❄Perfect Party Season Polish... Barry M Textured Glitter Nail Paint; Shade "Lady" (White Pearl TNP8); Review + photos❄

Source: Google Images

Today's review is all about a Barry M Nail Polish shade that I believe is perfect for the fast-approaching Christmas Party Season! The shade is called "Lady" (White Pearl, TNP8), and it's from The Royal Textured Glitter Collection. About halfway down this page I have included an image of all 5 shades from the collection, and I've written the shade names next to it.

"The new Royal Glitter inspired collection from Barry M will make you feel like a glittering, glistening Princess. With 5 shades in the range, these Textured Glitter Nail Paints will get your nails noticed in an instant." - Barry M (source: www.barrym.com)

I'm not usually a fan of textured shades, I much prefer a smooth and polished finish to my manicure, but this shade has shed a new light on the textured nail look for me. The texture it gives the nails feels just like hardened sand! It's an interesting look, and I don't think textured polishes in darker hues would float my boat, but the "gritty" look and feel just seems to work with this glittery shade. I love the contrast between the soft colour and the coarse texture.

Image - above-right: Barry M Textured Glitter Nail Paint in "Lady" (TNP8) from The Royal Textured Glitter Collection.

It also has fantastic wear. Glitter polishes do tend to have better wear than non-glittery ones, but the addition of textured particles in these seems to make the polish set like cement! I didn't see any signs of wear for 5 days, none what-so-ever! When signs did begin to show they were minimal, just a few minor chips here and there. In fact, this stuff has such serious staying power that it's a bit of a nightmare to remove! Someone should really invent a nail polish remover specifically for glitter polishes and other stubborn shades (if it already exists can someone please tell me?!).

Source: Google Images

The textured finish also seems to have some effect on the way a topcoat will look. I added a shiny topcoat to add durability and a glossy finish, but it didn't add any shine at all, no matter which brand of topcoat I tried. I have no idea why this happens, but the matte finish is all part of the look. It's still a good idea to add a topcoat to extend wear, though.

Image - left: The Royal Textured Glitter Collection from Barry M. Shades (L-R): Purple Countess (TNP9), Gold Majesty (TNP6), Nude Duchess (TNP7), Lady (TNP8), Pink Princess (TNP5).

Another thing good glitter and textured shades seem to have are accelerated drying times. This stuff set solid in seconds for me. Always opt for a shade with a near-instantaneous drying time when you're in a hurry! Remember to touch-up mistakes with some nail polish remover after painting each nail, as this textured stuff is a nightmare to adjust once it's dry.

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Now, let's discuss the shade itself. This shade's main colour may be white, but it's far from boring! Barry M describe "Lady" as being a white pearl colour, which is bang on the money, really. The snowy white pearlescent hue is flecked with iridescent glitter and has a sandy textured finish. As I said earlier, the combination of the soft shade and gritty texture is an interesting contrast that creates a fabulous and unique polish! It seems to marry with our snowy English Winter landscapes perfectly (which appear to be occurring more and more frequently!).
If you're looking for this shade on the Barry M website, look in The Royal Textured Glitter Collection in the Nail Effects section, and click on shade TNP8 - it just says TNP8 on the website, not "Lady" as it does on the bottle, bare this in mind when browsing.

❄So, why not make a change from the usual seductive dark burgundy and plum hues in AW13 and opt for something light, innocent and snowy instead?❄

Click here to purchase Barry M Textured Glitter Nail Paint in "Lady" (White Pearl TNP8) from the Barry M website.

Click here to view Barry M Textured Glitter Nail Paint on boots.com.

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By Tuesday T. Bryan.

Per Una Long Wear Nail Polish by M&S - review + photos

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This brief review is going to share my thoughts on Per Una Long Wear Nail Polish by M&S. I'm reviewing the shade "Bright Orange", but I also have it in "Champagne", which is my go-to nude nail polish for a classic French Manicure. I've heard it's no longer available through the Marks And Spencer website, but it's too good not to review, and you can still buy it elsewhere online. This stuff is an absolute dream!

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First of all, let's discuss the shade, "Bright Orange". It was love at first sight when I saw this summery coral shade. It's an eye-catching metallic opalescent shade of orange, packed with hot pink sparkles, with a shimmering high-shine finish.
Image - right: Per Una Long Wear Nail Polish in "Bright Orange". My nail decals are from Claire's Accessories; I'm not a huge fan of stick-on nail decals as I find the edges are near impossible to disguise which can look tacky, but I wanted to jazz up my manicure so I used them for these photos.

The bottle claims 2 things about it's wear:
1. Up to 5 days wear.
2. Chip resistant.

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I've added a photo of my nails after 5 days of wear without touch-ups to show just how long-lasting this stuff is. It has some serious staying-power! With signs of wear so minimal I'd be perfectly happy to continue wearing it. In retrospect, I really should have kept it on longer to further test it's wear, but I got bored of wearing the same colour and I was sick to death of those cheap decals. Anyway, it's hard-wearing qualities had me instantly hooked - it certainly beats it's own "5 days wear" claim. If you want to increase the wear of any polish I suggest using Avon Nail Experts Gel Strength Base Coat as your nail base (click here to read my review). I've had this Pera Una polish for about 3 years now, and the polish is still as perfect as the day I bought it.
Image - right: Per Una Long Wear Nail Polish after 5 days wear without touch-ups.

So, if you want hard-wearing long-lasting nail colour, defiantly give this stuff a try. It's got the best staying power of any nail polish I've ever used, without a doubt. I honestly can't fault it in any way!

Click here to view Per Una Long Wear Nail Polish on the Marks And Spencer website.

© Tuesday T. Bryan Photography
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By Tuesday T. Bryan.

Avon Nailwear Pro+ in three new shades + Avon Nail Decoration Tool; Reviews + photos

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I've decided to write some short but sweet words on my three latest shades of Avon Nailwear Pro+, "Apple Of His Eye", "Grape Goddess", and "Seduce Me Strawberry"; three of the six new fruit-inspired nail polish shades that "look good enough to eat"! They're super summer shades, and I loved the look of them all, but these were my chosen shades as I thought they were the ones I'd wear the most.
I also want to briefly share my thoughts on the new Avon Nail Decoration Tool.
First I'm going to discuss each of the colours individually, then I'll go on to comment on their wear, and finally I'll mention the Nail Decoration Tool.

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© Tuesday T. Bryan Photography
DO NOT USE IMAGES WITHOUT PERMISSION. Copyrighted material

"Apple Of His Eye" was love at first sight for me. If you've read my previous blogs you'll know that red nail polishes (and red lipsticks) are firm favorites of mine. This one is a modern twist on the classic retro red.
It's a stunning bright red/coral shade, packed with eye-catching gold and bronze glitter. It's very versatile  Being slightly on the coral side makes this red polish light enough to enjoy in the spring months, when pastel shades are in, but being a red it's also suitable for the rest of the year (although personally, I'd opt for something deeper for autumn/winter). The glitter looks heavenly in the summer sunlight, and it's glamorous enough for a night out.


I thought that, due to me being a red-nail enthusiast, "Apple Of His Eye" would be my favorite of the three shades. However, "Grape Goddess" is even more breath-taking.
From the Avon brochure I thought this polish looked a lot like another of Avon's Nailwear Pro+ shades (which I also own) called "Decadence", but it actually has a very different finish. "Grape Goddess" is a bright, rich purple infused with fuchsia sparkles. It's a fun and party-perfect shade, but it's also sexy and seductive. The shade is colourful enough to pull off in the spring and summer months, but it also has more than enough depth to enjoy in the autumn/winter. This polish is a clear winner for me. I am certainly very pleasantly surprised!

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I'm not usually one for pink polishes, but in the brochure "Seduce Me Strawberry" caught my eye. It's a vibrant pink, loaded with eye-catching pink and silver shimmer. This shade is super-girly and perfectly flirty! After studying  this polish for some time (and trying to "ignore" the light-reflective glitter particles), the main pink shade looks slightly on the pastel side to me, making it a fabulous colour for spring. The added sparkles also make this polish perfect for those long summer days.

Now, let's discuss the products' other qualities. All three shades are perfectly opaque after 2 coats. I highly suggest you don't use these shades in a hurry; any smudges, scratches and fingerprints are very visible due to their high-gloss finish (especially "Grape Goddess"), I always try to set aside some "me time" to do my manicures! As for the wear, Avon claim up to 12 days of lasting colour from their Nailwear Pro+ polishes. I don't think I've actually ever kept the same shade on for 12 days, I love changing my nails so much that I usually change my polish at least weekly, but you certainly do get some decent wear out of them as long as your nails are in fairly good condition. I used to have real problems with all of Avon's polishes wear on the thin areas of my thin peeling nails. However, since using Avon Nail Experts Gel Strength Base Coat (see below for price and purchase details) my nails have been in much better condition, and using it as a base coat boosts longevity by fighting colour fade and helping to prevent chips and peeling - I will be doing a review for Avon Nail Experts Gel Strength Base Coat very soon; the stuff is a miracle and I can't wait to share more about it with you!

I've added images to this blog entry and the polishes really do look great, but photos still don't do them justice. You really need to see them for real to witness just how dazzling they really are! They're dirt cheap, too, so what are you waiting for!

© Tuesday T. Bryan Photography
DO NOT USE IMAGES WITHOUT PERMISSION. Copyrighted material

© Tuesday T. Bryan Photography
DO NOT USE IMAGES WITHOUT PERMISSION. Copyrighted material

Finally I want to share my thoughts on the new Avon Nail Decoration Tool. It's a neat little accessory for creating unique nail art designs. It's sort of two-tools-in-one, with a thin brush on one end and a "cone" (for dots) on the other. As with most Avon products, the price tag is tiny, so it would be great for practicing nail art.
I'm not a huge fan of massively fancy nail art on my own fingers...not when I have to do it myself anyway. As you can probably see from the photo, God didn't bless me with perfectly steady hands, hence why I never pursued my dream of becoming a tattoo artist. I think the dots look quite cute, but I knew the "plumes" I did using the brush weren't going to end well before I even started. Never mind though, I was just experimenting!
The base shade is "Seduce Me Strawberry" and the detail shade is "Inky Blue" (both Avon Nailwear Pro+). I also added a silver nail art gemstone for a bit of sparkle.
Overall, it's a nice piece of kit for manicure enthusiasts, but steady hands are ideal - get practicing!

Avon Nailwear Pro+ nail polishes are available for £6.00 each. The Avon Nail Decoration Tool is available for £3.00. Avon Nail Experts Gel Strength Base Coat is available for £5.00. Avon's products can be purchased via your Avon Representative or online from the Avon website: http://avonshop.co.uk/shop/default.asp?

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By Tuesday T. Bryan.

Below: A recent photo of myself. My hair is getting far too long and I'm not fond of my facial expression, but my make up is looking good! :)

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