Tag: nail polish

Indie Spotlight: Utopia’s Polish in Doodle-Bug

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Sunday! Today I have another polish from one of the indie brands that is sponsoring my current giveaway. Utopia’s Polish sent me a fun polish called Doodle-Bug to review for you. It is really unique, and not like any other polish I own. I also used my matte topcoat over this polish, and I will include that at the end of the post. Let me show you Doodle-Bug in its natural form!

Doodle-Bug is a light pink polish filled with lots of different glitters. First, there are fine pink glitters that compliment the base nicely. Then, there are hexagonal glitters from small to extra large mixed throughout in the colors pink, red, purple, blue, and white. I applied three coats of Doodle-Bug to achieve full opacity in the photos above. As you can see, the glitters are super fun, and stand out well from the pink base. I did not have any problems with the formula whatsoever, but it did require extra drying time because of the three coats I applied. Doodle-Bug reminds me of strawberry funfetti! It’s really cute.

I thought that Doodle-Bug would look great with a matte top coat over it, so I got out my Butter London Matte Finish. I absolutely love the way this polish looks when it is matte! The glitters are smoothed out completely, and the pink color looks creamy. Doodle-Bug looks great both glossy and matte, but I personally prefer the matte look. I love how versatile this polish is!

You can find Utopia’s Polish on Etsy HERE. Full size polishes sell from $9.00-10.00, minis are $4.50-5.00, and she even sells glitter that you can use to make your own polish for $3!

Don’t forget, you can win a polish from Utopia’s Polish in my giveaway! Go HERE to enter!

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

Indie Spotlight: LynBDesigns in Oogie Boogie

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Today I have a really fun nail polish to show you from the Etsy shop LynBDesigns. Halloween is just around the corner, and she sent me Oogie Boogie from the Nightmare Begins collection. This polish is really cool because it glows in the dark. First, I will show you the polish in normal light, and then in the dark so you can see the special effect.

The first thing I noticed about this polish is the fun bottle! It’s definitely unique and eye-catching. The polish is great, too! Oogie Boogie is a glitter top coat in an off-white base. It is filled with fine, orange glitters that are holographic! I layered two coats of Oogie Boogie over two coats of white polish. I love the way the glitter shines in the light and changes colors as you move your hand. It would definitely look really pretty layered over other colors, too. I also like the finish Oogie Boogie has. It’s not matte nor shiny, but silky smooth. In the photos above I am not wearing a top coat.

Here are some photos of Oogie Boogie in the dark! It was hard to capture, but as you can see, this polish really does glow! LynBDesigns suggests that you shake the bottle well before applying this polish to make sure the ingredients are fully mixed. That way you will be sure to get a good glow from your polish! I held my nails up to the light for a few seconds to “charge” the polish before I took these photos.  I love glow-in-the-dark nail polish, and this one is really cool!

I really like this polish from LynBDesigns! It is perfect for Halloween and the fall season in general. Make sure to stop by her Etsy shop HERE to purchase her polishes for $8.50.

You can also win a polish from LynBDesigns in my current giveaway! Be sure to enter HERE!

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

Adventures in Polishland’s 6 Month Blogiversary & Birthday Giveaway!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

It’s a very exciting time here at Adventures in Polishland! Six months ago today I began this blog. You can view my very first entry HERE! In just a short time I am so proud of how far my blog has come, and I can’t wait to continue on my adventures. Not only am I celebrating my Blogiversary, my birthday is in ten days on October 20th. In order to celebrate these occasions and to thank my followers for all the support I’ve received, I have teamed up with some amazing indie polish brands to bring you a HUGE giveaway! Let me show you all of the prizes!

From left to right we have: Above the Curve in Funilla Icing, Charm Your Nails in Glamour Party, LynBDesigns in Party Dress, Maisie Shine in Superstition, and Utopia’s Polish in Cake Topping.

Wonder Beauty Products in You’re My Cuppy Cake

Source: Wonder Beauty Products

Starrily in Birthday Balloons

Source: Starrily

Rainbow Polish in Cupcake and Busted Piñata

Source: Rainbow Polish
Source: Rainbow Polish

Black Cat Lacquer in Let Them Eat Cake

Source: Black Cat Lacquer

Lush Lacquer in Birthday Cake

Source: Lush Lacquer

My Happy Hour in Birthday Girl and Celebration

Source: My Happy Hour
Source: My Happy Hour

For those of you not counting, that is a total of 13 amazing prizes! Thirteen lucky entrants will each receive one of these polishes.

Now, onto the fine print! Please read these rules carefully!

  • This giveaway will run from October 10, 2012 until midnight on October 20, 2012
  • It is open internationally
  • You must be 18 or over, or have your parents’ permission, to win
  • I will be verifying ALL entries. Any false entries will result in that entrant being disqualified from the giveaway, and all of her entries being removed.
  • The winners will be notified through email after the giveaway and will have 48 hours to respond. In the result they do not respond, they forfeit their prize and a new winner will be chosen.

To enter the giveaway, you must click HERE to find the Rafflecopter. You can also enter by using the Rafflecopter widget on my Facebook page HERE.

Finally, a HUGE thank you to all of the indie brands sponsoring this giveaway! Make sure you check out their shops for amazing nail polishes. Simply click on each shop name above to be taken directly to their Etsy pages. As an added bonus, stay tuned for some reviews that will be posted throughout the giveaway featuring some of the sponsors!

Thank you for your support! I hope you will continue to enjoy our Adventures in Polishland!

My October Julep Maven Box!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy October! Today I will be reviewing my Julep Maven Box, and I am excited to tell you about the three new polishes I got. Let me begin by telling you about the special box that was offered in October. On the 20th of each month, Julep releases the five boxes that will be available to choose from. When September 20th rolled around, I was quite disappointed. The October Julep boxes were to feature crackle nail polishes, along with a line of gorgeous cream finishes in fall shades. While I do enjoy crackle nail polish, I couldn’t believe that was the product Julep was featuring. Crackle is no longer on trend, and Julep usually keeps up with the times. I, along with many other Mavens, took to the Julep Facebook page to let the company know how much I love their products, but how disappointed I was with the October offerings. Guess what? Julep listened! They created a special box called Maven’s Choice, which included three cream polishes and excluded the crackles. I could not have been more pleased. Julep really listens to its customers! Let me show you what I got in my Maven’s Choice box.

 

At first I was surprised to see how small the Julep box was this month, but don’t judge a book by its cover! Not only did I get three beautiful polishes this month, but Julep threw in some extras! The polishes (from top to bottom) are Lisa, Eloise, and Keira. The little pots you see are glitter pots in the colors orange and black to keep it Halloween themed! Finally, Mavens got some candy corn as an added Halloween treat. For some reason my box was missing the paperwork that usually comes with each Julep Maven box to highlight that month’s colors and trends. I guess that was the trick to my treat! I couldn’t wait to try out these gorgeous polishes!

 

 

First up is Keira, a beautiful deep burgundy polish. I am not usually a big fan of dark colors, but Keira is really nice. I used two coats of this polish, and as usual the Julep formula was amazing. I did experience some trouble with linen marks on my nails hours after applying the polish, but I am going to attribute this to high humidity. To be safe, give yourself a little extra drying time if you use Keira. This polish is quite pigmented, and leaned towards brown on the nail. This color is perfect for fall, and is work appropriate. Also, did you notice how short my nails are?! I needed to try something new!

 

 

Next up is Eloise, what Julep calls a “smokey indigo blue.” Let me begin by saying that I took these photos on day three of my manicure. As you can see, there is very little wear! I used two coats of Eloise without topcoat. I absolutely love this polish! I was most excited for this one to come, and it does not disappoint. The blue shade is really unique from anything else I own, and I love that it is deep, but not dark. Eloise is one of my favorite blue polishes, and I plan on wearing it quite often!

 

 

The last polish in my October box is Lisa, a grey that leans towards brown. I was least excited to try out Lisa, and to be honest I am not a huge fan of the color on me. The polish, however, is really nice. You can get away with one coat of Lisa for full coverage, though I still applied two in the photos above. The formula was amazing, and dried almost instantaneously! This is a great neutral shade if you are looking to stay away from beiges and tans. It is definitely work appropriate, and good for those of you who don’t like bold colors.

All in all, I loved my Maven’s Choice box! Julep always manages to impress me every month, and their customer service is right on. If you are looking to try out Julep polishes, I definitely suggest the Maven program. Not only do you get great discounts on their polishes every month, but you get your first box for one penny! Just click HERE and enter code COLOR2012 at checkout! Here is some more info about the Maven program if you’ve never heard of it before:

  • Julep is a monthly subscription program for $19.99 each month
  • You begin with a style quiz so Julep knows what polishes you may like, but you have the option to choose any box you want each month
  • Don’t have the cash? Don’t like your box? You have the option to skip your box each month and you will not be charged!
  • Mavens get access to special discounts on Julep products, and added freebies throughout the year
  • You have the chance to win the Golden Box each month — the complete Julep collection for that month!
  • You can cancel at any time if you decide you don’t like Julep
  • Your first box is a penny… who can pass that up?!

I hope if you join Julep you love it just as much as I do!

Sephora by OPI It’s My Pink!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Pink nail polish is my all time favorite, and It’s My Pink! from Sephora by OPI is no exception. I received this polish in a grab bag I purchased in a nail polish swap group for $20. A lot of nail polish aficionados end up selling their unwanted (and unused!) polish in grab bags to clear them out. I got an amazing bag with two full size indie polishes, and lots of other goodies. The value was well over $20. I was also really excited to get It’s My Pink! in the bag. I had been eyeing it on Copious for some time!

It’s My Pink! is from the Betsey Johnson line featured only at Sephora stores. The formula was great! I applied two coats for full opacity, and there were no streaks whatsoever. It also dried very quickly. My only complaint with this polish is that it did chip along the tips after about a day or two. Otherwise, I love this polish and plan to use it very frequently. I already used it as a pedicure, too!

Not only is It’s My Pink! a gorgeous Barbie pink, but it is scented! Once the polish dries, you will smell Betsey Johnson’s fragrance Too Too. The smell is not overwhelming, but is just enough for you to notice it. I loved the scent, and actually painted on an extra coat after a few days so I could revive the perfume. I know that a lot of people are not a fan of scented nail polishes, but this fragrance is so light that you should give it a try. This is an all-around fantastic polish!

 

I also finished up with an accent nail of OPI Nothin’ Mousie ‘Bout It from the Vintage Minnie Mouse Collection! This is a light pink glitter polish with hearts in it. I think it went perfectly with It’s My Pink! It gave my manicure a little something extra, without being too glittery.

If you love pink nail polish, I definitely suggest buying a bottle of It’s My Pink! The original retail price is $9.50, but Sephora has the Betsey Johnson line on sale for just $5 now. Try to find this polish before it sells out!

Street Fair Cosmetics: A Polish Lover’s Dream in NYC!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Being new to NYC, I did some investigating online to see if I could discover some great places for affordable nail polish in the city. I came across THIS YouTube video that spoke about Street Fair Cosmetics, a family-run business that sells nail polish at street fairs throughout New York City. I knew I had to find this vendor, so I looked up their Facebook page and discovered they would be within walking distance from my apartment at a feast in Little Italy. I headed over a couple weeks ago and got some amazing polishes at extremely discounted prices. Here are some photos of the booth:

 

 

Street Fair Cosmetics | Adventures in PolishlandStreet Fair Cosmetics | Adventures in Polishland

Look at all of the polishes! There are so many to choose from! Milani & Maybelline polishes are just $1 each, and Essie & Color Clubs are 3 for $10. There are lots of other brands and other cosmetics, too. I ended up spending $20 and got 11 polishes! I definitely find it helpful to set a budget before you go, because even though the prices are so low you can end up spending a lot. Also, this is a really popular booth, so be prepared to sift through lots of bins while other ladies are doing the same. It’s a bit like Black Friday on a smaller scale! I definitely plan on stopping by this booth again in the future.

Follow Street Fair Cosmetics on their Facebook page HERE to find out where they will be located! They currently have a schedule showing their locations through November. Happy Shopping!

Saran Wrap Nail Art

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Have you heard of the nail art technique that uses saran wrap to get a funky design? I saw THIS pin on Pinterest, and just had to try it out! Since I am not great at nail art, I was thrilled with how easy this technique is. Plus, we all have some saran wrap in the kitchen. Let me show you how my saran wrap manicure turned out. Please note that the photos in this post were taken with flash to showcase the design.

To get this look, first paint your nails in any color you want. I chose Julep Brandt. Make sure your polish is completely dry before moving onto the second step. Next, get out your saran wrap and your second polish color. It is easier to work with smaller pieces of saran wrap. Take your second polish (I chose Julep Sophie) and paint one coat directly over your original manicure. Then, bunch up the saran wrap and lightly dab all over your nail while the polish is still wet. Continue these steps on each nail and finish up with a top coat. Voila! You now have a super cool manicure!

The design reminds me of acid wash jeans! I definitely can’t wait to try out this technique with other colors and finishes. I think it would look great with glitter polish! Be warned that this technique can get a little messy when you’re dabbing with the saran wrap. A little clean-up is needed, but it’s definitely worth it. Be sure to try it out!

Don’t forget, you can get your first month of Julep for just one penny with code MAVENINTRO at checkout! I heard a rumor that they are also throwing in two bonus polishes at the moment. Sign up HERE!

Favorite Friday: Neon Pink + Glitter

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I bring you a look created with two of my favorite nail polishes. Every Friday I like to use a polish that I love, but that I haven’t used in a while. I thought today would be the perfect time to use a neon pink with glitter over it. Remember when I got L.A. City Nights from Jordana? I knew that it needed to be used over pink! You can read that post HERE. Not only is today’s manicure fabulous, but I used polishes that both retail for $1.99 each! They can be found at your local drugstores.

 

 

I began with two coats of Plastic Flamingo by Spoiled. This polish has been featured many times on my blog already, but it is such a great neon pink! The formula is a little streaky, but it evens out with two coats. For just $1.99, there is no excuse to not have Plastic Flamingo in your nail polish stash. The best part is that neon pinks are still in for fall! I’ve spotted many girls sporting this color on the subway.

 

 

I’ve worn Plastic Flamingo alone a few times, but today I wanted some extra sparkle. Jordana Glitters in L.A. City Nights is a glitter polish with fine purple grains and small blue hexagonal glitters. I applied one thick coat over the neon pink, and then applied a glossy topcoat. I absolutely love the look! It is so fun! I wish I could capture the glitter better, but as you can see it is quite bright and sparkly! It is definitely the perfect manicure for the weekend, or any day! I love that Jordana nail polishes are sold for $1.99 also. How can you go wrong?

What do you think of my Favorite Friday manicure? Do you rock similar polishes?

Wet ‘n Wild Chrome Stay Outta My Bismuth — A Clearance Bin Find!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Drugstores are the perfect place to find fabulous and affordable nail polish, but the best place to look is in the clearance section! Not all drugstores have a regular clearance department, but if you’re lucky, you’ll find a bin with with some polishes on markdown. Sometimes the bin will be in the beauty aisle, other times it will be somewhere else in the store. I was thrilled to find this bottle of Wet ‘n Wild Chrome in a basket near the front of my local Rite Aid for only $1! I couldn’t pass up this gorgeous blue polish, especially when other stores are still selling the Chrome collection for $3.99. Take a look at Stay Outta My Bismuth!

 

 

Stay Outta My Bismuth is a gorgeous metallic blue polish mixed with gold shimmer. It is super shiny, and has a unique finish. The formula was different in that it wasn’t creamy, and wasn’t sheer. It applied evenly, though, and I only needed two coats to achieve opacity.  My one dislike about this polish was the brush. For some reason it was a bit fanned out, and that made it hard to get used to. Other than that, I loved this polish! It is like nothing else in my collection!

 

You can find Wet ‘n Wild Chrome polishes at your local drugstore or department store for $3.99. This is a limited edition collection, but I recently saw a full display near me, so they are still available for purchase. Maybe you’ll get lucky and find them in a clearance bin, too! If not, keep your eye out for a $1 off Wet ‘n Wild coupon that is floating around right now. Who doesn’t love the extra savings?!

Have you tried any polishes from the Wet ‘n Wild Chrome line? What are your best clearance finds?

Coterie Grand Opening & Butter London Review

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

I am extremely excited to tell you all about a brand new website called Coterie. Similar to HauteLook, Coterie is a website that features flash sales on beauty brands. Its grand opening is today, but I was lucky enough to hear about a preview sale they were having last week featuring the nail polish brand Butter London. This brand usually retails for $14 a bottle, quite a bit out of my price range. With Coterie’s preview sale, I got 3 Butter Londons plus a matte topcoat for a total of $11 shipped! That is a $60 value for just $11! Let me show you the polishes I got. I’ll show you the polishes on their own, and then with the matte topcoat.

First up is Knackered. This is a duochrome polish with holographic glitters in it. Knackered is a purple/blue polish, and looks amazing in the bottle. I was a bit disappointed when I tried it out, though, because it is really sheer. It is definitely best used as a layering polish. In the photos above I am wearing three coats of Knackered. I love the glittery look, but definitely need to try this over another polish since I am not a fan of the sheer look. Besides that issue, I had no problems with the formula whatsoever.

 

 

Above is Knackered with the matte topcoat over it. It does look neat, but the matte took away the look of the holographic glitters, my favorite part of this polish. The best part about the matte topcoat is that if you don’t like it, you can apply a glossy topcoat right over it and restore the look of the original polish. No harm done!

 

 

Up next is West End Wonderland, a gold glitter nail polish with hints of orange. Luckily this polish lived up to how it looked in the bottle, and I got full coverage with just two coats. I have used gold glitter polishes before, but West End Wonderland is truly unique with the incorporation of the orange shade. It gives the polish more dimension. I also have to note that this glitter polish was the easiest to remove! I used the tin foil method, but only had to wait 3-5 minutes for the polish to come right off. Definitely a time saver!

 

 

Here is West End Wonderland with the matte finish. I have been dying to try out a matte topcoat over glitter, and I’m so happy I got the chance! The glitter is more subdued and not as shiny, but instead has a cool, grainy look. I can’t wait to try this finish over square/hexagonal glitters!

 

 

Last up is All Hail the Queen, my favorite polish of the bunch. This polish is a neutral shade with lots of shimmer, including holographic shimmer! That means this beige polish reflects all colors of the rainbow when it reflects light. My photos just don’t do this polish justice! All Hail the Queen is a great polish to spice up any neutral look. I used two coats of this polish to achieve opacity.

 

 

Finally, here is All Hail the Queen with matte topcoat. Just as with Knackered, this polish loses its holographic shine with this finish. To be honest, I applied my glossy topcoat to this manicure as soon as I could. The matte looked too much like sand for my liking! I also finished up my manicure with Julep’s Yumi. I couldn’t resist adding more glitter!

 All in all, I am still super excited about Coterie! I got an amazing deal on these polishes, and I can’t wait to see what sales they feature in the future. Make sure you join Coterie HERE. The Butter London sale is still available for a limited time. Enter code ZOEREPORT at checkout to get $25 off!