Tag: nail art

July 4th Nail Art featuring Sally Hansen Insta-Dri

Happy Thursday! July 4th is just around the corner, and today I have some red, white, and blue polishes from Sally Hansen Insta-Dri to share with you. These polishes are part of a new, limited edition collection that is hitting drugstores this July. I decided that in addition to my usual review I would try my hand at some tie dye nail art. Let me go ahead and share these patriotic polishes with you! July 4th Nail Art featuring Sally Hansen Insta-Dri!

Sally Hansen – Tag, Ur It! Sally Hansen – Tag, Ur It!First up is Tag, Ur It! a white creme polish. Tag, Ur It! has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. This is an amazingly glossy polish, and I’m impressed with the formula! I’ve already worn this twice – once for nail art and once alone. It’s perfect for summer.

Sally Hansen – Vandal Eyes Sally Hansen – Vandal EyesNext up is Vandal Eyes, a sky blue polish. Vandal Eyes has a great formula as well, and is opaque in two coats. It is difficult to catch on camera, but there is a slight holographic shimmer in this one. I didn’t even notice the shimmer until the polish had dried on my nails. It is stunning!

Sally Hansen – Quick Brick Sally Hansen – Quick BrickLast but not least is Quick Brick, a true red creme polish. Quick Brick is my favorite of the bunch! It has an incredible formula, and is nearly a one coat polish. I think this is my new favorite red! It is a must have in your collection.

July 4th Nail Art featuring Sally Hansen Insta-DriI wanted to use these colors for some July 4th nail art, so I went to Pinterest for inspiration. I found THIS tie dye pin and decided to go for it! It was a bit harder than I expected, but I think it turned out pretty cool! I love how the red and blue mixed together. I’ll definitely ned to test out this nail art technique some more!

All in all, Sally Hansen does it again with another great limited edition polish line. These polishes hit drugstores in July, so keep an eye on the displays. Whether you are looking for some July 4th colors, or simply some fast-drying polishes, these are a win! Be sure to let me know in the comments what you’ll be wearing on your nails for July 4th!

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 | Revlon Nail Art Expressionist in Pop Art

Happy Manicure Monday! I skipped last week’s Alphabet Challenge because I couldn’t find a polish in my collection that began with the letter Q, but I’m back this week and am onto the letter R. I’ve had this Revlon Nail Art Expressionist in my collection for years now, but I almost never use it. I decided this was the perfect time to put it to the test!

Manicure Monday | Revlon Nail Art Expressionist in Pop Art Manicure Monday | Revlon Nail Art Expressionist in Pop ArtThe Revlon Nail Art Expressionist in Pop Art is a dual ended nail polish. On one side is a blue nail polish with a regular size brush, and on the other is a pink polish with a thin striping brush. I began with two coats of the blue, and was impressed with how great the formula is. Then, I used the pink to add some simple triangles. The pink formula was a bit thin and watery, so that made it difficult to have straight lines in my nail art. I still really like the way this look turned out, though!

All in all, I’m glad I took the time to test out this Revlon Nail Art Expressionist! I’ve seen these polishes on clearance at my local drugstore, so if you are looking to try this one out I definitely recommend seeing if you can get a deal. This polish is also just $3.04 on Amazon HERE, but as I type this there is only one left in stock! Definitely snag it if you’re interested! Have you ever tried a polish from Revlon’s Nail Art Expressionist line? Let me know in the comments!

The polish in this post was a gift. This post contains an affiliate link. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Guest Post | Blobbicure Nail Art with Nail Envy

Greetings Adventures in Polishland readers! My name is Emily and my blog is Nail Envy. Today I’m in for Christina while she’s away, so I hope I’m a reasonable substitute! =D

The design I created here is featuring the blobbicure technique. The first time I created a blobbicure, I did it with uncertainty. It was for a nail art challenge, and I had never heard of a blobbicure before. After a Google search, I wasn’t super impressed with how it looked, although the technique did look like it would be fun to try. So I tried to change it up a little by making blobby shapes instead of just blobs. My first blobbicure mani turned out kinda cute, but I managed to dodge the challenge because I wasn’t really a fan of the look.

Well it’s been a while since then, and I’ve seen lots of blobbicures popping up all over the place. I’ve not only been won over to the blobbicure, I’ve been inspired by so many of the designs I’ve seen to create some interesting combos of my own!

Like so many other nail polish addicts, I recently purchased China Glaze’s Electric Nights collection. I’m still finding my way through all of the polishes and all of the combos I want to try, so I decided to use three polishes from this collection: Violet-Vibes, DJ Blue My Mind and Treble Maker. I used some Elmer’s Glue (which I keep in an old nail polish bottle) to coat the skin around the nails of my index and pinky finger. (The glue dries clear, is easily removed and takes all the excess paint off that would have got on your skin.) After the glue dried, I used some pieces of sponge to create a sponged design of the three polishes on those fingers.

Blobbicure Nail Art with Nail Envy

For the blobbicure, I polished Violet-Vibes on my thumb, middle and ring finger, and when the first coat was dry, I put on a thick second coat and quickly blobbed on DJ Blue My Mind and Treble Maker. I waited a while for my blobbed nails to dry since the polish is so thick (about 15 minutes) before I finished my whole mani with a coat of Seche Vite.

Blobbicure Nail Art with Nail Envy

My first official blobbicure is complete! I have more ideas of other combos to try, and can’t wait to do another and see if I can perfect this technique. If you haven’t created a blobbicure yet, you should give it a try!

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Guest Post | Stamping with Zoya Ali and Manna’s Manis

 

Zoya Ali, a hot pink nail polish

Hello! I’m Manna from Manna’s Manis and I’ll be taking over for Christina today! I have a simple stamping mani that I was proud of to show you guys. Stamping and I typically don’t get along, but after I did this mani, I felt like getting up and doing my happy polish dance!

I could not get a perfect color accurate photo of Zoya Ali to save my life! I don’t know what it is with my camera and pinks/reds, but it won’t cooperate so I usually have to use my phone instead. K on to the stamping..

Products used:

Base: Zoya Ali

Plate: Moyou 08

Stamping polish: MDU Silver

Top coat: Out the Door

Zoya ali with nail stamping nail art
Zoya ali with nail stamping nail art
Zoya ali with nail stamping nail art
How good does it feel to see an entire image on your stamper?! Omg for once I had ZERO issues with stamping.
If you’d like to check me out, I’ve posted some of my social media links below. Thank you Christina for letting me take over for you today 🙂

 

Blog – Instagram – Facebook
What are your favorite stamping plates?



Manicure Monday | LVX Viridian + Milani Hot Pink Rage

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!

Manicure Monday | LVX Viridian + Milani Hot Pink Rage Manicure Monday | LVX Viridian + Milani Hot Pink RageI 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!

Manicure Monday | LVX Viridian + Milani Hot Pink RageAll 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. 

Create Your Own Bingo Nail Art | From Simple to Skillful Designs

SPONSORED EDITORIAL

Written by: Julie Smalling

Inspiration for nail art designs can sometimes come from the strangest places, from internet browsers to video games, from Marilyn Monroe to Super Mario. It’s amazing what kind of designs people can come up with, and if you ever find yourself inspired by a classic game like bingo, it’s good to know that there are some models that you can look at.

It’s all thanks to the popularization of bingo on the internet, which made it much more accessible to all sorts of people. Although the game had seen a sharp decline in participation after its heyday in the 60s, it’s seen a rapid resurgence in recent years, with the BBC reporting that while there were less than 20 online bingo portals in 2004, there were over 350 in 2013. It has gotten to the point that even the UK’s iTV Network has launched their own bingo portal, and Betfair, a company more known as an online sportsbooker, also entered the online bingo market in 2013. There are various themed bingo games available now, and they offer a whole range of possibilities for your bingo-inspired manicure.

However, this doesn’t mean that you have to go above and beyond to create nail art inspired by the classic game. Even though there are now hundreds of different variations of bingo, much of its elements remain the same, and you can draw from these to create your designs.

Most bingo-inspired nail art focuses on the colorful bingo balls that the game has become known for, and you can do the same thing by creating a design that has circles or bubbles. A great example by Courtney Rhodes shows how to make bubble nail art, and with some experiments on color, you can really make an eye-catching design.

(Image Credit: Courtney Rhodes via Flickr Creative Commons)

While bingo balls are a prominent feature of the game, bingo cards are also quite important, and you can draw inspiration from them in two ways. The first is by using their linear patterns in your designs, creating various simple, yet elegant patterns such as the one used by Noel Giger in this golden criss-cross.

(Image Credit: Noel Giger via Flickr Creative Commons)

Another way is by using the classic color themes of these bingo cards. While the bingo balls came in a variety of colors, bingo cards usually came in the same monochromatic colors of black and white. Use these to create great nail art, and maybe add in some circles like Joana Afonso does in this pattern:

(Image Credit: Joana Afonso via Flickr Creative Commons)

About the Author: Julie is a mother of five, who after what seemed like an eternity studying journalism began her life as freelance writer. Now she writes for a host of online and print publications while trying to raise five challenging children. Outside of work, Julie enjoys reading and relaxing with a glass of red wine.

This is a sponsored editorial. I was compensated for posting it on Adventures in Polishland. I only post sponsored editorials that I think my readers will enjoy. Nonetheless, I do not endorse, nor am I affiliated with, the content of this editorial. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Messy Mansion Stamping Plate MM38 Review & Giveaway | #3YearsinPolishland with Beautometry

Happy Wednesday! On April 10, I celebrated my 3rd Blogiversary! I decided to host three giveaways, and here is giveaway number three! Beautometry is helping my celebrate my Blogiversary by sponsoring a giveaway for all of you. Not only does the shop carry awesome indie nail polishes, but there are nail art tools as well. I’m still a stamping newbie, but I couldn’t wait to test out this plate from Messy Mansion. Make sure to stay tuned to the end of this post for a giveaway, and winner announcements for the other two #3YearsinPolishland giveaways!

REVIEW

Messy Mansion Stamping Plate MM38Beautometry sent me Messy Mansion stamping plate in MM38. It is so cute! It includes owls, trees, birdhouses, and other cute forest designs. I snapped a picture with the protective plastic still on the plate so you can clearly see the designs. You can purchase this plate on Beautometry’s website for $7.00 HERE.

Owl Nail Art Owl Nail Art I decided to do some nail art with owls in trees. I began with a white base, and then used a green polish to add on the background. I’m so happy with how the first stamping layer turned out! It looks vintage and was easy to apply. Once that dried, I added on a few owls with a brown polish. They turned out well, too, but got a bit lost on the busy background. I will go ahead and say these owls are camouflaged, just like they would be in nature! Next time I will do the owls on a plain background so you can really see how cute they are!

The polishes I used for this look:

GIVEAWAY

Beautometry is generously giving away two stamping plates from Messy Mansion! This giveaway is for those in the United States and Canada only. Please read through the Terms & Conditions in the Rafflecopter widget before entering.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now it’s time to announce the winners of my two other #3YearsinPolishland giveaways! Congrats to Sandra Li (eliminated) Julie Waters on Facebook and MissMazariegos on Instagram! Please contact me via email at adventuresinpolishland@gmail.com to claim your prize within 48 hours or new winners will be chosen!

THANK YOU

Thank you all so much for supporting me these past three years! I really love blogging, and I’m so glad to have such a great community here in Polishland. Good luck if you’re entering the giveaway!

OMGNailStrips Nail Polish Strips Review | In the Navy & Jelly Beans

Happy Wednesday! Today I have a review of two sets of nail polish strips from the brand OMGNailStrips. I recently heard about this brand of more affordable nail strips, and was excited when I got the opportunity to review them for all of you. I think nail strips are a great option for travel, or for those of us (like me!) who aren’t nail art masters but still want a fun nail design. Let me go ahead and show you the two designs I got to test out.

OMGNailStrips – In the Navy OMGNailStrips – In the NavyFirst up is In the Navy, a set containing a mix of blue, white, and black themed strips with a nautical theme. I followed the application instructions to apply the strips (you can read them HERE). Unfortunately, I did not have a good experience. First, these strips have a very strong skunk-like smell as soon as I opened the package, and it lingered even after I took a shower. I do not want to go around with smelly nails! I also had found that these strips did not fit my nails well, with the smallest strip being too big for my pinky. In addition, I also experienced substantial tip wear and chipping after one day of wear.

OMGNailStrips – Jelly Beans OMGNailStrips – Jelly BeansNext, I tried Jelly Beans. I hoped to wear these strips for Easter, since I loved the fun design. Alas, I had even more issues with this set. Thankfully, there was no smell to these strips, but there was a stickiness problem. The strips broke upon application, and they did not want to stick to my nails. I thought that they would stay put after I applied top coat, but a few hours after application I washed a few dishes and the strips literally slid right off my nails when I dried my hands. You read that correctly – the strips slid off hours after application. I couldn’t believe it!

I also want to mention that with both sets of nail strips I experienced an odd issue after applying a top coat as suggested by OMGNailStrips. When I would apply top coat, the edges of the nail strips would stick up right off my nail! You can see it pretty clearly in the photos, especially with the In the Navy set.

It’s always difficult for me to write a less than positive review, but of course I want to share my honest feelings and experiences with all of you. I did reach out to OMGNailStrips last week with my issues before posting this review, but have not heard back. I’m very disappointed in both the quality of the nail strips and the lack of customer service I received after contacting them with questions about the problems I had. If I do hear back, I will be sure to update you both in this blog post and on social media. OMGNailStrips retail for $7.99 each, but have specials for 5 packs for $25 or 10 packs for $45. They can be purchased with free shipping on the brand’s website HERE. Unfortunately I cannot recommend this brand from my experience.

Have you tried OMGNailStrips?! Please share your thoughts 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. 

Saran Wrap Ombré Manicure for Valentine’s Day featuring Zoya Nail Polish!

Happy Friday! January is coming to a close soon, and that means Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. I wanted to create a festive manicure for the holiday of love that was a bit different than the looks I’ve created in the past. I got to thinking and came up with what I think is a super fun and easy nail art look! I raided my Zoya Nail Polish stash and found the shades that I needed. Let me show you what I’ve dubbed the Saran Wrap Ombré!

Saran Wrap Ombré Manicure for Valentine's Day featuring Zoya Nail Polish!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

For this manicure, I used an off-white base and five polishes ranging from light pink to red. I used all creme formulas for this manicure. You can choose whatever you have in your collection, but the shades I used, from lightest to darkest, are:

  • Zoya Jacqueline
  • Zoya Dot
  • Zoya Kitridge
  • Zoya Wendy
  • Zoya Rocha
  • Zoya Livingston

All of these polishes are available on Zoya’s website HERE.

Saran Wrap Ombré Manicure for Valentine's Day featuring Zoya Nail Polish! Saran Wrap Ombré Manicure for Valentine's Day featuring Zoya Nail Polish!Saran wrap nail art is super easy to create! I learned this technique from THIS Pin a few years back. All you have to do is paint your nails with a base color (here, Jacqueline). Once your base is dry, layer a coat of another color polish on top of your base and dab a small ball of saran wrap over your nail. You will get a cool marbled effect! Let your nails dry (they will look quite textured) and use a glossy top coat to even out the layers. I used two coats of top coat to get a flawless finish.

Saran Wrap Ombré Manicure for Valentine's Day featuring Zoya Nail Polish!This manicure can be a little messy to create, so I recommend you use separate pieces of saran wrap for each color polish. When you’re finished, take a Q-tip or clean-up brush and go around your cuticles with acetone to remove any excess. You will be left with a beautiful ombré manicure that is tied together with the marbled effect. I think it looks stunning!

All in all, I hope you liked this simple Valentine’s Day manicure featuring Zoya Nail Polish! Of course, you can use the saran wrap technique with any polishes and any colors you choose. I will definitely be using this technique more, as I forgot how easy it is to create and how great it looks! Please let me know in the comments if you’ve ever tried a saran wrap manicure, and what your manicure for Valentine’s Day this year will be!

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

 

Striping Tape Nail Art featuring Sally Hansen Lustre Shine Moonstone

Happy Monday! I’ve been trying to reach into my nail polish collection and use polishes that I haven’t picked up in a while. This weekend I was drawn in by Sally Hansen Lustre Shine in the shade Moonstone. I decided to create a cool, punk inspired nail art look. Let me show you the final product!

Striping Tape Nail Art featuring Sally Hansen Lustre Shine Moonstone Striping Tape Nail Art featuring Sally Hansen Lustre Shine MoonstoneWHAT YOU NEED:

  • Black Nail Polish – Michael Marcus Once You Go Matte
  • Opalescent Nail Polish – Sally Hansen Lustre Shine Moonstone [BUY]
  • Glossy Top Coat – Essie Good to Go [BUY]
  • Striping Tape [BUY]
  • Scotch Tape [BUY]

To create this awesome manicure, I began by painting my nails with a black base. Then, I applied two coats of Moonstone over the black and let that dry completely. I then used striping tape to create a double “X” on every nail except my accent nail. Once the striping tape was in place, I painted over it with the black polish and carefully peeled off the tape. For the accent nail, I simply used Scotch tape and left a triangle on the base of my nail. Last but not least, I used a glossy top coat and applied two coats to each nail once my polish was completely dry. This evened out the layers and left me with a shiny finish.

Striping Tape Nail Art featuring Sally Hansen Lustre Shine MoonstoneAll in all, I am absolutely loving this funky manicure! It was so easy to create and it allowed me to use some of my older polishes in a new way. This look can be adapted to fit your personal tastes by changing up the colors or the patterns. I love experimenting with tape! Please let me know in the comments if you like my manicure, and let me know if you like using striping tape, too.

Some of the products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.