❄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.

☆NEW Avon LUXE COUTURE Créme Lipstick; 3 shades; review + photos☆

Source: avonshop.co.uk/

I'm simultaneously writing this review and on hold to a mobile network company. I was going to name and shame them, but the fact that I'm calling to tell them I want to leave their network should be enough - at least I'll never have to phone them again!
[2 minutes later...] Finally! I'm off hold and the the call is done. Now I can focus on my writing.

Today's review is about a product from Avon's new make up range, the LUXE collection. Their "exclusive premium" range is out in time for Christmas, and it's a perfect way to treat yourself and your loved ones without breaking the bank!

The new range includes a ladies perfume, a jewelry roll, 10 shades of lipstick, 6 eyeshadow palettes, 2 liquid eyeliner shades, 2 mascara shades, 8 shades of lip gloss, a shimmer powder compact, and 5 shades of liquid foundation.

Today I will be reviewing Avon Luxe Couture Créme Lipstick in three shades; High Style Coral, Designer Red, and Stiletto Red.

"Silk-infused formula with pearlescent colour."

- Avon.

The first thing I noticed about these lipsticks is the glamorous golden packaging. It's gorgeous! All of the Luxe range products are presented in eye-catching, golden chrome-effect packaging. It's really stylish and makes the products appear much more high-end and expensive than they really are. They really do look like designer products! They look like accessories as opposed to just make up. It's very sleek and sophisticated (see image - top right).

Now, let's discuss the lipsticks themselves. The formula is divine! Avon say these lipsticks make the lips feel more voluptuous and as soft as silk, and they certainly live up to the claim! My lips felt deeply moisturised and nourished, both during and after wear. Some moisturising lipsticks don't have very good wear, they often don't stay in place very long and require re-applying regularly, however that is not the case with these lipsticks. I had to top up the colour every few hours and after eating, but otherwise the soft hue lasted for hours! Very impressive. So far, so good!

I chose these three shades because I thought "High Style Coral" looked irresistible in the brochure, and I picked the two red shades because I'm a sucker for red lips!

All the shades have a slightly sheer finish, but the colour can be layered to make the hue more intense.

"High Style Coral."
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☆High Style Coral: (images - right and end of blog) As I said previously, I had high expectations after spotting this shade in the brochure photos. Many times I've found that shades don't look as good in reality as they do in a brands' advertising images, and sometimes they look like a different shade altogether, however this shade didn't disappoint. It's a soft, sun-kissed, caramel shade that gives the lips a flattering pearly sheen.

"Designer Red."
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☆Designer Red: (Image - right) This bright, orange-toned red is a classic shade for the lips. It looks best paired with simple eye make up and pale, flawless skin. With the winter weather and the Christmas party season approaching, this shade is an ideal buy!

"Stiletto Red."
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☆Stiletto Red: (Image - below-right) This red is a more delicate than "Designer Red", but it's not at all subtle! For me, this shade worked perfectly with medium-dark neutral eye shadow and a rosey blusher. Again, this shade is great for Autumn/Winter make up.

Now, let's talk dollar. This range is a little more expensive than most Avon cosmetics. Everything released from the range so far will cost you between £6 and £16 at the normal prices, and these lipsticks will set you back £9.50 each. If you snap them up for the introductory prices they'll be a little cheaper, though.

So, with Christmas just around the corner, why not treat yourself or your loved ones to a little something special from Avon's new luxurious range?

Click here to purchase Avon Luxe Couture Créme Lipstick from avonshop.co.uk.

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By Tuesday T. Bryan.

Image - below: Here I am wearing Avon Luxe Couture Créme Lipstick in "High Style Coral". My blouse is from New Look. My gold chain was a gift. Excuse the forehead wrinkles, I don't know why I'm pulling such a stupid face.

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Revlon Nail Enamel - 230 Popular; Review + photos

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My review today is about a much-loved nail enamel from Revlon, which is suitably named "Popular"! I'll try to keep this one short and sweet.

"Revlon Nail Enamel delivers gorgeous smooth, chip-resistant colour to nails." - Revlon

(Source: http://www.revlon.co.uk)

This glitzy, girly polish is ideal for almost all year round. It's a pastel pink hue which is perfect for Spring and Summer, and it's packed with various sizes of sparkly silver glitter, which also makes it a winner for the party season! So, with Christmas approaching fast, now's a good time to share the shade with you. :)

"Revlon's exclusive silk-protein shield works to instantly help even out the surface of the nail while rising above colour to automatically smooth away bubbles, streaks and brush marks." - Revlon

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(Source: http://www.revlon.co.uk)

                           

***

Let's talk about the looks you can achieve by using different numbers of coats. I've attached photos of my nails after using one, two, and three layers of this polish...

One coat: Just a single coat gives a subtle, nude, pinky tone with a touch of glitter. The added sparkle makes this sheer, understated shade more interesting. It's has a slightly glossy finish. The result is perfectly even - no streaks in sight! (See image - right.)

Image - right: A single coat gives a subtle, nude, pinky tone with a touch of glitter.

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Two coats: Adding a second coat of polish partially covers the first coats' glitter making it appear white-ish rather than silver - this creates an interesting mix of shades. The pastel pink hue is stronger, but still lightly sheer with a glossy finish. (See image - right.)

Image - right: The pastel pink hue is stronger, but still lightly sheer with a glossy finish. The mulit-layered glitter appears white and silver, which makes an interesting mix of colour.

Three coats: Three layers of polish results in a soft, delicate, "candy floss" pink, infused with lots of eye-catching glitter! The shade is no longer sheer, but completely solid and opaque. The result is an smooth, even, high-gloss, professional-looking manicure. Impressive! (See image - below-right.)

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Image - right: Three layers of polish results in a soft, delicate, "candy floss" pink, infused with lots of eye-catching glitter!

***

Now let's discuss the drying time, consistency, and wear...

One coat of this enamel has an exceptionally fast drying time - it's touch-dry in seconds! However, as more layers were added, I found I needed to give each coat longer to dry. If you want to use this shade in a hurry, I'd advise that you opt for the understated look that one coat provides (see image - ). If you want to add more coats for a stronger result you'll need to set aside some me-time to get your nails looking salon-perfect.

The polish has quite a thin consistency, but not so thin that application becomes difficult - there's little worse that ultra-runny polish that gets everywhere and makes a mess of your manicure! The thickness also makes little mistakes easy to remove. When you want to remove the polish completely, you may find it takes a while. A lot of glittery nail shades can be difficult to remove, and this one is no different. The pink enamel is quick and easy to remove, but I found that the glitter was pretty stubborn! A good way to remove glitter polishes is to soak a cotton pad / cotton ball / some tissue in nail polish remover, wrap it around the nail, hold in place for about 30 seconds, then try to wipe away the glitter - repeat if necessary. I've previously used some super-stubborn glitter polishes that have needed to be scratched away with an orange stick, which is pretty unpleasant (thankfully, "Popular" isn't that bad) - I'm sure I'll get some complaining to me about how this can be bad for your nails, so I assure you I'm not advising people to remove polish in this way, it was simply a last result.

The wear of this shade is pretty impressive. I wore 2 coats for 4 days before any signs of wear appeared, and my hands do a lot of work! The light colouring of this shade makes it ideal for ladies who don't have time to keep touching-up or re-doing their nails, as small signs of wear are barely noticeable and it has decent staying-power.

That's all I have to say about Revlon Nail Enamel in "Popular". I hope you've found it helpful! If you want to know more about Revlon or purchase this polish or any other Revlon shade, use the links below.

Click here to view Revlon Nail Enamel on the Revlon website.
Click here to purchase Revlon Nail Enamel from the Boots website.
Click here to purchase Revlon Nail Enamel in "230 Popular" from Amazon.

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By Tuesday T. Bryan.

☆It's my birthday!☆ NEW Avon Colour Trend; Glitter Glam Shimmery Pressed Powder; Review + Photos

☆First of all, it's my birthday today!☆ So, Happy Birthday to me, and thanks you to everyone who has sent me birthday messages and presents. :)
It's 01:58am here in England. I thought I'd get my work done now so I can enjoy my day properly tomorrow. :)

Today I'm reviewing another new product from Avon that hasn't yet been released in the UK, so you can get all the information you need before you decide to make the purchase! The product is Avon Colour Trend Glitter Glam Shimmery Pressed Powder.

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Please note; the photos really don't do this product justice. I always find it hard to show highlighting products without over-loading the face with make up (which looks and feels awful) or using a camera flash (which doesn't give an image of what the product looks like in normal lighting).

It's a pressed powder with a subtle shimmery finish that can be used to highlight or to give an all-over glow to the face and body. It's a perfect beauty bargain for the party season; Christmas is coming up fast! It comes in a colourful compact complete with an application sponge, although I found application much easier and more effective with a powder brush.

Let's talk about the product in more detail. The pressed powder itself is almost translucent, it has just a slight tinge of gold to it which gives the skin a beautiful healthy glow, so it would be great for use as a subtle bronzer, too. The powder is infused with fine, light-reflecting, shimmering gold particles. When applied to the skin it gives a healthy, luminous, pearly glow. The result suits all ages and skin tones, and it gives just the right amount of subtle shimmer to add extra glamour to any outfit. It really is a great all-rounder!

The formula of this product is fabulous. It makes the skin feel feather soft, and the powder eliminates any

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shine. A little goes a long way and the product is build-able, so start off by applying a little and build it up to achieve the desired effect.

Image - right: I tried to use a close-up photo to show the effect that a touch of this product can achieve, but it really doesn't do it justice! Scroll to the end of this review to see a photo of my whole look finished with the Shimmery Pressed Powder.

There are a few ways you can use this product. If you want to use it as a highlighter, apply it to the forehead / cheeks / nose / chin etc (anywhere the sun would naturally hit your face) - I found this easiest with a small blusher brush for precise application. Or, for a more dramatic yet not over-the-top effect, you could apply it all over the face. I love the glowing result this gives the skin; it's a great way to finish your make up. You can use it on the body, too, for some subtle party glamour. I think it looks best applied to the top of the shoulders, the collar bones, and just a little on your breasts - it's a great way to highlight your assets! ;)

Personally, I think there's nothing worse than people over-loading on super-glittery make up and body glitter, a look that seems to be popular for the Christmas Party Season. Please, ladies, don't make yourselves look like disco balls and leave the tinsel for the trees! A product like this gives a much more sophisticated result - you can don the shimmer for the party season and still look fabulous! Plus, this stuff is much more versatile, so you don't need to reserve it just for nights out and Christmas. It's a beauty bargain that you can't afford to miss!

Avon Colour Trend Glitter Glam Shimmery Pressed Powder will be available in the UK from Avon brochure 17. Click here to view the Colour Trend range on avonshop.co.uk.

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By Tuesday T. Bryan.

Image - below: My radiant glow is the result of Avon Colour Trend Shimmery Pressed Powder. Shame I couldn't get the Party Season sparkles to show up in the photo! I'm wearing different eye make up to what I'd usually wear, certainly not a look I'll be rocking for my birthday! Didn't feel comfortable in it at all, so removed it as soon as I'd finished the photos for this review.

Avon Opal Top Coat - review + photos [Apologies for corrupted "4-in-1" image!]

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Nail polishes are probably my favorite beauty products to review, purely because I bloody love the stuff! Having a flash manicure has to be the ultimate accessory.
Today I'm reviewing one of my recent Avon purchases, the Avon Opal Top Coat. If you're looking for a fun, fashionable finish for your manicure then give this stuff a whirl. I love opals and things with an opalescent finish, so this was a must-have for me! The  the Opal is my birth stone, you know. ;)

Let's discuss it in a little more detail. This new Avon product is a nail top coat consisting of a clear polish with a high-shine finish, and infused with eye-catching opalescent "confetti" sparkles. It's bang on trend at the moment,
and, although I hate to say it as we're only in August, it's a winner for the Christmas party season.

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As always, I've added my own high-res images to this review so you can see how the stuff looks for yourself. Click on the photos to view larger versions in better quality!

Image - above-right: Avon Opal Top Coat over 5 shades of Avon Nailwear Pro+. Shade names from left - right (thumb nail first); Decadence, Inky Blue, Noir Emerald, Real Red, Orchid Splash.
Image - below-right: Avon Opal Top Coat worn alone photographed from various angles in different lighting.

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Image - above: My manicure using No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in "Winter Tale" and a coat of Avon Opal Top Coat on my ring finger. Click here for my No7 "Winter Tale" review!

I tested this product over 5 shades of Avon Nailwear Pro+ (image - above-right), and I wore it over No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in "Winter Tale" (click here for my review!) on my ring finger to add some subtle sparkle to my manicure (image - above). I chose varied colours to show you what the Opal Top Coat looks like over a range of shades and finishes. Personally, I think it looks best when paired with "Inky Blue" (usually a very deep metallic blue, but my photo makes it look almost black, sorry!) and "Noir Emerald" (possibly my favorite Nailwear Pro+ shade). I also think it looks pretty good with "Decadence". I don't think the lighter shades, "Real Red" and "Orchid Splash", contrast as well with the opalescent sparkles. However, I do think it compliments No7's "Winter Tale" (click here for my review), it seems to complete the manicure, and it adds a touch of fun sparkle without looking cheap. What do you think? It's advertised as a top coat, but you can wear it alone for a more subtle look. I've added a "4-in-1" image to show you the polish in different lighting from various angles (image - below-right).

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The opal "confetti" comes out slightly uneven in various shapes and sizes, but I believe that to be part of it's charm. It certainly makes in more interesting, and you'll always get a unique finish!
A little polish goes a long way. I personally think 1 - 2 coats is plenty, any more and I think it would look tacky and peel easily.
Speaking of peeling, this stuff has fantastic wear. I wore 2 coats over 1 coat of Avon Gel Strength Base Coat (the stuff is a dream; click here to read my review), and it lasted 4 days before I noticed even the smallest signs of wear, which was a little pe
eling around the cuticles of some nails.

There's not much more to say really, so I'll keep this one short and sweet! I can't fault this polish at all. It's on-trend, it's eye-catching, it's a great way to add a unique finish to your usual manicure, and it's dirt cheap.

❄It's a Party Season must-have!❄ (Loving the snowflake symbols.)

Click here to purchase Avon Opal Top Coat from avonshop.co.uk.

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By Tuesday T. Bryan.



Image - below: Just a recent snap of myself. :) Annoyed that my leopard-print hair clip is showing, but otherwise I feel it's a rather aesthetically pleasing photo, even if I do say so myself. ;)

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