Barry M Base Coat Top Coat and Nail Hardener

 

I've been meaning to blog about this for ages but I find that when a product is meh, it doesn't really inspire much writing. I remember promising in THIS post that I would write a review and a month later, it's only just materialising. This topcoat from Barry M is good as just that... a topcoat. It's when products start making bold claims that it all goes down hill. When speaking to a beautician recently, she told me that no product can really strengthen your nails. It may do so whilst you use the product but as soon as you stop using it, they'll return to their previous condition. Essentially it's all down to genetics and good eating habits (something you don't want to hear around the Christmas period!)

I don't hate this basecoat/topcoat. It really does add a shine to the nails, however it definitely doesn't strengthen or harden the nail. I can't say I wouldn't buy this again as it does do the job I want it to, just a shame that it doesn't live up to its bold claims of a nail hardener.

Have you tried any good basecoat/ topcoats? I want to try Seche Vite.

 

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Rimmel 60 Second nail polish Instyle Coral

 

How obvious is it that this post has sat in my drafts for a while? A completely unseasonal colour with lovely bright pictures which seem impossible to attain in winter. Does any other blogger have this problem? Go to take a product picture and suddenly realise it's after 4pm and all the light has gone? Not enjoying the nights drawing in to say the least!

Rant over, let's get onto the product! I picked this up on a whim in Superdrug as I'd been looking to expand my pastel nail polish collection. I thought this one was beautiful as it's a muted coral, not too orange. Standard opaque in two coats, you can see some of the ridges in my nail but they are really bad at the minute so I won't fault the polish on that.

 

It stayed flawless for a about three days before chipping started. This is pretty standard on my nails (I think it's because they're in such bad condition, boo). The brush was a wide brush (my favourite), which I love as it coats the nail in one, maybe two swipes. I think the top coat worked really well to give them a lovely glossy finish though! A review will be coming on that soon separately on the nail hardening qualities (spoiler: it doesn't work).

Definitely recommend having a look at this polish if you're in Superdrug or Boots. £3.69 HERE. I'm always looking to expand my collection so recommendations are welcome! Have you got a favourite polish? This post has reminded me of this one and it will be the next one worn!

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Sinful Colors 24/7 nail polish

It pains me to see how pastel (ish) this colour is appearing in these photos! In reality, it is the most neon polish I have ever seen! I was attracted to the Sinful Colors stand again (see the first time HERE) as it had been re-stocked and there was a lot of choice. After a lot of um-ing and arr-ing (I'm talking 10 minutes here), I picked up this one which is 24/7. I think the name really suits it as it is SO bright.

Application wise, it goes on a tad streaky, as in you can see the brush strokes, no matter what you do. I tried thinner layers, more coats, it must just be the formulation (of this particular colour, not the brand as a whole). It's a matte polish which I never realised until application. Matte never appealed to me before as I always apply a top coat which it makes it shiny anyway. This wore for about two days until some serious chipping began and I'd again put this down to the formulation. It's just not good. It's such a shame as my other Sinful Colors polish was excellent. You get hit and misses in all brands though.

Saying that, I'd definitely wear this again purely for the amazing colour, just with it in mind that it will only last for a few days.

Have you tried any Sinful Colors polishes? What's your favourite polish?

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Avon Opal Top Coat nail polish

Two nails posts in a row! I'm becoming obsessed with the polish again!

The only way I can describe this is 'moon in a bottle'! Holographic mixed size chunks suspended in silvery polish? What's not to love? I ordered this from Avon as I thought it would look lovely over darker polishes for Autumn/Winter. It's very similar to the double ended polishes bought out by Revlon  a little while ago, the Moon Candy polishes.

As well as looking great over dark polishes, it also looks lovely over lighter ones. I tried it over Barry M Gelly in Satsuma, just as a accent nail and the add of shimmer really gave it an edge.

Application wise, however it's not great. I painted it over nails I'd let dry for a whole day and it still managed to smudge them. Also with the chunks being so large, it's hard to get an even amount on each nail and they don't tend to lay flat, meaning your nails aren't smooth. If you have the time to dab on the chunks and play around with it though, it's definitely worth it. Maybe I just need to work on my manicure skills!

Still available from Avon and currently half price- LINK

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Sinful Colors- Let's Talk

Hey!

I saw a brightly coloured stand in Boots and immediately drawn towards it. When I got in front of it, there were the most colourful nail polishes I have ever seen. Unfortunately there was a limited selection so I chose Let's Talk, a deep purple with a pearl finish. I've never seen a colour like it and couldn't wait to get it on my nails. Although opaque in one coat I always apply two out of habit. This lasted for about three to four days (the picture below was after four and as you can see only the edges had started to wear) without chipping and for a price tag of £1.99 you cannot go wrong!

Pick yours up HERE or in a Boots store

What's your favourite polish or brand? Do you have a similar colour?

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Miss Sporty Its Not My Name nail polish review

Hey!

With summer and my holiday soon approaching, my desire for a neon polish in my collection became too much. I went on the search for a neon pink as I thought this would look great with my skin tone, especially with a tan.

I saw a lot of nail polishes that claimed to be neon but they just weren't bright enough for me. Finally I found this gorgeous pink with blue undertones and a sheen finish. This is Miss Sporty's It's Not My Name, I picked it up from my local Superdrug for an amazing £1.99. It's the best neon polish I've seen and was opaque in two coats.

I've heard that neons look best with white underneath so the first time I put this colour on, I did this. I did find it popped more with the white underneath, however I was left with small white parts showing through near the edge of my nail. This looked messy. This is probably due to my bad nail polish application but I took this off and re did them for the above photos. I still think this polish looks quite bright without the white so I'm still super happy!

I'm not sure about the wear of this as I put it on today but if its like other Miss Sporty nail varnishes, they usually wear after about 4 days which is absolutely great for under £2!

Have you tried these polishes? What do you think?

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Gelly Hi- Shine Nail Paint By Barry M

Hey!

If there's is a beauty blogger that hasn't got a blog post about these nail paints, I'd be surprised! These paints have been spoken about for quite a while now so I thought I'd give my take on them.

I actually got the two of these Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paints, for Christmas. I've turned into a bit of a nail fanatic and these got me super excited. These paints are designed to provide an extra glossy finish, mimicking the look of gel nails.

Left: Pomegranate Right: Satsuma

I've got to admit I tried these polishes soon after I got them and hadn't given them a second look until I saw a few more blog posts on them. When I tried them the first time, I found them too gloopy to handle, they stained my nails, were hard to take off. I was not impressed to say the least.

However seeing all these posts who were screaming their praises, I thought Id give them a chance to redeem themselves and by gosh, they have. This time I used a base coat to stop the staining, I could actually handle the gloopiness and the intended gel finish worked! I'm not sure if you can tell in the above picture, but I was really happy with the outcome.

As the name says, they're hi shine so no need for a top coat (I would advise no scrimping on the base coat though) which I love, easier the better! Apply one coat for an opaque hi shine colour, two for the gel coat finish. They retail at £3.99 which I think is so affordable for what you're getting and the colour range is good as well, after recently releasing some pastel colours.

I'm just sorry for the couple of months I spent not using these polishes!

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NYC Nail Polish Review

Hey!

With Spring coming in, I've been looking at some new shades of nail polish colours to fuel my addiction! It seems that pastel colours are going to be in which I really love!

I was on the hunt for a mint, a baby pink and a lilac to add to my collection. I found NYC's Expert Last Nail Polish in Mint Macaroon and instantly fell in love with it. Mint macaroon is exactly as its described a lovely pastel green. Its got no shimmer or any of that jazz but I liked that it looks very glossy and opaque after about 3 coats. At first I put two on which would be sufficient but I added a third to get the flawless and glossy look. It also dried quickly which I always like in a nail varnish.

I've only just put it on but if it's anything like other NYC nail varnishes then it should stay on quite well. Before this colour I had on NYC's In a New York Minute in Lincoln Square Lavender and that stayed on really well, taking at least a week before my nails even began to chip.

I've included a picture of it on my nails above. I apologise for the bad quality. However I'd highly recommend this nail varnish!

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