Autumn/Winter 2016 Nail Favourites

Feels like a million and one years since I did a nail polish post - or a beauty-specific post in general, for that matter. Truth is, I haven't been wearing much makeup (I work from home), my skin is riddled with eczema so I've had to stick to the same couple of skincare products for ages, and my nails have been... awkward. BUT, here I am, and I wanted to share the nail colours and nail care products that are reeeeeally floating my boat this winter...

As someone who is very vocal in her adoration for the Autumn and Winter months - a major factor in which is my love of autumnal shades - I had quite a task picking my favourites for this time of year. This selection is made up of best-loved brands, old favourites and a couple of newcomers. I've divided the shades into warm and cool

 Cool Tones

                                    1) Soigne Botanique - Bleuet

There are a few blue nail polishes that I couldn't live without, but my favourite Winter blue is definitely this one by Soigne Botanique. It's a gorgeous, deep petrol blue and a little bit different from any other blue I've found. Soigne are a firm favourite brand also, and all of their products are 100% cruelty-free and use some really innovative, eco-friendly, plant-based ingredients. 

2) Nails Inc London - Gloucester Crescent*

When I first saw this shade I thought it looked almost identical to my beloved Sheraton Street but, upon comparing them, I decided I might even like it better. It's slightly more grey-toned and wintry which I love. This shade also comes with the added Superfood Boost of Almond Oil and Matcha for nail wellness and is a wonderfully rich and glossy formula. 

3) Ciate London - Tweed & Tails**

I got this polish from one of Ciate's Mini Mani Month advent calendars a couple of years back and it was definitely my favourite out of all the polishes. Can't believe I still have some left! It's still good though and I've worn it a couple of times recently. It remind me of that wonderful time when the countryside is just starting to change colour. 

 Warm Tones

4) Nails Inc London - Kensington High Street*

To be honest, I actually always preferred St. Martin's Lane as my 'purple berry shade' of choice, but I received Kensington High Street recently and I've been really loving it. I've barely reached for the former since. I also really love Nails Inc's gel formula and the newer packaging is so gorgeous. 

5) Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine - Paprika

When Barry M first released their Autumn Gelly shades a couple of years back I rushed out so fast to grab them and they've been a firm favourite ever since (the next shade in this list is also from that release). I've never had so many compliments and people asking what polish I'm wearing than when I've been wearing this polish. 

6) Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine - Mustard

See above... Over the last 12 months I've discovered something about myself - I reeeeally love mustard yellow, particularly in Winter. This Barry M shade is sadly a little trickier to apply than others in that range, which baffles me a little bit, but it's so worth the effort. 

 Nail Care

Nails Inc Superfood Repair Oil*

I go through phases with cuticle oil. I go from swearing by it to not bothering with it at all. At the moment I'm using this new one, as my cuticles seem to get much drier during the colder months, and it's doing a fab job. The dropper application takes a little getting used to compared to my previous Nails Inc brush-on oil, but my cuticles always feel lovely and soft when I've used this. With almond, rosehip and argan oils.

Nails Inc 'Nail Pure' Base Coat*

Not going to say too much about this one because I'm planning a post on the full range, but I have to tell you all how excited I am about the Nail Pure range of products. These products, much like Soigne Botanique, feature a wonderful 'free-from' formula with no chemical nasties and no animal derivatives. I've also been playing with a couple of the colour polishes from the range, so will report back very soon on how this formula compares to the other Nails Inc formulas. 

It's been lovely pampering my nails again recently, following a difficult phase. They seemed to just decide one day that they didn't want to grow and wanted to split at any given opportunity, so I'd just left them to it for a time. I'm definitely making up for lost time at the moment though! 

I hope you enjoyed looking through these shade selections - tell me your ultimate Autumn/Winter nail products in the comments. I'd love to hear your recommendations!

*Products gifted to me for consideration

**Affiliate link (but be assured that I bought this product and bloody love it - if I didn't I wouldn't be recommending it)

The Month In Manicures - July/August 2014

Hello beauty seekers! First off, apologies that the quality of the photos for this post may be slightly under par. I'm hurrying to try and schedule a couple of posts for while I'm away next week and this was a last minute addition with photos snapped on my phone. I haven't done a Month in Manicures post in AGES because my nails have been going through a bit of a difficult phase, but they've started to improve now so over the latter part of July and beginning of this month I've been painting them with pride once again. So this is a kind of mid-month edition. As always, these polishes are featured in chronological order with oldest first...

1) Nails Inc 'Sheraton Street'

You've all seen this one before on this blog and you know how much I adore it. It's my dream pale blue polish so, of course, it was my first choice when the time came to start painting my nails again after a little break. I got this as part of their In The Nude colour collection at the beginning of this year and I've been getting use out of all the shades, but this one is my secret favourite. 

2) Barry M Limited Edition Nail Paint (no shade name)

I have such a love/hate relationship with this polish. I picked it up as a freebie last summer as part of a Superdrug promotion and was instantly sold on the acidic, neon green. As beautiful as the shade is, it's a BUGGER to apply and stains quite badly, even with basecoat. For some reason though, I still can't resist it when the weather is as glorious as it has been recently. Neons are mandatory at this time of year!

3) Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine 'Dragonfruit'

I hardly ever go for pink on my nails. Not sure why, but it's just not my favourite shade to paint them any more. I think I spent so much time as a teenager painting my nails nothing but pink that I just went off it. However, I felt like something different last week and plumped for Dragonfruit, finished off with Barry M's new matte topcoat. 

4) Mavala 'Bamako'*

Another summer favourite from last year brings us bang up to date. Also a continuation of the summery green theme, but entirely different from the Barry M polish above. This shade is a deeper take on the aqua green polish trend (Barry M Greenberry and suchlike) and is almost earthy whilst retaining just the right amount of bright for summer. I've fallen in love with it all over again!

*****

It feels brilliant to be out of my nail-painting slump! My nails are such that they stay long and strong and gorgeous for so long, then after a period they all seem to break at the same time and go through a sad phase. I think I'm over the worst now and praying they will be back in all their former glory in time for Autumn so that I can bust out all of my berry and neutral shades once more. 

What colours are you wearing on your nails lately??

My Month in Manicures: Dec 2013

Well first of all.... HAPPY NEW YEAR MY LOVELIES!

Sadly, I've had to skip the last of the Christmas postings I wanted to do last week as I just had ZERO time to whip out my camera and photograph it all. I had a wonderful Christmas and was able to catch up with so many family and friends and that ended up taking priority. I thought I'd kick off 2014 with a round up of December's Month in Manicures. In fact, the first several posts of this year will be dedicated to my nails, with another special Nails Inc post to follow tomorrow. 

Top Row L-R

Essie 'No More Film'

This was the manicure I received when I attended the Boutique Spa Christmas event at the end of November (post Here) and it lasted so well I didn't get round to removing it until a week or so into December! I must admit I forgot to check the name of the icy blue Essie glitter polish which is on top of the base shade (if anyone recognises it please let me know). Bad blogger! Anyhoo, this manicure really got me in the mood for Winter. 

Nails Inc 'Sheraton Street'

 Another event manicure! Aren't I getting looked after lately! Early on in December I went along to the Nails Inc SS14 Preview (lots to come on the blog about that in the coming weeks, I've so much to show you). For my manicure on the night I was going to go for a bright shade but then I spotted this shade on the manicurist and demanded I have the same. Regular readers of this blog will know that I have a MAJOR fetish for pale duck-egg blue nail polish and this shade is the most perfect I've found! It's even more beautiful in the flesh. You'll see more of this colour in tomorrow's post. 

Bottom Row L-R

Essie 'Sable Collar'

 You have NO idea how difficult it was to get a photograph of this shade which reflects its true beauty. In the end I had to use flash. This is one of the shades from my Essie Winter 2013 Mini Collection (post Here). It's a kind of deep cocoa/plum shade with a beautiful pearlescent sheen to it. In some lights it comes off as more brown than this but here the flash has brought out the plum. This manicure took me right up until Christmas Eve. It's testament to Seche Vite really that my manicures are lasting so well lately. I couldn't be without it!

Essie 'Toggle To The Top'

 I think I said it all in my previous Christmas NOTD post about this crushed garnet red polish but I couldn't not include it in this one too. Again, this lasted right through until New Year without chipping too badly. 

New Year's Eve Manicure!

Barry M Textured Nail Effects in 'Lady' 

I really love textured nail polishes and Barry M have recently added to their range to include a bit of sparkle as well as the pretty pastels. I first saw this polish on Gemma (of Flutter and Sparkle) on her Instagram and ran out the very same day to buy it. It looks just like crushed DIAMONDS! It's also pretty indestructible. For this picture I did three coats but two is usuallly plenty. In truth, I ballsed it up a bit and ended up putting the third on just to smooth it over. I only removed this polish last night but it could have lasted much longer. It's not actually a tough one to remove either, unlike other glitter polishes (Toggle To The Top was a nightmare). 

So that was how I rounded off my 2013 nail painting year. I can't wait to see what exciting new shades, effects and ranges 2014 will bring. I'll definitely be sharing my finds with you all, starting from tomorrow! 

What did you wear on your nails over this Festive season?? Do you go for SPARKLE at Christmas?? Did you go bonkers for Winter Collections too?? 

Barry M Matte Nail Paint

At risk of sounding like a stuck record here... I'm alive! I'm still here! I really need to put an end to all these big gaps between posts. I don't like it and, judging by the handful of unfollowers, you guys don't like it either. I promise it's not intentional. Moving house seems to have put my entire life back by a fortnight. Starting to get on top of it now, thankfully, so expect much more frequent posting from now on (I mean it this time, this is ridiculous). 

Due to the moving house and several broken nails in the last few weeks, October's 'Month in Manicures' post was a non starter. My nails have gone unloved while I got everything in order. BUT October was the month that I discovered Barry M's new Matte Nail Paints! 

(L-R Caramel, Espresso, Vanilla)

I've been saying it and saying it for a long time now. Barry M was just SCREAMING for a range of Matte nail polishes. My patient waiting has paid off because they have finally come up trumps with a range of Matte shades that are just bang on for Autumn/Winter. A couple of the shades in the range were just too similar to others I already own so I gave those a miss but I picked up 3 of the shades. Caramel, Espresso and Vanilla. 

There's just something about a matte, black nail polish that really gets me going. I'm not a massive fan of black nail polish in general and it's a colour I rarely wear but I'm obsessed with this one. It's just so rock chick it's not even funny! 

In hindsight, the Vanilla shade is extremely similar to my Essie Playa Del Platinum, but I'm thrilled to have a matte version!

(I'm sorry for the bad lighting photograph below. Had to pinch it from my Instagram)

Caramac nails anyone?? 

I've actually been really impressed with these polishes! I tend to steer clear of the regular Barry M Nail Paint formula as I find a lot of the shades to be a bit wishy washy and prone to chipping. Most of the Barry M polishes I currently own are the textured and confetti varieties and, of course, the Gelly Hi-Shine range (nothing not to love about those). 

I had to get over my compulsion to use a topcoat but these matte polishes go on very easily and are opaque after 2 coats. Drying time is pretty minimal too considering I wasn't allowed to use my Seche Vite to help me along. The finish really is lovely. One little grumble is that, after a couple of days of wear they start to look a little shiny and require an extra coat to maintain the true matte finish (see the Vanilla picture and you'll see what I mean). Other than that I found they lasted impressively, without chipping. I hope Barry M will release more shades in this range when the Spring/Summer season comes along. I will definitely be purchasing if they do!

Barry M Matte Nail Paint is available in 5 Shades and retails for £3.99

You can grab them in your local Boots or Superdrug!

Did you run out and buy these?? Do you love matte nails?? Which of the Barry M ranges is your favourite??

My Top 5: Summer Nail Colours

 God I've missed you lot! I vowed that I would not complain about this GLORIOUS hot weather we're having lately but MAN does this sticky kind of heat zap my brain! As an ME sufferer my body and brain become so sluggish when the weather gets like this and I just haven't managed to get my brain in gear to write anything for the last week and a half . Seems every blog post I write recently has begun with an excuse for my absence. Not good at all. However, I am here TODAY to show you a handful of nail polishes that I have been loving the most so far this Summer. I've been wearing all kinds of colours recently but these 5 seem to be my most loved of the season so I thought I'd tell you WHY I love each one. Featured in no particular order....

 I just seem to have developed a thing for blue nails this season. It's odd because, of all the colours, blue has always tended to be my least favourite. I suspect it may be the influence of a certain Mrs Kidston and her pastels that inspired this particular purchase. I've been looking for the perfect pastel blue shade and I think this Bourjois offering might just be it. It's just the loveliest powdery baby blue. The So Laque Glossy formula is a pleasure to apply and lasts really well with a good dollop of Seche Vite on top. I need a durable polish in my line of work and this polish takes my bar cleaning duties in its stride!

Had to get a bright one in there!! Nails Inc are my Holy Grail of polish brands and I have a major sweet spot for their products. I just really really respect their constant ability to innovate and be ahead of the game, coming out with new and different shades and textures with every passing season. Their Neons range (out of which I also own Kensington Park Road) had me suckered in immediately for the Summer months and Notting Hill Gate has quickly become my go-to Summer pink. It's like a bright, neon raspberry shade that sets off a tan perfectly. 

I couldn't not feature the Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine range in this post because I'm really LOVING them lately. I own 4 of the shades but I think Greenberry is most definitely my favourite out of the bunch. I own quite a few minty green/blue shades but this one just POPS out that little bit more and is much more fun for sunshiney days. I'm not always a fan of Barry M polishes and have had hits and misses with them over the years but the formula of the Gelly polishes really is fantastic and gives an opaque glossy finish even after just one coat. They also last longer than the regular Barry M Nail Paint which is a big bonus for me. 

OPI, for me, has taken a major back seat since I discovered my infatuation with Nails Inc, but there are a couple of their shades that my collection would be nothing without. One of those shades is Steady as She Rose from their Pirates of the Caribbean collection a couple of years back. I just think it's a really unique kind of pale, dusky pink/grey. The only other polish I have that is similar is Essie Fiji (which nearly made the cut for this post) but I love that it's so cool in tone and can look really rosy in some lights and more muted and grey in others. Plus anything with a pirate theme is a winner in my book!

I'm actually a little surprised that this polish has made it into my Top 5! I remember stating implicitly that I preferred the Nails Inc Concrete effect polishes to the Barry M Texture range. However, I find myself reaching for this way more often than I thought I would. I have other peachy polishes in my collection but I like this one for the gritty, matte finish and BOY does it last ages!! Peach shades are my ultimate Summer shades (same with my blush and lipstick choices) and I find they really compliment my skin tone. They also really bring out a tan. 

So those are my Top 5 Summer nail shades. These are not the ONLY polishes I will be reaching for this Summer by any means. I've also been LOVING the Mavala Chilli and Spice Collection (Blog post Here) and my Nails Inc Feather polishes (Blog post Here). I just thought I'd chatter on a bit about why I choose the shades I do when the sun comes out to play and what works best for me. 

Hope you're all enjoying the Sunshine!!

What are your favourite Summer shades?? Do you favour a particular brand of polish??

Monday Manicure: Sweeter With Sprinkles

Haven't done a Monday Mani post in FOREVER! Since I finished my University course and stopped getting the train to Derbyshire every Sunday (which became a regular nail painting occasion), my Manicures have started happening on other days of the week instead. This week, it just so happens that I have acquired a few new nail polishes in the last week during an unscheduled dash to Superdrug to buy conditioner.... It just kinda happened, okay? Soooooo I thought I'd showcase two of them at once and kick-start the Monday nail fun once again....

The two polishes I've used today are both Barry M creations. The base colour being their Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in Dragonfruit and the candy-sprinkle top layer being their newly released Confetti Nail Effects in Sour Apple. I'm a huge fan of the Gelly range and have picked up at least 4 of the polishes so far. I just love how glossy and opaque they are, even after a single coat. The Confetti Nail Effects intrigued me in the same way as their Textured polishes did: I basically wanted to see if they lived up to the Nails Inc Feather versions (my post on these can be found Here). Barry M were also offering a free LE Neon polish with a £6 spend so I had to pick up a couple just for that!

It just so happens that these two polishes work PERFECTLY together! Here I've done two coats of Dragonfruit followed by a single coating of Sour Apple. I really like the proportion of confetti to polish here. One coat gave a good amount of confetti without the need to fill in too many gaps, nor did it obscure the base shade. I find the Nails Inc Feather polish to be more dense. Sour Apple is pretty much a dupe of Nails Inc Brighton (also teal and yellow) but Barry M have included a beautiful gold shimmer version which is pretty unique to switch it up a bit. I'd definitely recommend these as a budget option for those who couldn't justify the Nails Inc versions. 

I love this effect! Very Summery and looks just like candy! You can pick up both of these polishes from your regular Barry M stockist for £3.99 each.

Do you love Candy colours for Summer?? What nail effects are you loving this season?? Did you pick up any of the new Confetti Nail Effects??

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint: It's Love!

Morning ladies!

I know I'm not the only one to be harping on about these particular polishes lately, and I'm not one for jumping on bandwagons unless I REALLY feel like I have to, but I've been enjoying these Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint shades so much recently and I really wanted to share the colours with you and give you my thoughts on the range. I'm not a massive fan of the regular Nail Paint but I've really been embracing these ones and have been very impressed. 

As you can see, the shades I have are...

GNP5 - Blueberry

GNP6 - Prickly Pear

GNP12 - Greenberry

There are a total of 13 shades in the range, so I have yet to even scratch the surface, but these were the ones that most appealed to me from first discovering the range and I'm sure I'll catch up eventually. I seem to be picking them at a rate of 1 per train commute to University as I just can't resist the Boots store in London St Pancras. 

Greenberry is just that little bit brighter than any other minty green shade I have in my collection (and I have about 7) which makes it a bit special in my opinion. This shade was all over my Instagram and I just fell in love with it immediately. I find it slightly gloopier and harder work to apply than the other 2 shades I have from the range, but I'm not sure if that's just because I got a dodgy one or whether the formula really does differ from polish to polish. 

Prickly Pear (bit of an odd name for a pale, greyish Lilac shade in my opinion) is so pretty. It's the palest out of the 3 and takes a little more building up than the others, which I could probably get away with a single coat of if I was in a hurry. This one definitely requires a second coat, but I usually always do a second coat anyways so it's not a massive issue. 

Blueberry was the first shade I bought from the range and I love it. For some reason I've been hankering after blue nails a lot recently and there are several other blues on my list. It's a lot brighter on the nails than it appears in the bottle in my opinion, particularly in natural light. I did a Monday Manicure post with it not long ago (Link) and teamed it with the Denim Nail Paint as an accent. 

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint costs £3.99 for a 10ml bottle which is a great price. I find the polishes to be extremely glossy AND long wearing (which is something I haven't always associated with Barry M polishes). I do tend to add a top coat just to protect it that little bit more, but the swatches above were done using 2 coats of Gelly only. 

I'm sure you all know where you can purchase these polishes by now (Boots, Superdrug, yadda yadda yadda...) but if you want more info on the polishes, mail order and to see the full range of shades, do check out barrym.com.

Are you loving Barry M polishes lately?? Which shades are your favourite?? What colours will you be wearing on your nails for Spring/Summer?? 

Product Showdown: Textured Nail Polish

I haven't done a good ol' product showdown in quite a while. However, with the recent popularity of the Nails Inc Concrete effect polishes, spawned a host of drugstore brand dupes sooooo of course my curiosity got the better of me and i just had to investigate just to see if they really could live up to a heavyweight brand such as Nails Inc. 

So here are the contenders.....

Barry M Textured Nail Paint in 'Kingsland Road' RRP £3.99

Vs

Nails Inc Concrete in 'London Wall' RRP £12

First Impressions

On the surface of it all i'd lean immediately towards Nails Inc. This has mainly to do with the fact that i have a MAJOR soft spot for the brand and have great respect for their consistent dedication to developing innovative and new products and i always seem to love EVERYTHING they bring out. It also has to do with the fact that i find the range of shades they have more appropriate to the nature of the product. Personally, i prefer a 'concrete' effect polish to be more of a stone tone (although Nails Inc did also bring out a bright blue, red and lime green in the range) rather than the uber-pale pastel shades Barry M have come up with (although with the new season creeping in i do see where they're coming from with that). I also think it stinks that Barry M have named the polishes with a blatant reference to Nails Inc's street/place name themes. Yeah, i'm fiercely loyal to Nails Inc, you get that. 

I'm going to go through each polish in turn and give my pros and cons in an attempt to crown one product the winner. Starting with....

Barry M 'Kingsland Road'

Pros

- Price: At £3.99 it is easily affordable and that means you could pick up several different colours for the same price as a single Nails Inc polish. 

- Long Lasting: Two coats of this polish on me lasted a whole week without any top coat (you don't use topcoat with textured polishes). It did come away a bit at the very tips but there was no major chipping. 

- Finish: It's more matte than the Nails Inc version (the concrete polish has a slight shine underneath the gritty particles) and i rather like it for that!

Cons

- Drying time: It took AGES (hence the slight nick on my middle fingernail). I put this down to the polish being quite wishy washy and thin. 

- Colour: Although the colours Barry M have brought out would be bang on for the Spring/Summer season, but just don't seem appropriate for the texture of the polish. The colour also didn't go fully opaque and seemed to fade over time.

- Texture: The gritty particles in the polish are much less apparent in the Barry M polish than the Nails Inc. I don't know whether they are smaller or just not as abundant in the polish but it took 2 coats to see any significant texture appearing.

Nails Inc 'London Wall'

Pros

- Texture: I find i get the same amount of texture from a single coat of this polish that i'd get with two coats of the Barry M version. It also seems more pronounced in the polish. This also means you save on polish, justifying the high pricetag a little more as you use less product per application. The photo below is just one coat compared to the Barry M photo which is two.

- Colours: Nails Inc brought out more murky stone tones in their range (London Wall and Barbican being my two favourites) and i find they suit the texture much better than the pretty pastels from Barry M, although this may just be my preference.

- Application: The polish is much sturdier than the Barry M version and dries faster with better opacity

Cons

- Price: At £12 you could buy 3 of the Barry M polishes and still have change from the price of this one. I do, however, believe that Nails Inc are worth the price but i know that not all (including myself) can afford to spend this much on a polish on a regular basis and may only purchase as an occasional treat. The Barry M versions are much more accessible.

- Application: I know i listed this as a Pro as well but i just thought i should point out that if you DO attempt two coats of this polish it often ends up looking uneven and thick in places and this affects the visibility of the texture. I also find that this polish chips quite quickly with multiple coats.

The Verdict??

In all honestly.... I think the evidence for both polishes is compelling and there isn't really much in it. I think there is a strong case in favour of each of these polishes. I suppose the major factor in this is price and personal preference, although i think i would still prefer the Nails Inc polishes even if it meant i could only have one or two instead of three or four. The kicker for me is the shades and the finish. I think Barry M would have done better to include more neutral, earthy tones in their selection rather than just pastels. I would suggest, however, that if you aren't the biggest fan of the Nails Inc Concrete, you should still consider Barry M as it gives a more subtle textured finish. I would actually REALLY like Barry M to do a range of matte Nail Paint (minus the texture) in these kinds of colours. Now THAT i would buy! As it is i don't think i'll be buying any more of the current textured shades. I'm much preferring their Gelly polishes. 

My Winner: Nails Inc Concrete 
(with Barry M as a very worthy opponent)

Do you love textured nail polishes?? Do you go for quality or quantity when it comes to nail polish?? Are you willing to pay the extra??

Monday Manicure #2

Monday Manicure time again lovelies!!

I'm actually really enjoying doing these nail posts so far. I've actually found myself dreaming up themes for them each week. The theme i'd planned for this week fell a bit flat when the mani smudged beyond all repair on my way off the train last night but i'm going to keep it on hold for next time and do this theme instead which is Blue Denim. Apologies that most of these photos were taken with flash. I've barely seen daylight for a couple of days due to travelling and uni. The colours look pretty true still so it's still an accurate representation....

I haven't featured anything from Barry M on this blog for a while but i was mooching around the Boots in St Pancras yesterday afternoon and thought i'd treat myself to a couple of new polishes. I've been hankering after blues lately for some reason so i went for...

Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in GNP5 - Blueberry

and

Nail Paint in 325 - Denim

I think the root of these choices lies firmly with the fact that i'm currently lusting over the forthcoming Nails Inc textured Denim polish. The Barry M version doesn't have a texture but the effect is still very pleasing and does look a lot like denim! And i've heard good things about the Gelly polishes so was keen to give them a go!

So i only used the Denim polish as an accent nail but i actually think it's my favourite out of the two!! It looks quite a bit glossier in these photos than it appears in real life as i put a coat of Seche Vite over the top of it for it to match the Gelly polish. The real finish of the polish isn't quite matte but isn't overly shiny either. It has VERY tiny particles of glitter in it but these do not really translate as glitter once its dried on the nails. I don't really know how to explain it. It gives the effect of texture without there actually being any. Not gonna lie, i'm still gonna pounce on the Nails Inc Denim polish when it comes out, but i think this is a great substitute if you can't justify the pricetag. 

Managed to quickly snap a single daylight photo on my iphone before the light died this afternoon at Uni. The Gelly polish DOES give a very glossy finish. As i said before, i used Seche Vite as a topcoat and this amplified it slightly but the polish on its own is still lovely and glossy. I'm not sure how long it will last on my nails though. I've never been too impressed with the longevity of Barry M polishes in the past, BUT i suspect that was more to do with my old job. I've had this on all day today and it hasn't budged yet! 

Do you rate Barry M for affordable nails?? Which of their polishes are your favourites?? Which effect polish do i need to try next??

June Favourites

Hi Girlies!

Just put together a few things that I have been LOVING over the last month. I had really hoped to be able to do my first youtube video to tell you about them but it has become VERY clear that my webcam is NOT up to the job. Neither is my regular camera. So it's piccies galore and a little tour through my picks of what has been making me feel FABULOUS this month.

First Up....

Face

- Vie One-Step Face Base in Honey: I can't begin to TELL you how handy this is! It isn't my main foundation (we'll get to that in a sec) but I carry it with me ALWAYS just to pat on when i get a bit shiny. It's a powder/foundation in one and just gives that little bit MORE than a regular powder. Total time and handbag-space saver. You can see from how much of the pan is on show how much i have used it! It's been especially useful on my oily nose while the weather has been so close and muggy lately!

- Max Factor Xperience Foundation in 75 Brown Hessian: I did a Review not so long ago about this foundation and have been so impressed with it. It feels LOVELY on the skin and covers very well. Totally oil-free which is great news for my nasty t-zone. Very natural finish and lasted so well!! I use this every day now when i put my face on in a morning.The colour is a perfect match for me too which has taken AGES to find. Love it.

- BeneFit Realness of Concealness Mini Fake-It Kit: I bought this from a blog sale as it seemed perfect for me to try each of the products in it. I thought i'd only really end up using one or two things in it but i've ended up liking everything in it for different reasons. It's also so handy for carrying around to patch my face up when needed. I have been particularly impressed with the Boi-ing concealer and the Ooh-La-Lift for under my eyes and the Lemon-Aid provides a really good eyeshadow base while eliminating any redness. Great buy and i will definitely be repurchasing most of the products in it.

To add colour to my face i seem to have been reaching for the same two products this month. These are....

- BeneFit Coralista Blush: Words cannot express my love for this blush! It's been my best friend ever since i got it. And while Boots 17 blush in First Kiss deserves a mention too (as i have been reaching for this a lot also) it has been my go-to blush for almost any occasion this month. It's just the perfect Coral shade. Not too intense but still gives a gorgeous colour and the sheen on it is AMAZING. Perfect summer blush! Read my post and see the swatch HERE!

- Bourjois Delice de Poudre 'Chocolate' Bronzer: Love love LOVE this product! It's such a gorgeous shade with little shimmers of gold running through it (although it looks pretty matte in the pan) and I've found it perfect for both contouring AND adding colour on my cheeks/temples/anywhere you want a bit of glow. It smells DELICIOUS like chocolate and a little REALLY does go a long way. I've used this nearly every day since i got it and, as you can see on the piccie it's barely scratched the surface.

Eyes

- Sleek Monaco iDivine Palette: I was so looking forward to receiving this and i just HAD to feature it as a favourite for this month because (although i wasn't sure if i would reach for it on a day to day basis) I have been using a few of these colours quite a lot! Bamboo and Sandwalker (the two neutral browns) have been great for a day to day nude look and I've loved Sunset and Washed ashore (the two goldy ones on the top row). The other more Vibrant shades have been reserved for nights out (of which i don't get many these days due to illness) but I loved experimenting with them. So I thought this was TOTALLY worth June-Fave status. See my post and swatches on the Sleek Med Collection HERE!

- Maybelline One-By-One Mascara: Not much needs to be said here but I am a big fan of Maybelline mascaras and this is the one i am currently using. It's actually the ONLY mascara I own at the moment but i usually have a couple on the go. Great colour, no clumps and it gets to all of my lashes so top marks there. My lashes are quite thick anyway but this gives them a lovely boost with no need for falsies.

- MUA Pearl Shadow in Shade 11: I purchased two MUA shadows as part of my little lottery win splurge at the start of the month. Wasn't sure what to expect for just £1 but I LOVE the consistency of these shadows. They are so lovely and buttery and so easy to apply and I was particularly taken with this colour. It's a gorgeous, deep, purple-based brown with a pretty metallic sheen. I've decided that i NEED to invest in at least one of the new pro-range palettes. Heaven and Earth has particularly caught my eye. 

Lips

Here's the lip products i have loved the most this month....

- Barry M Lip Paint in 147: Hmmmmm, although I'm featuring this as a June favourite it's NOT one of my general favourite products. This is featuring purely because of the COLOUR and nothing else. This lipstick is sooooo drying to my lips and feels HORRIBLE on but I REALLY like the shade. It's just a lovely peachy shade that is so pretty, yet suitable for every day wear. I've been piling on the Vaseline while using this to keep my lips from feeling like sandpaper. If anyone knows a dupe for this please let me know.

- MAC Morange (Amplified): I've been shouting from the rooftops about how pleased I have been with Morange ever since i got it. I was so scared of it to start with but now i absolutely ADORE it! I haven't had too much opportunity to wear it but I'm so chuffed with it and it was my FIRST choice when compiling my June faves. Read my post on it HERE!

- BeneFit PosieTint: There seems to be a lot of BeneFit emerging in this post. Maybe because the products i've chosen are so damn WEARABLE for summer and are very versatile for day/night etc. On the cheeks this does nothing for me whatsoever but gives a lovely colour to my lips and it lasts AGES so really good for giving a lovely hint of colour for my day at work. I can't WAIT to get my hands on Cha Cha Tint. 

Body/Fragrance

- Vaseline Cocoa Butter:  Lovely product, lovely scent, lovely price. I love the BodyShop Body Butters but at a tenner each (and they're all the way over in Chesterfield which means 50mins of agony on a bus) they just aren't worth it for me. This i can pick up from my local Boots and is great value as you get a lovely big tub. That is all.

- Lush Dream Cream:  I received this for FREE with a Lush order I did last month. Totally wasn't expecting to receive it but i really have been enjoying it. It's lovely lavender scent has really helped me wind down at night (I have disturbed sleep patterns due to my ME/CFS) and a layer of this before bedtime just helps a little. AND it leaves my skin lovely and soft.

- Diesel Fuel For Life: This perfume just SCREAMS summer to me. Maybe it's because the first time i ever tried it was back when i was living in Tenerife and it reminds me of sunshine and sangria and just generally having an AMAZING time. The memories it brings back are enough by themselves to qualify it for this month's favourites. It makes me soooo HOMESICK! 

So those were my FAVOURITE bits n bobs for the month of June. Admittedly I've featured more than i intended to for one month but I just didn't feel any of these things deserved to be left out. 

What are YOUR June Favourites?? 

Experiments in Blush

I never used to wear blushers. I very rarely had one in my make-up bag and if i did it was part of a free gift or a set that i had received as a gift. I've always automatically gone for bronzers over blushers and i've probably tried most of the more affordable brands of bronzers in my make-up buying past. 

Just lately, probably not long before i started this blog if i'm perfectly honest, I've had a growing interest in blushers. Not sure what changed really. I think it's been mostly to do with me being so ill and feeling washed out that I've had the desire for more colour on my face. Whatever the reason, I've suddenly gone from zero blushers in my bag to having 5!! And there is a burning desire for MORE!! 

Thought I'd do this post to tell you about my recent blush buys and which have worked for me and which have been pushed to the back of the pile. To be honest I haven't really bought one that i REALLY didn't like, for whatever reason, but there are definite favourites emerging.

 None of the blushes i own, bar one, are high end brands. All have been purchased from either Boots or Superdrug and have cost between £3-5. Once I am receiving treatment that works well enough for me to do more hours at work i hope to have a better budget with which to splurge on all the gorgeous things i read about and drool over in other's blogs and in magazines, but until then i am experimenting with what is available.

The first blush i bought was Barry M in shade no3 (Strawberry), which is a really nice shade that's not too pinky, not too peachy... in fact it's quite RED really but it seemed 'in-between' enough for a first purchase. It doesn't have any shimmer to it, which i quite like about it. I'm a Barry M FREAK so that was, naturally, the first place i was going to look as I've never had anything of theirs that i didn't like or LOVE.


Their blushers are quite a recent addition and, as you'd expect they are HIGHLY pigmented. The colours look intense in the pan and i thought maybe I'd been too ambitious for a first purchase. But it swatched nice and blends VERY well for a more subtle look (although you can layer it up as much as you dare) and I'm wearing it in my 'About Me' pic. I didn't like the brush it came with - It just seemed too small and flimsy and i like a big fat brush on my cheeks (if anyone can recommend a good brush I'd love to hear. The one i have is on it's last legs haha). I've used this one mainly for evening wear , which is why i haven't really reached for it often as nights out are rare at the moment.

BarryM Swatched... WHOA!!

Sleek Coral - Look who put their fingernail in it when they tried to open it 


 The next one i tried was a Sleek blush in Coral. I'd heard great things about Sleek blush from my good friend Natalie @ pixielashes.com and when I'd asked her about blush she had suggested these to me straight away. I can see why she did because they are GREAT for the price and some lovely colours and the packaging is very dinky and cute. Very well milled and easy to apply. Not as in your face in the pan as the Barry M and when i tried it for the first time i REALLY liked it. It's a much more subtle swatch too but, again you can build it up for a really pretty coral and it has a lovely sheen to it which you will see from the swatch. This has turned into a daytime staple for me and it is this one, along with one other that i reach for most often.

Sleek Swatched

 The next two were purchased together because the very lovely Adrienne of Adrienne Adores advised me so well. Well, actually she was consoling me more than anything because I was grieving for a NARS Orgasm i'd lost out on in a blog sale. She mentioned that she'd found some FANTASTIC 17 dupes: First Kiss for NARS Orgasm and First Flush for MAC Bite on an Apple. When i got into Boots i couldn't resist getting both. Unfortunately I do not (YET) own the real McCoy but you can see how they compare in Adrienne's post which can be found HERE!!

(L-R) Boots 17: First Kiss and First Flush

It is 17 First Kiss that is the other i have been reaching for most often, along with the Sleek. It is such a lovely pink with a  LITTLE hint of shimmer (but not too much, I'm not a massive shimmer freak if I'm honest). First Flush I have, like Barry M, been saving for evenings as it's much more intense pink. Both swatch REALLY well and are very soft and easy to apply as well as being long wearing (i didn't have to reapply through the day) They also blend like an absolute DREAM! I love love LOVE them! Not bad for £3.49 a piece from Boots!! I think these will be in my make-up bag for some time to come.

(L-R) First Kiss and First Flush swatches.

NARS Penny Lane

My ONLY disappointment just happens to be the ONLY high-end blush i own, which is NARS Penny Lane, which they describe as a 'Nude Pink'. I was excited to try this one as it's the first cream blush I've owned. Although I needn't have worried about the application (the texture is nice and it went on fine when i patted it on with my finger), the colour is almost INVISIBLE on me!! It's almost LIGHTER than the foundation i use. I have a pretty medium skin tone, certainly not dark but not pale at all, but I can imagine you having to have a pretty darn PALE skin for this to come up with any colour. Nude is one thing but non-existant is another. The only thing i have found it is useful for is as a base for First Kiss or other blush. It has a nice little sheen on it but that is the only effect it has on my skin AT ALL, no matter how much i build it up. When i swatched it just now for this post i did admire the little shimmer it had. Maybe i can use it to highlight rather than for colour. 

Penny Lane HEAVILY swatched.

So those are my 5 of the moment. I'm sure it won't stick at 5. I have my eye on a couple of ELF blushes as well as NARS Deep Throat, which is my ultimate blush LUST! I have reasoned with myself that, because I have First Kiss, it doesn't matter if i can't have Orgasm just yet so i am setting my sights FIRMLY on DT. Peach is a shade i do not have yet and this looks to be a gorgeous peachy pink and everyone seems to RAVE about it. I'm also keen to try more orangy, apricot or terracotta toned blushes. But there's plenty of time and blog space for that, isn't there. I don't HAVE to have them all NOW, do i?? Although it would be nice ;)

Apologies for my photography in this post. I'm still learning and today has been the most MISERABLE, gloomy day EVER. Just so happens that the sun JUST peered out.... TYPICAL!!

Are there any other MUST HAVE blushes that I should try? What did you think of Penny Lane? Let me know your thoughts...

xoxo