neutrals – Adventures in Polishland

Tag: neutrals

Smashbox Full Exposure Travel Palette | Review & Swatches

Posted on January 20, 2016January 13, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I have a full review of the Smashbox Full Exposure Travel Palette that I recently purchased from Sephora (see my haul HERE). Even though I don’t wear eyeshadow often, I’ve been trying to branch out more. I thought this palette would be perfect, because I’ve heard great things about Smashbox, but also because it’s small enough that I can take it with me whenever I travel. I’ve tested out all of the shades now, so let me go ahead and share swatches and my review with you!

Smashbox Full Exposure Travel Palette | Review & Swatches

Smashbox Full Exposure Travel Palette | Review & Swatches The Full Exposure Travel Palette is a very compact palette. It comes in sleek black packaging that is about the size of a credit card, just a bit thicker. There are eight shadows inside this palette, and a good size mirror. Four of the shadows are shimmers, and four are mattes. I love that you can do so many different eyeshadow looks with just this one palette!

Here are swatches of the four shimmer shades, from left to right: Chocolate Brown, Soft Gold, Light Tan, and Mid-Tone Slate. I’m not loving the formulas on these shimmer shadows, except for Light Tan which is beautiful. I find the others to be a bit on the chalky side, but I’m hoping once I get below the surface of the shadow they will be more blendable. I’m not too mad about this, though, because I am a huge fan of matte shadows!
Smashbox Full Exposure Travel Palette | Review & Swatches Here are the matte shades, from left to right: Matte Warm Chocolate Brown, Soft Matte Mid-Tone Tan, Creamy Matte Beige, and Ashy Dark Brown. I am loving each of these shades! They are so pigmented and blend out really nicely. I recently did an eyeshadow look for the daytime using Creamy Matte Beige and Matte Warm Chocolate Brown and it came out really nice. I can’t wait to use these more!

All in all, I’m glad I invested in the Smashbox Full Exposure Travel Palette. It’s a great little palette to have if you’re starting to get into the eyeshadow world, or if you’re looking to simplify your collection. You can purchase this palette on Sephora’s website HERE for $24.00. Be sure to let me know in the comments if you own or plan on purchasing this palette!

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

Pinspiration | Neutral & Gold Manicure + Using Your Textured Polishes in a New Way!

Posted on January 13, 2015August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! I’ve really been into Pinterest lately, and spotted THIS beautiful accent nail that I just had to recreate. Neutrals are really great in the winter months, but the pop of gold sparkle added a classy yet fabulous touch to the manicure. I searched through my nail polish collection to see which shades matched the Pin best, and to my surprise the best full coverage gold glitter I owned was a textured formula. I decided to make it work! Let me show you the results!

Step 1: Paint Your Nails with a Nude Beige Polish

I chose Milani Vanilla Almond (review HERE), but you can use whatever polish you own. Make sure you let this base dry completely before moving onto step two. I actually let my manicure dry overnight, but to be safe I think 1-2 hours will be satisfactory depending on the formula of the polish and the humidity of your location.

Step 2: Apply Tape to Nail and Paint an Off-White Diagonal

I’ve used the tape trick since my blog’s inception. Simply take a small piece of tape, press it on the back of your hand to remove some of the stickiness, then place on your nail. Paint over the tape and remove while the polish is still wet. I use Color Club Mod in Manhattan (review HERE) as my off-white polish. If you only own a white, that will work, too!

Step 3: Apply Tape on Opposite Side of Nail and Paint a Gold Glitter Diagonal

Finally, repeat the above step with the tape on the opposite side of your nail. Again, make sure to let step two dry completely before moving on. As you can see from my manicure, I didn’t wait for my polish to dry enough and had to touch up the lines. For my gold glitter I chose JulieG Gift of Gold. This is a textured polish, but it was the most full coverage of all my gold glitters. To achieve a glossy finish, I simply applied Essie Good to Go over the entire nail! I’m loving the finished product!

All in all, it is super easy to create this neutral and gold manicure so long as you have a bit of patience with the drying process. Of course, you can use any nail polish colors you wish to recreate this look, but I think this color palette is stunning. Even though textured polishes may not be on trend anymore, you can still find ways to use those that you purchased in nail art and by applying a glossy top coat. Please let me know in the comments if you’ll be recreating this look!

Some of the products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Milani Color Statement Nail Lacquer | Earth Tones

Posted on August 5, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! I’m here to share the next installment in my Milani Color Statement Nail Lacquer series with all of you. Today I’ve got what I’m calling the Earth Tones. They are all gorgeous neutrals, and perfect for the fall months. Without further ado, let’s get started!

First up is Spotlight White, the perfect white polish. Spotlight White has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. It’s difficult to get the formula of a white polish just right, and Milani’s done it! If you’re looking for an affordable white for your collection, I highly recommend Spotlight White.

Next up is Bronze, a metallic bronze polish with hints of pink and purple undertones. Bronze’s formula isn’t perfect, and as with most metallic polishes it tends to bunch up a bit. I recommend thin coats, and definitely let each coat dry thoroughly before adding your next one. Bronze is a unique polish, and it looks different depending on the light!

My favorite of the Earth Tones is Pink Beige, a dusty rose that almost has a peachy tint to it. Pink Beige has a flawless formula that is opaque in two coats. It is great for an every day look, especially if you work in a professional setting. I think it’s just beautiful!

Next up is Silhouette, a grey-green polish with a subtle green and brown shimmer. Silhouette is the perfect army green, and I can see it being used in camouflage nail art looks for sure. The formula is perfect, and is opaque in two coats. I’m surprised that I love Silhouette, but it’s an awesome polish!

Last but not least is Charcoal Charm, a beautiful charcoal metallic polish with green and purple shimmer. Charcoal Charm has a good formula, and is opaque in two coats. It looks so cool on the nails – almost like I dipped my nails in liquid metal. It reminds of a high fashion manicure, and it is just perfect to match with your leather jackets and fall boots.

All in all, I think these Earth Tones are a great addition to the Milani Color Statement line. I’m quite impressed with Spotlight White, and really love Pink Beige. I do wish there was a black creme polish in the collection as well, but maybe that is to come in the future! You can, of course, purchase the Color Statement line at your local CVS store for just $3.99, or shop online from Milani’s website HERE. I’ve still got more Milani polishes to show you, so make sure to follow my blog to see them!

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

New Milani Nail Lacquer for 2014!

Posted on February 10, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today I have my last review of the new Milani nail polishes for 2014. In addition to the Gold Label Specialty Nail Lacquer, and the new High Speed Fast Dry polishes, Milani is also expanding its regular collection with ten new and trending shades. Let me show you these beautiful polishes (and please forgive my dry cuticles – winter has not been good to me!).

First up is Vanilla Almond, a tan creme polish. Vanilla Almond has a great formula that is opaque in just one coat! I was beyond thrilled to find such a full coverage polish in this nude shade. If you’re looking for a perfect neutral, I definitely suggest Vanilla Almond!

Next up is White, a white creme polish. I’ve been looking for an affordable white polish for a long time, and I am so excited that Milani released this one! The formula is very good – the first coat was streaky, but the second is nearly flawless. White polishes are so hard to get right, but Milani’s done it! I even love wearing white alone in the summer months.

Mauve Medley is next, and it’s a gorgeous, deep berry creme. Mauve Medley has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I was actually surprised at how much I love this polish! The shade just looked really awesome with my skin tone, and the color is appropriate for a work setting, yet not boring one bit.

Golden Romance is my absolute favorite in this post! It is a glitter polish with very fine yellow gold glitters and small and medium rose gold hexagons. Not only is the polish beautiful, but it is full coverage in just two coats! The formula is really easy to work with as well. I’m truly obsessed with Golden Romance!

Next up is Mulberry Sugar, a reddish-brown shimmer polish. Mulberry Sugar has an awesome formula that is opaque in two coats. I’m not usually one for brown polishes, but the shimmer in this one makes it really unique and a bit more fancy. Mulberry Sugar is the perfect fall shade, though of course it can be worn all year long!

Iced Mango is the other new shimmer polish, this time in a burnt orange shade. Iced Mango also has an amazing formula that is opaque in two coats. If you’re looking for a wearable orange, try out this one! I’m loving it, and I bet it would make for great nail art as well. Try it paired with Mulberry Sugar!

If you’re looking for a creme orange, maybe Canyon Country is for you! It is a burnt orange shade as well, but with a dustier pigmentation. Canyon Country has a great formula, and I applied two coats to achieve opacity. This polish definitely reminds me of when I visited the Grand Canyon – I wish I could have worn it when I was there!

Next up is Peach Innocence, a beautiful peach creme polish. Peach Innocence has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I actually don’t own another peach polish like this one, so I’m so glad Milani released it. Plus, I think Peach Innocence will look awesome with all skin tones!

Heather is up next, and it is a dusty plum creme polish. Heather’s formula is awesome as well, and it is opaque in two coats. I like that this is a more subdued polish, yet is still quite pigmented at the same time. If you don’t like bright shades, Heather is for you!

Last but not least is Cupid’s Touch, a pink creme polish with blue undertones. Cupid’s Touch is so pretty, and, of course, it has a great formula. I love that this shade has a hint of blue, and that makes it unlike the other pinks in my nail polish collection. Cupid’s Touch is perfect for Valentine’s Day, too!

All in all, I am really loving all of these new Milani polishes. Golden Romance is by far my favorite, and I’m also excited to have an affordable white in my collection. You can purchase these polishes for just $3.99 each at your local CVS store. They can also be purchased on Milani’s website HERE. Let me know in the comments what your favorite new release from Milani is!

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

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.