nikki – Adventures in Polishland

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Dare to Compare | Neon Yellow Nail Polish

Posted on August 27, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! After tackling the orange nail polish in my collection, I moved onto the yellows and decided which ones I should keep. It turns out I owned three polishes in the neon yellow shade, so I tested each one to see if I could get rid of any as part of The Great Polish Destash. Let me show you the three neon yellows I had, and which I decided to keep.

First up is Spoiled in Did I Dye It Too Blonde? This is the first neon yellow I’ve ever purchased, and is also the most affordable. Spoiled sells for just $1.99 retail price at CVS stores, and even goes on sale for $0.99! Did I Dye It Too Blonde? is a good polish, but very sheer. I’m wearing three coats in the photo above, and as you can see it is not opaque. I always wear a white base under a neon yellow to brighten the shade anyway, so a sheer formula isn’t a big factor in this round of Dare to Compare.

Next up is Milani Neon in Totally 80’s. I purchased this polish at the Street Fair Cosmetics booth here in NYC for just $1.00, but never wore it. I was happily surprised to find that Totally 80’s has a great formula, and decent coverage in two coats. This polish is actually retired now, so it would be difficult to find it in stores.

Last up is Julep in Nikki. I remember disliking Nikki when I first tested it out, but for some reason I liked it much better this time around! Nikki is definitely a more green-toned yellow, but the formula is great and nearly opaque in two coats. So far all of the polishes are seemingly great, so it’s going to come down to the side-by-side comparison!

Once I tested out all three polishes it was clear that each shade is a little bit different. From left to right, I’m wearing the Spoiled, the Milani, and the Julep. I first decided to keep Spoiled Did I Dye It Too Blonde? because I’ve used up a significant part of that bottle, and I’ve had it since I started this blog. Then, I decided which of the two remaining polishes to destash. Because I’ve made a dent in the Julep polish, I decided to keep it as well. Milani’s Totally 80’s is a great polish to rehome, and because it is a retired shade, people might be looking for it. Thus, I decided to keep two out of three. Not too shabby!

All in all, I was surprised to have three neon yellow polishes in my collection, and even more shocked when each shade turned out to be a bit different. I’m glad I was able to get rid of one polish, and make my collection at least a little more manageable. Make sure to stay tuned for more Dare to Compare posts as The Great Polish Destash continues, and let me know what your favorite neon yellow polish is in the comments!

Subscription Sunday | Top 10 Julep Polishes for Fall

Posted on August 25, 2013August 25, 2013 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Subscription Sunday! Back in July I shared with you my favorite Julep nail polishes for summer (see that post HERE). Now that it’s getting cooler and September is just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to post my top 10 Juleps for fall! If you’re a Julep Maven subscriber like I am, you probably have some of these polishes in your collection already. Get ready to bust out these great polishes again!

First up is Eloise, a dark blue creme polish. Eloise has an amazing formula that applies well and is opaque in two coats. I love how pigmented Eloise is. While this polish is very dark, the blue tone shows up really well. It’s a great alternative to a neutral shade!

My next pick is Helen, what Julep describes as a “smokey lavender creme.” I see Helen as a pink shade, and I sure love it! This polish has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. Plus, it is work appropriate, and quite feminine. Helen is such a classy nail polish, and I can see it paired with cozy sweaters this fall.

Next up is Janel, a raspberry pink metallic polish. Janel also has a great formula and is opaque in two coats. I just love the high gloss finish, and think the metallic sheen is perfect for the fall. I like that it is edgy but girly at the same time. Janel is definitely an underrated Julep polish!

Another Julep that is perfect for fall is Keira, a deep red creme that leans towards purple. Keira has a good formula, but is prone to streaking so careful application is key. Besides that issue, Keira is a great polish. The color is stunning, and the polish is opaque in two coats. I wore this polish at least twice last year, and I’ll be sure to use it this year, too!

Next up is Lisa, a grey creme polish with a hint of green. Lisa has a flawless formula that is opaque in two coats. It is the perfect neutral color, and also works well in nail art! Sometimes I just don’t want loud nails, and Lisa is a great option. It is also work appropriate, and looks quite polished.

Melissa is next, and is a gorgeous opalescent polish. I got Melissa gifted to me from the blogger My Vanity Basics way back when I first started blogging. Melissa is one of the most popular Julep polishes, and it is stunning! I applied three coats to achieve the look in the photos. I love that this polish reflects every color of the rainbow depending on the light. Melissa is a must have in every polish collection!

Up next is Nikki, a green-yellow creme polish. Nikki doesn’t have the perfect formula, but it is still a really unique color. I applied three coats to achieve opacity. Nikki is definitely a different kind of polish! I think it is great for the fall, and can be layered over a white if you would like a brighter result.

Next up is Nora, one of the suede finish polishes from Julep in a purple color. As you can see, the suede polishes dry to a matte finish, and look just like suede fabric! Formula wise, Nora is a great polish. I applied two coats to achieve opacity. If you love matte finishes, Nora is definitely a great one! It’s so pretty for the fall.

My next pick is Piper, a mint green metallic polish. Piper has a great formula, but it is a bit sheer. I need three coats for an opaque finish. I got Piper in my August Julep Maven Box last year, and it is such a great transitional polish from summer to fall. I love anything mint green, and Piper is no exception!

Last but not least is Raegan, a pink creme polish. I absolutely love pink cremes, and I feel like they are always in season. Raegan is truly the perfect bright pink, and the formula is fabulous as well. I could wear this polish on a daily basis — it’s great for every occasion!

All in all, I hope you found this post helpful! I love Julep nail polishes, and I’ve acquired so many since I’ve become a Maven that I try to reuse them all the time. I highly suggest joining the Julep Maven subscription program if you are not a member already. It is only $19.95 per month for a mix of nail polishes and beauty products, and the best part is you can skip any month you do not want to purchase. Julep also offers great discount codes and sales all the time. In fact, you can get your first Maven box for free with code FREEBOX at checkout HERE. You’ll just have to pay for shipping, but this is a fabulous deal!

Let me know in the comments what your favorite Julep polish is for fall!

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My January Julep Maven Box!

Posted on February 6, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I have a review of my January Julep Maven Box. Better late than never, right? January was the month of neons and nudes over at Julep, and for the first time since I joined the program I was a bit disappointed with the polishes. Let me show you what was in my box.

Here is a quick Instagram photo of my box and its contents. I chose the It Girl style, which guarantees three nail polishes. My extras were “swatch me” stickers to put on the top of the polishes with a dab of polish, and three yoga hair ties. I love the hair ties so much and have been using them every day since I got the box! Since I was home for the holidays at the time, my mom even gave me two of hers. That was a great bonus. The polishes, on the other hand, were not as thrilling.

Up first is Amelia, what Julep calls a “light champagne frost”. This polish, as I’m sure you can tell from the photos, was just awful. I needed three coats to achieve opacity, and each layer was uneven and extremely streaky. Amelia’s formula was goopy, and hard to see during application due to its opalescent nature. It did have a nice shimmer quality to it, but this was so hard to work with I’m not sure if I would ever use it again. Amelia is the first dud I have ever received from Julep!

Nikki is the first of the two neon shades in my January box. According to Julep, Nikki is a highlighter yellow polish, but in reality is is a mix between pea soup green and mustard. I needed three coats to achieve opacity with Nikki, as it was very sheer. Formula wise I didn’t have any problems, and it actually dries really quickly. I am really disappointed with the color, as it is not neon on its own as advertised. I definitely would need a white base underneath to bring out the color. Nikki also has a satin finish instead of a creme look. Finally, it stained my nails upon removal! I’m not too happy with Nikki either.

Last but not least is Nina, a tangerine orange neon. Finally! A polish I love! Nina is opaque in two coats, and while the formula is a bit goopy, it’s not streaky and dries quickly. Nina also has a satin finish, and reminds me a bit of macaroni and cheese color. It is definitely my favorite from the box.

Overall, I was a bit disappointed with my January Julep Maven box. This was the first month since I joined the program that my polishes were not top notch. I do have to say that with all of the Juleps I’ve tried to date, I am more than okay to accept a few duds and move on. Spoiler alert: I’ve already tried the polishes from my February box, and those formulas are great quality! I still support the Maven program, and will continue to receive a box each month even after one bad experience. If you’d like to join the program for $19.99 per mont, go to the Julep website HERE. You can also get your first month for FREE with the code FREEMAVEN at checkout!