Barry M Nail Polish - Mini Reviews!

Hey all!

If you follow us on Instagram (@thecsigirls) you will have seen my current obsession with Barry M nail products, I've been testing out many different colours and effects and here are a few mini reviews of a few I have used recently.

Review: Barry M Sunset Daylight Curing Nail Paint in Peach for the Stars

Hello there!

Today's post is a review of a nail polish, which is something that I rarely buy nowadays. Over the years I have built up quite a collection and have pretty much all of the nudes, corals and glitters that I could possibly want - and I rarely wear many other colours!

However every now and then I cannot resist picking up something that's a different colour or effect and this was the case with the Daylight Curing range from Barry M.

My nail varnish rarely lasts more than a few days because of work and although I tend to do them once a week it would be great if they could last the whole week without too much chipping, so the long lasting effects of the UV type polish sounded worthy of trying, and of course they had a coral colour that was right up my street!

So I picked up the Peach for the Stars and also the Do it Like a Nude as well as the very important top coat.

Basically these are to act as an at home kit to give salon quality high shine nails that would normally be created with a UV lamp but instead uses daylight and the topcoat for the same effect, also requiring no base coat.

I have been wearing this shade for the last few weeks and really like it, I've had so many compliments too. I've worn it to work, the gym and wedding celebrations and it has been an all round winner.

I've been impressed at how super shiny it is too, I always love shiny nails and wasn't really a fan of the matte trend. Aside from a few times when I dabbled I always find myself straight back to super shiny topcoat.

There are 16 shades in total plus the top coat, all costing £4.99 which is great value anyway but likely they are on offer as they so regularly are in Boots and Superdrug. There are some reds and darker shades which will be great for the winter months that I will probably look into getting soon too.

What do you think of the Daylight Curing range? Are you a fan of Barry M too?

I have many polishes from their collection and plan on adding many more too! I really don't see why you would pay any more than this price when Barry M have such great colours and finishes.

L xxx

NOTD Body Shop Mint Cream Colour Crush

Hey All

A while a go I was lucky enough to win a competition for some of the Body Shop Colour Crush Nail Colour. I've been loving trying them out and painting my nails to help me try to stop biting them as much. I never got around to grabbing Essie Mint Candy Apple when everyone was loving it last year and with the weather getting warmer I couldn't wait to try it out.

At only £5 a bottle they are reasonably priced and available online or in shops. The brush is a decent size and easy to paint with and so far all the polishes I've tried have a decent coverage with two coats without being two thick.

Mint Cream is a perfect mint pastel green with a great glossy finish. I love these type of shades for spring summer and I find pastel shades like this don't look too bad when my nails are short. 

If you've read the blog for sometime you'll know I rarely comment on wear, for me due to my job no polish lasts more than 48 hours unchipped. When I wore a lilac version from this range to a wedding recently I did get 5 days chip free.

I'm loving the colours in the range and price of these! It's definitely opened my eyes to The Body Shop as more than body butters and scrubs for me. Any product recommendations?

Love M

xxx

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Polish in Grapefruit

Hey there!

I've written a fair few posts about the Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paints recently having picked up multiple 3 for 2 deals - they are just that good!

Grapefruit is the latest colour that I've bought, I'm sure there will be more but I haven't picked up any yet.

Grapefruit is a super girly pink polish that should be in every girls collection - its perfect and will give the effect on your skin of having a tan which I would imagine that most people would want.
As I've mentioned before I'm super pale and barely see the sun however much I would love a real tan - this helps make me feel that my skin isn't too reflective and dazzling!



So application wise, the colour applies opaque in two coats and although I still wish the brush would be a bit wider to help a smoother application it hasn't stopped me from indulging in many more bottles!

You can see the super shiny finish that I love below:

For £3.99 you really can't go wrong with these polishes anyway but the colour range is what makes it. There's pretty much every colour you could hope for - I'm trying not to add to my collection but if I'm honest and I was starting out buying a few colours now I would steer clear of the more expensive ranges as Barry M have got you covered from all angles.

What's your favourite colour from the Gelly Hi Shine range?

Do you have a favourite finish from Barry M?

L xxx

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

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Polish in Coconut

Morning all!

I have fully been raiding Barry M's shelves recently, I love their range and the Gelly Hi Shine polishes just get better and better!

My latest purchase (1 of 3, naturally I cannot pick up just one) is the Coconut polish.






This one has already been raved about by many a blogger so I'm just adding in my appreciation to the mix. I really liked Lychee (post here) but sometimes with my super pale skin tone it did look a bit too toffee-ish, so this colour is the perfect option in those times. It's an off white colour on the nails and so obviously a lot lighter than my own skin colour making it appear to be darker than it actually is, kind of like a free tan if you like!

So how does it apply?

Much like the others the brush is thinner than I'd like, its so much easier to cover the nail when the brush is wider - minimal effort necessary! I put two coats on to get the effect in the images below, some look like they might have been better if another coat had been applied but nevertheless this lasted a full week with a top coat on top and only chipped on day 6.

It definitely looks a little darker in the bottle than on the nails but I still like it. It's definitely a summer one and I'll be using this on toes too to make my tan look a little darker!

What do you think of the Gelly Hi Shine range? Do you have a favourite?

I bought two others from the range that I'll be posting about soon!

L xxx

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Polish - Lychee

Morning!

Today's review is a well known nail polish from Barry M. The Gelly range has been hyped about a lot due to its Hi Shine finish and the impressive range of colours.

Lychee has been raved about by almost every single person - and I'm about to join the list!

Lychee is pale taupe kind of nude, it's absolutely perfect for so many occasions. It's the perfect every day colour but also still looks pretty chic when out with friends on the weekend.

A lot of the other colours in the range are pastels and this is the nude version. It comes in at a perfectly acceptable £3.99 and I have always said that Barry M prices are awesome for the quality of the products.

The colour is perfect and although I do have a few issues with the small brush inside the bottle (I'm sure my other polishes don't have a brush this thin?!) which makes application a little difficult.

I applied 2 coats and it was mostly opaque but there were a few streaks, probably made more apparent by the brush.

I also found that the colour slightly discoloured after a week or so of wear, with a top coat it did last really well and normally I wouldn't leave it as long as this but it did weirdly get lighter as it began the chip off.

Having said all that I still love it and would recommend it!

Do you love Barry M too? What new polishes have you been buying from them? Which other Gelly polishes would you recommend?

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

NOTD: Deborah Lippmann

Hey there!

I haven't bought any new nail varnish in a long time but when I saw these in a set in TK Maxx I couldn't leave them behind. Deborah Lippmann polishes are really well known especially their glitter ones - who doesn't love the Birthday polish with multiple coloured pieces of glitter?? Its beautiful!

So when I was there and saw a bundle of them together I couldn't resist.

In the set that I bought there was a beautiful classic red, a dark vampy purple and a bright summery coral.

First up is the red; aptly titled My Old Flame. 

This red is a classic colour that can be worn any time, its so beautiful on that I've been wearing it a lot recently.

Two coats of this is usually enough but it is quite thin so three can be required to make sure there aren't any streaks, I guess its all dependent on your painting skills! FYI mine aren't great as I'm too impatient so three is normally required for a smooth streak free finish.





Surprisingly I don't have a red like this in my collection and it has definitely filled a gap. The consistency is quite good and I was initially impressed but it can chip easily so it needs a few coats of topcoat and needs to be regularly replaced.

The purple; Dark Side of the Moon. This is also a beautiful dark purple that was probably one that I wouldn't have bought individually if it hadn't have been in the set.

This colour is also quite thin and needs three coats for opacity which is definitely the best with darker colours like this. Truthfully this isn't a colour that I would choose and  I probably won't wear it very much, I love vampy reds and dark navy or blacks but purple isn't something that I wear very often.

That said it is a gorgeous colour and being pale seems to set it off, I will probably donate this polish to a friend who will get the full benefit of it.



Last up is Daytripper - the gorgeous bright coral that's going to be just perfect for spring and summer!

Again this is a thin polish, are they all like or just the colours that I have?

It needed three coats for full opacity but did apply well. You could probably get away with 2 coats if you're more careful but generally I'd say it was a 3 coater!

Below shows the polish with flash to show the true colour of the polish, I'm not convinced that after a few days it didn't get a bit more orange so maybe the sunlight can affect this particular colour.

That said it is my favourite out of the lot and I can see my fingers and toes getting a lot of wear out of this colour.

Overall I'm pleased with my purchases however I'm not sure I'd pay full price for any Deborah Lippmann polishes if they are all like these. Needing three coats for full opacity means you will get through colours a lot faster, high street brands such as Essie manage to create polishes that can be opaque in 1 or 2 coats for half of the price so its a shame that these ones aren't either. As mentioned I also had an issue with chipping even though each layer was quite thin and allowed to dry in between each coat.

That aside they are great polishes and the range is fantastic, the glitter's are something that I always have my eye on...........I guess I'll just be waiting for when they are all in the sale to be getting them so my money can be saved!

What do you think of Deborah Lippmann polishes? Do you think the formula could be improved?

What's your favourite nail colour from DL?

L xxx

Barry M Gelly High Shine Prickly Pear

Hey All

As this goes live I'll be on my last day in Iceland. Recently I've stopped biting my nails so I decided to treat myself to some new polishes. I find if my nails are painted I don't bite them as much. I've heard so much about the Gelly High Shine range I couldn't wait to try them and at £3.99 each they are very reasonable and I got them when they were buy one get one half price.

Prickly pear I thought would be a pretty every day colour. They are quite a thick polish which I guess helps with the gel like finish. Due to the thickness of the polish I find it's best to do two thin coats of polish or it doesn't dry as well. The colour is opaque in two coats and dries quickly.

As for longevity I find not many polishes last well on me. I do seem to get some tip wear after two days but the shine on the polish does really last well and my mum had assumed I had gel nails applied.

So far I love these polishes. Quick and easy to apply and look shiny. They have some great colours in the range. What would you recommend?

Love M

xxx

Essie Manicure

Essie is without a doubt the number one nail polish brand for nudes; you only have to spend one second in front of a stand to know that with the copious display of bottles.

I've previously posted about a few polishes and compared the likes of Ballet Slippers, Fiji and Sand Tropez (you can read this here)

Almost all three of these bottle are now coming to an end so with the 3 for 2 offer on in Boots I restocked my base and top coats and snapped up a new nude to try: Mademoiselle.

I've never tried the First Base base coat from Essie so I was interested to see how the green/blue coloured polish would fare in comparison to others I've used that are cheaper.

It contains a rubber adhesive to help bond polish to the nail surfaces creating a smooth base for application, helps resist chipping and against stains created by some stronger colours.

I always try and use a base to help against staining, there's nothing worse than weirdly coloured nails that look unhealthy when actually it's just an orange toned red polish that is the culprit!

The base applied easily as expected with any Essie polish, the brush seems to fit my nail perfectly so I can just swipe it from base to tip and not manage to get too much all over my fingers.

It dried really fast and left a clear base with a good finish for colour application.

So Mademoiselle is a sheer light pink, its like the sheerness of Ballet Slippers with the colour of Fiji.

I wasn't sure what colour this was going to turn out as, I can never tell but I couldn't test on my own nails as I'd just done them in a dark red and the name sounded familiar. Next time I buy one I will have to investigate further! Not that this colour isn't lovely but I have something similar already and would probably prefer something that doesn't require 4 coats for a more opaque finish.

The photo above shows Mademoiselle after 2 coats. It doesn't quite cover the tips of the nails so you can see how translucent it is; I don't like my nails to look white but I do like the colour to show up.

I don't think I'm a sheer polish kind of person however at work nail polish seems to be a no no, especially as my new job requires lots of hands on work with spanners - no joke.

Four coats seem to have done the trick and this is a much better colour for me. I've actually really liked wearing such a sheer colour on my nails this week and it seems to have been a welcome change for me.

As always Essie polishes are top notch in application and quality and the top coat is one of my favourites. The combination of all three polishes seem to have created a rock hard manicure that hasn't budged whatsoever, even with all my new found spanner and screwdriver skills. 

This is definitely a colour I would recommend for those who love all nudes and sheer finishes. I'm sure I'll pick up more in future, Essie is just too irresistible!

What's your favourite Essie polish? Do you prefer sheer or opaque polishes?

L xxx