Tag: nail polish

Indie Spotlight: Santa Baby Holiday Collection from Different Dimension

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Today I have a really exciting post for all of you! The indie brand Different Dimension just released her Santa Baby collection, and I have four of the eight polishes to show you. I just love the idea behind this collection! Each polish is named after a lyric from the classic, Christmas tune Santa Baby. What I think is great about this collection is that many of the polishes can be worn not only for the holidays, but all year round! Let me show you these gorgeous polishes!

 

 

 

First up is the polish named after the song — Santa Baby! Santa Baby is a glitter top coat in a clear base filled with red, white, and pink hexagonal glitters. Plus there is a sprinkling of  fine holographic glitter throughout. I layered two coats over a fun, neon green polish from Wet ‘n Wild called Nerd Alert Screech. It is such a fun manicure, and very festive! I love the different size glitters, and that pink is on the color palette. Santa Baby would be great as a Valentine’s Day manicure as well — just use a different base color!

Next up is Out of Space Convertible. This is a black based polish with fine glitters mixed throughout in the colors pink, purple, and blue. Out of Space Convertible is opaque in just two coats, and has a textured finish. It really does look like the cosmos on your nails! I absolutely love this polish. It is not what I would expect to find in a holiday collection, but it works perfectly here. I can’t wait to wear this polish again!

The next polish from the Santa Baby collection that I have to show you is Think of All the Fellas That I Haven’t Kissed. Similar to Santa Baby, this is a glitter polish in a clear base. The glitters are a mix of purples, blues, and teals. I layered two coats of Think of All the Fellas over a bright blue from Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear called Blue Me Away! I decided to go with a blue to really show you how versatile this collection is. This polish is really fun!

Last but not least is I’ve Been an Angel All Year. This is a gorgeous glitter polish in a white base filled with white, blue, and silver glitters. There is also a hint of blue shimmer as well. This polish was also opaque in two coats, which I really appreciated! I’ve Been an Angel All Year reminds me of snowfall, and I wore it on the first day that it snowed here in NYC! This is another of my new favorite polishes!

I hope you enjoyed these polishes from the Santa Baby Collection! Don’t forget, there are four more beautiful polishes in this line. Be sure to check out Different Dimension’s Etsy store HERE and “like” the Facebook page HERE. Full size polishes are $8.50 each.

The products in the post were provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

A Jelly Sandwich with ncLA Hello, I Love You! & Zoya Electra

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

When I first started checking out other nail polish blogs, I had no idea what a jelly sandwich manicure was! Today I will show you the first jelly sandwich I have ever done, and explain how to get such a fun and unique look! I used two polishes from previous posts so you can see this mani upgrade in action. See ncLA Hello, I Love You! HERE and Zoya Electra HERE.

So, what is a jelly sandwich? It is simply combining two polishes in oreo cookie fashion. You will need one jelly finish nail polish. I used ncLA Hello, I Love You! for that. A jelly polish is one that is very sheer. Basically, think of a jelly polish as one that is a clear base with some added pigment. If you aren’t sure whether a polish has a jelly finish or not, try experimenting. If a polish is opaque in two coats, it is not a jelly. However, if takes three or more coats to build opacity, it will probably be great for layering!

 

To begin your jelly sandwich, paint 2-3 coats of your jelly polish and let that dry. Then, grab your second polish. Typically jelly sandwiches use a glitter polish as the middle layer because the glitter is easy to see through the sheerness of the jelly. I chose Zoya Electra, a holographic bar glitter, as my “middle” polish. I layered on one coat of Electra, but depending on the glitter you are using you may want to do two coats. It is more of a personal preference. Once the glitter has dried, finish up with one more coat of your jelly polish. You will have a really fun, layered look!

 

 

What do you think of my jelly sandwich manicure? I like it, especially for a first try! Plus, a jelly sandwich is a great way to upgrade a current manicure. Simply add the glitter and a final coat of the jelly, and you have a whole new look! I can’t wait to try this out again soon.

Zoya Ornate Collection for Holiday/Winter 2012!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Sunday! Today I will be reviewing the 2012/2013 holiday collection from Zoya Nail Polish called the Ornate Collection. This gorgeous line is comprised of six polishes that are perfect for the upcoming holidays and winter months. Let me show you each of the polishes from the Ornate Collection!

 

 

First up is Ziv, a beautiful gold. Ziv is a metallic polish with a foil finish, and is one of two foils in the Ornate Collection. The color is multidimensional, with hints of yellow, silver, and a warmer gold, too. Ziv is opaque in two coats and dries very quickly. It is the perfect gold nail polish to have in your polish collection! It shines in the light, but can also be great for those who like neutrals. My only gripe with Ziv is that removal takes longer than usual due to the metallic quality of this polish. Other than that, it is a fantastic gold!

 

 

The other foil polish in the Ornate Collection is Logan, a stunning green with undertones of yellow and blue. Logan is truly the perfect Christmas green! I definitely plan on wearing this during the holidays. Just like Ziv, Logan is opaque in two coats and dries quickly. It was also a bit difficult to remove, but is worth it for the fabulous color. Logan is a very unique green polish, so if you love green this is a must have!

 

 

Up next in the Ornate Collection is Blaze. This polish is the first of three polishes in this line full of holographic glitters! Blaze is a deep red color that Zoya calls mulberry. It is opaque in two coats, and I just love the formula! The three holographic polishes in this collection apply very smoothly and easily, but the downside is they take a long time to dry. I suggest giving yourself plenty of drying time with these polishes, because you are going to want to wear them! The holographic glitter is stunning! I am not a huge fan of red nail polish, but Blaze is another that is just perfect for Christmas. Very festive!

 

 

The next holographic polish in the Ornate Collection is Aurora. This is my favorite polish in this collection! Aurora is what Zoya calls a sugarplum purple, but I definitely see this almost as a pink. Nonetheless, Aurora is absolutely gorgeous! The holographic glitter just brings this polish to life. Like Blaze, it is opaque in two coats. Make sure to give yourself that extra drying time, but it is so worth it! I even got compliments on this polish while I was on the Subway! If I had to get one polish from this collection, it would be Aurora.

 

 

Storm is the final holographic polish in the Ornate Collection, and is a black polish full of that eye-catching holographic glitter. Storm is opaque in two coats, and has that same amazing formula that Blaze and Aurora have. This is a great polish if you are looking to dress up a black manicure. It goes with any outfit, and the glitters really stand out against the black base. Storm is an alternative for those of us who like something more exciting than the basic black polish. It reminds me a bit of Orly Rock Solid (see review of that polish HERE), but instead of a grainy finish, it is smooth as can be! I love the glossy finish.

 

 

The sixth and final polish in the Ornate Collection is Electra. This polish is a clear base filled with holographic bar glitters. I decided to layer it over Storm in the photos above. Believe it or not, that is just one coat of Electra! As you can see, Storm is still quite visible underneath, so I wouldn’t want to wear Electra on its own (but you certainly can!). I am personally not a huge fan of bar glitter, but if you are then this polish is for you! It is unbelievably shiny! I suggest lots of top coat with Electra to make sure all the glitters stay in place.

I hope you like the Zoya Ornate Collection as much as I do! It is perfect for the holidays, and is right on trend for the season. You can purchase the Ornate Collection for $48, or each polish individually for $8, on the Zoya website HERE. Zoya will even throw in a free gift on any order over $30! Make sure you have this gorgeous collection on your nails this winter.

 

The products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

 

OpenSky: A Place for Discount Polish & More!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

A few weeks back, I heard about a new shopping website called OpenSky and decided to see if they had some nail polish for sale. Luckily, I found some normally high-priced polishes at discounted prices and just had to snag them up! Today I will show you a polish from ncLA that I got. Stay tuned for future posts about the other polishes!

 

 

 

This gorgeous polish is Hello, I Love You! from ncLA. It is a jelly polish in what ncLA calls a berry color. I would say it is somewhere between magenta and maroon. It is a gorgeous color for fall! This polish is really pretty, but the formula was a bit off. It was a little streaky, so I had to apply three coats. It is also really sheer, as with all jelly polishes, and took a really long time to dry. I did wake up with linen marks on my nails even though I applied the polish hours before I went to bed. I tweeted about my problem with the formula, and ncLA even replied saying that this was one of their sheerest polishes. Even though the formula was not the best, I really love the color of Hello, I Love You! Because it is so pretty I want to use it over and over!

The best part is this polish normally retails for $16, but I scored this bottle for just over $3 after using my credits for OpenSky! When you sign up for the website, you get $25 in credit. Plus, when you sign up through Facebook you get an additional $10 in credit — that’s $35 just for signing up! There is a catch, though. In order to use credits on OpenSky you have to spend a minimum of $50. Still, that’s $35 in free credits to use! OpenSky also rewards its users for being social. Whenever a friend buys something, you get a $5 credit, too. It’s a great website to score deals on all sorts of merchandise. You can join by clicking HERE.

Have you tried ncLA nail polish? What do you think of Hello, I Love You!?

Happy Belated Halloween!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

I originally planned to have this post up on Halloween, but it got a bit delayed due to Hurricane Sandy. After polling my Facebook fans, I’ve decided that it’s better late than never. Let me show you the fun manicure I wore for Halloween!

 

 

I began my manicure with two coats of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Green with Envy. This polish is a creamy light green that is not neon enough to be called lime, but I would put it in that color family. I’ve had this polish for a long time and barely ever wear it because I thought the formula was a bit off. Imagine my surprise when I get this beautiful result on my nails! The polish was a little watery, but it wasn’t as bad as I remembered. When you pay around $3 for a bottle of polish, I think it is okay if it isn’t perfect! Overall, Green with Envy is a really fun green that I wouldn’t wear every day, but it was perfect for Halloween nails.

 

Next, I topped my manicure with two coats of this neon green, glow-in-the-dark pumpkin polish. These cute pumpkins can be found at Rite Aid drugstores around Halloween for just $2.99! I love that it is an every day affordable price. This polish is very sheer, so that is why I layered it over another green polish. The formula is easy to work with, but the disappointment is that it doesn’t glow in the dark very well. I was able to see the polish glow a bit, but none of my photos were able to capture the effect. Even though it didn’t glow brightly, it’s still a fun polish to wear!

 

 

Finally, I added an accent nail of The Koompa King from Dollish Polish. You can read more about The Koompa King HERE, but it is a glitter top coat that has orange and black glitters, so I thought it would be great for Halloween. It was the perfect touch on the lime green color, too!

I hope you enjoyed my Halloween manicure as much as I did, even though it was a bit late! What did you wear on your nails for Halloween?

 

Compare & Save: Sephora by OPI It’s Real 18k Gold Top Coat

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

One of the latest trends sweeping the nail polish nation is the 18k gold top coat. That’s right! You can wear real gold on your fingers if you’re willing to pay the price. For around $30 you can purchase a real gold top coat from a number of nail polish brands. OPI just released The Man With the Golden Gun ($30), Jessica Cosmetics has Gold Leaf ($29.95), and Zoya has the Gilty Box, which includes the gold polish plus a black & white polish for layering ($35). Because of these steep price tags, I was going to pass up on having golden fingers, but I lucked out! While at Sephora inside JCP a couple weeks back, I found the Sephora by OPI It’s Real polish on clearance for $8. I couldn’t believe it! I snagged that beauty up right away. Let me show you how gorgeous it is!

It comes in a fancy box!

 

 

 

I layered It’s Real over Julep’s Eloise (see Eloise HERE). I used one coat to get the look in the photos. It’s Real is in a clear base, so you can layer it over any polish to add some gold! What makes this polish really unique, is that the flakes of gold are all different sizes and shapes. You never know the exact look you are going to get! I really like the subtle, golden shine that one coat of It’s Real has, but if you want more just add on another coat. I felt really fancy having gold on my nails!

You can find It’s Real at Sephora stores and online HERE. You will notice that online the price of It’s Real is $15, so I suggest going to your nearest Sephora store to see if you can find one on clearance for $8 like I did. If you have a Sephora inside JCP near you, definitely check there first!

We should never have to pass up on a fabulous nail polish trend just because it is expensive! With a little searching, we can always find a more affordable (but just as fabulous!) option.

Make Your Mani Last: How I Wore Essie Stylenomics!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Earlier this week I showed you Essie Stylenomics that I got from Klout as a free perk. Not only did I wear Stylenomics alone, but I did two mani upgrades with it. One of my Facebook followers suggested that I try matte stripes, so I gave that a try. Then, I changed the look again by adding some glitter. Let me show you both mani upgrades!

 

 

The first mani upgrade I did with Essie Stylenomics is matte stripes! All you have to do to achieve this look is place scotch tape across your nails in horizontal stripes, paint over them with a matte topcoat, and remove the tape. Voila! Your manicure will go from glossy to both glossy and matte in an instant. Matte stripes are the perfect way to upgrade your manicure if you are looking for a subtle change. For more information on how the scotch tape technique works, visit THIS blog entry.

 

 

Although I did like the look of matte stripes, I just had to add some glitter to my manicure! First I used a glossy topcoat over the stripes to erase the matte look. Then I grabbed Milani Jewel FX in Gems to use as a glitter topcoat. Gems is such a fun polish. It is a clear base filled with lots of multicolored glitters. I applied one coat over Essie Stylenomics to get the look in the photos. The best part is, Milani can be found at drugstores and department stores for around $4-5 per bottle, which makes it more affordable than similar polishes that range from $8-16. I just love the combination of Stylenomics and Gems!

Mani upgrades are the perfect way to make your manicure last as long as possible. By adding topcoats you lock in the original color, and with glitter you can hide the appearance of any chips you are starting to see. Plus, mani upgrades are a quick solution for the girl on the go who wants to change her polish as much as possible, but doesn’t have the time for a complete manicure.

Do you have any ideas for a great mani upgrade? Share them in the “comments” section and I will try them out!

Essie Stylenomics: The Best Things in Life are Free!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

It’s true! The best things in life really are free! Have you heard of the website Klout? I’ll be honest, it is a bit confusing to use. Basically, you connect your social networks all in one place, and Klout measures how influential you are. You then receive a Klout score, and you become eligible for perks. Essie has teamed up with Klout on a few occasions to reward Klout members that are influential about nail polish, and I was lucky enough to score a free bottle of Essie in Stylenomics! Let me show you this gorgeous fall color.

Essie Stylenomics is from the Fall 2012 line by the same name. It is a very dark green polish that looked almost black on my nails. I applied two coats and had no problems whatsoever with the formula! It also dried quickly. I do wish that the polish was more green, but I think this is a great polish for fall. I love the cream finish, too. I definitely recommend Stylenomics! Make sure you grab a bottle at your local drugstore or department store before it is gone.

Also, be sure to join Klout HERE! You never know when you could get a free nail polish, too.

P.S. A huge THANK YOU to everyone who entered my giveaway! All winners have been contacted by email.

The products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

Indie Spotlight: Above the Curve in Funilla Icing

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today is the last post to feature an indie brand from my current giveaway! I hope you have enjoyed these reviews as much as I enjoyed showing you these amazing polishes. I saved Above the Curve’s Funilla Icing for the last post because it is birthday themed, and my birthday is tomorrow! Don’t forget, my giveaway ends at midnight. Enter now before time runs out, and let me show you this delicious polish from Above the Curve!

Funilla Icing is a polish with a white base and a mix of rainbow, hexagonal glitters mixed in. I applied three coats in the photos above, and although the polish was not completely opaque on its own, I still loved the look! If you want to achieve opacity, begin with a base of white polish first. Funilla Icing’s formula was great! No streaks or clumps, and it dries quickly. I absolutely love this polish! It really does look like Funfetti icing, too. I also got lots of compliments on this polish from classmates when I wore it. Funilla Icing is a super fun polish!

You can buy Above the Curve polishes on Etsy HERE. For each polish that you purchase, $1 is donated to Shriners Hospitals for Children!

Also, don’t forget that you can win a bottle of Funilla Icing in my giveaway! Enter HERE before it ends at midnight!

The products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

Indie Spotlight: Charm Your Nails in Instant Gratification & Follow the Chartreuse Brick Road

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Today I have another post for you featuring an indie brand that is sponsoring my giveaway!  Charm Your Nails sent me two amazing polishes from her shop to review for you. I am in love with both of them and highly recommend her shop! Let me show you the gorgeous, glitter topcoats from Charm Your Nails!

Firs up is Instant Gratification, which I layered over Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Lacey Lilac (see Lacey Lilac on its own HERE). Instant Gratification is filled with black, white, and purple glitters, with some fine pink glitter thrown in the mix. There are black and white bar glitters, white hexagonal glitters, and purple and black square glitters (my favorite!). Not only does Instant Gratification look amazing, but the formula is easy to work with and dries quickly. I applied two coats in the photos above. I love purple, so this is the perfect polish for me! I can’t wait to use it again.

Next ups is another glitter topcoat called Follow the Chartreuse Brick Road (FCBR). It may be a mouthful, but this polish is gorgeous! I applied two coats over Julep Lisa to get the look you see in the photos (see Lisa on its own HERE). FCBR is packed with gold and red glitters. Both colors are used as fine glitters, and then the gold is seen in small and large hexagons and the red in square glitters. Once again, the formula was fantastic! It is easier to work with than other glitter topcoats I’ve tried in the past. I was also surprised by how much I liked FCBR. I am not the biggest fan of gold or red nail polishes, but I loved it in glitter form. Also, by wearing this polish over a neutral shade, it subdued the red a bit more.

All in all I am really impressed by these polishes from Charm Your Nails! You can purchase this brand on Etsy HERE. Full size polishes are $8.50 and minis are $3.50.

Don’t forget, you can also win a bottle of nail polish from Charm Your Nails in my current giveaway! Enter HERE to win one of 13 prizes!

The products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.