Tag: nail art

Trying Nail Vinyls for the First Time | Valentine’s Day Nail Art Fail

Happy Friday! As you might know, one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to try out more nail art. I originally began this blog to experiment with nail art after seeing so many great designs on Pinterest, but I quickly realized that nail art is no joke. I find it really challenging, and often have a lot of nail art fails when I’m attempting to come up with designs. Today I’m sharing one of those fails with all of you in hopes that you won’t feel as discouraged when attempting new nail art. I received a set of nail vinyls from Born Pretty Store and was super excited to put them to the test. My first time trying nail vinyls didn’t go as planned! Let me share my Valentine’s Day nail art fail with you!

Born Pretty Store Fish Scale Nail Vinyls
Born Pretty Store Fish Scale Nail Vinyls

Here is a look at the sheet of nail vinyls. I received the fish scale design in style number JV203. This sheet comes with twelve vinyls that need to be cut before use. They are designed to work just like striping tape. I thought of these like a stencil. I love that this sheet of vinyls is super affordable at just $1.99 HERE.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Tag Ur ItMy idea for this manicure was a Valentine’s Day ombré. I began with a white base from Sally Hansen Insta-Dri and let it dry completely.

Born Pretty Store Fish Scale Nail VinylsMy first attempt at nail vinyls was a huge fail! I applied the vinyls directly on the nails and pressed them in place. I applied my polish, but when I peeled off the vinyls my nail polish came with it. I was so bummed! My base was dry, so I figured my issue was that the vinyls were just too sticky to go directly on the nails.

Born Pretty Store Fish Scale Nail VinylsFor round two I decided to place the nail vinyls on my hand before putting them on my nails. I did this twice to remove a lot of the stickiness, and then applied them to the nails. However, I didn’t press down firmly on the vinyls. That is where my problems arose this time around. The polish leaked through the vinyls because they weren’t affixed to the nails firmly. However, I can see a lot of progress with this technique!

Born Pretty Store Fish Scale Nail VinylsMy thumb nail actually came out really well during this second attempt. This is what I was trying to accomplish all along! I used a wedge sponge to apply pink nail polish to the base of the nail and a red to the top. I completed the look with a glossy top coat. This is what I hoped to share with you! Alas, it only turned out well on one nail.

Born Pretty Store | Coupon CodeAll in all, I’m so glad I finally got the chance to try out nail vinyls! I do really like this set from Born Pretty Store, and will recommend it. That being said, it’s important to remember that nail art can sometimes be frustrating, especially when trying something new. I look forward to continue trying vinyls in the future. If you have any tips and tricks when it comes to nail vinyls, let me know in the comments! As always, you can shop at Born Pretty Store using my coupon code FZL91 to save an additional 10% off any order.

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

Upcoming Adventures | February Blog Chat

Happy Sunday! Welcome to a brand new feature here at Adventures in Polishland called Upcoming Adventures! I usually don’t post on Sundays, but lately I’ve wanted to connect with all of you more. Thus, Upcoming Adventures is here to keep us in touch with one another. At the end of every month, I will write letting you know what you can expect for the month ahead. Today I’ll be chatting about what February will bring, and how I came to begin this new series.

Upcoming Adventures | February Blog Chat

I first got the idea for a monthly blog chat in the middle of January. I was reading a lot, and writing a lot of book reviews because of that. While Adventures in Polishland is still primarily a beauty blog, I’ve been sharing more of my other hobbies with you as well on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and sometimes Saturdays. I like to try out different hobbies all the time, so my blog reflects what’s going on in my own personal life at that moment in time. That’s why you got so many book reviews in January – I’ve been such a bookworm lately! Because of my constantly evolving tastes, my blog is going to look a bit different each month. I hope you’ll always stick around no matter what I’m discussing!

Nonetheless, Upcoming Adventures gives you a preview to the month ahead. In February you can expect more book reviews for the books I read in January. My book reviews are always non-spoiler, so don’t hesitate to read them! You can find all of my past book reviews HERE if you’re looking for your next read.

I also received a shipment of nail art supplies from Born Pretty Store, and have begun testing them out this week. You can expect to see some new nail polish reviews and nail art coming your way, too. I promised I would post about nail polish more often this year and get back to this blog’s roots, so I’m excited to jump right in with Born Pretty Store!

That wraps up my first Upcoming Adventures post! I hope you enjoyed getting a sneak peek at what’s to come at Adventures in Polishland in February. As always, thank you so much for your support. It means so much to me that I can share my life with all of you! Just as a reminder, you can submit requests using THIS form, so if there is a product you want me to review or a post you want to see, that’s where you can let me know. Here’s to a Happy February!

 

New Year’s Resolutions & Goals for 2016!

Happy Thursday, and Happy New Year’s Eve! Today I thought I would share some of my New Year’s Resolutions and Goals for 2016. These resolutions are ongoing lifestyle changes, some of which are serious and others are just for fun. I also like to set a few specific goals to motivate myself to complete certain challenges. I’ve put together five general resolutions to share with you today!

New Year's Resolutions & Goals for 2016! | Adventures in Polishland

1. Paint My Nails More Often and Try More Nail Art! 

Holiday Lace Nail Art | Adventures in Polishland

You might be surprised to find out that for the past couple years I haven’t been painting my nails on a regular basis! While I swatch a lot of nail polishes for my blog, I only wear polish about once every 1-2 months. That is so crazy, especially considering how much I love polish and how much polish I own. I want to try to paint my nails at least once or twice per month. I also would love to try out more nail art techniques to share with all of you!

2. Nail Down a Skincare Routine

The Body Shop Haul Skincare, Scrubs, & More!I am so bad when it comes to taking care of my skin! One of my recurring makeup bad habits is not taking off my makeup before bed. I know, it’s terrible! This year I want to make sure I go through an entire skincare routine both morning and evening. That way I can put my best face forward!

3. Focus on My Overall Health

Beachbody Piyo Review | My Current Fitness RoutineIt’s a cliche New Year’s Resolution, but I definitely want to focus on my overall health more than ever. For me, this includes taking the daily vitamins recommend by my doctor, exercising on a regular basis, and eating better foods. As you may know, I am a vegetarian, and this year I want to truly embrace my vegetarianism by focusing more on produce and less on grains and dairy. I don’t aim to go vegan right now, but I know that putting good foods into my body will make me feel a lot better. To go along with this, I want to continue trying new recipes on a regular basis!

4. Organize My Life – Budget, Space, and More!

Erin Condren Ready to Ship Rose Gold Horiztonal | #PlanWithPolishland

Despite loving the idea of being super organized, I can easily be a messy person both when it comes to the physical space I inhabit, and the systems I have in place for the different aspects of my life. I’ve been using my Erin Condren Life Planner for the past six months now, and I’m slowly becoming more on top of my game. I want to continue to create workable systems in my life. That means keeping on track of my finances, having a cleaning schedule, and all of that fun stuff. I look forward to sharing more on this with you in future posts!

5. Read 40 Books

 Christmas Book Haul | Adventures in PolishlandLast but not least, I always set a reading goal on the website Goodreads. This past year I was able to read 50 books, and I’m setting my goal at 40 for 2016 so I don’t put pressure on myself. I also want to make an effort to read longer books, so I should have a nice cushion with a goal of 40. Here are the books I received for Christmas this past year. I’m so excited to get to them all!

That wraps up my New Year’s Resolutions for 2016! Please share your resolutions with me in the comments so we can cheer for each other. After a difficult 2015, I’m so excited for the future and what is ahead for me. Have a wonderful and safe New Year’s Eve, and don’t forget to enter my 4th Annual New Year’s Eve Manicure Contest – details HERE!

4th Annual New Year’s Eve Manicure Contest!

Happy Wednesday! Today I am beyond excited to announce my 4th Annual New Year’s Eve Manicure Contest! Each year I hold a laid-back manicure contest to celebrate the New Year and give my readers a chance to showcase their awesome nail polish looks. Whether you’re putting together fancy nail art for New Year’s Eve, or you’re simply rocking a fun glitter, you can enter to win one of two prize packs. Please read through this post to see how to enter!

Adventures in Polishland's 4th Annual New Year's Eve Manicure Contest!

RULES

Who is eligible to enter?

  • US residents who are 18+ years old, or who have parental consent
  • Followers of my blog, Adventures in Polishland. You must be following via email or Bloglovin HERE.
  • Both bloggers and non-bloggers may enter.

What kind of manicures are allowed?

  • Anything goes! Nail art, glitter, plain polish – this is meant to be a fun contest that anyone can win!
  • For inspiration, see past year’s entries: 2014 | 2013 | 2012

How does the contest work?

  • Create your manicure and email me a photo of your nails to adventuresinpolishland@gmail.com with the subject line “NYE Manicure Contest”
  • You may include a 1-3 sentence description of your manicure explaining why you chose it for New Year’s Eve, but this is optional.
  • There is only one entry per person, and one photo allowed per entry.
  • The deadline for submitting your manicure is Monday, January 4, 2016 at 11:59PM EST
  • On January 5, I will post all of the entries in a photo album on my Facebook Page HERE and email each entrant a direct link to her photo.
  • On January 12, winners will be chosen and notified by email.

How will the winners be chosen?

  • There are two winners in this giveaway!
  • One winner will be chosen by popular vote – whichever manicure receives the most ‘Likes’ on Facebook. The Likes must be on the photo I upload to my Facebook Page directly.
  • One winner will be chosen randomly through random.org, so anyone who enters will have a chance to win!

PRIZES

There are two different prize packs for this giveaway. The first winner to respond to my email will get first dibs on the prize pack she wants, with the other winner getting the other pack by default.

4th Annual New Year's Eve Manicure Contest | Nail Kit Prize Pack

Prize #1: Nail Kit

  • Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm in Coquette
  • Rimmel Keep Calm and Lip Balm in Violet Blush
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat
  • ncLA Designer Nail Wraps in Geri
  • Almay Lash Care Gentle Eye Makeup Remover Pads
  • Zoya Hunter

4th Annual New Year's Eve Manicure Contest | Eye Makeup Prize Pack

Prize #2: Eye Makeup Kit

  • Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm in Vivacious
  • Rimmel Keep Calm and Lip Balm in Rose Blush
  • Marcelle Waterproof Eyeliner in Blue Lagoon
  • Measurable Difference Eyeshadow Palette in Holland Tulips
  • Maybelline Great Lash Big Mascara in Blackest Black
  • Almay Lash Care Gentle Eye Makeup Remover Pads

I hope you will enter my 4th Annual New Year’s Eve Manicure Contest! I am so excited to be hosting for the fourth year in a row. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me at adventuresinpolishland@gmail.com. Happy New Year, everyone!

 

Holiday Lace Nail Art featuring Born Pretty Store Hollow Lace Stamping Plate & Silver Stamping Polish

Happy Friday! My adventures in stamping continue today with a holiday themed manicure. Born Pretty Store sent me some of its new stamping products to review, and because December is here I felt like a holiday manicure was in order. I share more information on Born Pretty’s new stamping products in THIS blog post, so make sure to read that if you’re new to this website. Let’s jump right into the nail art!

Born Pretty Store Lace Nail Stamping PlateThe Hollow Lace stamping plate comes with three strips of different lace patterns. I like that there are a variety of looks you can achieve with just this one plate, because you can stamp over the floral, over the netting, or a combination of your choice. I do want to point out that I photographed the stamping plate with the blue lining still on it, just so you would be able to see the pattern without a reflection in the metal. This plate can be purchase on Born Pretty Store’s website for just $3.59 HERE.Born Pretty Store – Hollow Lace Stamping Plate

Here is a closer look at the stamping plate. Feel free to click on the photo to see the designs in even more detail! I decided to test out the middle design that has the floral area towards the bottom.

Holiday Lace Nail Art | Adventures in Polishland Holiday Lace Nail Art | Adventures in PolishlandI began my Holiday Lace nail art with KBShimmer Chilly Pepper, and once it was dry used Born Pretty Store Stamping Polish in Silver to stamp. I am so impressed with this manicure! The silver polish is amazing for stamping, although a bit messy during cleanup because of the rich shimmer. Nonetheless, I found that it’s really simple to use the Hollow Lace stamping plate, because you can’t mess up the pattern – it looks great no matter which direction it ends up on the nail! This look is so festive, and I’m loving it. You can purchase the silver polish for just $3.99 HERE.

Born Pretty Store | Coupon CodeAll in all, I am once again so impressed with the quality of Born Pretty Store’s stamping products. Not only are they fabulous and affordable, but they are so easy to use, even for a newbie stamper like me! As always, you can save an additional 10% off your order with my coupon code FZL91. Plus, you get free international shipping. I’m definitely loving these stamping products, and am ready for the holidays with this nail art look!

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. 

 

Santa Claus Manicure featuring Gold Nail Stickers from Born Pretty Store

Happy Wednesday! If you’re anything like me, you want to rock festive nails during the holiday season, but you don’t have the time or talent to put anything extravagant together. That’s the reason I love nail stickers! Born Pretty Store recently released a set of Christmas and Winter themed nail stickers in a gorgeous metallic gold finish. Let me show you the Santa Claus manicure I created using the stickers!

12pcs Gold Silver 3D Nail Sticker Sika Deer Christmas Tree Snowflake Patterns StickersFirst things first, here is a look at the sticker sheet. As you can see, it is very big and comes with a huge variety of sticker designs. There are Christmas trees, snowflakes, snowmen, reindeer, ornaments, Christmas sayings, and much more! I’m using the stock photo from Born Pretty Store’s website in this blog post so you can easily see the details of the stickers. This sticker sheet is a fabulous and affordable $4.46 HERE.

Santa Claus Manicure featuring Gold Nail Stickers from Born Pretty Store

I decided to go with a Santa Claus theme for my manicure. I began with a base of white nail polish, and let that dry completely. Then, I used a red polish to get a gradient effect using the Eyeshadow Sponge Method seen HERE. Finally, I added on the stickers! From left to right, there is a Christmas Tree, Santa Claus, Merry Christmas script, and another Santa Claus. I really love how this manicure looks! The red and white gradient adds a fun background for the gold stickers. Plus, the stickers fit really well on my nails. I used a glossy top coat over the stickers to ensure they stay in place. Removal is also very easy – just use the tin foil method.

Born Pretty Store | Coupon Code

All in all, nail stickers are a great option if you want to create quick and easy holiday manicures that still look extremely festive!  Plus, I love that this sticker sheet from Born Pretty Store has such a wide variety of designs. The manicure possibilities are endless! As always, you get free international shipping on Born Pretty Store’s website and you can use my coupon code FZL91 for an additional 10% off any order. Definitely let me know if you pick up these stickers!

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

Teal Aztec Nail Art featuring Born Pretty Store Illusion Stamping Plate & Green Stamping Polish

Happy Monday! Today I’m excited to share with you a nail art look using the new nail polish stamping products from Born Pretty Store. This online shop recently came out with its own line of stamping plates and stamping polishes. I couldn’t wait to test them out, because the prices are fabulous and affordable. I’m still not the best at nail polish stamping, but I am slowly getting the hang of it. Let me show you the Teal Aztec Nail Art look I created using Born Pretty Store products!

Born Pretty Store – Illusion Theme Stamping PlateThe plate I’m using today is the Illusion Theme. I’m so impressed with the packaging on this line! The plate comes in a sturdy cardstock packet. Plus, each plate is really big and comes with a variety of designs. Please note I’m showing you the plate with the blue wrapper still on it (otherwise you would only see a reflection!). This plate is only $3.59 on Born Pretty Store’s website HERE.Born Pretty Store – Illusion Theme Stamping Plate

Here is a close look at the designs on the Illusion Theme plate (click on the photo for even more detail). I decided to test out the Aztec print that is in the righthand column, fourth down from the top.

Teal Aztec Nail Art featuring Born Pretty Store Stamping Products Teal Aztec Nail Art featuring Born Pretty Store Stamping Products

Here is my Aztec manicure! I applied a white nail polish as a base, and once that was dry reached for the new Born Pretty Store Stamping Nail Polish in the color Green. The polish works amazingly well, and I am really impressed with how easy it made stamping. I definitely need to practice lining the stamp up on my nail better, but the products themselves are awesome. This green polish even cleaned up easily with a Q-tip dipped in nail polish remover. You can purchase this polish for just $3.99 online HERE.

Born Pretty Store | Coupon Code

All in all, I’m really impressed with the Illusion Theme Stamping Plate and Green Stamping Polish from Born Pretty store! As always, you can get free international shipping with any order on Born Pretty Store’s website. You can also use my coupon code FZL91 for 10% off every order. I highly recommend checking out these items if you’re new to stamping, or simply looking for some more stamping goodies. I can’t wait to experiment with them some more!

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. 

Halloween Week | Slime Nail Art

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.

Halloween Week | Slime Nail Art

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]

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

Halloween Week | Slime Nail Art Halloween Week | Slime Nail ArtI 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

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!

Welcome to Halloween Week! 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]

Halloween Cloud Nails | Halloween WeekHalloween Cloud Nails | Halloween Week

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. 

Simple Fall Nail Art featuring Zoya Nail Polish & Messy Mansion Stamping Plate MM38 | #FallintoPolishland

Happy Friday! Now that fall is in full swing I thought I would create a simple nail art look for all of you. Over the past several months I have slowly been practicing nail polish stamping. I have a few plates, and I’m finally finding my groove. Stamping takes a lot of patience, but with a steady hand you can create a really cool nail art look with little effort! I reached for some fall colors from Zoya Nail Polish in my collection and a Messy Mansion Stamping Plate from Beautometry to put together a fall look. Let me show you the nail art I created!

Simple Fall Nail Art featuring Zoya Nail Polish & Messy Mansion Stamping Plate MM38First things first, here is the list of everything I used to create this look. Of course, you can use any nail polishes or stamping plates you own! Just make sure they are comparable in color and style.

Zoya – Hunter Zoya – HunterI began my manicure with two coats of Zoya Hunter, which is a deep forest green. I let this dry completely before beginning the next step. This is really important! You can even paint your nails the night before you plan on stamping.

Simple Fall Nail Art featuring Zoya Nail Polish & Messy Mansion Stamping Plate MM38Next, I used Zoya Ember as a stamping polish and a leaf/bark pattern on the MM38 stamping plate. In order to get the desired look, I rolled the stamp over my nails. It was messy, but I cleaned up with a Q-tip and I am beyond in love with the result! Ember is a perfect stamping polish! I’m going to show you the manicure in both artificial light (as shown above) and natural light, just because it is easier to see the pattern in artificial light.

ARTIFICIAL LIGHT

Simple Fall Nail Art featuring Zoya Nail Polish & Messy Mansion Stamping Plate MM38 Simple Fall Nail Art featuring Zoya Nail Polish & Messy Mansion Stamping Plate MM38

NATURAL LIGHT

Simple Fall Nail Art featuring Zoya Nail Polish & Messy Mansion Stamping Plate MM38 Simple Fall Nail Art featuring Zoya Nail Polish & Messy Mansion Stamping Plate MM38

All in all, this nail art look was so simple to create, but it looks so cool! The colors are perfect for fall, and the stamp just reminds me of foliage. If you’re new to stamping or intimidated by it like I was, just remember that with a little practice you’ll get the hang of it. I definitely want to continue my adventures in stamping, so if you have any recommendations on stamping plates or polishes to use, please let me know in the comments! You can also use the hashtag #FallintoPolishland on social media to share your fall nail art.

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.