manicure – Page 9 – Adventures in Polishland

Tag: manicure

Halloween Week | Slime Nail Art

Posted on October 21, 2015October 14, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I have another really simple nail art look for Halloween. I was looking through my nail polish collection, and was inspired to use a bright green polish as slime. I instantly reached for a purple polish to go with the green, and created a funky manicure. If you’re looking to create a nail art look that doesn’t feature the standard orange and black for Halloween, this one is for you! Let me show you the slime nail art I created.

WHAT YOU NEED / What I Used:

Purple Nail Polish / Madam Glam in Midnight [BUY]
Green Nail Polish / Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Green With Envy [BUY]
Glossy Top Coat / Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat [BUY]

I began my manicure with two coats of Midnight from Madam Glam. I let this purple shade dry completely before continuing on with the look.

I used a bright green polish to create my slime. All I did was concentrate the polish on the top half of my nails, and messily paint it. One technique I used was to drop dots of polish in the center of my nails and drag it back to the tips. I also just used uneven strokes. Anything goes for this look! As you can see, it looks like I dipped my nails in a bucket of slime. I finished the manicure with a glossy top coat once the green polish dried, and that was it!

All in all, I hope you enjoyed this simple nail art tutorial for Halloween! I think these slime nails are a lot of fun, and a great alternative to traditional Halloween nails. Plus, you can use this technique if you’re looking to extend the life of your current manicure, or if you need a last minute Halloween design. You never know when a slime manicure will come in handy! That’s it for this post, but I’ll see you tomorrow as Halloween Week continues!

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.

Welcome to Halloween Week! | Halloween Cloud Nails

Posted on October 19, 2015October 22, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday, and welcome to Halloween Week here at Adventures in Polishland! Two years ago I hosted a Halloween themed week on the blog, and I thought it would be fun to do one again this year. I think Halloween is a lot of fun, and my big sweet tooth enjoys it as well! Every day this week will feature something Halloween related, and I am also putting up two Halloween videos on my YouTube channel HERE. I’m kicking off the week with some simple Halloween nail art. Let me share with you my Halloween cloud nails!

WHAT YOU NEED / What I’m Using:

Black Nail Polish / NYC New York Color in Black Elixir
Orange Nail Polish / Zoya in Arizona [BUY]
Yellow Nail Polish / Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Mellow Yellow [BUY]
Glossy Top Coat / Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat [BUY]

I’ve used the same Pinterest tutorial seen HERE to create my cloud nail for years now! I absolutely love how easy this design is to create. I began with a black base and let that dry. Then I added orange clouds, and finally the yellow clouds. Once the entire manicure was dry I added a glossy top coat to even out the edges. That’s all it takes to create this nail art, but it looks really cool. I always get a lot of compliments whenever I’m wearing this look.

All in all, Halloween Cloud Nails are easy to create, but perfect whether you’re handing out candy on Halloween or simply wanting to look more festive. The best part is this manicure can be recreated using whatever polishes you own, and can be worn any time of year depending on the colors you choose. It is my go-to nail art for sure. I thought this would be a fun way to kick off Halloween Week, and I hope you’re excited for more to come!

Have you created a Halloween manicure? Share it on my Facebook page HERE!

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.

My Top 5 Green Nail Polishes for Fall | #FallintoPolishland

Posted on September 14, 2015September 5, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today starts off a brand new series on my blog called #FallintoPolishland! Fall is my favorite season, and there are a lot of nail polishes that I especially enjoy wearing in the fall months. I decided to put together a few blog posts each featuring a particular nail polish family. Today I’m showing off my top five green nail polishes for fall. Green is one of my favorite colors, and I especially love it in nail polish form. Let me show you the polishes I picked out to share with all of you!

OPI – Stranger Tides [BUY]

OPI Stranger Tides is a beautiful muted green from the On Stranger Tides Collection that came out a few years back in celebration of Pirates of the Caribbean. Strander Tides has an awesome formula that is opaque in three coats. The muted shade is great for transitioning from summer to fall, and is perfect for those who don’t like dark shades. Stranger Tides is also office appropriate, as it can pass for a neutral shade.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics – Chlorophyll [BUY]

Next up is Chlorophyll from Obsessive Compulsive Cosemtics. This is a richly pigmented teal polish. Chlorophyll has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. This nail polish will look great on every skin tone, and looks beautiful when paired with a gold glitter. While Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics is more of a higher end brand, the entire brand is 100% vegan and cruelty free. I highly recommend it!

Essie – Stylenomics [BUY]

The last creme formula I have to share is Stylenomics from Essie. Stylenomics is a very dark green that is nearly black. The formula is amazing and opaque in two coats. I really love Stylenomics, and wear it every fall. While this polish is from an older Essie collection, I found it on Kohl’s website! You never know where you’ll find older collections.

RUFFIAN – Hedge Fund [BUY]

Next up is Hedge Fund from the Birchbox Exclusive brand RUFFIAN. I’ve been in love with this polish ever since I received it, so if you’ve been an Adventures in Polishland reader for a while you’ve probably seen me gush over this in the past. Hedge Fund is an army green with gold shimmer. The formula is perfection, and so is the wear. It’s now only available for purchase in a kit, but if you’re interested I say go for it!

Julep – Marion [BUY]

Last but not least is Julep Marion, a deep teal polish with silver shimmer. Marion has an excellent formula that is opaque in two coats. It’s perfect for fall, and for the holiday season. Marion has a super glossy finish, so you can skip the top coat and save time. Make sure to shop using Ebates to earn 5% cash back when you shop on Julep’s website.

That brings us to the end of the first #FallintoPolishland post! I hope you liked seeing my favorite green nail polishes for fall. Next week this series will continue, so make sure to follow my blog to see when those posts go live!

What are your favorite green nail polishes for fall?! Let me know in the comments!

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.

Julep Mystery Box Swatches | High End Nail Polish for $2

Posted on September 7, 2015September 4, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! It’s been a very long time since I received a Julep Maven box, or even purchased anything from Julep. I’ve been on a pretty tight budget lately, and nail polish is one of those things I can easily stop buying. That being said, Julep had an amazing sale a couple weeks back called Savvy Deals. This sale included a Mystery Box with 10 polishes for $20. I was on the fence about purchasing a box, but then my mom mentioned she was interested in the box, too. We decided to each put in $10 and split the polishes! I just couldn’t resist scoring some Julep polishes for $2 each when the regular retail price is $14. Let me go ahead and show you the five polishes I picked out.

First up is Kelsey, a light peach creme polish. Kelsey’s formula is a bit difficult to work with, as were all of the creme polishes I received. It is thick, tacky, and took a long time to dry. That being said, the end result is gorgeous! I absolutely love how Kelsey looks with my skin tone. It is worth dealing with a troublesome formula for this stunning result.

Next up is Jules, a pastel pink creme. Jules also has a finicky formula, but it does dry nicely in two coats. I recommend using thin coats, and letting the coats dry completely before adding another layer. I do have other polishes in my collection that I would reach for over Jules considering the formula, but it’s still a gorgeous pink!

Julep – Princess Grace The last creme I received is Princess Grace, what Julep calls a Papaya color. Princess Grace is the biggest disappointment for me, because I love the shade, but the formula is too much trouble. Unlike Kelsey and Jules, which I could work with, Princess Grace’s formula is too tacky and thick. I had to redo my nails to get a clean look, and they still aren’t perfect. I’d stay away from this polish!

Next up is Paula, my favorite of the bunch! Paula is a purply-blue polish with gold shimmer. It has a great formula that is opaque in two coats, and is just beautiful. I can’t wait to wear this again!

Last but not least is Glam Roc, a dark purple polish with multi-colored matte glitter. Glam Roc has a Stardust Finish, which means it is a textured polish. While textured polish isn’t trendy anymore, I still really like it and was glad to receive Glam Roc in the mystery box. Glam Roc has a great formula that is opaque in two coats, plus it dries really quickly. I’m going to wear this in the fall months for sure!

All in all, I’m pretty happy with my Julep Mystery Box! I only spent $10, but I got two polishes I really love, two that are okay, and only one dud. I still consider that a win seeing as Julep retails for $14 per polish. Plus, I used Ebates and got 5% cash back! The moral of the story is, you can still own high end polishes without paying the high end price. Simply keep an eye out for deals!

How often do you shop for high end nail polish? What are your savings tips?

Manicure Monday | L’Oreal Colour Riche in Tangerine Crush

Posted on August 31, 2015August 28, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! I haven’t posted a Manicure Monday since the Alphabet Challenge came to a close, so I figured I would show you the polish I’m currently wearing. I don’t buy nail polishes very often since my collection is so extensive, but I picked up a polish from L’Oreal’s Colour Riche line last week during a sale at CVS. While the prices in the CVS beauty aisle can be a bit more expensive compared to other drugstores, the key is to shop during sales and use coupons. I ended up grabbing Tangerine Crush for a couple dollars during the Back to Beauty promotion, and couldn’t wait to try it!

Tangerine Crush is a really bright orange polish with a creme finish. The formula was a bit patchy, so I layered on three coats and allowed each one to dry completely before adding a new layer. I really love the almost neon quality of Tangerine Crush. It’s perfect for summer, but can be used in the fall in Halloween nail art looks, too. Despite the formula being a bit annoying during application, I’m loving my current manicure!

All in all, I’m glad I picked up Tangerine Crush during a good sale. I’ve had a lot of luck with L’Oreal polishes in the past, and especially like the limited edition collections the brand puts out every season. While I don’t buy these polishes often, I certainly recommend them when there is a sale! Here’s a tip – always check out the Offers page on L’Oreal’s website HERE for printable coupons. You can also save by purchasing L’Oreal polishes on Amazon HERE.

What are your favorite L’Oreal polishes?! Let me know in the comments!

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

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel | Tribal Vibe & Boho Chic Collections

Posted on August 10, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today I am so excited to share a review of four nail polishes from the new Sally Hansen Miracle Gel line. Around this time last year, Sally Hansen first launched the Miracle Gel line (see my first review HERE). I was a bit underwhelmed, but a few months back the brand updated its formula and I was obsessed with the Poolisde Paradise Collection (full review HERE). Now, Sally Hansen has upped the ante again! The Miracle Gel Top Coat has a new formula designed to deliver 2x the volume and shine. To coincide with the relaunch of the top coat, Sally Hansen is also releasing the Tribal Vibe and Boho Chic Collections. Let me show you the polishes topped with the new Miracle Gel Top Coat!

First up is Totem-ly Yours, a beautiful beige nude with pink undertones from the Tribal Vibe Collection. Totem-ly Yours has an amazing formula that is opaque in two coats. The shade nearly matches my skin tone perfectly! This nude polish is to die for, and absolutely perfect for the fall. It looks professional, yet not boring, and the high-shine top coat really makes it look great. If you work in a corporate environment, you need Totem-ly Yours for sure!

Rhythm & Blue is the other polish I tried from the Tribal Vibe Collection. It is a sky blue polish that has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I am once again beyond impressed with how awesome this polish looks! Not only is Rhythm & Blue a gorgeous color, but the Miracle Gel Top Coat applied with ease and added a lot of depth and shine to this manicure.

Beatnik is the first polish from the Boho Chic line that I reviewed, and it is a stunning cobalt blue. I am obsessed with Beatnik! The color is beautiful, and the formula is perfection. I will be wearing Beatnik again as the colder months approach.

Last but not least is Miss Wanderlust, a coral jelly polish with a mix of glitters. I was happily surprised with how well Miss Wanderlust applies – it goes on smoothly with a lot of glitter going onto the nail without digging. Of course, the Miracle Gel Top Coat adds a glossy finish to this already stunning polish. I’d love to see more glitters like this from Sally Hansen in the future!

All in all, the new Sally Hansen Miracle Gel collections are beyond fabulous and affordable! The polishes retail for $9.99 each, which is on the higher side for a drugstore line. However, the brand often goes on sale and I’ve seen coupons in the Sunday paper as well. I highly recommend investing in the new Miracle Gel Top Coat at the very least! The Tribal Vibe and Boho Chic Collections are now available at drugstores.

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

SinfulColors A Class Act Collection | Back to School 2015

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

Happy Friday! I’m back today with my first nail polish review for the upcoming fall season. Fall is my favorite time of year for new nail polish collections, and I was beyond excited when SinfulColors reached out to me and asked if I would review ten shades from the brand’s new line. The A Class Act Collection features on trend shades and a mix of finishes. I have five demi-matte polishes to share, and five glossy/jelly polishes, so this post will be broken into two sections. First, up is the mattes, so let’s jump right in to the review!

The A Class Act Collection contains a variety of polishes in a “demi-matte” finish. Each of these polishes have the same formula, so I wanted to address it before showing you the swatches. The application of the mattes is a bit problematic – the formula is goopy, patchy, and difficult to apply. I never got a clean line during application, and it was hard to work with the formula. I had to apply between 2-3 coats to get the finish I desired. That being said, each polished dried beautifully. Besides the messy edges, the matte finish is stunning, and I love the end result. Thus, so long as you are patient during application, I think the mattes are worth the $1.99 price tag if you are loving a particular polish. Otherwise, the mattes are a bit of a miss for me.

First up is Whiteboard, a white polish that looks just like chalk! This polish is great as a base, or would work well for some chalkboard nail art (such as the style I featured HERE). I love rocking a white manicure in the summertime, especially when I’ve got a tan. It’s simple yet fashion forward at the same time.

V.I.Peach is a pastel yellow polish that reminds me of sunshine. It’s not a polish I would think to buy, but it’s actually quite wearable and goes well with my fair skin tone. I like this yellow shade as a matte, and think it is perfect to transition from summer to fall.

Next up is Pink Break, a pastel baby pink polish. This color totally reminds me of the typical pink shown at baby showers! It’s lightly pigmented, and it’s great for an everyday manicure. The demi-matte finish is still shiny despite being completely matte. It’s a great combination!

Chalk it Up is a green polish somewhere between mint and pistachio. This is one of my favorite colors of nail polish to wear, and the matte finish is a fun spin on it. I’d love to pair this up with a pastel blue for a nail art look!

The last matte is Blackboard, a true chalkboard polish! Blackboard is my favorite of the mattes that I tested. The formula was good during application, and it dried very quickly. Blackboard is definitely not a true black polish, but instead a deep grey. It is reminiscent of a school chalkboard for sure, and not as harsh as a full-on black. I highly recommend Blackboard if you are looking to pick up one of the demi-mattes.

Now let’s dive into the four glossy and one jelly polish I got to review. I’m happy to report that these all had wonderful formulas, and I did not have any application issues whatsoever. I’ll begin this section with the one jelly polish, and then review the four glossy finishes.

RADient is the one jelly polish in the bunch. Although it is listed as a demi-matte on the SinfulColors website, the formula is a true jelly. It is sheer, but layers on beautifully, and is a gorgeous raspberry color. I used two coats for my photographed manicure, with a bit of my nail line still visible. I will need to try this out in a jelly sandwich ASAP!

Summer S-cool is the first glossy polish I have to share, and it is a vibrant robin’s egg blue. I applied two coats to achieve opacity, and am amazed with the natural gloss and shine without a top coat. Summer S-cool is the perfect polish to wear to a pool party before heading back to the classroom!

Next up is Feel the Vibe, a true orange polish that will be absolutely necessary come Halloween. I applied two coats to achieve opacity, and cannot get over how awesome this orange is. If you are looking for the perfect orange, this one is for you! I think it is a must have in every nail polish stash.

Daredevil is next, and it is a hot pink polish with a bit of luminescent shimmer. I am obsessed with this polish! Not only does it have an amazing formula that is opaque in two coats, but it is an incredible shade of pink. I own more pink nail polishes than any other color, and I must say this is a fabulous one. I think I’ll put this on again very soon!

Last but not least is Fig, a stunning deep plum polish with purple shimmer. Fig is not a unique shade, but it’s one that SinfulColors has done very well. The formula is spot on, and the glossy finish is perfection. I actually might unhaul some of my similar polishes now that I have Fig!

All in all, the A Class Act Collection from SinfulColors has a great mix of polishes at the fabulous and affordable price point of $1.99 each. The full collection contains 27 polishes, so be sure to check your local Walgreens and other mass retailers beginning now in August and into September. I highly recommend picking up any of the glossy shades, and Blackboard from the demi-matte finishes. As always, please let me know in the comments if you’ll be picking up any polishes from the A Class Act Collection!

Follow SinfulColors on Social Media

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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 | Zoya Charisma

Posted on August 3, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Manicure Monday! I can’t believe it! This is the last post in the Alphabet Challenge! I’m so proud of myself for keeping with the series, and catching up when I missed a couple weeks here and there. The only weeks I skipped were Q and X, simply because I don’t own any polishes that fit those categories. But without further ado, let’s jump right into the final post and round it up with Zoya Charisma for the letter Z!

Charisma is one of my all-time favorite Zoya polishes of the dozens that I own. It is a matte polish somewhere between a pink and purple shade. The formula does tend to be a bit patchy, but I layered three coats on and let each dry completely in order to get this final look. I just love matte polishes, and this fun color makes it that much better.

All in all, Zoya Charisma is the perfect polish to close out the Alphabet Challenge! You can purchase it on Zoya’s website HERE for $9.00. Now that we’ve reached the end of the Alphabet Challenge, I want to hear from all of you! I found another nail polish challenge on Pinterest HERE, and would be happy to continue Manicure Monday posts featuring that challenge. Please let me know if you are interested in seeing those posts in the comments!

Manicure Monday | OPI Your Web or Mine

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

Happy Manicure Monday! I’m back this week to continue the Alphabet Challenge. Last week I didn’t participate because I just couldn’t find a brand or polish that began with the letter X. Luckily, I found an OPI polish this week that begins with Y. Your Web or Mine from the Spiderman collection is another polish that I got when I first began blogging, but haven’t worn in years. Let me show you this pretty pink!

Your Web or Mine is a frosty pink with a metallic finish. This polish has a good formula that is opaque in two coats, but brush strokes are visible because of the metallic quality. I’m not usually a fan of frosty polishes, but Your Web or Mine is really wearable. I think it goes really well with my skin tone, and is definitely office appropriate. I highly recommend it!

The OPI Spiderman Collection was limited edition, but I found the same mini polish set that I own on Amazon HERE for just $8.99! You get four mini polishes and a collector’s box with the set. That is such a great deal for this OPI set!

What OPI Collection is your favorite? 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 | Wet ‘n Wild Chrome Stay Outta My Bismuth

Posted on July 13, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Manicure Monday! There are only a few more weeks in the Alphabet Challenge – I can’t believe it! For the letter W this week I had to grab a Wet ‘n Wild polish. Wet ‘n Wild is one of the most affordable brands at the drugstore, but I’ve never been disappointed with any of its polishes. When I first moved to New York three years ago, I found a bunch of the Wet ‘n Wild Chrome polishes in a clearance bin at Rite Aid for $1.00. I just had to purchase one! I wore it back when I first got it, but it’s been sitting in my collection ever since. I was excited to give it another wear!

Stay Outta My Bismuth is a metallic polish with a mix of blue and silver. The formula is awesome – it applies evenly and is opaque in two coats. Stay Outta My Bismuth is a really unique polish. It is both blue and silver at the same time, and almost gives off an ombré effect. I’m not usually a big fan of metallic polishes, but this one is beyond stunning. I’m regretting not picking up more of these beauties back in the day!

The Wet ‘n Wild Chrome line was limited edition, but there are a few listings for Stay Outta My Bismuth on Amazon HERE. While metallics are often popular in the fall, I think this one is perfect for summer, and the chrome finish just shines in the sunlight! I’m so glad I discovered it in my stash!

Do you own any of the Wet ‘n Wild Chrome polishes?! Let me know in the comments!

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