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My Top 5 Green Nail Polishes for Fall | #FallintoPolishland

Posted on September 14, 2015September 5, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today starts off a brand new series on my blog called #FallintoPolishland! Fall is my favorite season, and there are a lot of nail polishes that I especially enjoy wearing in the fall months. I decided to put together a few blog posts each featuring a particular nail polish family. Today I’m showing off my top five green nail polishes for fall. Green is one of my favorite colors, and I especially love it in nail polish form. Let me show you the polishes I picked out to share with all of you!

OPI – Stranger Tides [BUY]

OPI Stranger Tides is a beautiful muted green from the On Stranger Tides Collection that came out a few years back in celebration of Pirates of the Caribbean. Strander Tides has an awesome formula that is opaque in three coats. The muted shade is great for transitioning from summer to fall, and is perfect for those who don’t like dark shades. Stranger Tides is also office appropriate, as it can pass for a neutral shade.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics – Chlorophyll [BUY]

Next up is Chlorophyll from Obsessive Compulsive Cosemtics. This is a richly pigmented teal polish. Chlorophyll has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. This nail polish will look great on every skin tone, and looks beautiful when paired with a gold glitter. While Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics is more of a higher end brand, the entire brand is 100% vegan and cruelty free. I highly recommend it!

Essie – Stylenomics [BUY]

The last creme formula I have to share is Stylenomics from Essie. Stylenomics is a very dark green that is nearly black. The formula is amazing and opaque in two coats. I really love Stylenomics, and wear it every fall. While this polish is from an older Essie collection, I found it on Kohl’s website! You never know where you’ll find older collections.

RUFFIAN – Hedge Fund [BUY]

Next up is Hedge Fund from the Birchbox Exclusive brand RUFFIAN. I’ve been in love with this polish ever since I received it, so if you’ve been an Adventures in Polishland reader for a while you’ve probably seen me gush over this in the past. Hedge Fund is an army green with gold shimmer. The formula is perfection, and so is the wear. It’s now only available for purchase in a kit, but if you’re interested I say go for it!

Julep – Marion [BUY]

Last but not least is Julep Marion, a deep teal polish with silver shimmer. Marion has an excellent formula that is opaque in two coats. It’s perfect for fall, and for the holiday season. Marion has a super glossy finish, so you can skip the top coat and save time. Make sure to shop using Ebates to earn 5% cash back when you shop on Julep’s website.

That brings us to the end of the first #FallintoPolishland post! I hope you liked seeing my favorite green nail polishes for fall. Next week this series will continue, so make sure to follow my blog to see when those posts go live!

What are your favorite green nail polishes for fall?! 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 | OPI Your Web or Mine

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

Happy Manicure Monday! I’m back this week to continue the Alphabet Challenge. Last week I didn’t participate because I just couldn’t find a brand or polish that began with the letter X. Luckily, I found an OPI polish this week that begins with Y. Your Web or Mine from the Spiderman collection is another polish that I got when I first began blogging, but haven’t worn in years. Let me show you this pretty pink!

Your Web or Mine is a frosty pink with a metallic finish. This polish has a good formula that is opaque in two coats, but brush strokes are visible because of the metallic quality. I’m not usually a fan of frosty polishes, but Your Web or Mine is really wearable. I think it goes really well with my skin tone, and is definitely office appropriate. I highly recommend it!

The OPI Spiderman Collection was limited edition, but I found the same mini polish set that I own on Amazon HERE for just $8.99! You get four mini polishes and a collector’s box with the set. That is such a great deal for this OPI set!

What OPI Collection is your favorite? Let me know in the comments!

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

What’s Under There? Part Three

Posted on August 22, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! It’s time for another edition of What’s Under There?! In this series, I share with you polishes that I layered under glitters, or used in nail art. Today I’ll be showcasing the polishes that served as the bases in my Kawaii Nail Lacquer post. You can see that review HERE if you missed it. Let me show you what was under those glitters!

First up is L’Oreal Breaking Curfew, a super dark, plum jelly polish. Breaking Curfew is definitely outside of my comfort zone! I got it at Rite Aid a few months ago because I wanted to try something new. Unfortunately, the formula is a bit difficult to work with, but three coats is a full coverage, opaque look. I do love the color, and I think it’s perfect for fall. I might have to try this as a jelly sandwich at some point!

Next up is OPI Skull & Glossbones from the Pirates of the Caribbean Collection! Skull & Glossbones is a gorgeous off-white polish with a hint of green. It is the perfect neutral shade, and applies really nicely. I need two coats to achieve opacity. I really love how Skull & Glossbones is understated and classy at the same time. Even though it is from a retired collection, it is still available on Amazon!

ncLA’s Malibu Beach Babe is up next. This is a deep teal creme polish that just screams “fall” when I put it on despite its summery name. Malibu Beach Babe has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I’ve worn it twice now, and I’m sure I’ll continue to get even more use out of it. ncLA polish retails for $16, but it is worth the splurge for this one!

Last but not least is Julep Brandt, an off-black creme polish. Brandt is one of my favorite dark polishes of all time. It has an amazing formula that is opaque in two coats, and is edgy without being a harsh true black. Brandt is great on its own, but I’ve also used it for nail art. This is just an all-around fabulous polish!

All in all, I hope you liked finding out more about these polishes! Make sure to stay tuned for more What’s Under There? posts in the future! Also, don’t forget to enter my Back to School Giveaway HERE. Leave me a comment telling me your favorite polish in this post!

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

Simple Saturday: OPI Planks a Lot from the Pirates of the Caribbean Collection

Posted on June 22, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Today I have a quick review of a beautiful purple polish from the OPI Pirates of the Caribbean Collection. Even though this collection was limited edition, I spotted this polish at my local CVS a couple months ago. I was so excited to find it, and couldn’t wait to put it on. Let me show you the stunning Planks a Lot!

Planks a Lot is a purple creme polish that I would call a dusty purple. While it’s not quite a pastel shade, it’s definitely not a bright color. I love the color as it’s very unique, and could be worn in any season. Planks a Lot also has a flawless formula that is opaque in two coats. Even though OPI nail polish is a bit more expensive than most polishes I purchase, I find that I almost always love the formula and application. It’s nice to splurge every once in a while! I found myself staring at my nails a lot when I was wearing Planks a Lot!

All in all, I am so happy this nail polish appeared at my local CVS store! I have good luck finding discontinued OPI polishes there, so I suggest trying your luck at your CVS, too! I know that not every location carries OPI, but keep an eye out. You can also grab Planks a Lot on Amazon for an affordable price. It is currently selling for just $4.70 HERE. Hopefully I’ll be able to snag the rest of the OPI Pirates of the Caribbean Collection soon!

Dare to Compare Week! Day One – Dark Purple

Posted on April 1, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! I’m very excited because this week is Dare to Compare Week here at Adventures in Polishland! One of my highest requested blogs is the comparison post, so I figured I would dedicate this week to that. From today until Friday I will share three nail polishes from a color family each day and see how they match up. I tried to pick a variety of colors from a mix of brands so that everyone can find something within budget. First up is dark purple, a color I have a lot of in my collection. Let’s see how the first three compare!

Today’s Dare to Compare polishes are (from left to right) OPI in Lourve Me Lourve Me Not, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Pronto Purple, and elf in Royal Purple. As you can see, they look quite similar in the bottle. Each is a dark purple with shimmer. The true test comes when they are on the nails! First I’ll show you each polish individually, and then how they look side by side.

Polish Name: elf in Royal Purple

Price: $2.00 [Buy HERE]

Coats Needed for Opacity: 2

Formula: Good — brush strokes visible

Color Description: Dark purple that leans towards magenta, with magenta and silver shimmer

Bonus: Very strong shimmer effect!

Polish Name: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Pronto Purple

Price: $4-6 in drugstores and department stores [Buy HERE]

Coats Needed for Opacity: 2

Formula: Amazing! Lives up to fast dry name.

Color Description: Very deep purple with magenta shimmer

Bonus: I love the wide brush!

Polish Name: OPI in Lourve Me Lourve Me Not

Price: $8 at Nordstrom Rack or on Amazon [Buy HERE]

Coats Needed for Opacity: 2

Formula: Flawless! High gloss shine when dry.

Color Description: Dark purple with magenta shimmer

Bonus: This is the first OPI I ever owned and is from a discontinued collection!

Above you can see each polish side by side. From left to right is the elf, the Sally Hansen, and the OPI. These polishes are not dupes [“dupe” = duplicate in nail polish lingo!], but they are very close. Elf’s Royal Purple is definitely the lightest shade of the bunch, and has the most shimmer. Pronto Purple from Sally Hansen is clearly the darkest of the three. Although these do vary from one another in terms of color, you may find you prefer one shade over the rest. However, if you are looking for a great dark purple in general, I don’t think you can go too wrong with any of these! The elf formula wasn’t the best, but with a $2 price tag it is not much of a compromise. If I had to choose just one, I would personally go with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Pronto Purple, for the great formula and mid-range price tag!

Which dark purple nail polish is your favorite?! What is more important to you, price or formula?!

Some of the links above are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. Please see my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Indie Spotlight: The Last of the Time Lords Collection from Lucky 13 Lacquer

Posted on January 20, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Calling all Doctor Who fans! Today I have some awesome polishes to show you from the new collection by Lucky 13 Lacquer called The Last of the Time Lords. This collection is inspired by the revival series of Doctor Who, and you will see characters, episodes, and memorable quotes represented throughout the entire set. I have four of the thirteen polishes to show you. Let’s get started!

First up is A 51st Century Guy, a clear glitter top coat. This polish is filled with small white squares, gunmetal grey hexagonal glitters, and red hearts. I layered two coats over OPI in If You Moust You Moust (see that polish HERE). While the overall formula was great, I had the hardest time getting the hearts out of the bottle and onto my nails. I did everything I could think of to get those hearts out, but they were stuck to the sides of the bottle. I was able to get out just three so I could show you what they look like! I think if you had the full size bottle, it would be easier to fish out the hearts. Besides that issue, however, A 51st Century Guy is a great polish and has a fast-drying formula. I thought layering this over a pink would give me a Valentine’s Day manicure. I love the finished product!

Note: Lucky 13 is aware of the difficulty with the hearts, so until lightweight hearts can be added to the new batch of polishes, the brand is including extra hearts that can be hand placed with each purchase!

Up next is Fantastic! This is another clear glitter top coat, and is filled with tiny black hexagonal glitters, and medium gunmetal grey hexagons. Fantastic! has a good formula – no fishing for glitters with this one! I layered two coats over Zoya Julie for the look you see in the photos. My one gripe with Fantastic! is that it has a strong aroma, but otherwise it’s a great polish. I love the way it makes a pastel purple look edgy. Fantastic! would also liven up a plain black nail polish.

Another polish from The Last of the Time Lords collection is Bowties Are Cool. This polish has a brown shimmer base, and is filled with tiny bronze squares, and red, brown, and caramel colored hexagonal glitters. I knew it would take at least three coats to be opaque on its own, so I layered two coats over Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Mellow Yellow (see that polish HERE). I absolutely love the result! My fingers were sporting a golden yellow combo! Bowties Are Cool has a great formula, and the glitters come out of the bottle with ease. Just as A 51st Century Guy became a Valentine’s Day manicure, Bowties Are Cool is also extremely versatile! Your base color has the power to transform this polish, and you can get a different look every time!

Last but not least is my favorite polish of the bunch, Are You My Mummy? This polish is a clear glitter top coat and is filled with tiny green hexagonal glitters, and orange, brown, and yellow hexagons as well in various sizes. I layered one coat over Illamasqua Rampage. I was absolutely thrilled with Are You My Mummy?! One coat provided great coverage, and the glitters applied very well. This is a great nail polish for the fall, especially when layered over a dark green!

All in all, The Last of the Time Lords collection is extremely versatile and is perfect for Doctor Who aficionados and nail polish lovers, too! This collection can be purchased on the Lucky 13 Lacquer website HERE. Full size bottles are $8 each and mini bottles are $4. Lucky 13 is also offering a special bonus — buy 7 or more polishes from this collection and you will get a bonus bottle! You can also like Lucky 13 Polish on Facebook HERE.

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

Save More and Make it Mini: OPI in If You Moust You Moust

Posted on January 16, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I am excited to be bringing you a lovely pink color to celebrate Pink Wednesday, and to show you a perfect Valentine’s Day polish. If you’re like me, you love to try out a lot of different nail polish colors without spending big bucks. OPI is a great brand, but I don’t like spending up to $8.50 for a full size bottle that will only be used a handful of times. Thankfully, whenever it comes out with a new collection, OPI will release a set of mini polishes so that those of us on a budget can enjoy the collection at a discounted price. As a lifelong Minnie Mouse fan, I knew I just HAD to have the Vintage Minnie Mouse collection mini set. Luckily, I won it in a giveaway over the summer, but it is selling on Amazonright now for just $6.96! That’s an amazing price for three colors and a top coat. Let me show you one of those polishes.

If You Moust You Moust is what I am calling the perfect Valentine’s Day pink! It is a classic pink polish, and I am just in love with it! The formula was great — a bit streaky with the first coat, but evens out well with the second. Just two coats are needed for opacity. I used this polish as the base for a glitter manicure that you will soon see, but it can easily be worn alone. It’s perfect for the office, as it’s bright and feminine, but not too out there. Plus, OPI polishes last a long time without chipping so it is great for the girl on the go! As a pink aficionado, this is one of the best pinks I’ve tried!

If you love this polish and Minnie Mouse as much as I do, I highly suggest going to Amazon and purchasing one of these sets right away. As I’m typing this, there are only 8 more left in stock! Click HEREnow to get it for just $6.96!

Compare & Save: Sephora by OPI It’s Real 18k Gold Top Coat

Posted on October 28, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

One of the latest trends sweeping the nail polish nation is the 18k gold top coat. That’s right! You can wear real gold on your fingers if you’re willing to pay the price. For around $30 you can purchase a real gold top coat from a number of nail polish brands. OPI just released The Man With the Golden Gun ($30), Jessica Cosmetics has Gold Leaf ($29.95), and Zoya has the Gilty Box, which includes the gold polish plus a black & white polish for layering ($35). Because of these steep price tags, I was going to pass up on having golden fingers, but I lucked out! While at Sephora inside JCP a couple weeks back, I found the Sephora by OPI It’s Real polish on clearance for $8. I couldn’t believe it! I snagged that beauty up right away. Let me show you how gorgeous it is!

I layered It’s Real over Julep’s Eloise (see Eloise HERE). I used one coat to get the look in the photos. It’s Real is in a clear base, so you can layer it over any polish to add some gold! What makes this polish really unique, is that the flakes of gold are all different sizes and shapes. You never know the exact look you are going to get! I really like the subtle, golden shine that one coat of It’s Real has, but if you want more just add on another coat. I felt really fancy having gold on my nails!

You can find It’s Real at Sephora stores and online HERE. You will notice that online the price of It’s Real is $15, so I suggest going to your nearest Sephora store to see if you can find one on clearance for $8 like I did. If you have a Sephora inside JCP near you, definitely check there first!

We should never have to pass up on a fabulous nail polish trend just because it is expensive! With a little searching, we can always find a more affordable (but just as fabulous!) option.

Sephora by OPI It’s My Pink!

Posted on October 6, 2012August 12, 2015 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!

Favorite Friday: Hunger Games Nails on a Budget

Posted on August 3, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Welcome to my first Favorite Friday post! Even though I love that my nail polish stash is growing, I miss using some of my favorite colors. In order to ensure that I am not only using my brand new polishes, I am beginning a blog series called Favorite Friday. Each week I will use one of my favorite polishes from my stash. The only rule is that it must be a polish that I have not used in a long time. This way, I can try out my new polishes on any day except Friday!

Today’s manicure is one that I created back in March for the midnight premiere of The Hunger Games movie. I really wanted to splurge on some of the China Glaze Hunger Games Collection, but I thought that $8.99 a bottle was too much, especially since I had already paid for a t-shirt and a Mockingjay pin. Instead of spending more money, I knew that I could create my own Hunger Games mani using polishes I already owned.

To get this look, I began with two coats of an unnamed OPI mini that I have in grey. Then, I used a clear, glitter topcoat from Wet ‘n Wild and painted two coats of that. The finished product is a sparkly grey that reminds me of polishes that can be found in the China Glaze collection. I can definitely picture Katniss wearing this mani! I loved it so much on premiere night, and I am glad I got to wear it again for Favorite Friday.

What do you think of my Hunger Games nails on a budget? Do you try to create looks based off expensive polishes?

Feel free to participate in future Favorite Fridays with me! Post photos of your mani on my Facebook page, or send along the link to your blog!