nails – Page 12 – Adventures in Polishland

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Silver and Gold Christmas Manicure | Sally Hansen Celeb City and Julep Vivien

Posted on December 21, 2015December 18, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! I can’t believe Christmas is just a few days away! I thought I would share a simple manicure to put together to help celebrate the season. I recently watched Rudolph and the Island of Misfit Toys, and I’ve been humming the song Silver and Gold. I don’t see many silver and gold manicures, so I created my own! Let me show you my silver and gold nail polish look!
Silver and Gold Christmas Manicure | Adventures in Polishland I began my silver and gold manicure with a base of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Celeb City. I applied two coats and let that dry before applying my gold glitter. For my silver and gold effect, I looked for a gold chunky glitter, and found the perfect polish in Julep Vivien. I applied two coats of Viven and let that dry before using a glossy top coat. This manicure is so easy to create, but it looks so festive! If you’re not a fan of the typical red and green color scheme during Christmas, definitely try this out for yourself. You can use any silver and gold polishes you own!

All in all, I’m loving my silver and gold manicure. It is quick if you’re in a rush, and can go with any outfit this holiday season! Plus, if you have long-wearing polish it can last all the way through until New Year’s! Definitely let me know if you’ll be trying out a silver and gold manicure in the comments.

Give the Gift of Matching Nails with butter LONDON and Q&Q SmileSolar Watches

Posted on December 9, 2015November 30, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I have a fun blog post to inspire you when gift-giving this season. Perhaps there is a beauty lover in your life that you know would like a nail polish this holiday, but you wanted to give something else unexpected as well. Why not pair your polish with a matching accessory?! Q&Q SmileSolar watches make the perfect gift this year. Not only are they a fabulous and affordable $40, but they are super practical as well. Let me tell you more about Q&Q SmileSolar Watches, and show you how well they go with butter LONDON nail polish!

Q&Q SmileSolar is an eco-friendly brand in Japan known for its solar-power technology and expertly crafted products. Q&Q SmileSolar watches are powered by solar technology, and last for over three months with a single charge – no battery required! The watches are water-resistant, and made from recycled materials. I love how environmentally friendly they are! Plus, the Q&Q SmileSolar Series has a variety of styles to choose from, ranging from sleek and stylish to fun and bright. I received two watches from the Core Collection to review. Both are unisex, and would make an excellent gift for anyone on your list.

In this blog post I’ll be showing off the watch in style number RP00J004Y. This is a neutral watch with a silver band and face. It can go with any outfit! I’m pairing it up with a silver nail polish from butter LONDON.

My silver of choice is butter LONDON in Diamond Geezer. It has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. Because it is really shimmery, it does have a tendency to get messy. Keep your clean-up tools handy! Diamond Geezer is perfect for the winter months, and can be worn alone or in nail art looks. I have it on as I type up this blog post, and am loving how sparkly it is in the light!

Here is my manicure along with my Q&Q watch! It’s definitely a lot of fun to match my nail polish to my accessory. While I wouldn’t do this everyday, I would love to receive a gift this Christmas with a coordinating nail polish and accessory. It makes opening the present even more fun, and it lets the gift-giver think outside the box!

I hope you found this blog post helpful as you continue on with your holiday shopping this year! Q&Q SmileSolar watches can be purchased online HERE at $40 each. I think that is an amazing price for such an eco-friendly watch. Of course, you can grab Diamond Geezer on butter LONDON’s website HERE. Giving the gift of butter LONDON and Q&Q SmileSolar is a great way to give your nail polish lover a fun yet practical present this year.

Do you match your nail polish to your accessories? Let me know in the comments!

The products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Holiday Lace Nail Art featuring Born Pretty Store Hollow Lace Stamping Plate & Silver Stamping Polish

Posted on December 4, 2015December 5, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! My adventures in stamping continue today with a holiday themed manicure. Born Pretty Store sent me some of its new stamping products to review, and because December is here I felt like a holiday manicure was in order. I share more information on Born Pretty’s new stamping products in THIS blog post, so make sure to read that if you’re new to this website. Let’s jump right into the nail art!

The Hollow Lace stamping plate comes with three strips of different lace patterns. I like that there are a variety of looks you can achieve with just this one plate, because you can stamp over the floral, over the netting, or a combination of your choice. I do want to point out that I photographed the stamping plate with the blue lining still on it, just so you would be able to see the pattern without a reflection in the metal. This plate can be purchase on Born Pretty Store’s website for just $3.59 HERE.

Here is a closer look at the stamping plate. Feel free to click on the photo to see the designs in even more detail! I decided to test out the middle design that has the floral area towards the bottom.

I began my Holiday Lace nail art with KBShimmer Chilly Pepper, and once it was dry used Born Pretty Store Stamping Polish in Silver to stamp. I am so impressed with this manicure! The silver polish is amazing for stamping, although a bit messy during cleanup because of the rich shimmer. Nonetheless, I found that it’s really simple to use the Hollow Lace stamping plate, because you can’t mess up the pattern – it looks great no matter which direction it ends up on the nail! This look is so festive, and I’m loving it. You can purchase the silver polish for just $3.99 HERE.

All in all, I am once again so impressed with the quality of Born Pretty Store’s stamping products. Not only are they fabulous and affordable, but they are so easy to use, even for a newbie stamper like me! As always, you can save an additional 10% off your order with my coupon code FZL91. Plus, you get free international shipping. I’m definitely loving these stamping products, and am ready for the holidays with this nail art look!

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.

Santa Claus Manicure featuring Gold Nail Stickers from Born Pretty Store

Posted on December 2, 2015November 29, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! If you’re anything like me, you want to rock festive nails during the holiday season, but you don’t have the time or talent to put anything extravagant together. That’s the reason I love nail stickers! Born Pretty Store recently released a set of Christmas and Winter themed nail stickers in a gorgeous metallic gold finish. Let me show you the Santa Claus manicure I created using the stickers!

First things first, here is a look at the sticker sheet. As you can see, it is very big and comes with a huge variety of sticker designs. There are Christmas trees, snowflakes, snowmen, reindeer, ornaments, Christmas sayings, and much more! I’m using the stock photo from Born Pretty Store’s website in this blog post so you can easily see the details of the stickers. This sticker sheet is a fabulous and affordable $4.46 HERE.

I decided to go with a Santa Claus theme for my manicure. I began with a base of white nail polish, and let that dry completely. Then, I used a red polish to get a gradient effect using the Eyeshadow Sponge Method seen HERE. Finally, I added on the stickers! From left to right, there is a Christmas Tree, Santa Claus, Merry Christmas script, and another Santa Claus. I really love how this manicure looks! The red and white gradient adds a fun background for the gold stickers. Plus, the stickers fit really well on my nails. I used a glossy top coat over the stickers to ensure they stay in place. Removal is also very easy – just use the tin foil method.

All in all, nail stickers are a great option if you want to create quick and easy holiday manicures that still look extremely festive! Plus, I love that this sticker sheet from Born Pretty Store has such a wide variety of designs. The manicure possibilities are endless! As always, you get free international shipping on Born Pretty Store’s website and you can use my coupon code FZL91 for an additional 10% off any order. Definitely let me know if you pick up these stickers!

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.

Teal Aztec Nail Art featuring Born Pretty Store Illusion Stamping Plate & Green Stamping Polish

Posted on November 30, 2015November 20, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today I’m excited to share with you a nail art look using the new nail polish stamping products from Born Pretty Store. This online shop recently came out with its own line of stamping plates and stamping polishes. I couldn’t wait to test them out, because the prices are fabulous and affordable. I’m still not the best at nail polish stamping, but I am slowly getting the hang of it. Let me show you the Teal Aztec Nail Art look I created using Born Pretty Store products!

The plate I’m using today is the Illusion Theme. I’m so impressed with the packaging on this line! The plate comes in a sturdy cardstock packet. Plus, each plate is really big and comes with a variety of designs. Please note I’m showing you the plate with the blue wrapper still on it (otherwise you would only see a reflection!). This plate is only $3.59 on Born Pretty Store’s website HERE.

Here is a close look at the designs on the Illusion Theme plate (click on the photo for even more detail). I decided to test out the Aztec print that is in the righthand column, fourth down from the top.

Here is my Aztec manicure! I applied a white nail polish as a base, and once that was dry reached for the new Born Pretty Store Stamping Nail Polish in the color Green. The polish works amazingly well, and I am really impressed with how easy it made stamping. I definitely need to practice lining the stamp up on my nail better, but the products themselves are awesome. This green polish even cleaned up easily with a Q-tip dipped in nail polish remover. You can purchase this polish for just $3.99 online HERE.

All in all, I’m really impressed with the Illusion Theme Stamping Plate and Green Stamping Polish from Born Pretty store! As always, you can get free international shipping with any order on Born Pretty Store’s website. You can also use my coupon code FZL91 for 10% off every order. I highly recommend checking out these items if you’re new to stamping, or simply looking for some more stamping goodies. I can’t wait to experiment with them some more!

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.

KBShimmer Winter 2015 Collection | Swatches & Review

Posted on November 27, 2015November 19, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I am excited to be bringing you a review of seven KBShimmer nail polishes. The brand recently released its Winter 2015 Collection, which includes a variety of polishes as always. I really love how KBShimmer features different finishes, formulas, and colors each season. You never know what to expect, except the amazing quality. Let’s jump right into these winter shades!

First up is Fleece Navidad, a silvery grey holographic polish with hints of blue microglitter. Fleece Navidad has a great formula, but it is a bit on the sheer side so I applied three coats for opacity. This is a great holographic polish, especially if you’re looking to try out holos for the first time. It is wearable with nearly any outfit because of its neutral base, too!

Next up is Coal in One, a charcoal grey holographic polish. Coal in One has an excellent formula that is opaque in two coats. I’m so impressed with how strong the holographic effect is in this polish! It’s quite edgy, and will work well throughout the fall and winter months for sure.

Toying Around is this year’s charity polish, with $4 from the purchase of each bottle going to Toys for Tots. Toying Around is a glitter top coat packed with rainbow glitter in a variety of shapes, such as hexagons, triangles, circles, and more. Plus, there is microglitter sparkling up the polish as well! I applied one coat over KBShimmer Breaking Blues, and I am amazed at how easily the glitters apply to the nail. This is a top notch glitter, and it’s for a great cause!

Next up is Brr-tiful Dreamer, a purple-grey jelly polish packed with aqua, purple, silver, and fuchsia glitters. Brr-tiful Dreamer has a good formula, but I applied three coats to achieve full opacity. This polish is really stunniny! I think in the future I will wear it as an accent nail, and not a complete manicure.

How Corn-y is up next, and it is a yellow-orange jelly base filled with fall colored glitters in a variety of shapes and sizes. How Corn-y has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I am really impressed with this one! It is somehow extremely wearable despite being so funky. Plus, I like that it has a smooth finish despite being packed with glitter.

My favorite polish in the line is Chilly Pepper, a red creme with a rich pigmentation. Chilly Pepper has an absolutely perfect formula, and is opaque in two coats. You all know that I typically stay away from red polishes, but this one looks amazing with my skin tone! I’ll be wearing it for Christmas for sure!

Last but not least is sELFie, a glitter top coat filled with green glitter and a mix of other colors. I layered one coat over Chilly Pepper, and I feel like Christmas exploded on my nails! This is truly a glitter bomb polish – a ton of glitters easily applied without any extra effort by me during application. I’m also giggling over the name sELFie.

All in all, KBShimmer has once again delivered amazing nail polishes in its Winter 2015 Collection! The polishes range from $7.50-8.75 on KBShimmer’s website HERE or on Amazon HERE. These polishes make an amazing holiday gift, or snag a few up for yourself to rock all season long. I highly recommend them!

Which KBShimmer shades are you snagging? Let me know in the comments!

The products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. This post includes an affiliate link. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Max Dona Nail Polish in C22 | Born Pretty Store Macaron Collection

Posted on November 23, 2015November 13, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today I have a review of a new nail polish from the online store Born Pretty Store. The shop has an eight piece collection called the Macaron Collection because of the shade range available. I got one of the polishes to review for all of you in a gorgeous purple color. The polish is from the brand Max Dona, which is new to me. One cool thing about Born Pretty Store is you get to try different brands from around the world! Let me show you this beautiful polish, and stay tuned for a coupon code at the end of the post!

The Max Dona polish I received is shade C22, a lilac creme polish with silver shimmer. The formula is good, but it is on the thick side so I recommend thin coats. I accidentally applied a thick coat on my middle finger, and you can see how it turns goopy with too much polish on the nail. However, with two thin coats I achieved a beautiful look! I really like the combination of this purple with the silver shimmer. It’s perfect for the winter months, but can carry into the springtime seamlessly.

All in all, I’m really liking this purple polish from Born Pretty Store! I think it’s definitely worth a pick-up if you think the color is as pretty as I do. It is a fabulous and affordable $4.84 on the Born Pretty Store website HERE. Of course, when you shop on Born Pretty Store’s website, you will always get free international shipping, and you can use my coupon code FZL91 for 10% off your order. Stay tuned for more reviews of Born Pretty Store products in the coming weeks!

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

Sally Hansen Lustre Shine in Firefly

Posted on November 20, 2015November 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! For the past couple weeks, I’ve been sharing with you some polishes that I’ve swatched during a nail polish destash project. So far, I’ve kept everything I’ve shown on the blog, but today I have a polish that I’ve decided to let go. Sometimes a polish looks beautiful both in the bottle and on the nails, but the formula isn’t that great. That is certainly the case with Sally Hansen Lustre Shine in Firefly. Let me show this polish to you, and share my thoughts!

Firefly is a metallic duochrome polish that is a bronze shade that turns green in the right light. I really love this shade, but unfortunately the formula is a bit difficult. The metallic formula tends to clump up on the nail, and it is just a bit messy overall. I decided that even though I like the color, it was time to get rid of Firefly. I haven’t worn this polish since I first got it about three years ago, so I probably won’t miss it too much!

All in all, it feels good to let go of polishes that I’m not loving and not using. I’m still keeping Moonstone from the Sally Hansen Lustre Shine line, as it is beautiful and works amazingly well for me. I’m glad I won’t be saying goodbye to all of my Lustre Shine polishes, but Firefly’s got to go.

Do you own any Sally Hansen Lustre Shine polishes? Let me know in the comments!

This product was provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

DIY Travel Nail Kit

Posted on November 18, 2015November 18, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Now that we are headed into the holiday season, I thought it was the perfect time to put together a DIY Travel Nail Kit! Whether you need a touch up on a weekend getaway, or some manicure options during a longer trip, I’ve got you (and your nails!) covered. I never used to travel with nail polish until college. During my winter break I was away from my nail polish collection for a few weeks, so I wanted to make sure I had a few options on hand. Let me show you everything I pack with me to keep my manicure in shape!

First things first, I highly recommend dedicating a small makeup bag to your nail kit. That way if things go wrong and your nail polish bottles break or spill, nothing else will get ruined. That being said, I always keep a spare piece of bubble wrap in my nail kit so I can keep everything secure. Don’t forget that if you are flying, you’ll need to put your nail polish in your checked luggage, or abide by the 3-1-1 rule (more on that HERE).

As for the items inside my kit, I make sure to have at least five things with me, four of which are pictured above for you:

Sally Hansen Double Duty – This is a base coat and a top coat in one! I’ve used it for years, and while it’s not my favorite top coat option, it’s a great one both for the price and the convenience. I often use it at home as a base coat, and it’s the logical choice for travel. Find it at your local drugstore, or online HERE.
Neutral or Pink Nail Polish – When traveling, it is best to find a nail polish that will work for any occasion and any outfit. I recommend a neutral shade, such as a beige or tan, or my go to polish color – pink! I love Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Peachy Breeze because it can work for a professional event, but is also fun for your beach vacation. Plus, a fast-dry formula is perfect for on the go.
Glitter Top Coat – Your manicure options will double with a glitter top coat! Keep one on hand for a night out, holiday party, or simply a change of pace. This can layer right over your other nail polish so you don’t need to worry about remover or touch ups. I grabbed Milani Color Statement in Club Lights, but choose any glitter you love for your kit!
Mini Emery Boards – I always keep an emery board in my purse, and I, of course, keep at least two in my travel nail kit. You never know when your nails will break, especially with the drying atmosphere of an airplane! I’ve used some of the tiny emery boards before, and those just don’t cut it. I received these black ones for review, and am in love! They are the perfect size at 3.5 inches long – they fit easily in my makeup bag, but are still big enough to hold easily. Plus, you can get a 50 pack for just $10 on Amazon HERE. I highly recommend grabbing a pack to keep you stocked up. They even make a great stocking stuffer!
Nail Polish Remover Pads – I don’t have any on hand to show you, but nail polish remover pads are perfect for travel! Who wants to carry a bottle of nail polish remover?! I’ve had great luck with the butterLONDON Scrubbers, which I think is worth splurging on for special occasions. I usually wait to take off my nail polish once I’m back at home, but these are a great option for those of you who want to switch it up on the road!

All in all, taking care of your nails while traveling can be super easy and non-stressful with a DIY Travel Nail Kit! This kit makes the perfect holiday gift for your friends and family, but don’t forget to create one for yourself! You can also feel free to add in hand cream for some added moisture during the winter months. It all depends on your personal needs! I hope this post brought you some inspiration, and I’m wishing you safe travels!

What’s in your Travel Nail Kit? Let me know 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.

Manicure Monday | China Glaze in Surreal Appeal

Posted on November 16, 2015November 10, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Manicure Monday! Today I have another polish to share with you that I swatched during my great destash project. It’s no secret that I love pink nail polish. In fact, it’s the color of polish that I have the biggest variety of in my collection. I decided it was time to pare down my pink polishes, so I carefully picked out a few that I knew I had dupes of, or whose formulas just weren’t that great. I put China Glaze in Surreal Appeal aside, and decided to swatch it. I’m so glad I did! Let me show you this beautiful polish!

Surreal Appeal is a neon pink polish that leans towards coral. The formula is excellent, applies smoothly, and is opaque in two coats. Surreal Appeal looks amazing with my skin tone, and I can’t believe I haven’t worn this more! I think it’s been about two years since I reached for this polish, but that’s due to the sheer volume of pinks I own. It got lost amongst all the other pretty bottles!

All in all, I am loving China Glaze in Surreal Appeal. Decluttering my nail polish collection is a slow process, and difficult for someone who is a collector and blogger. That being said, it’s refreshing to get rid of polishes that I’m not in love with, because now I can focus on the truly stunning ones like Surreal Appeal. You can purchase Surreal Appeal on Amazon HERE for around $6.00. I highly recommend you pick this one up for your stash!

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