NOTD Barry M Gelly ~ Sky Blue

It's no secret that the Barry M Gelly polishes are my go-to brand & this one is no different.  Sky Blue is from the Spring 2015 range & yet again, offers the perfect formula & application now expected of these, even for a pastel shade which are notorious for bad coverage.

This is with just 2 coats with my usual China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat & Seche Vite top coat & as I find with most of the Gelly polishes, it lasted a week with no wear or chips until I removed it to re-paint my nails.  It shows more green than it looked in real life, it is definitely blue though!  For just £3.99 a bottle, I really think you'd be hard pushed to find better quality at this price!

Are you a fan of the Gelly polishes?

NOTD Essie ~ Chubby Cheeks

I haven't bought an Essie polish for ages but if you follow me on Instagram, you'll have noticed that one 'fell' into my basket in Boots the other day *ahem*!!  This is 'Chubby Cheeks', a beautiful soft yet bright coral & I love it!  (It's currently on 3 for 2 so is the perfect time to try them!)

Admittedly, the finished photo is dreadful - I'm not quite sure what happened there - but I've remembered why I used to love Essie polishes so much.  The brush is a great fit on the nail making application simple & very quick & the finish is great.

I used my usual Strong Adhesion base coat by China Glaze & Seche Vite top coat & I'm currently 5 days in & just starting to get tip wear.

Do you like Essie polishes?  What's your favourite shade?

NOTD Barry M ~ In A Heart Beat

It's no secret that Barry M are my go-to polishes, they're cheap (and nearly always on offer somewhere!), the colours are great & the formulas are superb - the Gellys are my absolute favourites - so whenever they release new polishes, I'm all over them!

Their newest releases are easily identifiable by the black & white chequered lids, a nod to the new Speedy Quick Dry formulas & there are 9 new shades, all pastel hues.  Two colours in particular caught my eye, this one, In A Heart Beat, a soft coral pink & Stop the Clock, a rich vanilla ice cream shade, which I'll review in a day or two.

Unfortunately, I have mixed feelings about this polish.  I adore the shade & I think it's perfect for spring (although it feels a bit odd wearing it now!) & yes, it really is very fast drying.  But......it's very streaky & took 3 coats to get an even-ish coverage but to be honest, it could've done with an extra coat for the perfect finish.

I started, as always with my China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat & then applied the 3 coats of colour.  Although there was a sheen, I prefer the high gloss finish of the Gelly polishes so I left them for 10 minutes to see how they dried & then applied a coat of Seche Vite top coat (not how you're supposed to apply this btw!)  In the 10 minutes before I applied the top coat, they felt totally dry to the touch although I'm not sure they would've passed the handbag or toilet test at this point!! (You know, delving in your bag or doing up your jeans after the loo without damage!!)

10 minutes after the top coat though they were well & truly hardened & dry so it still only took around 30 minutes to dry totally.  Although the manicure itself took longer with the extra coats.....  Having said all of that, pale shades are notoriously bad for coverage so next time I might try it with a base of opaque white, which usually helps.

Longevity wise, I'm only 2 days in to the manicure & am already getting tip wear & a couple of tiny chips, which is a tad disappointing.  So while I love the shade & will use the polish, I much prefer the gelly polishes so will stick to those - I hope Barry intends to release more of those shades very soon!!  It'll be interesting to compare this with the other shade I've bought.

What do you think, is this your sort of shade?

NOTD China Glaze ~ Out Like A Light

Following on from my new found love of all things grey, I've been wearing this gorgeous charcoal polish for much of the winter.  It's such a classy colour, dark & rich but not as black as the photo shows it.  I tried taking photos in so many different lights but it still showed it darker than the real shade, you'll have to trust me on this one!

The photo above was taken 5 days into the manicure so there is very slight wear on the tips but it's still a super long lasting polish when teamed with my manicure super duo, China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat & Seche Vite top coat.

This is Out Like A Light by China Glaze & it is available for just £3.95 (rrp £8.95) on Nail Polish Direct.

NOTD China Glaze ~ Conduct Yourself

I haven't done a NOTD for quite a while so let me show you this polish I bought a couple of months back, Conduct Yourself by China Glaze.

(Sorry about the different sized photos, not quite sure what went wrong there?!)

This is my favourite & usual winter shade, deep & vampy but this one is pearlescent, which is not entirely evident from the photos though!  You can buy this shade here at Nail Polish Direct for only £3.95 - which is actually cheaper than I paid in my beauty wholesaler, grrrr!!  I've just found this website & I see they do free delivery too so I'll have to give it a whirl!

I'm a huge fan of China Glaze polishes & only ever use their Strong Adhesion base coat, which is amazing.  However, I'd like to try their Fast Forward top coat next as I currently use - and love - the blogger favourite, Seche Vite but on paper, this product offers the same thing.

Are you a fan of dark nails too?  I know Jenny over at http://beautyandthebiryani.blogspot.co.uk/ is!!

NOTD Nails Inc ~ Copacabana Coral

Whenever I spot a magazine offering a freebie, I'm drawn to it like a moth to a flame, especially when it's a Nails Inc. nail polish!

Out of the three colours on offer with this months InStyle (a bright coral, a pink & a greige nude) the coral was just calling me & I also had a £2 off voucher for the mag so it was bargain of the day!

Copacabana Coral is just my sort of colour & it offers the fabulous application & longevity that normally comes with Nails Inc. polishes.  As always, I start with my China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat, followed by two coats of colour & a final coat of Seche Vite top coat.

As you can see, it's the perfect colour for summer & would look amazing with a tan (wishful thinking!)  I'm now into day 5 of my manicure with no chipping or tip wear, pretty darned good considering I've been painting furniture (sans CSI gloves!) but this explains the dry, gnarly skin & cuticles - whoops, sorry!!

Have you snapped one of these freebies up yet?

NOTD Barry M ~ Crush matte

 

 

 

 

 

When I saw the press photos of these new matte colours that Barry M were releasing for autumn, I knew that I'd be getting this particular colour.  I've always steered away from any sort of textured or gimmicky polish as I just like the feel of shiny, glossy nails rather than a rough finish so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about these ones.

 

As always I started with the China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat, then applied 2 coats of this gorgeous colour.  It falls somewhere between red & brown with a hint of conker in there too, a true autumnal colour!  It felt a bit weird to not be applying a top coat but I have to say, I'm so, so impressed with this.  Even though it's a matte finish, it still has a slight sheen to it in the light & feels so smooth, no roughness here whatsoever which pleases me immensely! 

 

The colour is just 'me' & so far, I'm 4 days in with no wear on the tips or chips, excellent seeing as there's no top coat for protection.  I absolutely love this new release & I have to say, Barry M are fast becoming my go-to nail polish range.  Why pay £10 or more for a polish when these, in my humble opinion, offer just as good (& often better!) results for far less?  Keep up the fabulous work Barry M, I look forward to seeing what other gems you release during winter!

 

*Heads to the shops to buy more polishes!*

 

Toodles!

 

 

 



NOTD Barry M ~ Blood Orange Gelly

 

 

 

 

I don't have to say again how much of a fan I am of the Barry M Gelly polishes, they're just amazing polishes for a few measly quid!!

 

Like the others I've tried, this bright tomato-red one doesn't disappoint either.  This is photographed with 2 coats although the second coat wasn't at all necessary as it covered totally opaque with just one coat.  I just think it's habit for me!

 

As always, I used my China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat & Seche Vite Top Coat to finish the mani off.  The photo was taken 3 days in with no wear on the tips or any chipping!

 

 

 

 



NOTD Maybelline ~ Pow Green

I just love having teenage daughters who also love doing their nails as much as I do as it means extra polishes for me to try out!

 

Pow Green by Maybelline is not a colour I'd have chosen off the shelf in a million years but when my youngest daughter bought it the other day, then appeared wearing it later on, I thought it looked amazing.......& that I'd be pinching it at some point to try out myself!

 

This is the first time I've used a Maybelline polish.  I don't know why but it's a brand I tend to bypass as I don't really get on with their cosmetics & unfortunately, I didn't find the polish fared that much better either.

 

Colour-wise I can't fault it.  A fabulous, zingy pale lime green, almost chartreuse really, the photos don't do it justice.  But I wasn't in love with the polish itself.  It was really streaky & thin on the first application & even with the second coat, it could've done with at least another, you can see my middle nail is quite patchy.  I used my usual China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat & Seche Vite top coat but it began to chip on the tips the next day....not good I'm afraid as I usually get 6 - 7 days from my manicures unless I remove it in order to change colour.

 

However, I will wear this polish again for a night out or occasion as I love the colour so much, I just know now not to expect it to last that long!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



NOTD China Glaze ~ Make Some Noise

 

 

 

 

I adore this summery shade of coral.  It's not too bright or neon & has the slightest hint of pink to it making it a good all-round shade & great now the sun has actually decided to show it's face again!

 

I'm finding myself buying more & more China Glaze polishes now as I love the variety of shades available & it helps that I get them at the beauty wholesaler so they're a great price!  The coverage is great & when teamed with my trusty nail duo of China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat & Seche Vite top coat, I get at least a week from my manicure.  They never chip, just show some signs of slight wear on the nail tips after about 5 or 6 days.......but I'm happy with that!

 

I applied 2 coats & the finish is quite glossy on its own but I just love the quality finish of Seche Vite.  I keep reading on other blogs about other top coats but I just can't bring myself to try any out as I personally don't think I can top this one.........can I??

 

I hope everyone's enjoying their weekend in the sun!

 

 



NOTD Essie ~ Turquoise & Caicos

Last week I hunted out my old Tiffany bracelet that I had for my 30th birthday & I decided I wanted to paint my nails to match the packaging!  After asking the Twittersphere for some suggestions of colours, by far the most popular choices for good colour matches were China Glaze For Audrey or Essie Turquoise & Caicos.

 

So the next morning I hot-footed it into town & went to the beauty wholesaler where I usually buy my China Glaze products but they didn't have For Audrey & according the sales person, were unlikely to get any, booo!!

 

Next, was onto Superdrug as they had a 3for2 offer on & Boots didn't.....well, every little helps right?!  I bought the Essie polish along with Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation which I've read many good things about & L'Oréal Lumi Magique Pure Light Primer.  I'll do reviews on those soon but for now, the polish.....

 

 

 

 

The colour is divine & a pretty good match for the Tiffany packaging.  As always, I applied my China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat to begin with & then the first coat of polish.  I have to say, I was quite shocked at how thin in consistency this seemed as I usually find Essie polishes to be really opaque & cover exceptionally well with just one coat.  However, this was not the case here.

 

Even with 2 coats of colour, the coverage was still a little streaky for my liking & I think it could've done with a third coat to be perfect but I didn't have time!  I think next time I'll try it with an opaque white base colour on first & see if that helps with the coverage.

 

I finished with my trusty Seche Vite top coat & although I had about 6 days with no chipping or flaking before I removed the colour to change it, there was some serious wear on the tips going on.  Again, this just wasn't like any other Essie polish I've tried before so I was quite baffled.  But like I've already said, the colour is beautiful & I had lots of compliments on it, I'll just try an alternative  application next time & see if that makes any difference!

 

I also bought a bargain (£4.99) ring from H&M that matched the polish perfectly, another great summer favourite!!

 

 

 

 

What are your favourite summer colours?

 

 

 

 

 

NOTD MUA ~ Strawberry Crush

Sorry folks, seem to have been MIA during the last fortnight.  I've been up to my ears in end of year PTA stuff, making a new website for Alfie's primary school & being appointed the school's press officer so it's all been a bit manic here but I've sussed my time management now to enable me to get back onto my blog!

 

A couple of weeks ago I decided to try out some new MUA nail polishes in the gorgeous new pastel ice cream shades that are all too popular at the minute.  Usually being a bright or dark nail polish wearer, I wasn't & still am not sure if these colours are really 'me'.   But seeing as I adore seeing them on other people I thought I'd give them a try & for only £1 a bottle, well, it'd be rude not to frankly! 

 

 

 

 

1.  Lush Lilac

2.  Strawberry Crush (colour reviewed)

3.  Frozen Yoghurt

4.  Moody Mink

5.  Pistachio Ice Cream

 

I found the polish itself to be on the thinner side & the coverage would've been perfect with 3 coats but the photo below shows it with just 2 coats - still not bad at all though & I adore the bright burst of summer colour.  I wasn't holding out much hope for the longevity of them given the price but fair dues, I've still managed to get a full week with no chipping or flaking which I have to say, I'm ridiculously impressed with.  I think the fact it was teamed with my trusty China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat & Seche Vite top coat has definitely added to the staying quality of the polish.

 

I will swatch the other 4 colours asap & do a follow up post but for now, these fabulously priced dinky little bottles of polish are a really great buy & I will no doubt be adding more to my polish collection swiftly!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



NOTD Essie ~ Snap Happy

I'm a fairly recent convert to Essie polishes but in the few weeks I have been using them, I'm really impressed.  I stumbled on a Boots clearance sale a couple of weeks back & found some great bargains on Essie polishes, some were knocked down to a bargainous £1 each!  I bought 2 bottles of Snap Happy, a gorgeous corally-red, 2 bottles of She's Pampered, a lovely bright not-quite-fuschia- pink, a bottle of Beyond Cozy, a silver glitter polish & 2 boxes of a trio of minis (Leading Lady, Snap Happy & Beyond Cozy).  Couple with the 3for2 offer, I got all of these little gems (almost £60 worth) for the grand sum of £5.50!!

 

 

 

 

    I usually begin my manicures with China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat & always finish with Seche Vite, which in my humble opinion is the best top coat available.  I've read very mixed reviews about it but I honestly love the stuff.  When I paint my nails & use both the base & top coats mentioned, my manis last a least a week before they start to wear on the tips (& I start to pick the polish off...naughty!!)

 

The China Glaze base coat is a fairly new addition but I think it adds to the longevity of my manicure.  It has quite a rough texture to it when applied which, I presume, is where the Strong Adhesion part comes in to play.  The first coat of colour sticks to it like glue & dries really rapidly.  I find the Essie polishes are opaque enough to get away with one coat but I always apply 2 anyway, just to be on the safe side!

 

  

The application of Seche Vite goes against everything I usually do as a nail tech.  You must apply it while your polish is still slightly wet or I find it doesn't last as well.  And you apply in quite a thick layer, again going against the 'thin coats of polish' principle & it dries ridiculously fast!  But trust me, this top coat will give you the glossiest, most long-lasting manicure you can imagine.

 

 

 

 

But back to the NOTD.  I LOVE this colour, it's so bright & summery (ha, no such luck!) & even makes my winter-pale hands look ever-so-slightly tanned.  I feel this will be a regular wear for me from now on & I can't wait to see it on my tootsies, hopefully it'll be another week-long mani too.  I feel my bank balance is going to be much worse off though as I expand my Essie collection.....!