Tag: nail polish

Born Pretty Store Melodi Nail Wraps Review | Instant Nail Art

Happy Monday! Today I am excited to review a set of nail wraps from Born Pretty Store for all of you. Nail wraps are a hot and cold product in the nail polish world. I’ve found that they are either awesome or terrible, and the price of the wrap is no indicator to the wrap’s quality. I’ve had good luck with the wraps from Born Pretty Store for the most part, and I am always up for trying out a different brand and design. This time around I have a colorblock pattern from the brand Melodi. Let me show you these gorgeous nail wraps!

Born Pretty Store Melodi Nail Wraps Review | Instant Nail ArtHere is a quick look at the Melodi Nail Wraps in the packaging. As with most nail wraps, they are formulated to last up to seven days, and not smudge upon application. This set of wraps is made with real nail polish, which I can tell by the slight polish scent upon opening the package. I received the style MDS1206 to review. It retails for just $1.52 HERE.

Born Pretty Store Melodi Nail Wraps Review | Instant Nail Art

If you’ve never used nail wraps before, they essentially work like stickers that you put on your nails. I start with a clean nail, find the wrap that fits my nail, and then stick it on the nail. Then I smooth out the wrap, gently bend over the excess, and use an emory board to file off the end. I follow up with a glossy top coat to ensure the wraps stay in place, and to give more of a realistic look. Voila! Instant nail art!

Born Pretty Store Melodi Nail Wraps Review | Instant Nail ArtI am really impressed with the Melodi Nail Wraps! They applied easily, and they look just like regular nail art. Plus, they are long-wearing! I’ve found that if a nail wrap is going to be bad, it typically comes off within 24 hours. I’m on Day 3 of wearing these wraps and so far I only have light tip wear! I’ve showered and washed my hands several times over the past few days, and the wraps still look awesome. I am beyond thrilled!

Born Pretty Store | Coupon Code

All in all, I highly recommend the Melodi Nail Wraps from Born Pretty Store. Not only are they super affordable, but they are excellent quality as well. Of course, I love the cute design, too. As always you can use the code FZL91 to get an additional 10% off your Born Pretty Store order. I think you should definitely pick up these nail wraps! They are perfect for those of us who love nail art, but don’t have the skill or patience to pull it off perfectly every time. Be sure to let me know in the comments if you like nail wraps, and if you’ll be getting these from Melodi!

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. 

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. 

MILD’s Easy Peel Nail Polish from Born Pretty Store

Happy Friday! Today I have another nail polish review for you. Born Pretty Store sent me the MILD’s Easy Peel Nail Polish in a grey shade, and I was excited to test it out. Strippable nail polish has been quite trendy in the past year, and I have to say I like it! Of course, it has to work without damaging my nails. Let’s see if MILD’s Easy Peel Nail Polish makes the cut!

MILD's Easy Peel Nail Polish from Born Pretty Store MILD's Easy Peel Nail Polish from Born Pretty StoreI received a grey shade of this nail polish to review, and the shade number is WB171. I applied this polish without a base coat because I wanted it to peel off properly. The formula is great with this polish! I applied two thin coats and didn’t have any issues whatsoever. I was also excited to discover that this polish does peel off the nails! It comes off easily once you start peeling, and does not damage the nails at all. So awesome!

That being said, I noticed that when I went on Born Pretty Store’s website this polish is marketed as a Color Changing Thermal Polish. I didn’t experience any color-changing at all, but I still really like this polish. Keep that in mind when purchasing!

Born Pretty Store | Coupon CodeAll in all, I had a great experience with the MILD’s Easy Peel Nail Polish even though I didn’t notice any color-changing effect. This is a polish I would wear alone as well as under nail art, and feel comfortable recommending to all of you! MILD’s retails for $8.18 on the Born Pretty Store website HERE, but don’t forget to use code FZL91 to get an extra 10% off any order. Be sure to let me know what you think of this polish in the comments!

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. 

ATORS Strippable Nail Polish in Shiny Blue from Born Pretty Store

Happy Monday! Today I am excited to bring you a review of a unique polish I received from Born Pretty Store. This polish is from the brand ATORS and is a holographic duochrome polish in the shade Shiny Blue. What really makes this nail polish cool is that it is water based and is designed to strip off the nails without a need for nail polish remover. I put it to the test and am excited to share my thoughts on this product with you!

ATORS Holographic Polish in Shiny Blue ATORS Holographic Polish in Shiny BlueThe ATORS Shiny Blue polish is a blue and purple duochrome with hints of green and a holographic shimmer. The formula is good, but finicky. I recommend applying three very thin coats. I had an issue with thicker coats, where the polish would bunch. The thin coats worked really well for me, though! I also recommend not using a base coat. This is one of the few times I will say that! Because this is a strippable nail polish, it won’t apply properly with a base (believe me – I tried and it was all bumpy!). And yes, it does strip off easily and cleanly! I was really impressed with how the polish stayed on until I started peeling it. My nails weren’t damaged at all.

ATORS Holographic Polish in Shiny BlueATORS Holographic Polish in Shiny BlueI also wanted to give you a look at the polish in direct sunlight. Look how it comes alive! I can’t get over how beautiful this nail polish is. I’m very impressed!

Born Pretty Store | Coupon CodeAll in all, I’m so glad I got the opportunity to test out the ATORS nail polish in Shiny Blue from Born Pretty Store. It is a bit more expensive than other products in the shop at $12.88 per bottle HERE, but don’t forget to use code FZL91 to save 10% off any order! As always, you enjoy free international shipping on Born Pretty Store’s website. I highly recommend picking up this polish!

The product in this post was provided for my unbiased review. This post contains affiliate links. 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!

 

SinfulColors SinfulShine Review | Top Coat & Shining Couture

Happy Friday! Today I have a full review of the SinfulColors SinfulShine Top Coat and one polish from the line, Shining Couture. I received both of these polishes in a PinchMe box, and was excited to test them out together. I’ve tried one other SinfulShine polish before (see that review HERE), but I’ve never tried the top coat. I love the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel line, so I was hoping to love this one as well because it is much more affordable. Let me share my thoughts on this nail polish system with you!

SinfulColors SinfulShine Review | Top Coat & Shining CoutureHere is a quick look at what the SinfulShine bottles look like. They are the same as the regular SinfulColors nail polish, but the bottle caps are a chrome finish. Step 1 is on the left, and is the regular nail polish color called Shining Couture. Step 2, on the right, is the SinfulShine Top Coat. Both bottles had the same directions, which were to add two coats.

SinfulColors SinfulShine – Shining Couture SinfulColors SinfulShine – Shining CoutureShining Couture is a blue nail polish with green, bronze, and gold shimmer. The formula is good, but because it is a jelly formula, it is not opaque with two coats. Nonetheless, I then applied the Top Coat in two layers as well. My first impression of this nail polish was that it had a very strong odor. While I’m no stranger to the nail polish smell, this scent was way over the top. In addition, my manicure took a full hour before it was completely dry. That is much longer than I usually have to wait, so I wasn’t happy about that. The main problem, however, was that the polish began peeling off my nails the day after I applied it. That’s right, my manicure didn’t even last 24 hours!

All in all, I’m very disappointed with the SinfulColors SinfulShine line. I think the problem lies in the Top Coat, because I did try a colored polish in the past and didn’t experience any issues. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this product to you, which is definitely a shame for the affordable price. I still recommend the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat, which is my favorite top coat right now. I wear it over every manicure, and it does an excellent job.

Have you tried the SinfulShine Top Coat? Share your experience 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. 

Zoya Nail Polish Whispers Collection | Transitional 2016

Happy Friday! Today I am super excited to share with you a brand new collection from Zoya Nail Polish. I look forward to Zoya’s new releases, because I know the quality is going to be great and the shades stunning. The newest collection is called the Whispers Collection, and is the transitional line for 2016. That means these polishes are designed to help you transition from winter into spring. Of course, you can wear these nail polishes at any time of year, and with the beautiful picks this year I’m going to be doing just that! Let me show you the gorgeous Zoya Whispers Collection!

Zoya Nail Polish Whispers Collection | Transitional 2016

Zoya – Ireland Zoya – IrelandFirst up is Ireland, a dusty green shade. All of the polishes in the Whispers Collection have a cream formula, which I really love. Ireland is stunning, and is opaque in two coats. I really love green nail polishes, and this one is gorgeous.

Zoya – Lake Zoya – LakeNext up is Lake, a beautiful baby blue polish. Lake has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. While the blue is definitely a paler shade, it is still very pigmented. It reminds me of winter and snow for sure! I also have to mention the high-gloss finish these polishes all have. I’m not wearing a top coat in any of these photos!

Zoya – Misty Zoya – MistyThe next polish is Misty, a taupe nail polish that I would describe as a mushroom shade. Misty also has an excellent formula, and is opaque in two coats. I love neutral polishes in the winter and spring, and I think this is a shade that will look good on everyone no matter the skin tone.

Zoya – Cala Zoya – CalaNext up is Cala, another neutral polish, this time an off-white, cream shade. Cala has a good formula, but it is a bit on the thin side so I applied three thin coats for opacity. Cala is my perfect neutral polish! It goes really well with my complexion, and can be worn for any occasion.

Zoya – April Zoya – AprilMy favorite polish in the collection is April, a pale pink polish. April’s formula is also a bit on the thin side, so I applied three coats for the opaque look I desired. I’ve tried a lot of light pinks in the past, and the reason I love April so much is because it is more of a subdued pink. I would wear this on the daily, especially at an office job!

Zoya – Eastyn Zoya – EastynLast but not least is Eastyn, a purple polish that is in the mauve family. Eastyn has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I’m loving this shade of purple! I think it is so refreshing that the Whispers Collection manages to have pigmented polishes that aren’t bright. It’s on trend, and a current favorite of mine for sure!

All in all, Zoya definitely delivers six awesome polishes in the new Whispers Collection! The shades are all absolutely beautiful, and this is a time where I recommend picking up the entire collection because they are so wearable in daily life. You can purchase the Whispers Collection on the Zoya website HERE. These vegan polishes are $9 each or $54 for the collection. I highly recommend them, and can’t wait to wear them again!

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 | Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Violet Voltage

Happy Monday! Today I wanted to share with you a nail polish I received from Influenster as a giveaway prize. I’ve loved the Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear line for years, even way before I started blogging. The polishes are so fabulous and affordable, and come in a variety of colors and finishes. I decided to put Violet Voltage to the test as soon as it arrived!

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear – Violet Voltage Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear – Violet VoltageViolet Voltage is a light purple nail polish packed with a subtle magenta shimmer. The formula is perfection, and is opaque in two coats. I am loving this color of polish! While it’s not totally unique, the shimmer does add a nice punch to it. I also really like how Violet Voltage looks with my fair skin tone. I followed up the manicure with the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat, by the way. It’s my new favorite!

All in all, I’m so glad I won this nail polish from Influenster! I might not have picked it up on my own, but it’s definitely a new staple in my collection. I highly recommend it, especially because it is super affordable at the drugstore! Be sure to let me know in the comments if you own Violet Voltage, of if you’ll be making it part of your collection!

Shop online for these polishes using this widget and I’ll earn a small commission! Thank you for your support!

The product in this post was provided to me as a giveaway prize. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

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!

Top 10 Nail Polishes of 2015!

Happy Monday! I can’t believe we have just a few days left of 2015! I decided that to close out the year, I will go ahead and share with you a few Top 10 lists. Today we are starting out with my Top 10 Nail Polishes of 2015! The polishes I picked were not necessarily released in 2015, but they are polishes that I first tried in 2015. I have shared full reviews of each polish on the blog with you, and will link you directly to that post so you can read my thoughts on each polish there. I will also share a link to where you can purchase each polish if it is still available. Let’s jump right into my Top 10!

Top 10 Nail Polishes of 2015! | Adventures in Polishland

10. Madam Glam Ibiza [REVIEW] [BUY]

Madam Glam – Ibiza

I don’t wear shimmery nail polishes on a regular basis, which is why I really like Ibiza. The subtle sparkle is beautiful, and adds just a touch of bling to my manicure. I also love the bluish-green shade, and the formula is excellent.

9. Zoya Serenity [REVIEW] [BUY]

Zoya – Serenity

Zoya makes some of the best cream nail polishes out there, and I was really impressed by Serenity. It’s a vibrant purple that looks great with any skin tone. Serenity is more of a summer nail polish for me.

8. Zoya Estelle [REVIEW] [BUY]

Zoya – Estelle

If you didn’t know yet, you are about to find out that I love blue nail polishes. Let’s begin with Estelle, a surprising add to this list because I’m not a big metallic fan. However, when you have a rich blue polish even a metallic formula looks stunning.

7. Color Club Cloud Nine [REVIEW] [BUY]

Color Club – Cloud Nine

I finally tried out a nail polish I had in my collection for years, which is Color Club Cloud Nine. This is definitely the best holographic polish in my stash. I love the pale pink shade, and how the polish comes alive in the sunlight.

6. Zoya Brittany [REVIEW] [BUY]

Zoya – BrittanyI absolutely drooled over the Zoya Satins collection when it was released. My favorite of the bunch is definitely Brittany. It is just the perfect polish, with a flawless formula and a stunning pale pink shade. I need to wear this again very soon!

5. Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Rum Punch [REVIEW] 

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel – Rum Punch

If you are looking for the perfect pink, look no further than Rum Punch. Seriously, Sally Hansen nailed it with this one, pun intended. The formula is perfection, the color is to die for, and I’ve worn it several times this year.

4. Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Beatnik [REVIEW] [BUY]

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel – BeatnikOkay, it’s time for another blue polish. Beatnik is just gorgeous, and I don’t know what else to say about it. The rich pigmentation is just so beautiful!

3. Zoya Sia [REVIEW] [BUY]

Zoya – SiaYou can laugh at me, because I know Sia is super similar to Beatnik. But it’s just a bit brighter in tone, and the formula is just perfect. I wore Sia a lot when I first received it, and I’m feeling the need to put it on my nails as I type up this blog post!

2. KBShimmer Breaking Blues [REVIEW] [BUY]

KBShimmer – Breaking BluesThis is the last blue-toned polish, I promise! The good news is Breaking Blues is more of a periwinkle shade, and I just love it. That’s why it’s number two on my list! The color is quite unique, and it works in any season.

1. KBShimmer Chilly Pepper [REVIEW] [BUY]

KBShimmer – Chilly PepperMy number one polish of 2015 is Chilly Pepper from KBShimmer. I cannot believe I’m saying this, as I’ve tended to bash red nail polishes in the past because of my pink-toned skin. Somehow KBShimmer has created the perfect red polish that looks good on me. Not only was it a go-to for the holiday season, but it’s the red I will grab from now on. You must get it!

That wraps up my first Top 10 post for 2015! Please share with me your favorite nail polishes of 2015 in the comments. Make sure to stay tuned this week for even more of my favorites this year!

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