nail polish – Page 26 – Adventures in Polishland

Tag: nail polish

Yi Kou Nail Wraps from Born Pretty Store

Posted on April 22, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! First, I want to take a moment and let you know that I will only be posting 1-2 times per week for the next few weeks. It is finals season at school, and the majority of my time will be spent studying. But don’t worry – I’ll be back to my normal schedule soon enough!

Now onto today’s nail polish post! I tested out some nail wraps from the brand Yi Kou for the first time. These wraps are available at Born Pretty Store, one of my favorite online retailers for nail art supplies. If you’ve been a follower of mine for a while now, you’ll know that I love testing out funky products from Born Pretty Store! I was so excited to try out these nail wraps in particular, because the design is perfect for spring.

Each pack of Yi Kou nail wraps comes with two sheets of seven wraps. These wraps are super easy to apply – all you do is find the size that fits your nail, peel off the protective paper, and gently smooth the wrap over your nail starting at the cuticle. If you have any excess, use a nail file in a downward motion to trim off the extra. There truly is no drying time, and you have a complete nail art look in minutes!

I am loving the final result with these wraps! The colors are bright and fun, and I really like the abstract pattern. I did seal the manicure with my Essie Good to Go top coat, just to make sure the edges were sealed down, and to give my manicure a “real polish” look. I wore these nail wraps for three days before removing them, and only experienced light tip wear. Removal was also surprisingly easy! I carefully peeled off the wraps, and they came off just fine without leaving any sticky residue. I’m not sure how that happened, but I’ll take it!

All in all, I am very impressed with the Yi Kou nail wraps! They measure up to the high end nail wraps that I’ve tried, but each set costs only $2.38! The design I’m showing you in this post is #K1026, but there are other designs to choose from as well. You can purchase these nail wraps HERE, and don’t forget to use discount code FZL91 to get an additional 10% off. As always, there is free worldwide shipping at Born Pretty Store. Have you tried any of the Yi Kou nail wraps from Born Pretty Store? If so, let me know your thoughts in the comments!

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.

Mixing Nail Polish Trends with the Revlon Leather and Tweed Collection

Posted on April 15, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! I recently spotted a new Revlon display at the drugstore, and decided to pick up a couple polishes. I’m still loving the textured nail polish trend, so when I saw the Revlon Collection was called Leather and Tweed, I knew it was for me! The collection features textured polishes for the “leather” and bar glitter polishes for the “tweed.” The combination sounded quite fun and unexpected. Let me show you what they look like together!

The leather polish I got is called Rock Chic, and is a bright blue textured polish. I first tried Rock Chic about a week ago, and didn’t have much luck with the textured finish. This time, I tried the polish without a base coat, and the texture showed up much better. While the formula applies very well, I did need two coats for opacity. Rock Chic takes a long time to dry, and I recommend waiting at least 10 minutes between coats. I do really love the blue color!

I completed the look with a double accent nail using Tweed Mini, the tweed polish. Tweed Mini is a glitter top coat with white, silver, blue, and black bar glitters. I applied one coat to my middle and ring fingers for this mixed-trend look. Tweed Mini has a great formula, and there is no fishing for glitters required.

All in all, I’m really liking this look! I never would have thought to mix textured nail polish and glitter in one manicure, but Revlon’s marketing worked on me. I think I’ll be mixing my nail polish trends more often! You can purchase the Leather and Tweed Collection at your local drugstore for around $5 each. Make sure to check the limited edition displays before these fabulous and affordable polishes sell out! Plus, let me know if you’ve ever mixed your nail polish trends in the comments!

Adventures in Polishland Turns 2!

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! Today is my official, two year blogiversary! That’s right – two years ago today I began this blog on a whim. I just wanted to take a moment and thank all of you for supporting Adventures in Polishland. I have come to truly love the beauty industry, and I’ve learned so much from brands, fellow bloggers, and from all of you.

This past year was truly an adventure. I purchased my own domain name, and built a new website. You stuck with me through my move, and I am so grateful for that! In addition, I was lucky enough to attend a handful of blogger events throughout New York City. It is wonderful to meet fellow bloggers, and learn first-hand about products from the brands I love. I’ve also expanded my once polish-focused blog to include beauty and skincare posts. My Adventures in Polishland are ongoing of course, but it’s been exciting to try all sorts of products, and be the “guinea pig” for you.

So, what’s next? As I head into my third year as a beauty blogger, I hope to continue bringing you nail polish and beauty reviews, nail art, and more. You can always feel free to recommend products and blog post ideas, and to connect with me on social media – just hit the “Contact” tab above for all my links. As always, thank you for joining me on my Adventures in Polishland. i look forward to all of the adventures soon to come!

Broadway Nails imPress Press-On Manicure in Straight Up

Posted on April 7, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today I have a full review of the imPress Manicure set that I received in my Influenster Uni VoxBox (see that post HERE). I’ve never tried any sort of false nails before in my entire life, so this was definitely a new Adventure in Polishland for me! Let me tell you more about this product, and share my experience.

Each imPress Manicure comes in a cute, nail polish shaped bottle. In the photo above you can see the packaging, and how the nails look in the front and back. Each bottle comes with 24 nails in twelve sizes. I received the design called Straight Up in my box, and it is the short nail length.

The kit also comes with a prep pad and mini nail file. Unfortunately I didn’t see the prep pad until after I applied the nails, so I didn’t get the chance to test it out. I did use the file, though, and it was definitely helpful!

Application of the imPress nails was very easy. All you have to do is find which sizes work best for you, peel off the backing, and press the imPress nail onto your clean nail. That’s it! It takes literally seconds to complete the manicure, and the result is a fun, nail art look with no mess and no fuss. That said, these nails are still not for me. I found this short length to be on the long side, and I felt like I was wearing “fake nails” to the point where it annoyed me. For example, I had a very difficult time using my iPhone with my imPress nails!

I also disliked that the nails didn’t come with a clean edge. One would think that fake nails would come perfectly shaped, but I had to file them, and even then the edges weren’t perfect. When looking at the Broadway Nails Instagram, I noticed that all of the imPress sets seem to have this uneven edging. I find that to be this product’s one major flaw.

All in all, I think the imPress Press-On Manicure from Broadway Nails is a fun idea, and great if you want a nail art look in seconds. If you like long nails, these are also a great option. While the nails stay on very securely, they also peel off with ease, so you don’t have to worry about damage to your natural nails. You can purchase imPress nails at your local drugstore for $7.99 each. Let me know your thoughts on imPress in the comments!

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

My New Must Have Top Coat | Essie Good to Go

Posted on March 31, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today I am excited to share with you my new, must have top coat. My friend Gina of charmnomgo gave me her bottle of Essie’s Good to Go to try out, and I loved it so much I purchased my own bottle. Many of you mentioned on Facebook that you’d like to see a full review of Good to Go, and that’s what I’m here to do!

Essie’s Good to Go is a top coat designed to give you brilliant shine in seconds. I’ve had terrible luck with other fast-dry top coats in the past, so I was definitely hesitant to try this one out. For some reason, many fast-dry top coats chip within just one day of being on my nails. Despite the beautiful shine they give, I just can’t depend on them if I want a long-lasting manicure. Thankfully, Good to Go is unlike those other top coats! I don’t know what the difference is formulaically, but it sure does the trick. It dries quickly, applies with ease, and gives my nails a shine that says “I bet you think I went to the salon today!”

Here is my manicure after three days of wear. I have Zoya Dot on as my color, and just one coat of Good to Go on top. As you can see, my nails still look amazing! Okay, so my cuticles are still in winter mode, but my polish is chip-free and super shiny. I’m beyond happy with the results!

All in all, I am so thankful that Gina made me try out Essie’s Good to Go! It retails for $8.50, which is a bit more than I typically like to spend, but because of its amazingness, I think it is worth every penny. I grabbed mine at Duane Reade, but you can shop on Amazon HERE or at your local drugstore. Let me know if you’ve tried Good to Go in the comments!

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

Pinspiration | Eyeshadow Sponge Gradient Nails

Posted on March 27, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! I’ve been trying to perfect gradient nails since I started this blog nearly two years ago. No matter what method I try, I just can’t get it down! I recently spotted THIS pin that suggested an eyeshadow sponge as the tool to use when creating a gradient manicure, so I had to give it a try. I first tested it out with Zoya’s new polishes (see that post HERE), but wanted to create another look. Let me show you my gradient nails!

To create this look I used two of my all-time favorite polishes – Essie Butler Please and Essie Play Date. First, I painted a full manicure using Butler Please. I let that dry a bit, and then took a clean eyeshadow sponge, added a drop of Play Date to it, and carefully dabbed it at the top of each nail. Then, I used the other side of the applicator, and repeated the process with Butler Please until I got the look the way I liked it. I completed the manicure by adding a coat of Essie Good to Go! top coat.

I am loving the result! It’s still not quite perfect, but I’m really getting the hang of this gradient method, and plan on using it for all my gradient looks in the future. Not only is this technique simple, but you can use nearly any nail polishes you like. If you don’t have any spare eyeshadow sponges, check your local drugstore or grab THIS pack on Amazon. They are super affordable, and one pack will last for several manicures. Let me know what you think of my eyeshadow sponge gradient in the comments!

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

Nubar in Kristal | Review & Swatches

Posted on March 20, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! A few weeks back, I received a Nubar polish in my Beauty Box 5 (see that post HERE). At first, I thought it was a flakie polish, but it turns out to be a glitter top coat! Let me go ahead and show you Nubar Kristal!

Kristal is a glitter top coat in a clear base filled with holographic, hexagonal glitters in small and large. I layered one coat over Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics in Tarred, a plain, black creme. Kristal has a great formula that applies smoothly. There is no need to fish for glitters, and a lot of glitters come out on the first coat. I sealed the manicure with Essie Good to Go! top coat.

I love how Kristal looks over Tarred – it’s almost like twinkling stars in a dark night. The holographic glitters shift from green to gold with hints of blue over the black base. It’s just gorgeous!

All in all, I’m really loving Nubar Kristal. I can’t wait to try it over different polishes, since I’m sure it will look pretty in many combinations. You can purchase a full size bottle of Kristal on Amazon HERE. Be sure to let me know what your favorite Nubar polishes are 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.

Simple Saint Patrick’s Day Nail Art!

Posted on March 17, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Since today is Saint Patrick’s Day, I thought I would put together a quick post featuring simple nail art. If you’re still looking for a festive manicure idea, this look is perfect for you! Plus, if you’re like me and you don’t celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day, you can wear this manicure to cheer on my favorite NBA team – the Boston Celtics! Let me show you the nail art I created.

To create this manicure, I grabbed two polishes from my collection – Julep Payton as the perfect Saint Pat’s green, and Zoya Jacqueline as the base for my accent nail. I applied two coats of Payton on all of my nails, except for my ring finger, where I applied three coats of Jacqueline. Once my manicure was completely dry, I carefully used a dotting tool (I got mine on Amazon HERE) to create a shamrock. I then finished up with Essie Good to Go top coat.

I hope you like this super fast and simple manicure! I recently purchased my dotting tools, and am still getting the hang of using them, so I hope to have more nail art looks coming up soon. I hope those of you who celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day are having a fun and safe day!

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.

L’Oreal Les Blancs Collection | Spot Me & Le Pastille

Posted on March 15, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Today I’m excited to share with you some brand new polishes for spring. I am so ready for winter to be over, that yesterday I ran to Duane Reade with the mission of getting some new beauty products for the spring season. When I spotted the new L’Oreal Les Blancs Collection, I knew I had to grab a couple. I picked up the two glitter shades, and ran home to test them out. Let me show you these gorgeous polishes!

First up is Spot Me, a pale blue polish with black hexagonal glitters from small to large mixed throughout the base. Spot Me has a great formula! It applies easily, and there was no fishing for glitters. I was really impressed with the coverage in two coats as well. The finish reminds me of a robin’s egg. I really like it!

Next up is Le Pastille, a pink version of Spot Me. Le Pastille also has a flawless formula. I cannot stress how easily these polishes apply! It always makes me happy when I don’t have to do anything special to get glitters out of the bottle and onto my nails. I applied two coats of Le Pastille, and finished up with a layer of butterLONDON Hardwear top coat (as I did with Spot Me as well). I love the juxtaposition of the black glitters on a baby pink base.

All in all, I’m loving these two glitter polishes from the new Les Blancs Collection from L’Oreal! In fact, I might go back to the drugstore and purchase the creme polishes from the collection, too. As I mentioned above, I scored these polishes at my local Duane Reade, but be on the lookout for the spring display at your drugstore. The polishes retail for $6.49 each in NYC, but I noticed a $4.99 price tag over on Nouveau Cheap’s blog. Let me know what you think of these polishes in the comments!

Does it Work? | Ruby Wing Color Changing Polish in Kitten Heels

Posted on March 11, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! This past Sunday, I shared my February Birchbox with all of you. One of the products was a Ruby Wing Color Changing nail polish. I received another polish from this line in a Birchbox last year, and unfortunately I couldn’t get the polish to change color (see that post HERE). I was excited to try out another in hopes that I could get the color changing effect to work for me. Let me show you what happened this time around!

Kitten Heels is a gorgeous, bright pink creme polish. It has a great formula, and is opaque in two coats. I truly love the color! But, as you can guess by me only showing one shade, this polish just didn’t change colors! According to the label, Kitten Heels is supposed to change to a red when I go outside. I was outside in direct sunlight for several minutes on different days and never saw any type of change in this polish. Part of me wonders if it is my body chemistry that is preventing this polish from changing color. I’ve noticed others on Instagram aren’t having issues, so I either got a bad bottle, or it’s just me!

While I am disappointed that I didn’t get the color changing effect to work, I still love the color of Kitten Heels. It has a great formula, and I’ll still wear it for sure. Please let me know in the comments if you’ve tried any of the Ruby Wing Color Changing polishes and if they’ve worked for you. You can purchase the full size bottle of Kitten Heels on the Birchbox website HERE.