Category: Barry M

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BEST OF | Pink Makeup

Valentine’s Day may be long gone, but there’s no reason to put down our pink-hued makeup just yet. For me, pink screams Spring. There’s something about the colour that adds a freshness, a youthfulness and a brightness to any makeup look. Whether it is a bright pop of fuchsia you’re craving, or the more toned-down rose option, this post will include something for you…























I’ll begin with perhaps the most unapproachable area of makeup when it comes to all things pink – the eyes. I can’t say that I’m a lover of neon fuchsia eyeshadow (although I was known to rock that look many, many years ago) but here I bring you subtle rose-tinted shades that while they add a hint of colour, won’t stretch you too far from the neutral spectrum. The most obvious option is the well-loved Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette, which is a stunning rose-hued neutral palette. I have posted three looks with this palette which you can check out here. If this palette is slightly out of your budget, or if you’re still on the fence about these pink hues, a great affordable alternative comes in the form of the L’Oreal La Paris Nude Palette which delivers many similar shades (full review here). The final stunning pink option (in the top image) is the Mac Pigment in Rose. This is a really interesting mixture of gold and rose, and it is intensely shimmery and metallic. If you’re a neutral lover and you want to add colour to your arsenal, this comes highly recommended.























From the hardest feature to the easiest to incorporate pink is the cheeks. A pink blush is the nearest to a natural flush without using a full-on red shade. Finding the right shade of pink can add a gorgeous youthful glow to the skin. The first blush I bring you is from my favourite formula, and it is the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface. These are the most long-lasting and smooth blushes I have ever tried and (apologies to all my non-American readers) you need to try one out ASAP. Ordering from Sephora is achievable these days so it is a little easier to get hold off. This shade is a pop of light pink that isn’t too warm or too cool so it would suit a huge range of skintones. On the more budget-friendly side is the Gosh Blush in Flower Power. This is slightly easier to wear that the bubblegum hues and works great on those with more yellow undertones in the skin. Having said that, I also feel this is a universal shade, and the slight shimmer adds a really pretty, but subtle, sheen to the cheeks.























My favourite way to incorporate pink, and my favourite makeup category in general, is definitely lipstick. If you’re like me and love to experiment with your lip colour and wear bold, bright shades, then Mac Lipstick in Impassioned is one of my all-time favourite shades. This colour is probably the shade that suits me the most out of anything I’ve tried, but I can see this working on so many people, fair to dark skin. It is a yellow-toned pink that leans slightly towards red. Stunning. For a slightly more blue hued fuchsia shade, I can’t recommend the Maybelline Color Drama Lip Pencil in Fuschia Desire enough (check out my full review of these here). Moving on to the more parred-down options, for those who love nude-pink shades, Mac Lipstick in Creme Cup will definitely become an instant favourite. The formula is gorgeously creamy and the shade is very flattering. Finally, a favourite everyday shade of mine would have to be Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Pink in the Afternoon. This is a stunning warm-toned mid pink. It adds colour to your lips but it isn’t so much of a statement. This is definitely the one I’d recommend for those who are new to or slightly wary of pink on the lips.























And finally, we finish on nails. For the bright, in-your-face option, this Nails Inc Gel Effect Polish in Covent Garden Place is a fun and intense fuchsia, which i think looks amazing on the toes especially. This Barry M Nail Paint in Strawberry Ice Cream is definitely more everyday appropriate, but still adds enough pink to make it fresh and fun.

So that rounds up my pink-themed makeup picks. It’s funny because I wouldn’t really associate myself as a pink gal, but there’s something about pink makeup that is just really incredible, and it is a universally flattering shade. What are your favourite pink picks?

–RachelElizabeth

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Manicure Monday #29 | Sophisticated Glitter – Blogmas Day #22


Sometimes glitter can sometimes seem a little much, and although I will, especially at this time of year, sport a complete glitter manicure, it is nice to just add a hint of sparkle to your look. This is where the accent nail comes in…


So I began with a nude – I went for the Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Lychee which I actually have a full post on here. Any nude or neutral colour would look great with this look – anything that you would wear on an everyday basis. Then you pick a nail you want your glitter on. I’m not entirely sure why, but my favourite is always the ring finger – slightly off centre but still noticeable enough on your fingers. For this I used this very interesting glitter, the Maybelline Color Show Brocades Nail Polish in Knitted Gold which is sadly no longer available. But any glitter that you have would work ideal for this look – I personally think gold looks the best with nudes!

Do you ever rock an accent nail? Let me know your favourite combinations below!

–RachelElizabeth
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Manicure Monday #21 | Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Chilli






















I was really impressed with the autumn collection from Barry M this year. So much so, that I’ve already dedicated a post to the unique shade Mustard (here). Of course, when I was buying that shade there was an offer on Barry M in Boots, so naturally I picked up another…

Chilli is a really interesting shade. It isn’t your typical dark red with blue undertones, but rather it comes off quite brown. It’s surprisingly unique to my collection, and it definitely screams autumn. As I have mentioned over and over, the Gelly formula is impeccable, especially for the price. It has an incredible shine and wear time, and it is one of my all time favourite nail polish formulas.






















If you are a fan of a dark red, I definitely suggest you give this slightly different one a try. What’s your favourite colour nail for autumn? 

-RachelElizabeth
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Manicure Monday #20 | Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Mustard

If you are a regular reader of the blog, you may know my love for the Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint formula (read my reviews of other shades here and here). It’s fast becoming one of my favourite nail polish formulas ever, so when I heard about their new autumn collection, I knew I had to check some of the shades out…

The shade Mustard is a very unique shade and not one that you often see brands release. It is a true mustard shade and the formula holds up to the usual expectations of the Gelly line – opaque, smooth to apply, incredible shine and long lasting. The funny thing about this shade is that in certain lights it can look almost like a nude or a neutral on me as my skin has quite strong yellow undertones. In brighter light however, it is much more striking and vibrant making this shade extremely versatile for me. It is definitely worth trying if you find yellow shades a bit too garish and want to try something a little bit more toned down.
























I feel like this will be a very love it or hate it kind of shade, but personally I am a big fan. I can definitely see myself reaching for this during the rest of autumn. What are your thoughts on mustard nails?

–RachelElizabeth
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Manicure Monday #16 | Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Blueberry

Funnily enough, I used to detest blue nail polish. I hated how it looked on my nails and I would never wear it. Over the past year or so, my favourite nail colours are generally shades of blue (Nails Inc Baker Street being a prime example). Recently I’ve been pining over these gorgeous pastel periwinkle shades, and today I bring you a new favourite in my collection. 

Barry M Gelly Nail Effects in Blueberry is a gorgeous light periwinkle shade. I find that it is a little too dark to be a pastel, but it isn’t overly bright – it sits somewhere in between. As I have mentioned before, the Gelly range from Barry M is incredible – it lasts a really long time on the nails, it is seriously opaque, and the shine competes with Seche Vite. I think that this is one of the newer shades of the line, and it makes me incredibly excited that they will be continuing to add to the range. 
























I am obsessed with this colour, and can see that it is going to be a spring and summer staple. This range is quickly becoming my favourite budget nail polish line – it has something for everyone and the formula is to die for. 

–RachelElizabeth
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Manicure Monday #14 | Barry M Berry Ice Cream

I’m not one for being too girly, but there’s something about pastels (regardless of the shade) that I gravitate towards at this time of year. I love the look of fresh, soft and feminine nails during the transition to spring – injecting colour into my wardrobe is never a bad thing, either…

Barry M Nail Paint in Berry Ice Cream (Boots list this as Ice Cream Purple)


The ice cream collection was a massive hit for Barry M a couple of years ago, consisting of pretty pastel shades, perfect for the spring and summer months. Berry Ice Cream is a perfect pastel lilac shade, which I find looks pretty fun and girly on the nails, but still looking more sophisticated than a barbie pink. As I have mentioned many times before, I love Barry M nail products. They are one of the most popular nail brands in the UK and also one of the cheapest, making them extremely accessible. The formula is great – it is not too thin nor too gloopy, and provides a shiny opaque finish in two coats. I find that all Barry M nail paints last well on my nails, not chipping for about 4/5 days.

Are you loving pastel nail colours as much as I am? Every time I paint my nails I can’t wait to put another fun colourful colour on!

–RachelElizabeth


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Manicure Monday #9 | Barry M Matte Nail Paint in Mocha

Matte nails are something that I’ve never quite fallen in love with. I love the idea of them, but there’s something not as satisfying as the really glossy nail I’m used to (thanks to Seche Vite). Barry M recently launched their matte range, and because they’re not too expensive – and it would be rude to turn down 3 for 2 – I thought I’d pick up three of the shades to see if I could get into the whole matte nail trend.

The Matte Nail Paint in Mocha in the bottle looks like a warm mid-tone brown. It applies to the nails much as you would expect a regular cream finish polish would and looks shiny. However in about a minute it starts to dry to a matte finish. I did two coats, and it was very smooth and even in texture. However, what I found odd about this polish – and maybe it’s due to nature of the matte formula – is that it dried to a completely different colour to what it looks like in the bottle. It ended up being a cool milk chocolatey colour, and it some lights looks almost like a purpley-taupe. I did like the colour it ended up being, but the bottle itself is a bit misleading. I wouldn’t say that the finish is completely matte either – my nails still reflect some light, but they do look almost matte.
























I don’t know if I was expecting too much from this polish but it leaves me a little dissatisfied. It wasn’t as matte as I was hoping, but I don’t know if that is as matte as the usual formulas get. The colour-changing aspect also brings this product down for me as it is quite deceiving, and I do really like the colour in the bottle. So all in all, Barry M haven’t made me fall in love with matte nails, but heres hoping that another brand can. What are your thoughts on matte nails? Do you love this trend?

–RachelElizabeth
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Manicure Monday #8 | Barry M Hi Shine Gelly Nail Paint in Lychee

As I’ve mentioned before, I often head to Barry M when looking for a new nail polish. They are the high street brand who are always on top of the latest nail trends, and one of the cheapest on the market as well. The Gelly Hi Shine range is an extremely highly blogged range, promising the same finish as a gel manicure. 


Lychee is a pale beige that pulls slightly yellow. On my skin tone, it is the perfect nude shade. As for the formula, it is one of the best I’ve tried. It is opaque in two coats, applies incredibly smooth and is shiny without a top coat. It is one of my most long-wearing nail polishes and I definitely want to try more of the range. 























I have just picked up 3 shades of the matte range from Barry M which I have been contemplating buying ever since the release, so expect them coming up soon on Manicure Monday…

-RachelElizabeth
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Manicure Monday #6 | How to Remove Glitter Nail Polish

From left to right: Barry M Superdrug 347 (Limited Edition), Maybelline Color Show Brocades in 220 Knitted Gold, Barry M 355 Gold Mine Glitter, Models Own Hedkandi in Ibiza Mix, Barry M in 150 Red Glitter

I love glitter nail polish, and I’m particularly drawn to them around this time of year – as you can probably tell from my last two Manicure Mondays posts. Pictured above are some of my current favourite glitters – I tend to gravitate towards budget brands, and in particular Barry M, as I don’t wear them too often and they do have a really great colour selection in Boots and Superdrug. The only thing that I don’t like about glitter is that is a pain to remove. I wouldn’t recommend scrubbing at your nails with a cotton pad and nail varnish remover as you may with standard nail polish as this can greatly damage and scratch the nails. Read more for my safe and easy way to remove glitter polish…

What You’ll Need:

– 5 Cotton Pads, torn in half
– Some aluminium foil, ripped into 10 pieces
– Nail varnish remover (any will do)
Firstly, I soak the cotton pad in nail varnish remover, and place over the nail, ensuring that the whole nail is covered with product. I then took one of the pieces of tin foil and wrapped it around the finger and cotton pad, then squeezing to secure. I tend to do this one hand at a time because it can get quite fiddly when most of your fingers are wrapped in foil! I leave these on my fingers for around 10 minutes, to ensure that all of the varnish has come off. Then carefully slide and remove and everything should be removed!

I hope this tip was useful, and that glitter won’t be such an annoyance in the future. 

-RachelElizabeth
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Manicure Monday #5 | New Years Eve Nails

When it comes to nails at New Year, I always like to amp up the sparkle, and I usually go for a deeper colour as the base. This years look is very cliche, and somewhat reminds me of fireworks in a night sky, very appropriate for the occasion. Its also nice on New Year to pay extra attention to the way your nails go with your outfit and accessories, whether they match or contrast.

For this nail look I used Barry M Nail Paint in Navy which is a really nice long wearing navy colour. Barry M are really great for those on a budget – they’re only £2.99 and they have a really great shade range. They are also really great quality, proving that you don’t necessarily have to spend a lot in the nail department. For the glitter, I used Models Own Hed Kandi in Ibiza Mix which is a polish with a clear base and pink, blue, gold and purple glitter running throughout. The glitter particles are quite large, which give the nails more of a speckly look rather than fine shimmery glitter. I have done quite a thin coat which makes the glitter very sparse, but this is easily buildable. I haven’t tried too many Models Own polishes, but I am very impressed with this glitter. It goes on evenly, which is sometimes an issue for other glitters with larger particles, and this one in particular goes with so many different polishes. 


My last two Manicure Mondays have been very glitter-heavy and removing glitter polishes is not always easy. Stay tuned for next weeks post on my tips and tricks!

–RachelElizabeth
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