Manicure Monday #18 | Nails Inc Holiday Wardrobe

Nails Inc are a brand I’m really starting to fall in love with. Some of my favourite nail polishes are from them – check out previous Manicure Mondays on Baker Street and Queen Victoria Street. Surprisingly enough I have never tried the Gel Effect formula, and when I saw this gift set, I knew I had to pick it up.

The set includes three Gel Effect polishes: Porchester Square (a grey-toned beige), Regents Place (a light powdery blue) and Covent Garden Place (a bright warm-toned pink). It also contains the Kensington Caviar top coat. The set is worth £54 but retails at £25 making it an absolute steal! The only problem is that I cannot find this anywhere online, but I got it very recently from my local boots. If you’re interested in trying these shades, it is worthing trying to hunt down this set. You can buy the polishes individually here


I am yet to try these yet, but make sure you check back every monday where I will be reviewing each of these shades in a Manicure Monday post! 

RachelElizabeth

Manicure Monday #17 | L’Oreal Pistachio Drage

Ever since the L’Oreal ‘Le Blanc’ collection came out I have been drooling over all of the shades. It consists of four gorgeous, almost white, pastel shades. I had my eye particularly on this shade, which was always out of stock in every Boots or Superdrug I went into. When I finally found it, I grabbed it straight away and haven’t looked back since…

L’Oreal Perfection Color Riche in Pistachio Drage is a creamy mint-tinged white shade. Surprisingly, for a pastel, it is decently opaque in one coat, but it definitely still needs two. I have never tried any L’Oreal polishes before, but I was pretty impressed with the formula – it wore well on the nails and wasn’t too prone to chipping. The shade itself is absolutely stunning; in some lights in leans more towards white, and sometimes it is much more of a true mint shade. The bottle is on the small side for a polish, but if you’re like me and have an embarrassingly large collection, then you will probably still not reach the end of this…
























Pastels are always all the rage in spring, and it seems that L’Oreal have really hit the nail on the head with this collection. I’ve had to stop myself getting carried away and buying the whole range, because they are all so stunning. If you are in the market for a new pastel, then this is probably right up your street. 

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

Manicure Monday #15 | Tanya Burr Penguin Chic

Tanya Burr’s lipgloss and nail polish line launched in store in Superdrug last week, and I had to pick some up (check out yesterday’s post here for a review of the lip glosses). It’s so exciting to see YouTubers and bloggers popping up in the shops – they’re becoming such an integral part of the beauty industry and I’m all for it.

Unfortunately, the Superdrug I went in wasn’t fully stocked, but the one that caught my eye was Penguin Chic. It’s a gorgeous taupe, and great for those who don’t love wearing bright colours on the nails or don’t want their nails clashing with their outfit. In terms of the formula, I was pleasantly surprised. It was smooth, and applied opaquely in two coats. I also really like the brush – It is standard, and on the thinner side, but I found it really easy to paint my nails with.























If I had to choose, I would say the nail polishes are my favourite of the line. This may well be because I am a nail polish addict, but I think that these are really well formulated, and there is a nice colour range. At £5.99, these are very reasonably priced, and I would definitely recommend picking one (or several) up if you are in the market for some new nail polishes. They are available in store in Superdrug and online at FeelUnique. I know that I will probably end up with a few more in my basket…

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


Manicure Monday #13 | Essie Blanc

White nails are definitely a love-hate thing. Often deemed as ‘tipex nails’, this trend tends to surface a lot during the warmer months, and some (including myself) see it as a fresh, clean look to the nails. I spilt the last white nail polish I had, so last summer when I was looking for a replacement, I instantly looked at the Essie stand – a brand that I often see as a reliable source for colours that are missing from my collection.

Essie Blanc is a completely pure white shade. I find that paler colours can be troublesome with their formula, and I tend to pay closer attention to their opacity than the brighter or darker shades. This one held up pretty close to my expectations, although I did end up putting on three coats for complete opacity. I think at two coats it would be enough for some, but I needed that tiny bit more colour. As all Essie polishes are concerned, it applied very smoothly and easily with its wide brush. Also like the other shades, the longevity is on point, and will last on my nails for a good while before chipping.























So unfortunately, I could not bring you the perfect white polish today, although this one does come close. If you are looking for a white polish, either for french manicures or all over colour like this post, then this is a good one to go for. Do you know of the perfect white shade?

RachelElizabeth

Manicure Monday #12 | Rimmel Salon Pro by Kate Moss in Reggae Splash

I am surprised that I have never mentioned my love for the Kate Moss for Rimmel collections on here yet. Everything they brought out was hugely surrounding by hype, and the nail polishes were no exception. Both the lipsticks and the nail polishes have a great variety of shades, and of course today I am showcasing a very spring appropriate shade. 
The first thing I will address is the brush – for those of you who are fans of the extra wide brush that covers your nail in one swipe, look no further. Personally, I prefer the precision of a thinner brush, but I can’t deny the convenience and quickness of the wider brush. The formula is very smooth and easy to apply, but I found that this particular colour needed three coats to be completely opaque. However, the colour and the final effect is really nice – it is a bright enough peachy orange to be noticeable and fun, but not so bright that is obnoxious. I find this formula to be relatively long-wearing and doesn’t chip too easily. At £4.49, and Boots constantly having offers, I definitely think it is worth picking up a shade or two.























I’m still loving all these summery colours, and I don’t doubt that for the foreseeable future Manicure Monday will consist of light, bright and summery shades. What’s your go-to spring nail shade?

RachelElizabeth

Manicure Monday #11 | Nails Inc Baker Street

Cue an ode to one of my favourite nail polishes ever… Since I first laid eyes on this colour I was instantly smitten. I’m not the biggest lover of blue nails in general, but cobalt is a colour that instantly makes me happy. This is the kind of colour that livens up any outfit and really pops on the nails. 

As you may have noticed I like nails inc polishes (check out Manicure Monday #3). Baker Street is no exception to this love. The formulation is impeccable – its smooth, opaque and easy to apply, and is incredibly long lasting. I particularly love the brushes on nails inc polishes – I am one of the only thin-brush devoted fan, I find them much easier and less messy to apply. The only downside to these is the price point. They aren’t cheap, but I really feel the price reflects the quality of the polishes. They have great on trend shades, and are always ahead of the game when it comes to new colours and finishes.
























I am really loving extra bright nails at the moment. The sun has briefly been showing its face here in the UK, and it has got me in the mood for spring and summer. Although this will probably be short lived, watch out this week on the blog for some more spring and summer inspired posts.

-RachelElizabeth

Manicure Monday #10 | Bourjois Amande defile

Spring is officially here! At least on my nails anyway. The sun has decided to show its face a bit in England and it’s got me craving those pretty pastel colours that I love every year. Upsettingly, this should have been a post about Essie Mint Candy Apple – a cult favourite – but as I was just about to apply I noticed that it was all gloopy and I had barely any left! This could call for my first every nail polish repurchase…

Regardless, I decided to choose the Bourjois Paris So Laque Nail Enamel in Amande Defile, which is quite similar to the Essie option, but perhaps a smudge lighter – a pale duck egg blue shade. This formula really is gorgeous – it’s opaque (which can be an issue for pastel colours), long lasting and incredibly shiny. Bourjois is a slightly more expensive brand on the high street, this polish coming in at £5.99, but I think the formula is good enough to warrant that still affordable price tag. The rest of the shades also look gorgeous and I’m surprised I haven’t already picked more up! This is one of my favourite summer shades, and it was one of my most worn of last year.
























I have yet to try Bourjois’ 1 Seconde formula, which is raved about a lot, but if it is anything like this formula then I’m sure I will love it! Have you tried any Bourjois nail polishes?

RachelElizabeth

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