Autumn/Winter Nails ... Deeps

Bonjour!

As we're now officially in the last month of Winter (hurray!) I thought I'd shop my nail polish stash ... can't see the weather turning any time soon so the deeper hues will be with me for a while longer ...

Shot on location in the freezing cold back garden - got to get the right ambiance ... even if my fingers felt like frostbite was setting in ...!

From left to right ...

Barry M Matte Nail Paint in Crush - love the smooth finish of this polish - great for a grungy looking change from high gloss!

Marks & Spencer Limited Collection Quick Dry Nail Polish in Storm - my newest addition, you can see my NOTD here.

Maybelline Forever Strong in Dark Denim - had this one for ages, forgotten how much I like it -should use it more often before it dries up! 

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Watermelon - not the easiest to apply (I find) and not the most long lasting but I love the colour - so does my daughter, she keeps pinching it from me!

Nails Inc Polish in Hanover Square - a freebie with good ol' Glamour magazine - lovely rich colour, reminds me of a shiny aubergine!

Will you be rocking the 'deeps' for a while yet or are you champing at the bit to bring out the Spring pastels?

Jen x

August/Holiday Favourites...

Bonjour!

These are my favourite products from this year's holiday (which was obviously in August!) ... photographed by the side of the pool - she says wistfully...must forget about the pool and the sun for another year!

Clockwise ... (sort of!) ...

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-In Cream Factor 30 - although the recent bout of eczema has cleared up on my face and neck I needed sun protection which was gentle but effective in case it re-appeared whilst on holiday - this was just the ticket.  I smoothed it on every morning over my face and neck after moisturising - super easy to apply and provided the protection I needed - a lovely product and one I would repurchase.

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Grapefruit - you can see it in action in my NOTD post here. Absolutely love this vibrant juicy colour. Don't want to put it away for autumn/winter - not going to just yet!

Wild About Beauty Multi-Purpose Tint -  a super summer and holiday product. Gives a natural flush which you can see in my review here.

Sanctuary Spa Skin Perfecting BB Cream (Medium to Dark) - can't believe I reviewed this a whole year ago here , it was also included in last year's August Favourites and here it is again! This is in fact the same tube with plenty left (and in date of course) so I've used it again.  I said it last year - because it's quite pigmented it's a lovely product to use on holiday and keeps that bit of glow on yer kite once you return. Another product I'm not yet ready to retire for the season just yet!

Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence Duo - I got hold of this from QVC on easy pay instalments during the the last Beauty Day. A leave-in conditioning spray, a leave-in Elasticizer?  It was certainly a lifesaver on holiday and kept the frizzies at bay good style. Full review to follow when I've done a bit more road-testing!

Daniel Sandler Instant Tan Face Powder - still loving this bronzer - perfect for holiday evenings - full review here.

Mally Perfect Prep Under Eye Brightener - been using this for a couple of months now and it works really well to lighten up those dark circles - full review to follow.

Oh - and then there was this little beauty ...

Now - I have to say I'm not a big drinker but I did find that this super-cheap vino from our local French supermarket went down very easily indeed and is - unfortunately a distant memory! Stupidly we only bought the one box. Must make room for more next year!

So ... those are the favourites. Still wishing I was beside that pool  ... however with the  kids back to school this week I'm pretty sure I won't have time to think about holidays, pools, sunshine and the like!

What were your August or holiday favourites?

Jen x

NOTD - Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Grapefruit

Bonjour!

This is the Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Grapefruit that my daughter chose for herself a few months ago. I decided to take it on holiday with us this year ...

With the Barry M Gellies people seem to either love em or hate em. I'm getting to quite like em!  Granted they can be pretty glupey to apply at times but if you can get the knack (and I'm gradually getting there) then it's worth the effort I reckon.  Freed of my usual pesky domestic duties the polish (plus topcoat) was going on for three days before wearing on the ends, which I was pretty impressed with.  I did take a couple of other polishes on holiday but loved this colour so much I ended up just using this one all week!  'Grapefruit' has that vinyl effect high shine associated with the Gellies - a super-vibrant, almost fluorescent pink with coral vibes - a perfect poolside bright!

Do you get on with the Barry M Gelly? Which is your favourite?

Jen x

NOTD - Barry M Gelly Nail Paint - Watermelon

Bonjour!

When I first looked at the Barry M Gelly Nail Paints - this is the colour which grabbed me immediately - don't ask me why - it just did! Somewhere between a deep blue and green the name 'Watermelon' must relate to the skin and not the flesh of the fruit...

Unfortunately I didn't find application very easy! The polish is pretty thick and you have to load the brush with just the correct amount - too little and it streaks, too much and it goes all over the place (for me anyway). I'm no 'experienced nail-painter' so I really had to take my time with it (something I don't have a lot of) and still managed to make a mess - is it just me?  It didn't last too long once on - it's meant to be a chip resistant formula but the ends were showing signs of wear and tear after a day and a half (with a top-coat). Also - just seemed to take a bit longer to dry than a standard polish - ah well.

Just as an aside is that this is the 'one' I took down to London with me for the Daniel Sandler Make-Up Masterclass - which can read about here. I painted my nails in the middle of the night knelt on the bathroom floor and managed a much neater job than the few times I've used it at home in broad daylight - so what's that all about then - are one's powers of concentration and dexterity heightened at that time of night or what?!

I do love the colour of 'Watermelon' though and the glossy 'vinyl-look' finish so I will be persevering (have another colour to try anyway) to see if I can improve my technique with it and add a bulletproof top coat - which I've still to buy. If anyone has any tips on how to apply this polish correctly and keep it chip free then please share - cos I ain't giving up just yet!

Have you tried the Barry M Gelly Nail Paints? How did you manage?


Jen x