nail polish – Page 29 – Adventures in Polishland

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My First Manicure in 2014 featuring JulieG Silver Bells!

Posted on January 8, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! I’m back today with a new blog post after not polishing my nails for over two weeks! The holidays were just so busy that once I took off my old manicure, I decided to take a bit of a polish break. Soon I’ll be testing out all sorts of new polish goodies for the new year, but to break my polish hiatus, I grabbed one of the Holiday Frosted Gumdrops from JulieG. Let me share my first manicure of 2014 with you!

JulieG Silver Bells is a silver nail polish with silver glitters and a textured finish. The formula was good and manageable, but a bit on the thick side. I suggest three thin coats for full opacity, as I wore for my manicure. Silver Bells dries very quickly, and looks stunning! I’m not usually a huge silver nail polish fan, but the sparkle in Silver Bells makes it wearable and perfect for winter.

All in all, I’m really liking Silver Bells, and I’m glad it got me out of my nail polish funk! I’m excited for the coming year, and can’t wait to continue trying and testing more nail polish and beauty products. I hope you’ll join me on my Adventures in Polishland as I soar into my second year of blogging!

You can purchase JulieG polishes for $3.99 at your local Rite Aid or on the Jesse’s Girl website HERE. I purchased mine from Groupon!

Julep Lena: The Wear Test

Posted on December 30, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Julep Lena: The Wear Test

Happy Monday! Today I’m doing something a bit different, and that is a true wear test of one of my polishes. I recently posted about my experience at the Julep Pop-Up Store in NYC (see that post HERE), and I received a couple comments warning me that Julep Lena is a stainer. I was quite surprised to hear that news, so I decided to put my nails to the test! Let me share my experiment with you, and how it turned out!

My experiment began with two base coats – Sally Hansen Double Duty and Sephora Collection. I used Sally Hansen Double Duty on my right hand as a control, and then painted my left hand as follows: one coat Sally Hansen, two coats Sally Hansen, one coat Sephora, and two coats Sephora (I wore one coat of Sally Hansen on my thumb). Because one of my commenters mentioned that she used two coats of base coat, I wanted to do the same to see if it made a difference. Once my base coat was completely dry (a very important step!), I applied Lena in two coats.

After three full days of wear with no top coat, I had slight tip wear and just one substantial chip in my manicure. I was a bit nervous to take off my polish, but to continue my experiment I grabbed two removers to test out as well – CVS Strengthening Polish Remover and Julep Acetone Free Conditioning Nail Polish Remover. I used the CVS remover on my control hand, and the Julep remover on the experiment hand. Are you ready to see the results?!

Ta da! No staining at all! The only places you can even see remnants of the polish are under the nail on my ring finger (where I accidentally got polish stuck during application) as well as a tiny bit on the ring finger’s cuticle. Other than that, I did not experience any staining whatsoever, and both nail polish removers worked equally as well. I am thrilled with the result, and glad I don’t have any stained nails!

All in all, my Julep Lena wear test turned out well! Of course, I’m not 100% sure why others experienced staining, but it could be due to an old formulation, body chemistry, or even the type of base coat. Whatever the case may be, you should be safe to wear Lena with either of the base coats I mentioned. My biggest tip is to just make sure it is completely dry before applying Lena. You always want to have a strong, impenetrable base for your color no matter what polish you’re using. Please be sure to let me know in the comments if you’ve tried Lena, and what your result was. Also, if there are any polishes that you want me to do a wear test on, let me know that as well!

Zoya Nail Polish Naturel Collection for 2014

Posted on December 28, 2013May 23, 2020 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Today I’m excited to share with you the Zoya Nail Polish Naturel Collection! This six-piece collection is replete with natural, rose-toned neutrals that are subdued yet stunning. If you’re looking for the perfect neutral polishes, the Naturel Collection is sure to be for you! Let me show you these beautiful polishes!

Zoya Naturel Collection

First up is Chantal, what Zoya describes as a “French Vanilla” shade. Chantal has a good formula that is opaque in two coats. I painted carefully to avoid streaking, and finished up with a glossy topcoat. The result is a flawless finish! I’m quite impressed with Chantal, and I know this polish will be perfect for nail art as well as a day in the office.

Next up is Taylor, a beige polish that is just a bit darker than Chantal. Taylor has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. It’s nearly the same color as my skin tone as well! If you are looking for something subtle and chic, Taylor is a fabulous pick.

Zoya Rue is up next, and it is a beautiful blush pink shade. I’m not sure if I just have a soft spot for the name Rue because of The Hunger Games, or if this polish really is that amazing (reality: both are true!). Rue’s formula is absolute perfection, and the color is just so dainty and feminine. I think Rue is my favorite in the Naturel Collection!

Next up is Brigette, a light mauve polish that is just a bit darker than Rue. Brigette also has an amazing formula that is opaque in two coats. Plus, the pigmentation is just right. You really can’t go wrong with Brigette!

Odette is the next polish in the Naturel Collection, and is a stunning orchid shade. Odette’s formula is fabulous, and (you guessed it) is opaque in two coats. I am just loving this purple shade, and would definitely wear this on a daily basis.

Last but not least is Normani, a brown-toned mauve polish. Normani is so unique in color, and has a great creme formula. I truly have nothing else like this in my polish collection! Normani is also a shade that I think would look good on everyone!

All in all, I am very impressed with the Zoya Naturel Collection. Not only do these shades work well individually, but they can be worn together in a number of combinations. You can purchase the Naturel Collection on Zoya’s website HERE for $9 each or $54 for the complete collection. Let me know what you think of these polishes 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.

Feminine Fall Manicure Set from ShopLately!

Posted on December 26, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! Today I am very excited to share with you a shopping website that is brand new to me. It’s called ShopLately, and it’s part social network and part online boutique. I first heard about the site through some of my favorite YouTubers, and had to check it out for myself. Let me tell you a bit more about ShopLately, and show you what I ordered!

The ShopLately shopping experience is lots of fun! The website allows you to browse through products, or search for something specific. If you like something, simply click the heart button, and the product will be saved to your ShopLately profile. That way you never lose track of the items you love! ShopLately also features a number of great boutiques. Of course, my first order from the site had to be nail polish, so I grabbed a manicure set from the boutique Glint & Gleam.

I was so excited when my order arrived! Not only did I get it just four days after I placed the order, but it came packaged really well and I got a free gift! Imagine my surprise when I opened the box and found this cool necklace inside as well. I would have never picked it out for myself, but I’m excited to see what I can pair with it.

The item I ordered is called the Feminine Fall Manicure Set. For $17, I got a 4-step nail buffer, Miss Adoro French Manicure stickers, and two NYX polishes. I’ve never tried anything from these brands before, so I couldn’t wait to test these products out!

First up is NYX Nude Taupe, a beige polish with a creme finish. I am rather impressed with this polish! It has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. The brush is also large and flat, which makes application smooth and easy. I surprisingly like the color as well!

Unfortunately, the Miss Adoro French Tip stickers were a bit of a flop for me. I attempted to create a gorgeous and glittery French manicure, but the darn strips just wouldn’t file as they should! The glitter was just way too think for the file to cut through. As you can see in the second photo, I was really trying to make these work. Alas, I tried to make the best of a bad situation and went for a half moon manicure instead. It looks somewhat decent, but the edges are not clean because of the filing incident. I was definitely disappointed!

Luckily, the other NYX polish in the set was super amazing! Femme is a light purple metallic polish. The formula is absolute perfection, and is opaque in two coats. I just love the unique mix of purple and silver in the polish, and the way Femme shines in the light. I have nothing else like this in my polish collection!

All in all, while I was disappointed with the Miss Adoro stickers, I am loving the two NYX polishes and the nail buffer. Glint & Gleam has definitely won me over with its great packaging and free necklace as well! I’m definitely going to do some more ShopLately shopping in the near future. I think my next purchase will be from the indie nail polish brand GlitterDaze, or Manna Kadar Cosmetics (you know I love her line!).

You can join me on ShopLately by signing up HERE today! For a limited time if you sign up with your Facebook credentials, you’ll get a $10 credit! To check out my ShopLately profile and see the products I’m loving, click HERE. Be sure to let me know what you think of ShopLately in the comments!

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.

Subscription Sunday | Julep Cynthia (The Best Things Really Are Free!)

Posted on December 22, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Subscription Sunday! Today I am excited to share with you a polish that I got completely free! As you know, I’m a member of the Julep Maven subscription program. Julep has a new incentive – if you get your Maven box three months in a row, they’ll give you a free nail polish! Let me show you the polish I picked as my freebie!

Cynthia is a beige nail polish mixed with holographic glitter. It has a great formula that is opaque in two coats, and dries to a satin finish. I knew Cynthia would be a unique polish, and it does not disappoint! I’ve worn it twice already since I got it, and even my friends at school commented on how much they liked it! In the photos above I’m not wearing a top coat, but if you want a glossy finish go ahead and layer that on.

All in all, I’m really impressed with Julep Cynthia! It is unlike anything else in my collection! You can purchase Cynthia on Julep’s website HERE. Maven members will pay the discounted price of $11.20 and receive free shipping. If you’re not a Maven yet, what are you waiting for?! You get a box of nail polish and beauty products for just $19.95 per month, and you can try your first month FREE with code FREEBOX at checkout (just pay shipping). Stay tuned for more Julep posts on Subscription Sunday!

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

Beautiful NYC | Julep NYC Holiday Pop Up

Posted on December 13, 2013December 12, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I’m super excited to bring you the second official post in my Beautiful NYC series. I’ve labeled a few other posts into this category if it was an NYC event, or simply some shopping I’ve done around town, but today I’m highlighting the Julep Pop Up store that is officially opening today! I was lucky enough to be invited to a special Maven night at the store yesterday, and heard from the wonderful Jane Park – Julep’s CEO and Founder. As a huge Julep fan, it was really exciting to meet Jane (who is extremely nice, by the way!) and learn a bit more about Julep as a company. Let me show you some photographs I took inside the Pop Up shop!

Julep NYC Holiday Pop Up — The nail polish was separated by style profile. Look at how gorgeous the displays are!

Favorite Beauty Products — Helpful signs shared about the Maven program, and you could even vote for your favorite beauty products!

Modern Beauty — Of course, the beauty and skincare products were for sale as well!

Check out this cool nail polish bottle flowing from the ceiling!

Maven signatures — All of the Mavens were asked to sign this placard with our favorite nail polish! It will be brought back to Maven headquarters. Can you spot my name?!

Adventures in Polishland was here! — There I am! I chose the nail polish Drew!

The Pop Up store sells all the Julep polishes and products you love, plus some gift sets for the holidays. One great thing about the store is that you are able to build your own custom Maven box, and you can build as many as you want for the $19.99 price. Of course, I built my own custom box!

I decided to build my own It Girl box, complete with three nail polishes, and then grabbed the Julep Acetone Free Nail Polish Remover. While this remover is definitely a bit on the expensive side, it is my all-time favorite remover, and I decided to treat myself. If you would like a complete review just talking about that remover, let me know in the comments!

The first polish I grabbed is the same one I added to the Maven sign – Drew. I’m not sure why I didn’t already own this polish, because it is perfect for me! Drew is a bright pink creme, with just a flawless formula. I applied two coats, but it was nearly a one coat formula. I could literally wear this every day and not get sick of it! I really do love my pink nails.

Next up is Bette, a gorgeous purple polish that leans towards fuchsia. Bette has a “crelly” formula that is not quite a creme and not quite a jelly. It applied really well, and I am wearing two coats in the photos. Bette is very similar to a limited edition Wet ‘n Wild nail polish that I own, but I’m so happy to have this one because that bottle is halfway empty and not available any longer. Plus, Bette definitely has a better formula!

Last but not least is Lena, a beautiful teal polish with subtle gold shimmer. When I first spotted Lena at the store, I thought it was a creme polish, but I actually love the shimmer added in! This polish is also a winner because it has a one coat formula! I just love when I make that discovery! Lena also reminds me of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Any other fans out there?!

All in all, I had a great time exploring the Julep NYC Holiday Pop Up and attending Maven night! If you will be in NYC during the holiday shopping season, be sure to stop by! The shop will be open starting today, December 13 through December 22. It’s located at 102 Fifth Avenue, amongst several other places to shop. You can find more details on Julep’s website HERE. Be sure to let me know if you visit the Pop Up!

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

Julie G Meet Up at Rite Aid in NYC!

Posted on December 11, 2013December 11, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! This past Saturday I had the amazing opportunity to meet YouTuber Julie G at Rite Aid in New York City. Julie has her own nail polish line with the brand Jesse’s Girl Cosmetics, and they held a meet up to show off the new Holiday Frosted Gumdrops Collection. I was so excited to meet Julie. I’ve watched her YouTube videos for a while now, and I love her nail polish line. Adventures in Polishland is all about fabulous and affordable nails, and Julie’s line retails for just $3.99! Let me show you the nail polish I wore to meet Julie, and all about the event!

I knew that I had to wear a JulieG nail polish to the event, so I chose Hot Cinnamon from the original Frosted Gumdrops Collection. Hot Cinnamon has the perfect formula, and is opaque in two coats. I love the bright red color, and how sparkly it is! It’s definitely perfect for the holiday season. Little did I know my nails would be even more festive thanks to Julie!

Yes! That’s me with Julie, and those are my nails on her Instagram! When I arrived at Rite Aid, Julie was all set up to give manicures to her fans using her polish collection. She used two of her new Holiday Frosted Gumdrops to create some nail art on my nails – Gift of Gold and Mistletoe. I love how it turned out!

Here are some more photographs from the event. It was such a fun time!

Image Courtesy of Jesse's Girl Cosmetics — Getting a Manicure from Julie! (Image Courtesy of Jesse’s Girl Cosmetics)

Jesse's Girl even gave us goodie bags! — Jesse’s Girl even gave us goodie bags!

All in all, I had a wonderful time at the meet up! It was so great to meet Julie, and talk about all things nail polish. I recently ordered the full JulieG Holiday Frosted Gumdrops Collection, so keep an eye out for that review soon. Until then, stop by your local Rite Aid to pick up polishes from the JulieG line, or shop online HERE. Thank you again to Julie, Jesse’s Girl Cosmetics, and Rite Aid for the wonderful experience!

Manicure Monday | Milani Blue Jay + Daphine Polish Frosty

Posted on December 9, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! You may be surprised to hear that most of my every day manicures don’t make it onto my blog. I thought it would be fun to share with you one of my recent manicures. I actually wore it last Monday (through Thursday!), but it works for today’s Manicure Monday post as well. Let me show you what I wore on my nails!

I began by applying Milani Blue Jay as a base color. I reviewed this polish HERE in July, and I’ve been eyeing it in my nail polish collection ever since. While this is a limited edition polish, it is still available on Milani’s website HERE for just $4.49. As you may know, I am a huge fan of Essie Butler Please, and since my bottle is already showing a significant fill line, I decided to use another blue that I own. I think it was a great decision!

To complete my manicure, I added an accent nail of Daphine Polish Frosty (review HERE). I really wanted to experiment with Frosty to see what it would look like over different colors, and I’m loving it over Blue Jay! And yes, the photo above was taken at school while I was studying for my Evidence class. See, this really was one of my every day manicures!

All in all, I hope you enjoyed seeing my manicure today! I really loved this combination of bright blue and a bit of glitter, and I can’t wait to use Frosty over even more colors to see the result. If you would like to see more Manicure Monday posts, please let me know 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.

Subscription Sunday | December Julep Maven Box

Posted on December 8, 2013December 8, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Subscription Sunday! Now that I am down to just two subscription boxes, my Subscription Sunday posts will be less frequent, but I still look forward to them! This month I was really excited to get my Julep Maven box – the polishes looked so pretty! I opted for the It Girl style this month. Let me show you my December box!

This month’s theme is The Glitterati Collection, and I’m loving it! As a special bonus, Mavens received two yoga hair ties, and a 40% off discount code (not shown). Of course, my three polishes look absolutely stunning, even in the bottle!

First up is Celia, what Julep describes as an “icy green metallic”. Celia has a wonderful formula that is opaque in two coats. A few streaks are visible, as in most metallic polishes. As for the color, I’m loving it! It’s very unique and quite perfect for the holidays. Celia definitely gets a thumbs up from me!

Next up is Shoshanna, a yellow-gold holographic glitter. Shoshanna’s formula is a bit on the thick side, but easily maneuverable. It’s also opaque in two coats. I am blown away by this polish! It is stunning , and I truly own nothing else like it. I bet this would look great layered as well.

Last but not least is Evelyn, a deep purple creme polish that leans towards a berry shade. Evelyn had a good formula, and is opaque in two coats. I like that this more subdued polish came in my box this month. After two very unique shades, it’s nice to have a classic creme as well. Evelyn is quite beautiful!

All in all, I’m loving my December Julep Maven Box! It’s one of my favorite Julep boxes of all time, and I can’t wait to use these polishes over and over. If you’re not yet a Julep Maven member, you can join HERE. Use code FREEBOX to get your first box for free (you just pay shipping). Let me know what you got in your Julep box this month in the comments!
This post contains an affiliate link. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Indie Spotlight | Daphine Polish’s Holiday Collection 2013

Posted on December 4, 2013December 1, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I am excited to share with you three beautiful polishes from the indie brand Daphine Polish. While I first tried this brand just a few months ago, it has quickly become one of my favorite indies! I was thrilled to review some of the holiday polishes for all of you. Let me show you these gorgeous polishes!

First, I wanted to show you how nice the packaging from Daphine Polish is. I love when brands put in that extra effort. It really makes getting a package even more exciting!

The first polish I have to show you is Poinsettia, a Christmas red polish with holographic shimmer throughout. Poinsettia is the perfect holiday polish! The formula is amazing, and is opaque in two coats. Plus, it dries quickly. I recommend sealing Poinsettia with a top coat shortly after application to ensure the holographic quality really stands out.

Next up is Rudolph’s Nose, a glitter topcoat with a variety of red glitters and a sprinkling of green and gold granules. I layered one coat of Rudolph’s Nose over Poinsettia, and I’m loving the result! There is no fishing for glitters in this polish, and I love how beautiful these two look together. Of course, you can layer Rudolph’s Nose over many other polishes as well!

Last but not least is Frosty, a glitter top coat with a mix of white and iridescent glitters. I layered one coat over Zoya Hunter (see review HERE), and I’m so amazed with the result! Not only does Frosty have an amazing formula, but the iridescent glitters transform on the nail. As you can see in the photos above, shades of blue and purple magically appeared on my nails! I bet you will get a different result depending on the layering combo. I will have to experiment with Frosty more in the future for sure.

All in all, these holiday polishes from Daphine Polish are wonderful! I highly recommend them! Make sure you check out the full holiday collection on Etsy HERE. Full size polishes are $10 each, but keep an eye out for holiday sales by liking Daphine Polish on Facebook HERE. Let me know which of these three is your favorite 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.