Yes it’s another one of the Barry M Gelly Nail Paints. I promise I am not sponsored by them and I have indeed bought them all myself.
This was one of the first release colours and is possibly my favourite.
Prickly Pear is a gorgeous milky lavender blue and looking at it on my hand makes me happy.
I wish Barry M would make a few more pastel shades in this formula. I love the brights but softer shades are a little more work appropriate.
Carrying on my theme of summer aquatic coloured nails I thought I would show you my mint mani of the day
This is Maybelline Super Stay Gel Colour 7 Days (snappily named eh…) in Mint For Life
If has been compared to the highly covetable Essie Mint Candy Apple.
Fortunately I own both so can show you a little comparison
Mint for Life is a shade lighter and paler and for £4.09 is a total steal. I love Mint Candy Apple as well possibly purely for the name but this has been my recent go to mint.
These polishes have big fat brushes and are almost opaque in one coat. I can’t say they do last 7 days but they are certainly fairly long lasting.
I was inspired to have this colour nails today by the sad death of Talia Castellano. Many instagrammers and bloggers have been using the mintmanisfortaliajoy hash tag today, inspired by one of her last photos of her, her sister and mum holding hands with matching mint nails.
(Source YouTube taliajoy18)
‘Just keep swimming’
Another summer nail look today from Bourjois.
I never thought I liked blue and green nails on myself but recently it seems I have become obsessed! I was scrolling through my photos and found this lot yesterday!
At preset my toes are the Barry M colour (top right) and my fingers are Bourjois (bottom right) It was only after I’d painted them I realised they are about one shade apart with the Barry M being a touch more green.
Anyway Blue no Blues is a gorgeous Tiffany box blue with a tiny hint of tourquoise. Reminds me of the Mediterranean on a sunny day. Perfect for the current weather.
As I said for Green Fizz the brush is massive and the formula is beautiful…. Now I am off to ruin this at work or just stare at my nails all day!
Considering I’ve been on holiday this week still I seem to have been doing more job related stuff than when I am at work….
Needs doing but doesn’t make for interesting blogging unless you fancy a look at my training folder…. No thought not!
So here is another nail related post.
Barry M Gelly in 16 Passion Fruit.
It is one of the newest colours in the Gelly range and it is BRIGHT! It looks red in the photo but its is super bright dark orange. Think a true poppy colour.
Also showcased here are my new mini rings from H and M. I think my fingers are possibly too fat for them but hey ho, I’ll probably lose them within a week anyway.
I think the combination is very summery cool.
And to finish, here is the cat ‘helping’ with my training folder….
Yesterday I shared this picture of my new nail purchases.
Today I decided to try out Green Fizz. I have developed a bit of an obsessed with mint nails at the moment, however contrary to yesterday’s picture Green Fizz is more lime than mint.
I saw a photo of China Glaze’s Sunsational range which has a shade called Highlight of My Summer which is a dusty neon green and decided I needed to dupe it. This was the closest the high street had to offer!
I love it. It is a really clear bright pale green. Think it would look great with a tan but that’s not happened so far.
Formula wise these are great very smooth and non streaky. The brush is MASSIVE, even bigger than an Essie one. If you have small nail beds this could be a major issue for you as they are tricky to control.
They are currently buy 1 get 1 half price in Boots. What a bargain….!
Now we have transitioned to Summer from Spring…not that you would know if from the weather…. I have felt the need to leave pastel nail shades behind and head of the verging on neon brights.
Two new shades which have brightened up June and become firm favourites are these two.
Currently on my nails is Rimmel Salon Pro in 313 Cocktail Passion. It is a bright orangey coral. The formula is lovely on these and you could get a way with one coat. I have used the Revlon colour stay top and base coat under and over this and it is currently chip free after 4 days wear. Now I’m not at work at the moment but I usually struggle with chips a lot! The Revlon colour stay range is really really good at preventing or limiting this problem.
Next up last weeks nail of choice. Barry M Gelly in Greenberry. Bright, bright turquoisey green. I wasn’t sure of this on my deady white hands at first but then got a bit obsessed with it. If you are blessed with a tan or lovely olive skin then this will look divine!
I am fairly sure the Rimmel is a dupe of Essie Chubby Cheeks though I don’t own it.
I think the brights are here to stay. Let me know your personal summer nail favourites.
Lots of tutorials of this kind of thing around at the moment but I thought I’d show you how I did my nails last night.
Finished product.
So this is what I started with.
Revlon colour stay base coat (this stuff and the top coat are both amazing) China Glaze in Sweet Hook as the base, Barry M in Guava for the flowers and Essie Mint Candy Apple for the leaves.
Paint your nails with 2 coats of base colour.
Paint some roundish blobs on your accent nail.
Using a dotting tool or cocktail stick draw some swirls to define the petals and some blobs for leaves.
At this point I also decided I wanted to do the mint green as a fancy French type effect. I love the purple and green together.
So the sun seems to be making a tentative appearance this week and my thoughts have turned to pastel colours, beer gardens, country walks and picnics. Sadly there is a way to go before any of that is feasible, I can however show you some of the pretty colours that will be gracing my nails over the next few weeks.
First up Essie. I can’t lie since I heard the fuss about Mint Candy Apple I’ve been a little obsessed.
From left to right Fiji, Not Just a Pretty Face, Mint Candy Apple, Where’s My Chauffeur
Fiji is a gorgeous pale pale pink, makes your nails look fresh and polished. Not Just A Pretty Face is a peachy nude, mannequin hands really, perfect for work and your mum will totally approve. Mint Candy Apple is a gorgeous minty green, doesn’t make my hands look red and immediately makes you feel cool and summery. Where’s My Chauffeur (part of the Christmas collection) is a slightly darker version and more of a teal. This one is definitely boyfriend approved. Feels edgy and cool without being too out there.
Advantages of the Essie polishes is their frankly MASSIVE brushes. Makes a manicure quick and simple. Retail at £7.99 from Boots.
Next up OPI and China Glaze
From left to right again. China Glaze Sea Spray and Sweet Hook, OPI My Very First Knockwurst and Pink Friday.
Sea Spray is a very muted sea grey/blue, subtle and a bit different with a slight shimmer, it is now discontinued but probably available from eBay.
Sweet Hook is a gorgeous light bright purple/lilac. Wearing this colour gives me a lift every time I wear it. It’s also discontinued.
My Very First Knockwurst a lovely nude pale pink which has hints of lilac. Pretty work appropriate again and goes with anything. Pink Friday is obviously Nicky Minaj for OPI it’s very Barbie pink but looks fab with the beginnings of a tan.
I love all of these colours for this time of year, they are just so pretty!
Samanthadid 