Barry M - Gelly Hi Shine, Spring Releases

I adore the whole range of Gelly nail paints from this brand. If like me you change your nail colour like you change your clothes than UV gel nail polish is not something that you automatically think about investing in.
With this kind of polish not only can you change the colour when you wish, you can do so at a fraction of the price, while creating the same effect.

The Gelly nail paints are so easy to work with and with most you can even get away with one coat to full opaque coverage, they have an amazing high gloss finish just like professional salon UV polish. I've tried many different brands and I always come back to Barry M as they don't chip or wear as easily.
This year they have released three new Spring Gelly paints, which made me very excited, so excited I was at Superdrug the morning they were released; picking them off the selves as the staff was placing them on. Yes! I couldn't wait, I was like a child on Christmas morning.

The three new shades are beautiful, soft pastels, perfect Spring trend colours.

• Sugar Apple - A soft light mint green.
• Rosehip - A baby pink/ powder pink.
• Huckleberry - A soft egg shell blue.

The colours look great alone; but I like to mix the three colours on different nails, the colours look divine as a set. They are as hard wearing as the rest of the Gelly range and also have the same great finish. I can see me wearing these colours in the Summer months too.

Stunning new additions. I highly recommend all three, I honestly cannot choose a favourite shade. Well worth the money.

Barry M Nail Paint - Birthday

The high street store Superdrug are celebrating their 50th birthday. In honour of this event they have come together with several companies to create Limited Edition products, Barry M being one of them.
As you already know; if you are a regular reader to my blog, I adore Barry M nail paints.
Their products have brilliant staying power, great pigmentation (sometimes fully opaque in one coat), fab formula's and a huge range of colours and textures to try. Not forgetting they are affordable and easy to obtain.

The nail paint by Barry M for Superdrug's 50th birthday is aptly named 'Birthday' and is Limited Edition, so I suggest picking one up the first chance you get as they will not be around for long - and it's amazing!

The base is a beautiful hot pink/ cherise colour which has tiny black specks running through it.
It has a party popper effect to it, which is a mix of different shaped, coloured and sized pieces.
Pink, white and purple hexagonal shaped pieces with even smaller round shaped pieces of the same three colours are within the polish.

A true party on the nail, Barry M sure knows what they're doing when it comes to creating a great nail polish. I used two coats to create the layered effect with a clear base coat and a clear top coat, but I think you could probably intensify the effect with a dark or black undercoat if you wanted to. Well worth a few pounds, I highly recommend picking one up!

Barry M Silk Nail Paints

I very briefly touched on these in an earlier post here: 'The Monthly Nail'. However, I thought I would do a full review of the Silk collection.
The new silk nail paints come in 6 different shades, Meadow, Heather, Mist, Pearl, Truffle and Blossom.

They are all very Spring/ Summer looking shades. They have a very unique finish, A cross between a pearl and a matte effect. All are pastel hued and very attractive on both long and short nails.
The first coat dried in around a minute and the second coat took around three-five minutes drying time. So fast too dry and provides a nice even coat. I didn't need a third coat as it was fully opaque in two coats.

As I didn't use a top coat the polish only lasted only 4 days on the nails before chipping/ peeling. You could probably use a matte top coat and keep the polish neater for longer but you may lose some of the silk effect finish.

The one and only real problem I found with these polishes was the streaking effect. It was quite difficult to achieve a nail that did not have brush stroke patterns included. So you have to be very careful and neat when painting your nails with these paints.
It can be achieved but only if you have a while to do your nails, so if you're watching a movie these are the perfect polishes to be using whilst your relaxing.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at the new silk nail paints with me and have seen what the effect and colours are like. I would definately recommend these for Spring/ Easter. I really enjoyed these colours and the effect they created. If you want something different, these are definately worth a try!

Ciao x

Giveaway Time!!!

I have reached 100 followers on Bloglovin'. To many people this may not be many followers but for me personally I see this as a huge compliment, that this amount of people are actually interested enough in my blog to click that follow button. I love you all and to show you how much I love you I decided I would do a little giveaway showing my appreciation!

The winner will receive:

• Revlon Chroma-Chameleon Nail Polish in the shade Tanzanite.
• Korres Liquid Lipstick in the shade 28 Raspberry.
• Barry M Silk Nail Paint in the shade Pearl.
• Alima Pure Eyeshadow in the shade Paris.
• Rock Beauty - Nail Rock in Blue.
• Nourish Illuminating Face Shimmer in Golden Glow.
• OPI Mariah Carey - Mini Holiday Hits (From 2013) in the shades: Visions of Love, Warm Me Up, Wonderous Star and All Sparkly And Gold.
• ESPA Mini Kit.
• B. Gift Set. (Includes a full sized eyeshadow)

This giveaway is open Internationally. All are welcome to take part!
To make the giveaway fair I am running the giveaway through Rafflecopter (see box below).
Good luck and again thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Monthly Nail - March

This March my nails were looking very dry and brittle so I decided too only polish my nails once a week. For someone who changes nail polish like clothes this restriction was torture, I kept seeing pretty polishes and my will power was truly put to the challenge. I snapped a picture of each weeks polish for your pleasure. This is my month in nails!

This beautiful polish is one of the Royal Texture paints by Barry M in Countess. As with any glitter polish getting a true picture of the polish is incredibly difficult so I've tried my best, but this is one that is to be experienced first hand to really see how stunning it is. It has a dark purple base that contains lots of glitter particles in gold and pink. Opaque in two coats and lasted all week without even a small chip, which really impressed me.

I used Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Plum and for the accent nail I used Morgan Taylor in New York State Of Mind. I recently discovered Morgan Taylor and was seriously in adoration for the ones that I tried, so my collection has promptly and hugely expanded since. This is one of the new ones I was trying and again impressed me greatly. It has a black base with pink, red, blue and gold glitter particles - two coat opaque glitter coverage.

Wow, ok I think I have a Barry M problem. Again these are all Barry M polishes, this time the new Silk Nail Paints. I felt like having an early Easter treat so I picked up these and donned them on the nails as soon as I was home and loved them immediately. The colours looking at the left hand pictures - from left to right, Truffle, Blossom, Mist, Heather and Meadow. All have a beautiful finish, like a soft pearl matte effect. These did chip by the fourth day though but not excessively.

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Plum and the accent nail is Barry M Royal Texture in Majesty. Plum is a true dark Damson Plum shade and Majesty is a gold glitter that has full glitter coverage in just two coats. Majesty has a mix of glitter particles, some are large and some are really tiny so it gives it a beautiful jewelled effect. These lasted all week on the nails.

I'm pretty proud of myself for sticking to my goal of polish only once a week, if only I could do that with chocolate. I've now discovered doing this blog I use mainly Barry M nail polishes. I don't mind this fact as I really do admire the formula's, they are very affordable and are really hard core, (as I flail and bang my hands about a lot) these stood up to the test of being adopted by a rough gal. If you would like to see this as a monthly blog, let me know in the comments below. (I will snap a pic each time I change my nail polish and post them all at the end of each month.)

Ciao x

Beauty Buys

I find I buy beauty products on quite a regular basis. so, I thought I would keep you updated on my beauty picks. This way you get to see what I'm trying out, what colours look like via swatches and perhaps what I may be reviewing later on. (Sneak peeks!) Not all the products I show with be reviewed on this blog, but if there is something in particular that you would like to see more of, leave me a comment below.
On to the beauty buys.

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Barry M - Flawless Matte Finish Foundation.
I picked up two shades, Ivory and Nude, I tend to pick up one that matches my skin tone in the Winter months and one that will match me in the Summer months, when I get a little bit of a tan.
Matte finish, med/ full coverage, blends easily and seamlessly. Thumbs up on the hand swatch, fingers crossed for the same on face application.

Philosophy - Divine Satin Finish Illuminating Powder.
I chose the shade deep, as I thought this would perhaps make a brilliant bronzer. I loved the packaging, esp the mirror - which includes a 'Philosophy' Statement. Too cute! It comes in a lovely compact with a brush included, handy for on the move.

MUA Luxe - Velvet Lip Lacquer.
I picked up the shade Reckless, which is a deep ruby red. It's very pigmented, one swipe and opaque loveliness occurs. The gloss is quite dense and thick, not sure on lasting power as of yet but does have a great finish, it's between a matte and a gloss, I personally enjoy the finish.

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 Maybelline - Colour Tattoo, Cream Eyeshadow.
I opted for 65 - Pink Gold.
A light pink shadow with gold flecks running through it, I loved the colour as it reminded me of one of my favourite MAC eyeshadows. It's a lovely creamy texture, very pigmented and easily blendable.

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 NARS - Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil.
In the shade - Baroque.
Having not tried the Velvet Gloss pencil before, I thought I would pick one up and have a little test. A beautiful colour, a great finish. Not the most opaque but the colour is buildable. Easy to apply, soft and no drying out on the lips (Brownie points for soft, nourished lips).

Maybelline - Great Lash Mascara.
I get this in Blackest Black, I have this in both my kit and personal makeup stash. I use this everyday on the bottom lashes. The wand is the perfect tiny size to reach all those hard angles and teeny lashes that tend to hide. Just brilliant.

Superdrug - B. Rich Lipstick.
I was so impressed with the last one I featured on 'Beauty Buys' that I went back for another, this time in the shade 'Carmen'. A deeper red than the Marilyn.
They have brilliant staying power, you can blot and sheer these out to a natural stain effect or pop on the rich, creamy opaque lipstick for a bold and beautiful look.
Perfect for all day or night. Thumbs up for these, and affordable too.

Barry M - Silk Nail Paint.
This is in the shade - Pearl.
A soft, velvety pearl white colour in two thin coats. Easy to apply, give a beautiful finish and last for a good week, with a top coat applied. (For the silk effect with no top coat it lasts 4 days). I really liked this polish on swatch and I did go back and purchase another two shades.

Collection - Naturally Matt Foundation.
In the shade - 3 Beige.
I was told this stays matte all day long until removal and I was curious. Not as easy to blend out, limited colour range - will form a true opinion once I have tested this fully. Who knows this could be a wonder product?

I hope you enjoyed 'beauty buys', if you would a full review of an item or would like to see more of this type of blog post comment below and I will keep you updated with purchases I make and full product reviews!

Beauty Buys

I find I buy beauty products on quite a regular basis. so, I thought I would keep you updated on my beauty picks. This way you get to see what I'm trying out, what colours look like via swatches and perhaps what I may be reviewing later on. (Sneak peeks!) Not all the products I show with be reviewed on this blog, but if there is something in particular that you would like to see more of, leave me a comment below.
On to the beauty buys.

Real Techniques - Miracle Complexion Sponge.
I've seen a few bloggers review this little guy, all of the reviews said how comparable it was to the Beauty Blender, and at a fraction of the price. I was sold from that mere sentence, I go through a few of the beauty blenders a year, if I can find another just like it at a snip of the original then I will be a happy bunny!
I've very excited to try this for myself; but trying not to expect anything from it, so that I won't get disappointed if it fails to do what I need it to. (Making people dazzlingly beautiful)
Fingers crossed, it will become a new favourite!

The Body Shop - Colour Crush Lipstick. 
(I bought the shade - 101)
I adore red lipstick. Red suits any one, any skin tone, any age, any lip shape! It's the one colour that I cannot live without. The majority of my lipsticks are reds, with other colours scattered amidst them randomly.
I saw this while I was in The Body Shop and I could never forgive myself if I had of walked out without it. (A strange fact about me - If I see a red lipstick, I have to buy it.)

This is what I like to call 'a day time' red, a lighter red with a cooler undertone. A colour that would look amazing in summer with some matte black sunnies. Great buy!

B. Rich Intense Colour Lipstick.
(I bought the shade - 194 Marilyn)
This brand as far as I am aware are exclusive to Superdrug. They are a company with beautiful ethics, all the B. range is cruelty free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans. It is also very fairly priced.
Again a red lipstick, I know - I know, it's an addiction! However, this one I planned to buy as it was compared to a high end brand. I love seeing if they are good dupes, I find it rather fun.
So far the packaging has won me over, it's so cute. To open the lipstick you press the bottom and it unlocks with a click and extended down so you can pull it out like a regular lipstick.
No more ruined lipsticks in my handbag because the lid popped off. Genius design!

Barry M - Natural Glow, Shadow & Blush Palette.
I had originally gone in to pick up some of the new 'Silk' Nail Paint collection that had been released, I came home with a few more items than a nail polish; this being one of them.
There was three different palettes, as I love neutrals I went for the natural glow. I've never tried Barry M cosmetic's before, I have only ever tried the nail paints. (Another fact about me - Barry M are my favourite polishes) I was interested to see what the cosmetics were like. They were all beautiful when swatched, the last three eyeshadow shades are on trend this spring (Metallic Eyeshadows) thumbs up Barry M, it has a nice amount of matte and shimmer shadows, which I really liked and the blush is amazing. The picture really does it no justice at all. In person wow! It was really inexpensive too.

Revlon - Colourburst, Matte Balm.
(I bought the shade - 205 Elusive Insaisissable)
I have been seeing adverts for these in every magazine, reviewed by many, many bbloggers and have been seeing it pop up in my twitter feed for days. I cracked and ran to buy one too. I absolutely love the colour, I'm not really sure if I can restrain myself from buying all of the shades.

Rimmel - Stay Matte Primer.
I have oily skin, so I am always on the look out for anything that will keep my skin mattified. I saw this and thought it was worth picking up as the cost was low.
Not really sure how this will hold up; who knows it could amaze me and change my mind about lower priced primers?
The texture is a gel/cream, a combination of the two in my experience with primers. Feels rather wet for a mattifying primer, the colour is white from the tube and blends to transparent on the skin. No scent to it, which is always a bonus. Fingers crossed this product will not make me break out.

Rouge Bunny Rouge - Lip Potion.
(I bought the shade - Devilish Nectar)
This is my second tube of this amazing lip potion. It's become my secret weapon for plump, voluminous lips.
I have a normal lower lip but the tiniest top lip, it seems to disappear every time I smile. This is incredible for making it appear I have a fuller, more plump top lip. If this sounds like something you want or need, I have a full review: HERE for you to check out the product in full detail.

Lancome - Hypnose Mascara.
(I bought the shade - Black)
My favourite mascara. I have repurchased this countless times over the year's. I have my own and I also have this in my kit. The formula doesn't dry out too fast, it's buildable without clumping and creates many looks with how many layers you apply; from natural to dramatic.

Collection - Lasting Perfection Foundation.
(I bought the shade - Porcelain)
Again this was a purchase because I had heard good things about it. So far it seems easily blendable, matte, has great staying power and the shades almost adapt personally to your skin tone. I really like this swatched, I'm hoping that this is the same after a few hours of wear on my face.

I hope you enjoyed 'beauty buys', if you would like to see more of this type of blog post comment below and I will keep you updated with purchases I make!

Barry M - 'Silk' Nail Paint

£3.99/ 10ml.
www.barrym.com
Made in the UK.
Shade shown: Blossom.
Six shades available in the 'Silk' collection.

As soon as I saw this I knew that this was going to the checkout along with my other goodies that I had originally gone in for.
The picture's do this colour and the finish no justice. It is the prettiest pastel pink I have seen  for nails.

On application the formula is very easy to work with and it has a low odour which is fantastic to me. It appliqued to full opaque in two thin coats and dried fast to a beautiful matte sheen finish. (See pictures).

I applied a base coat but left a top coat off to retain the luxurious silk sheen finish that it created. The polish lasted 5 days on my nails without chipping, as I am quite tough on my nails this was long to me personally. So brilliant lasting power.

I will definitely be repurchasing the other colours from this particular line. I think they are a collection of pretty pastels that are perfect for spring/ summer.

I would recommend them for any skin tone, I think these colours will suit everyone. They are great if you are looking for something completely new for nails, The finish is unlike anything I have yet encountered. Massive thumbs up!