Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Polish in Chai

With my recent splurge in Barry M this is my latest nail polish. I've written about many different polishes from the Gelly Hi Shine range including Lychee and Coconut.

Chai is a beautiful mid grey colour and perfect alternative to a classic nude.

It's one of those colours that can look a bit boring but I think it's a really good alternative to black or nude and I've been wearing it a lot. It's good for work and the weekend and the Hi Shine finish makes it super glossy.

So on the nails what does it look like - super shiny polish that resists chips for a whole 5 days minimum. I swapped out the colour at this point as I'm a fickle individual but the colour was really good and a great change from my usual blush nudes.

These photos were taken with two coats of polish so the opacity and finish is pretty good.

What do you think of the Gelly Hi Shine range? Have you got a favourite colour?

Do you rate the shiny finish?

L xxx

NOTD: Barry M Speedy Quick Dry Nail Polish - Pit Stop

Hi there!

It has been a long time since I bought a nail polish - mostly I've bought so many that even with new colours coming out I've always got something similar. 

Lately though the '2 for £7' deal in Boots got me good, I've always wanted to try more of the Gelly Hi Shine range and the Speedy Quick Dry was another range that caught my eye.

I've been wearing lots of nudes the last few months and that doesn't seem set to change, it makes it so much easier at work and I think they look chic whatever you're wearing - also there's a massive range available!

This shade is called Pit Stop - it's a light grey colour that I don't have so far in my vast collection, surprisingly, and I couldn't leave it behind.

I love the Speedy Quick lids - the racing checkerboard lid is very clever and I love that they translated this into the names of the polishes too. There are others called Full Throttle and Lap of Honour, and Eat My Dust is a gorgeous coral (can never ignore the corals!)

So how does it look on?

This is with 2 coats applied plus top coat.

I can't decide if this polish was too thick, it is quite thick which i normally like - with my average application skills thicker polish is easier to control and as long as it's done slowly it can work fine.

However you can see from the picture above that on my index finger nail there is a little patch where it goes thinner. This may just be my shoddy techniques at application but it's a little annoying.

That said though, it is a great colour and perfect for me for work. I really like it.

It will definitely get a lot of use from me, particularly due to its fast drying capabilities.

This did dry a little bit faster than a normal polish, though i didn't think there was too much difference. Any decrease on drying time is extremely preferable though and I did seem to be able to get base, 2 coats and then top coat done in a quick pace.

Have you tried the Speedy Quick range? Do you live wearing nude polishes like me?

I saved metallics and pinks for the weekends!

L xxx

Essie: Vested Interest

Hello!

Here's the second in my Essie Winter Collection posts. I have previously written about Cashmere Bathrobe which is a gorgeous shimmery grey and will be getting a lot of use from me. 

I haven't managed to pick up any more of the collection yet as they seem to have sold out everywhere but I did pick up Vested Interest at the same time as Cashmere Bathrobe.

This is Vested Interest, a grey green colour:

Essie say:

'Stock up on the classics. This tweedy, woolen cool gray teal nail lacquer has sartorial style all buttoned up.'

I say this colour is completely different to anything I've ever owned and I wasn't sure about it.
But I love these kinds of colours for winter and as I wear lots of black and grey, this is a nice addition to my nail polish wardrobe for a subtle addition of colour.

Granted it's not a bright colour but for work colours like this are so easy to wear, both this and Cashmere Bathrobe have proved to be great staples and alternatives to the more commonly used reds and blacks of winter.



The polish applied easily thanks to the Essie brushes being so good, and only needed 2 coats for opacity.
When the top coat was applied you can see how shiny and pretty the colour becomes, it looks perfect!



These photos show the polish with flash above and without below, the colour is quite true and there's not a lot of difference between the two.




This colour was a surprise for me as I've absolutely loved it!

I've been desperate to get my hands on the blue and red from the collection, After School Boy Blazer and Twin Sweater Set but it seems it's not meant to be so far.
I've been trying a number of times on the Boot website without any luck, it's infuriating trying to load a page that constantly says 'generic error' and it happens every time I try to find something on there.

It's really put me off trying to use the Boots website at all, how useless!

One day I will get these Essie polishes...

Which Essie product is your favourite? Which of the collection will you be picking up?

L xxx