nails – Page 13 – Adventures in Polishland

Tag: nails

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.

The Perfect Fall Nail Color | Milani Cosmetics in Canyon Country

Posted on November 13, 2015November 9, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! One of the polishes that I’ve rediscovered in my nail polish destash project is Canyon Country from Milani Cosmetics. I typically reach for dark polishes in the fall, but I’m so glad I took the opportunity to swatch Canyon Country! I think I’ve found the perfect fall nail color, and I’m excited to share it with you. It’s been a couple years since it first appeared on the blog (see that post HERE), so it’s definitely time for another post!

Canyon Country is a burnt orange nail polish with a creme finish. It has a perfect formula that is opaque in two coats. I am obsessing over the smooth finish! I’m not wearing a top coat in these photos, and my manicure looks awesome. Plus, Canyon Country is a color that I think will look great on anyone no matter the skin color. It’s warm and cozy, and will go perfectly with your fall sweaters and boots. Plus, Canyon Country will work really well in nail art. It’s an all-around great polish!

All in all, I’m so glad I took the time to swatch Canyon Country before I destashed it. Some polishes just don’t look as exciting in the bottle as they do on the nails, and this is definitely one of them. While this particular Milani polish is retired, it can still be found on Amazon HERE for a reasonable price. I highly recommend picking it up for your collection!

What is your perfect fall nail color? Let me know in the comments!

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.

Manicure Monday | Milani Color Statement in Mint Crush

Posted on November 9, 2015November 3, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Manicure Monday! Today I’m sharing another nail polish that I recently swatched as a part of my great destash project (learn more about that HERE). For some reason when I picked up Mint Crush from the Milani Color Statement line, I wasn’t thrilled with the color in the bottle. It looked like a polish I had a dupe of, and I set it aside in the ‘maybe’ pile. I’m so glad I decided to swatch it before giving it away! Let me show you this beautiful polish!

Mint Crush is a pastel blue polish with a creme finish. It has a perfect formula that is opaque in one to two coats! You can definitely get away with one coat, but I did two in the photos above just out of habit. I am beyond impressed with the formula and the stunning color. This is definitely a case where the polish is more exciting on the nails than in the bottle. I’m crushing on Mint Crush! While I usually wear pastel polishes more in the spring, this blue shade is also perfect for winter. I’ll have to remember that in January!

All in all, I highly recommend Mint Crush from Milani. You can pick up this polish at your local drugstore, or online HERE for just $3.99. I’ve had such great luck with Milani nail polishes, and now I’m inspired to wear them more often. I’m glad I rediscovered this in my destash process!

What is your favorite Milani nail polish? Let me know in the comments!

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.

Color Club Halo Hues in Cloud Nine

Posted on November 4, 2015November 3, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! I’ve recently begun to declutter my nail polish collection once again. It is definitely a huge project, and a difficult one at that. While I am a collector and blogger, I also don’t want to own too many nail polishes simply for emotional reasons. I’ve decided to go through one box of polish at a time and destash on a smaller scale. Part of my process includes swatching polishes that I’m unsure whether or not I should keep. I decided to share these polishes with all of you as I continue on this process! Today I’m featuring a polish I’ve never even tried before, and that is Cloud Nine from the Color Club Halo Hues collection.

Color Club released its first Halo Hues Collection back in 2013, and I picked up Cloud Nine because I found it really beautiful. I was so excited when I picked it up, but for some reason never used it. Well, I am embarrassed I waited so long! Cloud Nine is a stunning pale pink polish with a holographic finish. It has an excellent formula that is opaque in two coats. The holographic effect is really strong, and definitely one of the best I’ve experienced. I don’t wear holographic polishes often, but I will be sure to reach for this one again soon!

All in all, if you can get your hands on a bottle of Color Club Cloud Nine, I highly recommend you do so! This polish is a couple years old now, so it is a bit more hard to find. Nonetheless, the lesson today is to try every nail polish you buy! I’m so glad I finally tested this one!

Do you own any Color Club Halo Hues? Let me know in the comments!

Halloween Week | Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Electra-Cute and Blacky O

Posted on October 23, 2015October 22, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! It’s the last day of Halloween Week here on the blog (a DIY video will be up on YouTube tomorrow, though!). I’ve got a review of the two new Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Halloween nail polishes to share. In addition to my regular swatches, I’ve also done side-by-side comparison swatches of this year’s polishes versus last year’s. That way if you purchased the Sally Hansen Halloween polishes last year, you’ll know if these are a must have for you. The Miracle Gel line has grown to be a huge favorite of mine this past year, and I’m excited to share these limited edition shades with you. Let me show you Electra-Cute and Blacky O!

First up is Electra-Cute, a bright orange creme polish. I used two coats of Electra-Cute and finished up with the Miracle Gel Top Coat. The formula is excellent, and I’m loving this orange shade. Electra-Cute is great for nail art, or on its own!

Here are side-by-side swatches of Electra-Cute (pinky and ring fingers) and Pumpkin King (middle and pointer fingers). As you can see, the shades are nearly identical. I prefer the high gloss formula of Electra-Cute to the Insta-Dri formula of Pumpkin King (reviewed HERE), but if you already have Pumpkin King there is no need for Electra-Cute in your collection. I can’t tell a difference based on nail polish color alone!

Next up is Blacky O, a stunning black creme polish. Blacky O has a perfect formula that is opaque in two coats. It looks amazing on its own, but even better with the Miracle Gel Top Coat. I think this is now my go to black polish. I just love the formula and shiny finish! Blacky O is definitely a must have polish.

All in all, Sally Hansen created two more amazing Miracle Gel polishes just in time for Halloween! Make sure to check the limited edition displays at your local drugstore to get your hands on these. They retail for $9.99 each, but keep an eye out for sales and coupons! I highly recommend both polishes, and the Miracle Gel Top Coat is a favorite of mine. They are must for Halloween, or any time of year!

Have you tried the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel line? 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.

Halloween Week | Slime Nail Art

Posted on October 21, 2015October 14, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I have another really simple nail art look for Halloween. I was looking through my nail polish collection, and was inspired to use a bright green polish as slime. I instantly reached for a purple polish to go with the green, and created a funky manicure. If you’re looking to create a nail art look that doesn’t feature the standard orange and black for Halloween, this one is for you! Let me show you the slime nail art I created.

WHAT YOU NEED / What I Used:

Purple Nail Polish / Madam Glam in Midnight [BUY]
Green Nail Polish / Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Green With Envy [BUY]
Glossy Top Coat / Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat [BUY]

I began my manicure with two coats of Midnight from Madam Glam. I let this purple shade dry completely before continuing on with the look.

I used a bright green polish to create my slime. All I did was concentrate the polish on the top half of my nails, and messily paint it. One technique I used was to drop dots of polish in the center of my nails and drag it back to the tips. I also just used uneven strokes. Anything goes for this look! As you can see, it looks like I dipped my nails in a bucket of slime. I finished the manicure with a glossy top coat once the green polish dried, and that was it!

All in all, I hope you enjoyed this simple nail art tutorial for Halloween! I think these slime nails are a lot of fun, and a great alternative to traditional Halloween nails. Plus, you can use this technique if you’re looking to extend the life of your current manicure, or if you need a last minute Halloween design. You never know when a slime manicure will come in handy! That’s it for this post, but I’ll see you tomorrow as Halloween Week continues!

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.

Welcome to Halloween Week! | Halloween Cloud Nails

Posted on October 19, 2015October 22, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday, and welcome to Halloween Week here at Adventures in Polishland! Two years ago I hosted a Halloween themed week on the blog, and I thought it would be fun to do one again this year. I think Halloween is a lot of fun, and my big sweet tooth enjoys it as well! Every day this week will feature something Halloween related, and I am also putting up two Halloween videos on my YouTube channel HERE. I’m kicking off the week with some simple Halloween nail art. Let me share with you my Halloween cloud nails!

WHAT YOU NEED / What I’m Using:

Black Nail Polish / NYC New York Color in Black Elixir
Orange Nail Polish / Zoya in Arizona [BUY]
Yellow Nail Polish / Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Mellow Yellow [BUY]
Glossy Top Coat / Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat [BUY]

I’ve used the same Pinterest tutorial seen HERE to create my cloud nail for years now! I absolutely love how easy this design is to create. I began with a black base and let that dry. Then I added orange clouds, and finally the yellow clouds. Once the entire manicure was dry I added a glossy top coat to even out the edges. That’s all it takes to create this nail art, but it looks really cool. I always get a lot of compliments whenever I’m wearing this look.

All in all, Halloween Cloud Nails are easy to create, but perfect whether you’re handing out candy on Halloween or simply wanting to look more festive. The best part is this manicure can be recreated using whatever polishes you own, and can be worn any time of year depending on the colors you choose. It is my go-to nail art for sure. I thought this would be a fun way to kick off Halloween Week, and I hope you’re excited for more to come!

Have you created a Halloween manicure? Share it on my Facebook page HERE!

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.