A Blonde Moment: Barry M Gelly Nail Paint: A New Obsession

Gel manicures have been on my radar for a long, long time - but as someone who has little money and the attention span of a gold fish, they never seemed ideal for me. I change my nail colour as often as I wash my hair (every two days people, don't get worried!) and so something which stayed put for weeks and weeks seemed a little like a bad idea! However, I loved the gel finish and the fact that on those rare occasions such as holidays, when you maybe don't want the worry of whether your nails have chipped yet and did you remember to pack the polish, the colour would just stay put. Enter Barry M's much hyped Gelly Nail Paints. With a 'hi-shine' finish offered in just one coat, I was pretty taken with the idea and the gorgeous colour range. Pastels, summer brights and even a cheeky nude mean that you're completely spoilt for choice if colourful shades are your cup of tea.

My first foray into the Gelly Nail Paint market actually comes courtesy of my step-sister, who bought 'Satsuma' with my encouragement. Sadly, I am on an extremely strict spending ban (at least until the student loan comes in) so at the moment any non-necessary purchases are totally off limits. This hasn't stopped me stealing this at every given opportunity, as I absolutely lurrrve it! The shade is perfect - a bright orangey-red, which surprisingly does work with my extremely pale skin (although I imagine it would be stunning with a tan!) and adds a splash of colour to otherwise drab cloudy days. The brush is pretty good, which surprised me considering Barry M normally offer a thin and streaky option, which I began to notice even more having dipped my toe in the Essie 'best-brush-ever' pool. One coat provides an opaque and glossy finish; two coats isn't essential, but I like to go for it anyway as it just gives a more polished effect (see what I did there?!).