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

Weekend Haul & Mini Reviews (:

Evening, it's Jenn (:

Just a little post about my mini shop over the past few days. I'm actually trying to save but I assure you it's not going very well. However, I got all of these products on offer or at a stupidly bargain price so I don't feel as bad about it! Here we go. 

Tesco

Top to Bottom: L'Oreal Feria Preference in Mango Copper, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce, and The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. 

It pains me to say it but i'm definitely not a natural ginger (more of a mousy brown!) I've been this colour for a quite a few years now and this is the dye that I always reach for. It has a natural tone to it, and it's definitely not too harsh. I've recently seen that Schwarzkopf have bought out a new Live XXL called 'Fiery Copper' but I personally think it's WAY to bright, especially for my super pale complexion. I love Mango Copper, even when it fades I'm still very fond of it and it was £4 at tesco! I usually pay £5.79 at it at Superdrug but that's also been cut down by £1. 

The two books were a bit of an impulse buy. I read an awful lot but lately I've had a bit of a break from it as I was continuously reading classics and they were giving me a heavy head so I thought these would be a bit of a light relief. Part of a 2 for £7 offer, instead of the £7.99 each I was supposed to pay.

Poundland

Not the first place you imagine to bag yourself some beauty buys but i'm so impressed with my finds! Poundland stock a lot of the ChitChat range and also do one offs and discontinued products from famous brands. I got the Miss Sporty nail polish and eyeshadow/concealer duo in a pack, and also this Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick too. 

 Miss Sporty Be Connected liquid eyeshadow in Intrigue and concealer in Dark.

 I've never seen either of these products before but I haven't really dipped my toes into the Miss Sporty collection before. I wasn't too bothered about this product to be honest, I bought it more for the nail polish that came with it. The concealer is obviously too dark for my skin, which you can gather from the photos above, but it was very creamy when applied so i'll give it that. I was a bit put off from the look of the eyeshadow as i'm never one for pastel shades on the eyes. I was even more put off when I swatched it but then I blended it in, and to be honest it isn't too bad and i'll be giving this another chance for sure. 

Miss Sporty Lasting Colour nail polish in (what my boyfriend originally called) Brown.

Annoyingly, Miss Sporty don't print the colours of their polishes on the bottle so Brown will have to do. I love this colour, I've been looking for a rich chocolately brown colour for AGES but I didn't want to pay loads for one and I couldn't never find the right shade. You can imagine my surprise when I found this thrown carelessly into the corner of the beauty bit in Poundland and I didn't even stop to think about it. The photo isn't too brilliant, but it's goes on pretty well and it only required one coat for a even finish. 

Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in Mocha Cream.

This colour is now discontinued but i've got a thing for dark lips so I snatched this up when I saw it. The stick itself looks remarkably darker then how it actually looks when it's our your lips but i'm not going to complain, it was only a £1 afterall and it's still a lovely nude colour! Always remember to swatch when you're in the shop, just so you're not disappointed when you get home and discover it's not what you thought it was. 

Superdrug

Barry M Gelly Effects in Dragon Fruit & Textured Effects in Atlantic Road.

 Superdrug have an offer on Gelly Effects and the new Texture Effects at the moment, 2 for £6 instead of £3.99 each. Pretty much everyone I know owns a Gelly Effect nail polish so I thought I would see what the fuss is about and I really love this shade of pink. I didn't even know Barry M had released this new polish so i'll be writing a more in depth review later on this month! 

Miss Sporty Dr Balm Honey lip tint in Glam Kiss. 

I got this as Superdrug were offering a 2 for £2.99 offer on selected Miss Sporty items (the Dr Balm tints & nail polishes.) The packaging really does this justice as it was the first things my eyes were drawn to which is always a positive! The balm looks like any average lipstick actually and it smells delicious (fruity!) too which is the main reason I bought it. Glam Kiss is a really, realy sheer pink and doesn't really change my lip colour at all but it's really moisturizing and it's handy just to keep in my bag. 

Miss Sporty Lasting Colour nail polish in It's Too Latte.

I've been looking for a nude for far too long and i've always ended up buying the more pinker shades. I am really fond of this colour though, it's subtle and not too peachy. I've no idea whether this actually lasts for the 10 days it claims it does but i'll definitely give you an update. I only needed one coat and it went on pretty easily and mess free. Part of the 2 for £2.99 offer but originally £1.99.

Overall I think i've done pretty well on the spending front as I've only spent £21.99 for 4 nail polishes, eyeshadow/concealer duo, a lipstick, a lip balm, a hair colour and 2 books! 

XXX