Nail polish is a no brainer when it comes to cutting corners in the save vs splurge beauty debate. In the past, sophisticated colour ranges (ok and blingy bottles) have enticed me to fork out the extra for a luxury nail polish, rather than huge discrepancies in formula over more affordable ones. This is definitely starting to change as budget brands up their game and Barry M's Spring 2016 collection is just one that includes a colour spectrum of subtle tones that compete with the best. The Gelly Hi Shine and Speedy Quick Dry line ups include beautiful nudes that even pale hands like mine can pull off.
(I've been getting eye rolls from my daughter for photographing this collection for the third time in an effort to capture the colours accurately - fusspot, moi?)
SWATCHES
Barry M Gelly Shine Spring 2016
Barry M Gelly Hi Shine is a well pigmented, thick glossy formula that looks good in two coats, though you may prefer three for some pastel shades.
Cream Soda, a buttermilk off white, is pretty worn alone or as a base for nail art. Pink Lemonade is right up my street - a pastel dusky pink with a vintage vibe that's neither too girly or too grey - perfect for everyday.
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| Barry M Gelly Hi Shine: Cream Soda, Butterscotch Sundae, Pink Lemonade, Acai Smoothie |
Cream Soda, a buttermilk off white, is pretty worn alone or as a base for nail art. Pink Lemonade is right up my street - a pastel dusky pink with a vintage vibe that's neither too girly or too grey - perfect for everyday.
Barry M Sunset Daylight Curing Spring 2016
In terms of application, I think Sunset Daylight Curing are my favourite as they go on super smoothly. The colour 'cures' in daylight giving a high shine finish and comes off with regular nail polish remover. The new Spring brights are pretty, though a touch sugary for me and I'd probably restrict to toes unless I was really tanned. There's also a beaut orange red called All The Things She Red that sadly smashed en route to me - it would be my pick of the bunch in terms of colour and I must grab another when I'm in Boots. You can see my daughter sporting Bug a Blue here - a pretty sky blue, which I think my skin is too pale to carry off. This line comes with its own top coat for extra long wear, though you can get away with your regular top coat.
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| Barry M Sunset Daylight Curing: Pinking Out Loud, Bug-a-Blue, Empire State of Mint |
Barry M Speedy Quick Dry Spring 2016
The Speedy Quick Dry shades are very pretty though I do find that this formula often requires 3 coats to get rid of streaks and feels a little less fluid in application. This could be due to powders or thickeners that boost its drying time... I'm just guessing here! It does dry quickly and the colours look great once they're on. Pastel peach In a Flash is my pick of the bunch, one of the few nudes I've tried that flatters my skin tone and doesn't give me mannequin hands.
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| Barry M Speedy Quick Dry: Winning Streak, In a Flash, Freestyle, Personal Best |
Barry M nail polishes are among my most used and definitely give luxury brands a run for their money. Once these are on your nails, no-one is gonna know the difference between them and a polish that costs 4 times the price. While this doesn't stop me from enjoying a high end polish from time to time, these absolutely stand on their own two feet and are the perfect pick me up. Damson, a rich cobalt blue, is one of my most worn polishes ever and pretty much a constant on my Summer toes.
Barry M Gelly Hi Shine, Speedy Quick Dry & Sunset Daylight Curing are available in these shades at Boots (buy one get second half price).
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