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.

How I Change My Make Up For The Season Winter Edition

So it's come to that time of the year where I put away my BB Creams and lighter finish foundations in favour of something heavier coverage. So today I thought I'd share what I do to my make up going into the winter months.

The first thing I do is change up my foundation. I put away my lighter coverage foundations and opt for something heavier in finish. Two of my favourites are the Loreal Infallible Foundation in Porcelain and the Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Buff. Both are medium to full coverage foundations that can be easily built up without looking cakey. If I was to recommend one it would be the Colorstay as it isn't so hard to work with whereas the Loreal can have days when it just doesn't work with my skin. Of course with both of these you can go in with a concealer to give extra coverage if needed.

The next thing I do is go in with more heavy duty concealers. In the summer when my skin is clearer I steer clear of these two but when the weather turns colder and my skin loses that summer glow I dig them out again. The Rimmel Lasting Finish Concealer is very thick in consistency and can tend to need so warming before being applied to the skin, however it does give a nice coverage and doesn't look cakey on even the driest of skin. And of course I love the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair. This is perfect for when I get any redness on my face as it's pale enough to blend in with my foundation but still heavy enough to conceal what I need it to.

 Another thing I change in the Winter is my powder. During the Summer I go for a slightly heavier finish powder as I don't want to look sweaty but when the weather turns colder I go for something lighter. At the moment I'm loving the MUA Pro-Base Prime and Conceal Powder to set everything into place without looking cakey. It's a finely milled silk finish powder that is made up of four colour correcting shades. Each shade can be used on it's own but I just like to get a big fluffy brush and swirl across the whole thing. As it's so finely milled it doesn't look cakey on the skin even if you happen to put to much on and you still have a slight dewy glow to the skin afterwards.

And of course as Winter draws in I change all my lipsticks around. Out go my hot pinks and nudes and in their place comes the berry tones and standout reds. At the moment I have four that I'm rotating whilst every now and again giving something new a go. And with these colour lipsticks I always go for a matte formula. I find that not only is it long lasting but it look more defined and even classier than gloss. From top to bottom the lipsticks are New Look Pure Colour Liquid Lipstick in Burgundy, MAC Russian Red, Maybelline Creamy Matte in Divine Wine and Rimmel's Kate Moss 107. Apart from Russian Red they all have berry tones which I think work perfectly with fairer skintones. I will be doing my Winter Lip Edit next week so keep an eye out for that.

And for days when I'm not wearing any lipstick I make sure I smother my lips in the Classic Carmex pot. I love how moisturising this is and how long lasting the effect of this is. I always apply a layer of this before bed and when I wake in the morning my lips are still moisturised and ready for the day's lipsticks. It tingles on the lips when applied but to me it's not noticeable anymore but if you don't like that feeling then I suggest trying something different.

So that's how I change my make up for Winter. What do you guys do? Let me know in the comments.