Top 5 Barry M Polishes For Winter

The nights are growing darker, the weather has turned colder (hella cold) and Christmas adverts are appearing everywhere. It can only mean one thing: Winter is here. So it's time to say goodbye to bright nail shades and hello to deeper tones and pretty neutrals.

Classic Nail Paint in Nightshade: If you like the look of black nails but aren't confident in wearing them then give Nightshade a try. It has a navy undertone to it that changes to black when reflected in the light. This is one of their classic nail paints so will need a good two coats to make sure it's completely opaque. They take a little longer to dry but once it's dry you'll have a nice shine finish that'll only intensify once you add a top coat.

Gelly Hi Shine Polish in Cocoa: This is my favourite alternate shade to black nails. This stunning deep brown shade not only makes a more interesting manicure shade but is also the perfect autumnal neutral shade. You can get away with one coat of this polish but I'd advise two to really get that depth of colour. It dries down to a very high shine finish but as always I'd advise using a top coat over the top to prolong the length of your manicure.

Gelly Hi Shine Polish in Cardamom: This shade screams Christmas to me. It's that really deep forest green that looks a lot like Christmas Trees. It's also part of the Gelly Hi Shine range so once it dries you'll have a bright shine finish that'll only get better with the aid of a top coat. Two coats is recommended to really make these pop when they're on the nail. This colour would be brilliant for anyone who is thinking of trying their hand at nail art this festive season.

Coconut Infusion Polish in Storm: If any of the shades that have already been shown don't appeal to you then maybe this neutral grey shade from Barry M's Coconut Infusion Range will. Storm is a deep grey shade that'll stand out on the nail whilst also looking understated and minimal. It's a nice alternative to all the neutral brown shades that Barry M and other brands do. One coat of this is enough to give a perfect opaque finish but if you'd prefer to do another coat then you can. These polishes are infused with coconut oil and coconut water so they nourish and condition your nails as you wear them.

Coconut Infusion Polish in Island Fever: This is my Christmas red this year. It's that deep festive looking red that just screams Christmas. It's reminds me a lot of a blue toned red lipstick and really pops on the nails. Two coats of this really gives it that little bit of va va voom and once a top coat is applied there is a brilliant shine that doesn't die down the longer you wear it. This is another brilliant colour for any festive nail art you may do and I personally plan on wearing this for the entire month of December.

My Top 5 Barry M Polishes For Autumn

When September hits it's not only my lip colours that get darker. My nails join the party as well and I say goodbye to bright colours and welcome in the dark shades and more interesting neutral shades.

Gelly Hi Shine Polish in Almond: This is my ultimate neutral favourite. It has a bit of brown in it, a bit of grey and even a bit of blue. It is a brilliant dupe for Nails Inc's polish in Porchester Square. It's Gelly formula means it slightly thicker than other polishes but it means that it's opaque in one coat and has a high shine finish when it dries. One coat would work well but I'd advise two coats just to make sure there aren't any streaky patches.

Gelly Hi Shine Polish in Paprika: This is one of the more interesting shades I like to bring out during the autumn. It's almost a burnt orange colour which reminds me a lot of pumpkins. It's the same formula as Almond but needs two coats as it can be streaky. It has the same high shine finish and is harder to chip than some of the other Barry M formula's.

Speedy Quick Dry Polish in Pit Stop: This is more a blue toned grey shade which is thinner in formula than the others. Two coats is definitely needed to make this pop on the nails and appear opaque. This part of their Speedy Quick Dry range which comes with a square flat brush and rapid drying formula. It makes doing your nails so quick and because it's a rapid dry polish you don't have to worry too much about smudging whilst you wait for it to dry.

Sunset Daylight Curing Polish in Dark Side of The Shroom: This a play on the normal neutral nail. It's a grey toned purple shade that does have a brown undertone running through it. It has a thick formula which means you can get away with one coat. It comes with it's very own top coat which will cure the polish and make it harder, so essentially making it harder to chip. Plus once this is introduced to natural or artificial light it sticks to the nail better and bends with the nail as well.

Sunset Daylight Curing Polish in Vengenance is Wine: This is the darkest shade I'll pull out for Autumn. It's a deep red wine shade that can look purple in lights and even brown in others. It's another one that needs to be paired with it's special top coat and won't chip as easily as others. Two coats are definitely needed as this can be a little patchy or streaky after one coat. It makes a great alternative to black polish.

My Top 5 Barry M Polishes: Spring Edition

Now this post was originally going to be called my Spring Nail Edit but when I was looking for the polishes to put in this post I realised that I was only choosing Barry M polishes. And as I only use Barry M polishes I thought I'd change it to my Top 5 Barry M Polishes for Spring. I will probably do this for each season from now on as I very rarely use anything but Barry M on my nails.

My first choice is the latest addition to my collection. It's their Speedy Quick Dry polish in the shade Freestyle. It's a muted pink shade that doesn't look to pale or to bright on the nail. You know you're wearing it but it doesn't stand out like some of the other pink shades. As it's part of the Speedy Quick Dry Range it means it's the quickest to dry out of the four of them. One coat takes only seconds to dry and it makes it perfect for people who like me can get quite impatient waiting for their nails to dry. Plus it has a flat square brush that covers the entire nail in one sweep. Definitely my favourite out of Barry M's Spring Releases this year.

Up next is an older favourite of mine. This is the Gelly Hi Shine polish in Prickly Pear. It's that perfect lavendery purple shade that's not too cool in tone and not too warm either. This is slightly thinner in formula than some of the other shades but two coats of this give the colour a pop and you'll be certain people will compliment you on your nails. The brush isn't the greatest on this polish but it's still something you can work with. Angle it just right and you'll get that same effect you'd get if you were using a flatter brush.

Another Gelly Hi Shine polish I like during Spring is the shade Blueberry. It's a stunning cornflower blue shade that again isn't too cool in tone nor too warm. It makes a nice choice on nails after months of wearing the darker, more winter appropriate colours. As with the shade Prickly Pear it has one of the thinner brushes but I'm sure if you pick a bottle up now then they will have the newer flatter brush. Two coats of this is all you need to get a bright pop of colour, that you're bound to be complimented on.

My next choice is another Gelly finish polish. This one is in the shade Rose Hip, a gorgeous off white shade that has a hint of pink through it. If you're scared of trying white nails or you don't like the look of them, then this polish is perfect for you. If you like the look of Essie's Fiji then this is pretty much an exact dupe except it has more of a white undertone than Fiji. My bottles of the Gelly Hi Shine polishes mainly come with a thinner, more rounded brush but if you pick them up these days I'm sure you will get a flatter square brush. This is a polish that can go wrong if you apply too many coats but if you only do two or three thin coats you should be okay, it's when you do thicker coats you run into problems.

And the last choice for this Top 5 is another newer addition to the collection. This is the shade Cream Soda, Barry M's Spring Release in the Gelly Hi Shine Range. Now this another nod towards the white nail trend that comes and goes every summer. Yet this is a slightly off white, almost cream colour that will work the same as Rose Hip if you're not entirely convinced by white nails. My favourite thing about these Gelly polishes is the finish. You get such a stunning shine to the nail after using these polishes and that shine doesn't disappear the longer you wear it. Now you may think that means you don't need a top coat for these but you still do. The top coat will not only prolong the shine these polishes give but will also lengthen the life of your manicure.

So that's it for my new Spring Nail Edit. What are your go to Spring Polishes? Are any of them the same as mine? Let me know in the comments.

Review: Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Spring Releases

When Barry M releases new polishes you know they're going to make an appearence on this blog. And today it's time for me to share with you the four new Gelly Hi Shine Polishes that have continuously graced my nails since they came out.

As it is their Spring Release, all four colours lean more towards pastel than bright. Perfect for this time of the year. The four shades are Pink Lemonade, Butterscotch Sundae, Acai Smoothie and Cream Soda. Acai Smoothie is the brightest of the four shades and is very similar in shade to Sugar Plum, one of their later releases last year.

Pink Lemonande is probably my favourite shade of the four. It looks quite pink in the bottle but when on the nail it's actually quite muted in tone and has hints of grey in it. Cream Soda isn't too far behind it, it's the perfect shade if you want to give white nails ago but don't want a stark white polish.

When it comes down to formula these are brilliant and one of my favourite formulas from Barry M. Each polish is thicker in consitency than the pastel shades from last year and are opaque in one coat. I'd still recommend two coats just to give the colour a nice depth but you can get away with one coat if you want.

And then comes the most exciting bit about Barry M's latest releases. They've changed the brush. Gone is the piddly little thin brush that takes forever to paint the nail. And in it's place is a nice new thick, square brush that coats the nail in one go. It makes painting the nail so much easier and cuts down on time as well. I like how they fit perfectly to the nail and in one swipe I can paint my nail.

Overall I like all of these colours but if I was to advise you to go for one or two then it would be Cream Soda and Pink Lemonade. They're just the right shade of neutral to pull off with any outfit for any occasion. Formula wise, these dry quick, last well and give a nice gel like finish to the nail. If you're a fan of Barry M, I recommend you give these a go.

Have any of you tried these already? What did you think? What were your favourite shades? Let me know in the comments.

New In At The Drugstore

It's that time of the year where all of us beauty junkies are broke from Christmas. So what does every high street make up brand do? Of course they release tons of new products which if you're a make up junkie like me then you just have to add to your collection.

Maybelline Dream Velvet Foundation 
First up is this new foundation from Maybelline. It's the first of it's kind from Maybelline and as soon as I heard about this I knew I wanted to try it. It's matte finish foundation but in a hydrating gel formula that you can build up to a medium/full coverage. And the best thing about this is that it suits every kind of skin tone. I've been wearing it for a fortnight now and I love it. A full review will be coming soon though.

Maybelline Dream Blender
And to coincide with the release of the Dream Velvet Foundation, Maybelline has released a Dream Blender. The Dream Blender is a foundation blending sponge with a handle that looks like it will just get in the way but actually comes in handy for precision. If you want a mini review, then all I'm going to say is it's the top half of a beauty blender on a handle that whilst good isn't something I'd rush out and buy. A full review of this will go up alongside my Dream Velvet Foundation Review.

Maybelline Push Up Drama Mascara 
Maybelline have released another mascara. With their Lash Sensational still riding high, Maybelline really had to raise their game to make another mascara that beats it. In a way they have and they haven't. The Falsies Push Up Drama Mascara has cup shaped bristles to catch and coat each and every lash whilst pushing them up to give amazing volume. A wet formula that is easily transferable, this mascara is nice but not one I would run out to buy straight away. A full review will be coming soon.

Maybelline Blushed Nudes Nail Polish
Late last year, Maybelline released their Blushed Nudes Eyeshadow palette which was filled with lots of golds and pinks and this year they've released a nail polish and lipstick collection to go with it. I didn't like the look of any of the lipsticks but the nail polishes did catch my eye. I picked up the shade Crimflush, a dark dusky pink shade. I love these kinds of shades for the transistion from Winter to Spring. So far I like this polish but there have been other nail releases that have really caught my eye.

Revlon Volume and Length Magnified Mascara 
Revlon are another brand that have released a mascara this month and by golly is their a lot of choice. Unlike most brands that just release one, Revlon have released five new types of mascara, each coming in black, black brown and waterproof. I was torn between which one to get as each offers a different benefit to lashes. In the end I went for the Volume and Length Magnified. And lets just say I'm not that keen on it. But as with everthing else a full review will be coming soon.

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Spring Releases 
And now it's on to not one but three collection that Barry M have recently released. And of course as a Barry M junkie I had to get them all. First up we have the Spring Releases of the Gelly Hi Shine Polishes. And of course all of the releases are aimed towards Springtime and the transitions of seasons. I love all four colours in this range but I'm really looking forward to wearing the bottom two Acai Smoothie and Cream Soda. I already know the formula of these well so I know that I'm going to love, yet there will be a full review coming soon.

Barry M Speedy Quick Dry Spring Releases 
And the next collection Barry M have released is their Spring polishes in their speedy quick dry formula. All four of this colours are right up my street and the speedy quick dry formula is one of my favourites. If you haven't tried them before they dry quicker than any other nail polish I've tried. They come with a flat square brush that makes application a dream and whilst you have to work to get the colour on the pastel shades, it's worth it for the finish they give. Keep your eyes on the blog for a full review.

Barry M Nail Care Treatment Range. 
Then the final range from Barry M is not brand spanking new but it's new to places like Superdrug and Boots. Originally released in Marks and Spencers, this collection of four nail polishes is aimed at treating and nourishing the nails. Two base coat treaments which work well if you don't have bare nails all the time and two masks that help gives nails that little something whilst nourishing them at the same time. So far I'm really enjoying Iron Mani as a base coat as it helps keep my polish on longer and has so far strengthened my nails quite well. A review will be coming soon.

So that's it for my New In At the Drugstore. Have any of you tried any of these? If so, what did you think? Let me know in the comments.

Drugstore Haul

Most months you can guarantee that at least one brand on the high street has a new release or two. This month though, quite a few brands have brought out new shiny products that immediately caught my eye. And of course I just had to share them with you.

The first thing I had to pick up were these new releases from Barry M. The first lot I picked up was their new Midnight Gelly Hi Shine Range. These are four off black shades that are perfect for the upcoming seasons. They have Black Cherry, Black Grape, Black Pistachio and Black Currant and all four are stunning. Each one looks black in the bottle but when you put it against the light, you can see the hint of each colour. I'm really looking forward to wearing Black Pistachio and Black Cherry as I don't have anything like them in my collection.

The next two new releases I picked up from Barry M are what I believe to be their two glittery limited edition seasonal releases. And I'm in love with them. There are only two shades and naturally I had to pick up both. The one on the left is Sparkling Amethyst and the one on the right is Sparkling Ruby. Both are thick formula glitter polishes that once on the nail are bumpy or patchy like some glitters. These are smooth and opaque, only one coat gives a bright glittery finish. And the best bit, they're not impossible to remove like most glitter polishes. I highly recommend checking these out if you like to break out the glitter around this time of the year.

And as I spent more than £7 pounds on Barry M in Superdrug I got a free Showgirl Mascara. I've already tried the Extra Volume Showgirl Mascara and loved it so I thought I'd go for the Extra Lengthing version this time. And so far I like it. The brush fits nicely to the contour of my eye and gives me a fluttery finish to my lashes that I prefer over some of the more volumising mascaras. However if you want both volume and length I suggest using the two together to get the best of both worlds.

And finally for this haul I picked up two new lip liners from Rimmel. These are two out of the five new releases that came out at the beginning of last week. I picked up the shades Under My Spell and You're All Mine. Under My Spell is a beautiful purple toned plum and You're All  Mine is a stunning pink shade that doesn't run to bubblegum pink on the lips. I like that they are easy to apply, giving a creamy opaque colour but I did find that they were a bit creamy than the original shades and I found they did smudge ever so slightly throughout the day. Under My Spell is my favourite of the two shades and I can see myself wearing this quite a lot over the next few months however I do find it can be very unforgiving if you don't have perfectly exfoliated/moisturised lips.

So that's it for my haul. I know it was only small but these were the only new releases that really jumped out at me. Have you tried any of these new releases? Do you have any recommendations of new products to try?  Let me know in the comments. 

Summer Nail Edit

Summer means getting your feet out and that means toes have to be prepped and painted to perfection. Today I thought I'd show you my Top 5 Summer Nail Polishes for both my tootsies and my fingers. I will point out one thing about this post, it is not an ode to Barry M or sponsored by Barry M, I just happen to love their polishes and the majority of my collection consists of them.

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine in Guava 
This is one of my favourite nail polishes to crack out in the summer. It's a stunning greeny blue shade that looks perfect on both fingers and toes. It is opaque in one coat but I always go in with a second to really get a depth to the colour. The Gelly Hi Shine Range really lives up to its name, it dries to leave a brilliant shine to the nail that only intensifies once a top coat is applied.

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine in Kiwi 
If there is a shade of nail polish I own as much as neutral greige tones it's green polishes. This is my favourite however a mixture between an emerald green and an apple green this is another polish that is perfect for both fingers and toes. It is opaque in one coat but as I do with Guava I go in with another coat to make sure and to give a pop to the colour. I like the fact that these polishes dry quite quickly making manicures and pedicures less of a dreaded task.

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine in Rosehip
If bright nails aren't your cup of tea then this next colour may be right up your street. Rosehip is very much a cheaper version of Essie's Fiji. A light pinky off white shade this is perfect if you're looking for a more neutral nail. This can be quite a hassle to apply but if you have the patience for it it will look stunning on the nail. It can take a good two to three coats to create a decent opaqueness and even then it can still look streaky on the nails. The only problem with having to apply so many coats to get the true colour is that it can cause it to chip quicker than other polishes.

 Barry M Speedy Quick Dry in Get Set Go 
This is one colour that only really works on my toes. A bright fuschia pink that is practically neon on the nails is too much for my fingers but perfect to brighten up any pair of sandals or flip flops. Two coats give a brilliant opaque pop of colour. It really does live up to it's quick dry name, both coats taking about five to ten minutes max. These don't have such a shine as the Gelly Hi Shine polishes so I do adviced popping a top coat over the top.

Barry M Sunset Daylight Curing in Do It Like A Nude
This is my most neutral pick for this Edit. As much as I love a good bright or pastel nail in the summer I do still like to bring out a neutral every now and again. This is one of the newer releases from Barry M and has quickly found it into the small stash of nail polishes I have on rotation. Do It Like A Nude is from their daylight curing range which is advertised as using the daylight to make the polish harder and longer lasting on the nail. This nude shade from the range is another product where you need a good two to three coats to get an opaque finish but when it's on and the top coat is applied it's a beautiful off white shade that gives a brilliant shine. The amount of coats along with the top coat means it can be prone to chipping before it should but that's just one problem that comes from formulas that are thin. It's still a stunning neutral shade though and if you have the patience will make a elegant nail look.

That's it for my Summer Nail Edit. Have you tried any of these? Do you have any recommendations? If so let me know in the comments.