to keep Scarlet Ibis. I prefer the shade and slight shimmer, and I know I’ll never be able to buy it again. This was a tough decision!

All in all, I always find it interesting when brands release polishes that are so similar there is no need to own both. I absolutely love Milani nail polishes, and think it’s great the brand is constantly evolving. Definitely let me know in the comments if you prefer Milani’s older collections, or the new Color Statement line. I would also like to know your favorite red-orange nail polish!

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

Dare to Compare | Priti NYC Fireglow vs Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Electra-cute

Posted on April 20, 2016March 22, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I am excited to share another nail polish comparison post with all of you. After looking through all the yellow polishes in my collection, I turned to the oranges to see if there were any duplicates. I noticed right away that Priti NYC Fireglow and Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Electra-cute looked exactly the same in the bottle. These are both perfect orange cremes for the fall, so I decided to swatch them and see which formula I preferred. As with all of my Dare to Compare posts, I’ll show you each polish individually, and then side-by-side.

First up is Fireglow, a bright orange creme from the boutique brand Priti NYC. Fireglow has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. It can be a bit patchy, but it does dry to a beautiful finish. I love that I am supporting a small business with this polish, and that it is made in the USA.

Electra-cute from Sally Hansen Miracle Gel is also a bright orange creme polish. The formula is good, but I did find Electra-cute to be quite patchy and streaky. I layered on three coats and I still didn’t have a completely even finish. I was a bit surprised, because I know I really enjoyed this polish when I first got it, so I guess the formula changed over time. Electra-cute was a limited edition polish that isn’t available anymore, so I considered that when swatching as well.

Here is a look at Fireglow and Electra-cute side-by-side. I cannot tell any difference in shade whatsoever! As you may have predicted, I’m going to be decluttering Electra-cute. The formula just doesn’t match up to Fireglow!

All in all, I’m so glad I discovered another duplicate shade in my nail polish collection. I highly recommend picking up Fireglow if you are looking for an orange polish. You can purchase it direct from the brand’s website HERE. It is a bit more expensive at $15, but worth the splurge! Let me know in the comments what your favorite orange polish is, and if you’ve tried any polishes from Priti NYC.

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

Dare to Compare | Milani Canary vs Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Traffic

Posted on April 15, 2016March 19, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! The second round of my nail polish declutter project has officially begun. I’m now going through each color family and seeing if I have any duplicates of the same shade. I decided to go through my yellows first because that is the color family from which I own the least amount of polishes. I noticed that Milani Canary and Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Traffic looked quite similar in the bottle, so I decided to put them to a swatch test! Let’s take a look at each polish individually, and then side-by-side.

First up is Milani Canary, a yellow mustard nail polish with a creme formula. Canary has a good formula, but it was a bit on the streaky side. I applied two coats to achieve opacity, and I do like the result. Canary is a discontinued polish, so you can’t purchase it in-store any longer. I definitely keep that in mind before decluttering a polish!

Next up is Traffic from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics. This is also a yellow mustard creme polish. I purchased it at Sephora a few years ago because I wanted to try this vegan and cruelty free brand. Unfortunately, the formula on Traffic isn’t that great. It is pretty watery, and a bit streakier than Canary, but still workable. I did some research and it seems like this polish is also discontinued, but it’s still available from third-party sellers on Amazon HERE.

Here is a side-by-side look of Canary and Traffic. I’m wearing Canary on my pinky and ring fingers and Traffic on my middle and pointer fingers. While I could tell a very slight difference between these polishes in person, you can see from the photographs that they are virtually the same in shade. When I went into this comparison, I thought I would keep one of these polishes in my stash. As it turns out, I’m going to declutter both of them! While I do like this shade of polish for the fall, I have a deeper toned mustard polish with an excellent formula that I would reach for over either one of these. Thus, both of these polishes are going to be destashed!

All in all, I’m glad I tested out these polishes together. I discovered that they are dupes for one another, so if you own both of these feel free to declutter one! Make sure to let me know in the comments if you have a favorite yellow mustard nail polish. My go to is LVX Citrine, which is a deeper color than the polishes shown today. Stay tuned to the blog for more Dare to Compare posts soon!

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.

Zoya Petals Collection | Spring 2016

Posted on April 11, 2016March 21, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! I am always super excited when Zoya Nail Polish releases a new collection, and today I will be sharing with you the Petals Collection for spring 2016. The Petals Collection contains six floral-inspired shades, each containing a shimmer formula. I am so ready for bright colors and warm weather, and this collection is getting me really pumped! Let’s jump right into my swatches of the Petals Collection!

First up is Leia, an opalescent white polish with flecks of fuchsia, green, and gold. Leia has an excellent formula, but this is a sheer polish. I’ve layered three coats on in the photos above, and you can see it is still not an opaque polish. Leia is not my usual cup of tea, but it is so beautiful, and I love the way it changes in the light. I’m going to experiment with this polish and layer it over other shades, so if you’d like to see more please let me know in the comments!

Next is Aster, a periwinkle polish with flecks of fuchsia, blue, and silver. Aster has an amazing formula that is opaque in two coats. I just love how dimensional this polish looks due to the strong shimmer effect. This shade is so beautiful for springtime, and I think it’s great to transition from the colder months especially.

Azalea is the next polish, and my favorite in the Petals Collection! This is a bright pink shade with silver and fuchsia shimmer. Azalea also has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. This polish is just right up my alley! Pink is one of my favorite shades to wear, and this unique shimmery goodness makes it so much fun for the spring and summer. I think it would make a great pedicure polish as well!

Next up is Zahara, a coral shade with silver and fuchsia shimmer. Zahara has a good formula, but I recommend three thin coats as it is a bit on the sheer side. This is a nail polish that I think will look good on everyone no matter the skin tone! I love a good coral polish in the warmer months, and Zahara is the perfect option.

The last two polishes in this collection still have shimmer formulas, but the shimmer effect is much lighter. Tulip is a peachy pink with a slight silver and fuchsia. I had a bit of trouble with the formula because it is quite watery. I recommend three very thin coats that you allow to dry completely before adding on another. The end result is just gorgeous! Tulip is a great everyday polish that can work professionally for sure.

Last but not least is Laurel, a bubblegum pink polish with a light shimmer of pink and silver. Laurel has a great formula that is opaque in two coats, and is super pretty. I like that this polish has just a hint of shimmer. In fact, it was difficult to capture it on camera even though I was photographing in natural light! Laurel is definitely one of my favorites in the collection.

All in all, I am absolutely loving the Zoya Nail Polish Petals Collection! As you all might know, I am typically not a big fan of shimmer nail polishes. However, I think Zoya has done a great job at creating some unique polishes in this collection. I will be wearing these a lot this spring and summer, and I think you should, too! You can purchase the Petals Collection directly from Zoya’s website HERE. Polishes retail for $10 each, but make sure to follow Zoya’s social media for sales and coupons! Please let me know in the comments if you’ll be picking up any of these polishes for your stash!

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

Dermelect Cosmeceuticals ‘ME’ Spring 2016 Outburst Collection | Explosive & Impromptu

Posted on April 8, 2016March 13, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I am excited to review two nail polishes from a new-to-me brand. Dermelect Cosmeceuticals is a brand designed to allow its users to express their individuality. The Spring 2016 nail polish collection is called the ‘ME’ Outburst Collection, and includes four polishes in vibrant shades. The brand curated this based on Outburst, meaning each shade commands attention and lets you stand out. I received Explosive and Impromptu to review for you today.

Dermelect Cosmeceuticals is very unique, and I wanted to share a bit more about the polishes with you before we jump into individual reviews. The formula is designed to be applied in two coats. The first coat bonds to the nail, and the second fuses with the base to create a finish that resists chipping and improves brittleness. There is a key ingredient of peptide-hydrolyzed keratin protein that is extracted from New Zealand’s sheep’s wool to help strengthen the nails. This is definitely not a vegan product, but the brand is cruelty free.

The first polish I tried is Explosive, a bright neon coral polish with a creme finish. Explosive has a really great formula. It applies a bit patchy, but dries to a flawless finish. I did apply two coats, and am really pleased with the result. This bright shade is perfect for spring and summer, and I definitely will be wearing it a lot in the coming months. I highly recommend Explosive if you’re looking for a coral!

Next up is Impromptu, a pale pink polish with silver and pink shimmer. Impromptu also has a really good formula. I didn’t expect the shimmer to be as strong as it is on the nails because it looks more subdued in the bottle. Impromptu reminds me of a ballerina because it’s such a classically feminine shade. This is a perfect transition shade from winter to spring, and I think it would make a nice pedicure color as well.

All in all, I’m really liking the nail polishes from Dermelect Cosmeceuticals. This is a higher end brand, with the polishes costing $14 each or $29 for the entire 4-piece Spring set. You can purchase these polishes direct from the brand’s website HERE. Individual shades are also available on Ulta’s website HERE for a discounted price of $12 each. Please let me know in the comments if you’ve ever tried any Dermelect Cosmececuticals polishes, or if you plan to give them a try!

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

Manicure March Wrap Up | Final Results + What Happens Next!

Posted on April 1, 2016March 11, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I am beyond excited to wrap up Manicure March with all of you. It was really fun to blog every single day for an entire month, and get back to the roots of Adventures in Polishland with nail polish reviews. If you missed any of the 31 posts, you can check them out HERE. I decided to do Manicure March to share with all of you my nail polish declutter project. Last year I began decluttering my nail polishes because I was feeling very weighed down by them. I absolutely love nail polish, and am still very passionate about it. However, I don’t want to hold onto them and not use them. I’m taking my time to pare down my nail polish stash to include only those polishes I absolutely love. I hope all of you are enjoying this adventure, and that you’re excited to see the final Manicure March results!

Manicure March by the Numbers

First things first, let’s discuss the numbers. I swatched 31 nail polishes during Manicure March. I didn’t have a specific goal in mind for how many I wanted to keep versus declutter, but I was hoping to destash more than I kept. Here is the breakdown of results:

Polishes Kept: 14

Polishes Decluttered: 17

I feel great that I was able to destash more nail polishes than I decided to keep. Of course, the end result for me is to build a collection of amazing nail polishes that I absolutely love. I would have been totally fine keeping more if they fit that category!

What am I doing with the decluttered polishes?

The biggest question I’ve received since announcing my destash project is what I’m going to do with the polishes I no longer want. I’ve thought about this in depth, and I honestly want to leave myself with the least amount of work possible. I’ve come up with a four-step process to help me move the decluttered polishes out of my possession as quickly as possible:

Recycle Bad Formulas – Did you know you aren’t supposed to throw out nail polish in the regular garbage? Nail polish needs to be disposed of at a household hazardous waste facility. Unfortunately, there aren’t any local to me based on THIS online research. However, every year Zoya puts together an Earth day promotion where you can send in your old nail polish to be recycled. I’m going to keep an eye out for the 2016 promotion, and will post about it on my Facebook Page HERE when the information is available.
Give to Friends and Family – I always offer any products I have to friends and family first. It cuts down on shipping costs and gives back to those in my personal community!
Sell those Worth Money – If I have any nail polishes that are worth money, I might try to sell them in nail polish groups. I don’t think any of the polishes I’ve decluttered thus far fall into this category, but some might make it into the pile later. I will not sell nail polishes I received for review. However, I may offer them to others if they pay the shipping fee.
Donate to Charity – Finally, I will donate the rest of my polishes to charity. Many shelters accept gently used nail polish, so check your local area to see what’s an option for you. I plan on donating to PolishedGirlz, an organization I’ve heard amazing things about in the nail polish community.

What Happens Next?

Manicure March completed my first round of my declutter. I did a modified KonMari method in which I held every polish and quickly decided whether it was one that sparked joy for me. If it did, I kept it. If not, I put it directly in the declutter bin. If I couldn’t decide based on the polish alone, I swatched it during Manicure March!

My next round is going to be based on nail polish color. I’m going to look at each color family of polish and get rid of any polishes that are the same or very, very similar. You can expect some comparison posts to be coming your way during that round! After that I will see how my collection is doing, and perhaps create a round three.

That wraps up Manicure March! I hope you enjoyed all of my reviews and the fun discussions we had in each post. I really loved hearing your thoughts, so thank you to everyone who commented and shared with me! My regular blog schedule will be resuming tomorrow, but I promise there are more nail polish reviews coming your way very, very soon!

Manicure March | NYC New York Color Crystal Couture in Fashion Queen

Posted on March 31, 2016March 11, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! It’s the last day of Manicure March, and I have the 31st nail polish review to share with all of you today! I’m closing things out with a polish from the fabulous and affordable brand NYC New York Color. I’m really trying to cut down on the amount of glitter polishes in my collection because I just don’t wear them regularly. I decided to test out Fashion Queen from the Crystal Couture line, so let’s jump right into the review!

Fashion Queen is a yellow gold polish in a gold base. The formula is okay, but it is a bit on the watery side. I applied two coats, and my nail line was still visible. However, I didn’t want to add another coat because the polish was so goopy. As you can probably guess, I’ve destashed Fashion Queen. The gold was really pretty, but the formula isn’t worth it. Another nail polish hits the declutter bin!

All in all, I’m glad I am working towards minimizing my glitter nail polishes. I still have an entire box of glitters, so it’s not like I only have a few left. NYC New York Color is a great drugstore brand, and I still highly recommend it even though Fashion Queen isn’t my favorite. If you use NYC New York Color, please recommend you favorites to me in the comments! Also, make sure to check back here tomorrow for my Manicure March wrap up!

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

Manicure March | A England in Love is Enough

Posted on March 30, 2016March 11, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I’m reviewing another polish from the brand A England. As I mentioned in my last A England review, I am really impressed with this nail polish brand and am so glad I got the opportunity to review a couple through the American distributer Beautometry. That being said, I haven’t worn the polish Love is Enough since I reviewed it a couple years back. It was time to see once and for all whether it would stay in my collection!

Love is Enough is a really unique polish! The base color is a greenish grey, and it contains green, bronze, and silver shimmer. The formula is good, but a bit on the thick side. I recommend applying two thin coats for an opaque manicure. Love is Enough reminds me of dragon scales. It feels very medieval, which I know might sound weird. While this is a great nail polish, it’s just not something I would wear. It’s going into my box of destashed polishes!

All in all, I am going to be more mindful when trying nail polishes from the brand A England. Now that I know the formula is good, I need to really research the colors and check out swatches before I pick them up. Please share your favorite A England nail polishes in the comments with me, or let me know why you’re not a fan of the brand. I’d love to know your thoughts either way!

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.