The Best Festive Nail Varnishes

L-R: Barry M 'Starlight', Model's Own 'Jack Frost', China Glaze 'Cleopatra', Models Own 'Dancing Queen' and Nails Inc 'Alexa Sequin'

L-R: O.P.I 'Play the Peonies', Essie 'Carry On', Nails Inc 'Tate', Jessica 'Venus Was Her Name' and Nails Inc 'Motcomb Street'

Now the festive season is in full swing, it is a great excuse to crack out the glitter nail varnishes. I've picked 5 of my favourites perfect for Christmas parties and 5 bases that work really well layered with the glitters or by themselves for a glossy plain manicure. These polishes offer a multitude of combinations, a few of which I have suggested below.

'Tate' is a deep red by Nails Inc which is opaque with two coats and works really well with a new offering from Barry M called 'Starlight'. The packing is super cute but the formula is quite gloopy. However, the thicker nature of the polish is packed with glitter and means the particles stick to your nails more easily. I love the stars included in this polish but you need to make sure to seal them well with a top coat otherwise the points can sticks up and catch. I will definitely be sporting this on Christmas Day.

The next combination is different to the traditional dark shades of this time of year but I think is so pretty and reminds me of fresh snow. The base is 'Play the Peonies' by O.P.I which is a pearlescent white with the tiniest hint of a pink undertone. Applying two thin layers of Model's Own 'Jack Frost' on top, the combination gives a subtle iridescent glow. 'Jack Frost' is again packed with glitter but in comparison the particles are much smaller and have a bluey green tinge to them.

In terms of the darker hues 'Venus Was Her Name' by Jessica is a dark yet vibrant purple, Essie's 'Carry On' is similar but a much deeper rich burgundy and finally 'Motcomb Street' by Nails Inc is a wonderful inky blue. My top picks for glitters which look amazing on top of these include 'Cleopatra' by China Glaze - a thin formula filled with a majority of tiny particles of antique gold and a few flecks of iridescent glitter similar to those featured in 'Jack Frost', another varnish from Model's Own which this time is full of chunky, different shaped glitter with a range of green blue and gold hues running through it. And finally a relatively new release from a collaboration between Nails Inc and Alexa Chung packaged in the new bottles is 'Sequin'* polish - a black base filled with bright gold particles.

What are your favourite festive nail varnish picks? xxx

NOTD: Barry M | Gelly Nail Paint in 'Dragon Fruit' |

Barry M // Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint // £3.99 // 

There have been plenty of posts already where I've harped on about my love for Barry M, and I've been steadily adding to my stash of their latest release of Gelly polishes. This particular colour has gained a place as one of my favourites of the moment. Dragon Fruit is a perfect Barbie pink, with the tiniest hint of sparkle giving the polish more dimension, which you can see the best in the bottom picture. I think this colour looks best on finger tips as on my skin tone it looks a bit dull on the toes unless you jazz it up with some glitter.

The texture is thicker than normal polishes but took around two layers to become streak free with this particular shade. I also really like that the shine doesn't dull after a few days wear and I was chip free until around the 3/4 day. These version of nail paints have been really hyped up with people either loving or hating them, but I am most definitely on the love side! I've got my eye on a few darker shades for Autumn and Winter so am looking forward to picking them up and testing them out.

What are your opinions on the Gelly range? xxx

NOTD: Color Club | Reign in Spain |

The Wanderlust Collection // 4 mini pack //

As soon as I saw this colour in this month's Birchbox I fell in love. A mix of peach and coral with a neon/pastel finish make this perfect for summer and a bit different to the typical neons you get around this time of year. I've been obsessed with all things peach and coral at the moment, so this varnish will go really well with some new pieces I have recently bought for my wardrobe. This colour is so nice that a stranger on the tube asked me to write down the name of it for her - if you've ever been to London you will know people barely even look at each other on the tube so this is a massive credit to the polish! The pictures unfortunately don't do the colour justice, I think the best representation is the bottom one from my instagram.

'Reign in Spain' is part of another collaboration between Birchbox and Color Club (see this NOTD for the other) named the Wanderlust collection, consisting of 4 special summer shades in mini bottles. The formula is just as good as Insta-This - only 2 layers of colour needed for an opaque finish, tip wear by about day 3 and no major chips to be seen at all. 

The only pain is that to get one of these polishes on the Birchbox site you have to get the whole set - and considering I got two in my Birchbox I don't really want two duplicates to get my hands on the other half of the shades (although the green 'London Calling' is literally calling my name!)

What do you think of this colour? What are your favourite summer polishes? xxx

NOTD: Barry M | Gelly Nail Paint in 'Greenberry' |

Greenberry // £3.99 //

Since the Gelly Nail Paints were first launched I've been itching to get my paws on a few bottles. I think the colour range is really good, but I managed to restrain myself and only pick up 2 to begin with. This colour in particular really interested me as I think its quite different and very pretty for both fingers and toes (which I've done to match!) Its a great colour for spring and summer, but different to typical light minty greens that these seasons normally bring. Instead 'Greenberry' is a greeny turquoise shade, which is very bright!

Application is easy and the formula is pretty thick and opaque, like you would expect. One of the main selling points to these polishes is that they are meant to be chip resistant for a lot longer than regular nail varnish, however with this shade I was let down as it chipped within 2. I'm not sure if this is a one off or not as when I tried 'Lychee' it lasted for over a week, so I'm hoping with my next application I will be more lucky. I also found that this colour with my regular top coat, was not extra shiny than other polishes. Again I saw more difference with 'Lychee' in this department so I'm putting it down to the particular shade. On a more positive note one of the biggest plus points about this range is the very fast drying time.

I really do love this colour and it will definitely be gracing my finger tips on more than one occasion over the following months. I've always found Barry M to be a great affordable brand when it comes to nail varnish, its just a shame this shade didn't live up to some of the other claims the Gelly range promises xxx

NOTD: Pastel Sparkles

Barry M 'Berry Ice cream' // Model's Own 'Blizzard'

This is a quick NOTD post which is perfect for Spring time. I've already done a post on this lovely pastel lilac, which is such a pretty colour on its own. However, sometimes I think it can get a bit boring and as I love a bit of sparkle I thought I would pair it with 'Blizzard' from Model's Own. I got this for Christmas from Matt along with the rest of the Wonderland collection and it is definitely my favourite. It has filled a glitter shaped whole in my stash as I don't have any glitter polishes like this. I can't wait to do a full post on it but as a quick over view it is jam packed with glitter and would suit just about any colour you pair it with. A winning combination in my eyes - its a shame the photo doesn't do it justice!

What are your Spring nail polish picks? xxx

NOTD: American Apparel | Neon Orange |

Neon Orange // £9 // 15ml

At the beginning of last week you may remember when the UK actually saw some sun and life was generally better because of it. I think the very brief spell of warmth went to my head as it influenced me to put some colour back into my very boring essay filled life, and I opted to paint my nails the brightest shade I could find.  Now, a few NOTD posts ago, I blogged about a neon yellow shade from American Apparel that I had been bought for Christmas and was left bitterly disappointed by. Well, that has since been returned, but I still had a neon orange that I had also received so thought I might as well try it out.

Thankfully, the quality of this nail varnish has been a million times better than the yellow, so I'm hoping it was just a duff one rather than a representation of all of the range. I love that the colour really does live up to the neon name and I got many compliments when wearing this. Even when the fog returned (I think I jinxed it) this still managed to shine from my fingertips and brighten up my day. The wear time was also incredible and it lasted around 5 days until minimal tip wear set in - pretty fabulous in my opinion.

In regards to application, I used two thin layers to achieve an opaque finish and the wide brush made it a doddle. This polish dries to a matte finish so you could follow up with a matte top coat if you have one. I don't so I opted for my standard Sally Hansen.

I've now got my eye on more colours - especially the glitters (5 in total!) - and am hoping that the rest of the ranges can live up to this quality after being sorely let down before. What do you think of this colour? xxx

NOTD: Color Club | Insta-This |

Color Club // Insta-This // £10

In my last ever Jolie Box before the brand was taken over by Birch Box, I received this beautiful blue nail varnish by Color Club called 'Insta-This'. Formulated after being inspired by Autumn/Winter fashion shows, 'Insta-This' is a bright, deep cobalt blue. It reminds me very much of Nails Inc 'Baker Street', which I had been thinking about purchasing for a while so I was really pleased when I found this in my box. It isn't a normal 'me' colour, however I really liked the look of this on my nails and received  many compliments on it.

As it was my first varnish from the brand I wasn't sure what to expect. The first coat went on quite streaky, however when followed up with a second layer the colour was even and opaque, although a top coat is definitely needed for shine (I used Sally Hansen Diamond Strength). The durability of this nail varnish is great; after 2 days there was slight tip wear which you can see in the above pictures, but major chipping didn't occur until around day 4 which I was pretty pleased with.

If you like the look of this shade you can pick it up here. What is your favourite blue nail varnish? Have you tried anything from Colour Club? xxx

Review: The Body Shop | Almond Nail & Cuticle Oil |

The Body Shop // Almond Nail & Cuticle Oil // 1.8ml // £7

A couple of weeks ago The Body Shop had an amazing deal on O2 priority moments to purchase £40 worth of products for £20! Obviously I had to use this to my full advantage and considering I had a few things I wanted to try out I thought it was a good time to do it. Among my goodies I picked up this almond oil pen and I'm so glad I did.

I love to keep this in my handbag so it can be used on train journeys/in lectures/anywhere you like while on the go as it is small and has fuss free application. To use you screw the bottom to get the oil out and apply with a brush applicator, which is reminiscent of certain lip glosses or illuminating concealers  The brush is bendy enough to flex to the curve of your nail beds but sturdy so its mess free. I'm not the biggest fan of turn applicators as I always get the wrong amount of product out, but that is my own fault rather than a design problem. I would describe the product as more of a gel consistency than an oil and I find it really nourishing as well as gorgeously sweet smelling - it reminds me of the scent of Whipped Clean by Soap and Glory which I also really enjoy. As it is thicker than an oil it takes longer to sink in than my Burt's Bees Lemon Cuticle Cream but that isn't too much of an issue with me.

With a cocktail of various oils including sweet almond (the largest ingredient), olive, soybean, wheat and grape, this has really helped repair and maintain the moisture and softness of my cuticles and skin around my fingers. I also feel like this has contributed to strengthening my nails too. It also features a little stopper on the lid to push back your cuticles but I don't think its that great. If like me you suffer from dry peeling skin around the nail bed (nice) this is a definite must have to pop in your bag. I still love my Bur'ts Bees for home but I think product is more suited for out and about. It's also on offer at the moment too with 30% off so snap it up while you can :)! I'm really interested in trying out the rest of the Almond range now too.

Have you tried this before? What is your favourite nail care product? xxx

NOTD: Barry M | Berry Ice Cream |

Nail Paint // £2.99 // 10ml 

This may not be a typical colour for this time of year, but if you are getting bored of the berries and darker shades, this is a lovely choice. It would look great with a tan in the summer, but I'm not one to stick with the conventional seasonal colours all the time and so wear it all year round. A glossy lilac, this varnish is lovely by itself but can be jazzed up with glitter layered over it too. To achieve an opaque finish, I layered 2-3 applications as it is such a light shade. I'm a big fan of Barry M polishes as they perform really well for being such a bargain price.

It is available from the Barry M website or most drugstores - however, it is useful to note that I think the name has changed from when I purchased it and is now called 'Ice cream purple' (I prefer the previous name). I also like the look of 'Peach Melba' and 'Raspberry'.

What Barry M shades do you like best? xxx

NOTD: Essie | Carry On |

At the moment, I am obsessed with all shades of berry, burgundy and deep purples. I know they are a bit of a cliche for this time of year, but for some reason this time around I've been loving these kind of colours. I usually go for bright shades on my nails but 'Carry On' has quickly made it's way into my favourites. This bottle is from the original range, not the drugstore diffusion lines so has a different brush and slightly different design. This shade looked great with just one application, but I chose to do another out of habit and to make sure it was completely opaque. As you can see it's a lovely deep, reddy purple which I think will go with a lot of outfits this season. I also think this is a great colour to layer up different types of glitter to make it more special for the party season and get a lot of different looks out of it.

The wear time on it was pretty impressive too - I had up to 4 days of no tip wear or anything! As the colour is dark I would recommend a good base coat to stop it from staining your nails. I used Essie's protein base coat with a cheap maybelline top coat over the top (note to self: buy Seche Vitte!) It's also a bit tricky to apply dark shades perfectly but I tried my best!

You may have noticed that I havn't put a price or where you can buy this polish like I normally do with products I review, but that is because it wasn't part of the diffusion range which is cheaper (I think) in Boots or Superdrug and I'm not sure if you can get this colour in department stores such as John Lewis which do stock the original Essie. I think it very much depends where you get yours from as to the price (Essie is available online too), but I got mine in a set of 3 at TK Maxx for around £12 which is a barry bargain! 

What do you think of this nail colour? What are your favourite Autumn/Winter nail shades? xxx

Bits and Bobs from Burt's Bees

Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream - £5.99 for 15g // Nourishing Mango Lip Balm - £3.69 for 4.25g

The other month I did a big haul at the Bullring and bought 2 items from Burt's Bees: the Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream and Mango Nourishing Lip Balm. They are the first products I've tried from the range and I'm pleased to say I've enjoyed my first Burt's Bees experience! All products from the company are either 99% or 100% natural, which I'm not too fussy about but given the option I would rather choose to use natural products that will do what they say on the tin.

Around the blogging community I had heard a lot of great reviews on the Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream and so decided to try it myself as nourished cuticles = stronger, longer nails. I love the tin packaging and it is just the right size for your bedside/bag etc. It has a strong citrus scent which I love and sticks around for ages. A little really goes a long way with this product - I've been using it every night before bed and through out the day too when I remember and am yet to make a dent in the product, so although I thought it was a little pricey this will last me ages and think it is justified. By swirling your finger around the pot, the product melts into a rich oil which can then be massaged into your cuticles with lemon and sweet almond oil and cocoa butter nourishing and moisturising them and the skin around your nail bed. I would recommend this product as it is 100% natural, smells amazing and last forever - there is really nothing to dislike about this.

The Nourishing Lip Balm has a lovely strong scent and taste of mango that I personally enjoy and as the product is quite thick and moisturising, you only really need one swipe and lasts a long time. It is 100% natural and the oils in the product tend to sink into my lips so I can feel it nourishing them rather than just sitting there. This reminds me of the little pots of lip butter from the Body Shop although I think this is better for on the go as the twisty tube makes it hygienic and great for travel, plus the Burt's Bees is slightly cheaper. I would definitely repurchase this and would like to try some of the other flavours such as honey and pomegranate.

Since I loved these products so much, what else would you suggest for me to try? What are your opinions on the two products mentioned? xxx

NOTD: Barry M | Coral |

Barry M Nail Paint in Coral // £2.99

Out of all Barry M's products, their nail paints are my favourite. They have a great selection of colours, glitters and cracking polishes and now they have introduced their gelly line too which delivers high shine to your nails much like a gellac/shellac manicure. The one gripe I do have though is that the formula can be very hit and miss - sometimes it last forever and is a dream to apply, other times it chips in less than a day. This particular varnish falls in the latter category as you can see from the pictures above there was already some tip wear after less than a full day of wear. 

You can also see from the pictures that it is much more of an orange shade than a true coral. In the bottle it does look more pinkey than orange but this doesn't translate to the nails and instead is almost identical to 'Block Orange' - another Barry M Nail Paint that I own. 

All in all it isn't the best of Barry M's nail varnishes due to formulation and shade so I wouldn't repurchase, however there are lots of other great shades from the Barry M collection which are a hit for me, for example this shade here.

What do you think of Barry M Nail Paints? xxx

NOTD: Essie | Cocktail Bling |

If you've been reading this blog for a while or know me personally, then upon looking at this picture you would realise this isn't really a 'me' colour. I'm all about the pinks and bright colours, but recently I've been branching out to nail colours I wouldn't normally reach for (see this other Essie shade). However, I spotted this colour along with an Essie nail fortifying base coat I've been hankering after for a while in a pack for £7.99!!! How could I resist two Essie polishes for that price?? So naturally I had to buy them and tried them out as soon as I got home. 

The brush was large and made for easy application, but I had to layer around 3 thin layers for a good opaque finish. Although this isn't a colour I would see and want to pay full price for, I have to say that this colour is really growing on me, and its always nice to have a variety of colours in your stash! I thought the name for the varnish was a bit odd because 'disco bling' to me makes me think of a bright glittery colour and this is clearly not the case! It's much more of a cement grey, so maybe that would have been a bit more apt. It's not much of a summer colour, so I expect that this will get alot of use in the autumn and winter. But as it is summer at the moment I had to use my current obsession of Model's Own Hed Kandi polish for glitter tips to make the colour a bit more 'me' and summery. I've literally used this glittery with every nail colour I've put on since I bought it! It's just sooo pretty :)

What do you think of this Essie shade? xxx

NOTD: Essie | Turquoise & Caicos |

Previous to my little haul I did yesterday, my next nail colour of choice was going to be my new Barry M purple shade. However, considering my first NOTD was Barry M, I chose to go with this new Essie shade I picked up yesterday instead. 'Turquoise & Caicos' is my first ever Essie purchase and to be honest when I first put it on my nails I wasn't sure. This is my only turquoise/green shade I have as I am normally a pinky/purpley kinda girl, but I've been trying to get out of a beauty and fashion rut at the moment so am trying many new things. However, after finishing applying the colour it has really grown on me and its lovely to have something a bit different. The brush was great for application as it was quite big and wide, although I had to apply 3-4 thin coats in order to get a good opaque colour, but the varnish did dry quickly. From most of the reviews I've read, Essie polishes can vary on how good the wear is depending on which colour, so I will be interested to see how long this lasts. One of the plus points of Essie is the simple packaging. I love the clear raised name of the brand on the bottle and the little 'e' on the top of the brush.

I was also desperate to try out my new Models Own nail varnish so painted just my fourth finger on each hand to jazz it up a bit (I'm a sucker for a bit of sparkle!) I really liked this polish too and was so pleased it lived up to the hype! I think it will suit literally every shade of nail varnish there is so it was a good investment :)

What do you think of this shade? And what other Essie polishes do you recommend? xxx

I Just Can't Help Myself...

Another week, another haul...I think I need to place a spending ban on myself! After reading many other blogs/watching youtube videos I couldn't help but purchase some of the stuff they had recommended. Of course more detailed reviews will be made in upcoming posts, but for now I will give you an overview...

Essie Nail Varnish in 39: My first Essie purchase ever! The choice was between this or 'Cute as a Button' but considering I have so many pink shades I decided to buy this one instead :) Really looking forward to trying this out.

Models Own Hed Kandi Nail Varnish in Disco and Ibiza: These were also a first for me as I don't have any other Models Own varnishes. I have wanted the Ibiza shade for sooo long, so was really pfleased when I saw that Boots stocked it! As it was 2 for £8 I also went for a gold glitter shade because I originally went in for the No 7 version with my £5 voucher after seeing Sprinkle of Glitter mention it, however they didn't have it in stock so got the Models Own one instead.

Gold Cuff Necklace: When it comes to fashion, I'm not much of an accessory person but I am trying to rectify this by buying some different kinds of high street jewelry. I only actually own 3 necklaces would you believe, and these are all delicate pieces, so when I saw Shirley wearing it in various posts and videos I thought I would go for it...and I love it! I'm really looking forward to testing it out with various outfits and looks.

Stud and Hoop Earrings: Not much to say about these purchases apart from the fact that I am a sucker for earrings! I don't normally buy much gold so these were good purchases for broadening my jewelry collection.

Lush Each Peach Massage Bar: After seeing Louise's video on her favourite lush products I had to try this out and was the main reason I popped into Lush. I have tried a few products in the past when they were bought as gifts including some bath bombs, the heart shaped chocolate massage bar and the cupcake face mask so thought I would go with something different. This smells lovely and melts really easily into the skin.

Lush Catastrophe Cosmetic Facemask: I really like the Lush facemasks although I think the pots are rather small :(! This is a version I havn't tried but suits my skin type. I have been trialing various face masks at the moment to try and find ones that really suit me and address certain issues I have with my skin. I saw this on Sophia's blog and I think also Estee's - as I trust both their opinions I thought this would be a good one to try.

Lush Tea Tree Toner Spray: This was much more of an impulse purchase (woopsie!) but recently I have been thinking about purchasing a new toner as the current one I'm using is feeling a bit too harsh (the fact you need to wear an added SPF with it highlights this!) plus I have been wanting to try out a spray toner since seeing lots of reviews for various brands of them recently. This is formulated for my skin type so am looking forward to trying it out - especially because of the novelty of the spray (I am that easily pleased!)

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think of my haul? xxx

NOTD: Barry M | Neon Pink |

For my first 'Nail of the Day' post, I have chosen my perfect holiday colour that I wore on my toes for Turkey, which is Neon Pink Nail Paint (040) by Barry M. I really like Barry M products as they have a lot of colour choice, however I can find that the quality and colour can be a bit hit and miss. This shade did not let me down though, it is so vibrant and can perk up any wardrobe and looks especially good with a tan! I used two coats to get the desired colour, which I thought was pretty good as with some budget nail polishes you need to apply quite a few to get a decent, opaque colour. The fact is is neon means it is bang on trend too :)

Colour in day light (most true photo of the colour).

                      

Ring from New Look

Have you tried this nail varnish? What other colours from Barry M do you suggest? xxx