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 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 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 ~ Belgrave Place

I haven't done a NOTD for a while so thought I'd pop this wee beauty up for you!  I picked up Nails Inc 'Belgrave Place' from the Boots clearance shelf for just £2 a couple of months ago & when I can actually get it back from my daughter, I'm getting a lot of use from it!

It's such a fabulous colour, almost navy blue in some lights but a brighter royal blue in brighter conditions.  Either way, it's a beauty & has the exceptional quality that Nails Inc usually offers in a polish.  One week, no chips & no wear.....amazing!

Such a great shade for the impending season change!

NOTD Barry M ~ Navy

Well here's a shocker.......I've found yet another Barry M gem of a polish & it's just perfect for adding some serious Christmas shimmery bling to your tips!

Let me introduce you to Navy, the most perfect shimmering blue shade I've found to date.  It applies like a dream with the usual Barry M great longevity - 7 days with no tip wear or chipping.....amazeballs!!  (Did I really just say that.....?!)

Yet again, my photos don't do the intense colour of this beauty any justice but you'll just have to take my word for it & get yourselves out to the shops to go & get it!!

I've been getting all festive with my nails this week & I'll post soon about my Christmassy candy cane nails!

NOTD Barry M ~ Vivid Purple

 

 

 

 

As much as I've loved wearing the neons & brights on my nails all summer, somewhere deep down inside of me I'm yelping with happiness that autumn is arriving & the darker, more vampy nail colours are back!!

 

I have another Barry M gem to show you today that I picked up the other day & first off, can I apologise for the photos because they just do not do this stunning colour justice!  I tried to take photos in so many different places with different lights but nothing could show off its true beauty......you'll just have to take my word for it!

 

Vivid Purple is a gorgeous jewel-like shimmer polish & I'm totally in love with it!!  It's just perfect for winter parties.....or just for everyday if you're like me & love a fab, dark nail.  It's a little streaky with just one coat but these photos are with 2 coats & Seche Vite top coat & I just love it!

 

 

 

 

 

What's your favourite nail colour at the minute?

 

 

 

 

 

 



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 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?