Mani Monday! Barry M Nail Effects- Gelly & Textured

Afternoon, Jenn here (:

I've seen many 'Manicure Monday' posts done by others, and we are definitely jumping on the wagon here because we've got so any polishes to review! Barry M is in the spotlight today with a couple of their effect nail varnishes, Gelly Hi Shine and Textured. 

I got these the other week from Superdrug, part of a 2 for £6 offer on these specific collections. 

Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Dragon Fruit

 This is my first experience with the Gelly range and I bought this after I'd heard many mixed reviews. Obviously everyone have their preferences but I just wanted to close the case for myself. 

First of all, this is my favourite ever shade of pink. It's a real candy floss shade and perfect for spring, it's also very pigmented and the above photos show only one coat. Bonus! Application wise, it was a bit tricky. I found it very runny and I frequently had to mop up the excess around my fingers, even when I was being extra careful to avoid it. Furthermore, it took absolutely ages to dry so if you're going to use this I would definitely do it in your down time so you can sit and wait for it.  

Overall, I am a fan. Barry M claim that this collection provides an 'extra glossy finish', and I do agree with this but I do think it's a bit of a novelty. When I first bought this I imagined it to be a thick, rubber-like quality due to the 'gelly' aspect but it's no thicker than an average polish, just more pigmented. Still quite impressive though!

There are 13 varnishes in this collection, all beautiful shades, which you can find here.

Pro's

• Highly pigmented.
• Perfect shade for spring/summer.
• Provides a high shine finish-equivalent to what I expect from a nail salon.
• No topcoat needed, just a base coat. 

Con's

• Takes quite a while to dry so take time out to apply.
• Too runny.
• Chips quite easily, which is a shame as you'd think the glossier it is, the harder it would be to come off. Obviously not! 

Textured Nail Effects in Atlantic Road 

 I actually had never heard of this collection up until I bought this (I know!) There are 4 shades, which are all named after London haunts of the young Barry Mero which I think is a lovely little story. Atlantic Road is definitely my favourite colour and, again, perfect for spring/summer.

I had no idea how it would work out on my nails because the polish in the bottle looks like any other. The only idea I had was from the design of the lid which is quite a grainy texture. It was much easier to apply than the Gelly polish, however I was a bit alarmed when it came out shiny and non textured. But have no fear, this develops as it begins to dry! I also recommened applying two-three coats as it comes out quite opaque (the top right photo shows two coats.)

I absolutely love the finish to this, it's very matte and feels gritty. I know this doesn't sound so pleasant but I literally haven't stopped stroking them since. I will definitely be purchasing the rest of this collection, the texture really gives an extra dimension to the normal and mundane. 

You can find the other shades here.

Pro's 

• All of the shades are perfect for spring/summer.
• Easy application.
• Provides an extra element with the grains without being too rough.
• Quite difficult to chip.
• Doesn't need a topcoat.

Con's 

• Requires 2-3 coats for the perfect finish.

UPDATE

Last post, I reviewed two Miss Sporty nail varnishes in It's Too Latte and Brown. Both were part of the lasting finish collection, Brown claimed to last up to 7 days (it's an older polish) and Latte to last up to 10. 

I applied them one week ago and I said i'd let you know how lasting they really were. 

 I'm not one to sit around doing absolutely nothing, I'm always restless and so i'm always doing things and I have been to work since I applied the varnishes so my hands have seen a lot of things this week. However, Brown chipped within 2 days so didn't live up to the 7 it claimed to be. Latte, I must admit, has lasted a lot longer and only chipped at the very tops of my nails but it certainly didn't last 10 days, more like 6/7. 

However, they were very cheap buys so I can't complain too much! Good for a few days. 

XXX