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 Barry M Speedy ~ Stop the clock

I recently bought two of the new Barry M Speedy Quick Dry polishes, the first of which I blogged about here so next up is this one, Stop the Clock, a gorgeous cross between lemon mousse & vanilla ice cream!

I was fully expecting to have to apply 3 coats of this one, as with In A Heart Beat, but funnily enough, this covered much better in only 2 coats.

I really, really love this colour for spring, it's just like I've dipped my nails into a bowl of melted vanilla ice cream.  Again, it would look slightly better without the pasty skin colour going on here but still! Please excuse the dry cuticles, I should've oiled up before the photo!

This has lasted much longer than the other colour surprisingly enough, so in my opinion, the formula of this particular shade seems a bit better.  I'm not sure why, it just is!

The one thing I forgot to talk about with the other review though was the brush which is flat & curved on the tip so fits the base of my nail perfectly.  It covers in just two swipes & as I only had to use two coats of this, it really did dry rapidly.  I did apply Seche Vite on top though for added shine & strength!

The Barry M Speedy Quick Dry nail paints are currently £3.99 each or 2 for £7.00 at Boots.

What do you think, does this shade float your boat?!

NOTD Seche ~ Mischievous

Hmmm, my daughter has pointed out that I have 5 or 6 near identical polishes, all variants on the infamous Rouge Noir by Chanel, my favourite shade ever - I disagreed....but yes, actually I do!!  Well, here's another one but I promise I'll show you some other colours next!!

Although I've used Seche Vite top coat for years, I'd never tried any of their polishes until I picked up this one, Michievous.  Although I'm very impressed by the application of this, I've found it hasn't worn as well as other polishes, the Barry M gelly polishes for instance.  Having said that, I'm still 5 days in & it's just starting to chip so still not bad!!

After wearing dark colours since around October, I'm ready to see something brighter on my nails now.  I'm looking forward to the new spring releases from Barry M & Essie - watch this space!!

You can currently buy Mischievous for only £3.79 here at Look Fantastic.

What colour is on your nails at the moment?

NOTD Barry M Gelly ~ Coconut

As you can see by the sunny garden photos, I took these quite a while ago & forgot to post them, doh!!  This colour is waaaay out of my comfort zone, polish wise but after seeing it worn almost permanently by Kris Jenner & the Kardashian girls, I fancied trying it. (I know, I know...what can I say?  Watching KUWTK is my guilty pleasure....don't judge!!!)  So when my beloved Barry M released their summer shades & this little beauty Coconut was one of them, I had to try it!

I really, really love these gelly polishes, they're just so easy to apply & last for ages.  I used two coats but in all honesty, I would've got a more even finish if I'd used a ridgefiller base coat as you could still faintly see the ridges in my nails.  However, this is usual of very pale polishes & it certainly didn't detract from the loveliness of the colour.  I wasn't sure at all if it was 'me' but I found myself wearing it an awful lot throughout summer.

I managed 5 days before it chipped so not quite as good as the darker gellys but still great in the grand scheme of things!

It's very much a Marmite shade so do you love it or hate it?! ;)

NOTD Barry M Gelly polish ~ Guava

 

 

I cannot rave enough about the Barry M Gelly polishes....seriously, I can't!!  They are such great value for £3.99 a bottle, but you can usually find them on offer in either Boots or Superdrug though making them even more of a bargain!

 

The choice of colours they're offering at the minute are amazing, the brushes are the perfect size & they offer the best coverage - sometimes one coat is all you need!

 

The Gelly polishes are high shine to mimic gel polishes (obviously!) but I always top with a coat of Seche Vite & this means I usually get at least 7 days without any chips & only the very merest of wear on the tips.  They really are fantastic & if you've never tried them, I urge you to hot-foot it to the shops & buy some..........go on, off you go!!

 

 



NOTD MUA ~ Summer Pastels

 

 

 

1.  Lush Lilac

2.  Strawberry Crush

3.  Frozen Yoghurt

4.  Moody Mink

5.  Pistachio Ice Cream

 

So a couple of months ago I picked up these wee MUA bargainous gems in Superdrug for the princely sum of £1 each.  I'd seen a lot of people wearing summer pastels & loved them but really wasn't sure how I'd like them on me seeing as I'm usually a vibrant bright or gothic dark nail polish kinda gal!!

 

As it happens, I've loved them all but I surprisingly loved Pistachio Ice Cream the most (very similar to Essie Mint Candy Apple don'tcha think?!)

 

For the price, the longevity is great & I usually had around 3 days before any wear on the tips.  The photos are all showing 2 coats of polish (with my trusty Seche Vite top coat!) & although some colours could have benefitted from a third coat, in general I've been very pleasantly surprised by these polishes & they're a great size for travelling too! 

 

The only downside to these are the thin brushes but come on, for £1 I'm certainly not going to be shedding any tears about it & I can't wait to see what new colours MUA will be releasing next!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



NOTD Bourjois ~ Bleu Fabuleux

I've not bought or used any Bourjois polishes for a couple of years now & I don't understand why I stopped but I'm certainly glad I've rediscovered them!

 

This polish has a great, wide brush that covers the nail perfectly in just 2 sweeps & the cap itself is really comfortable to handle.

 

The application itself was excellent & the colour was opaque enough with one coat but I always do 2 anyway.  It was super glossy just on it's own but I always seal my manis with Seche Vite as I find it helps with the longevity.

 

I'm now day 5 into this colour & have had absolutely no chipping & only minimal wear on the tips, all-in-all excellent I'd say!  The vibrant cobalt blue colour is divine & I've never had so many people comment on my nails before.

 

On the same trip to Superdrug, I also bought another 2 Bourjois polishes so I'm looking forward to trying these out too....watch this space!!

 

 

 

 

I think this colour could become my new favourite & that's some feat seeing as I don't actually like the colour blue!!

 

 

 



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 Barry M Gelly Polish ~ Lychee

Yes, yes, I know, I'm extremely late to the party where these Barry M Gelly polishes are concerned but when my daughter came home with some more of them last weekend, I thought I should finally give them a trial.  I have lots of the original formulation polishes though & love them so I was really intrigued to see how these faired.

 

I'm not usually a nude nail polish wearer as I love my bright splashes of colour or dark, gothic nails but there was something about this colour that drew me towards it.  It's a really warm nude colour which I actually loved but I must try it with leopard print nail art on top as I think it's the perfect base colour for that!

 

I loved the application of this polish, it was really thick & glossy looking - although this was to be expected seeing as it's a gelly polish!  It dried quickly with no streaking & as always, it was teamed with my China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat & Seche Vite top coat.  I got 8 days wear from my manicure with absolutely no chipping or flaking & really only removed it so I could swatch other colours.

 

All in all, pretty darned great I'd say & I will be adding more Gelly polishes to my rapidly growing nail polish collection soon as I think I prefer them to the regular formulations!

 

 

 

 

 

 



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!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Beauty haul #1

I'm really depressed with all this snow that is showing no sign of stopping so yesterday I had a wee mooch around town & bought a few new bits to try in Superdrug.

1.  MUA Primer £4

2. Tresemmé 24 Hour Body Plumping Powder  £5.49

3.  MUA Eyebrow Pencil in Blonde £1

4.  Essie polish in Eternal Optimist £7.99

5.  Sleek Pout Polish in Perfect Plum £4.29

Over the years & through my work, I think I've used pretty much every cosmetic & skin care brand available in the UK but I'm still keen to try new stuff.  Now, I'm a stay-at-home mum of three on a very strict budget but even I am a tad dubious at the quality of the MUA products being that they retail at such low prices.  I really hope to be impressed with these though.  I've used the Primer this morning for the first time under my foundation & I have to say, it felt really smoothing when it was applied.  I can't say that it has made a huge difference to the application or indeed the finish of my foundation but to be honest, I was in a real rush today.  Tomorrow I will take more time & see if I notice a difference.  But hey, for those sort of prices, they've got to be worth a shot right?

Tresemmé is a brand I have a love/hate relationship with.  I really like most of their styling products but I often don't get on with their shampoos & conditioners which is a crying shame as they're such good value!  I've been looking for a volume booster for my hair for when I'm in a beehive kind of mood so it'll be interesting to see how it fares......watch this space!

Although I have several boxes full of nail polishes, Essie is a brand I've never got around to trying for some reason.  Actually, I do know the reason.....the price!  Normally, I wouldn't dream of spending £7.99 on a nail polish as I tend to buy mine in my local salon supplier so I get them at trade prices but I keep reading such good things about them, I decided to use my Superdrug points & get one!!  I love the colour, a neutral warm pink with a hint of brown so I feel a mani coming on tonight to give it a whirl.  I have to say though that I adore the range of colours offered by Essie but although their stands are brightly lit, this can sometimes be a tad misleading on the colour you're actually getting.  I thought this colour was more brown in the store but it's still lovely so it's all good!

I've tried the Sleek eye shadow palettes before & I LOVE them.  They're really densely pigmented & they have huge staying power but it's a first for me with the lip colours.  I'm hoping it will be as richly pigmented as the powders although the Pout Polish is a tinted lip conditioner, not a lipstick or gloss even but still, I want it to have some impact on my lips!  Incidentally, when trying out lip colours in stores, don't swipe them on the back of your hand.  As a former MUA, I've always taught my clients so test colours on the pads of their fingertips as the thinness & colour of skin is very similar to your lips so you will get a more realistic & accurate colour!!

 

So I'll be giving these products a shot over the next few days & will blog a follow-up on them asap.  À bientôt!!