Probably the most exciting thing about leaving my old job is that I can now wear nail polish wherever and whenever I want! It's the small things in life that make me the happiest. So with this in mind, I popped into Boots (gotta love that place and advantage points!) last week and picked up two lovely new little nail varnishes. I very much wanted to get some Essie polishes, but couldn't quite bring myself to part with the cash, so instead picked up these two little beauties instead from Barry M, a long time favourite for all things nail. So cheap and so good, you really can't go wrong. The only niggle I have is I remember before they never lasted very long, but I have a feeling that's down to my inability to have the patience to actually apply base coat and top coat.
Probably my favourite thing about Barry M is the sheer range of nail polish they have, from yer basic colours, through to mattes, gel effect, silk, textured, metallic...you name it, Barry M have it which, combined with the price, makes them an excellent pocket friendly choice to test out new shades/new effects before parting with your precious pennies to invest in a slightly more expensive brand, such as Essie, Nails Inc, or any other high end range. I picked up a matte shade and a silk shade, and I decided this time to go for shades I wouldn't usually go for, I tend to stick to pinks/blues/reds.
Barry M Matte Nail Paint (£3.99 - Boots): I picked this matte nail paint up in the shade Vanilla, which is a pretty purply grey colour, and is quite nude on the nail, an easy shade to wear with pretty much any outfit. The nail paint is easy to apply, and quick drying. I think after painting three nails, the first one I had painted was dry! Excellent work Barry M science people. The matte shade is very matte, not even a hint of gloss, and I found that one coat is opaque enough for everyday wear, though of course two coats will give more colour. Again, I didn't bother with top coat or base coat because it was just too much effort at the time, and the polish lasted three days before it started chipping, which is pretty good. I don't think this matte shade would work with a normal top coat, I think you would have to invest in a matte top coat (which handily Barry M do sell), but otherwise I very much love this polish and, applied properly, reckon it would last for a good week.
Barry M Silk Collection Nail Paint (£3.99 - Boots): This is the one I was most excited to try out, and the one I am wearing on my horrific nails right now. I picked up the shade Truffle, which has come out browner on the swatch than it is in real life, it's a greyish/hint of brown colour? It's really hard to describe, but it is really pretty. On the Boots website it is describe as a matte sheen, which seems contradictory? Anyway, the first coat was very matte with just a little hint of a sheen, but the second coat is definitely more sheeny than matte, the teeny tiny glitter flecks do reflect the light and it really does remind me of a silky material. It feels very luxurious on the nail and I'm excited to try more colours in the range. I don't know how long this will last, I only just applied it today but I am very much in love. My only niggle with this one would be the brush applicator, which is just a little bendy and could leave a streaky finish if you weren't uber careful when applying the colour. Beautiful, lovely, affordable colour.
What's your favourite nail polish? What colours/brands have you been lusting over recently? Let me know down in the comments!
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