Review: Barry M Nail Paints

Hello :)

I've always heard great things about Barry M but had never got around to trying out any of the products myself. I made my first Barry M purchase while on the search for a good crackle polish and have been a little addicted to Barry M nail polishes ever since. I currently have 6 Barry M nail polishes, two of the original Nail Paints and four of the nail effects/limited edition nail polishes.



The two original Nail Paints I have are Peach Melba, a beautiful peach, and Mint Green, a 'does what it says on the tin' mint green. I have featured both of these nail polishes in previous NOTD posts.
Barry M Nail Paints cost just £2.99 and they are amazing value for money. The colour of the nail paints are really beautiful, strong colours and are very true to the colour in the bottle. The consistency is great, they are easy and quick to apply and you could even get away with just one coat, although two is probably best. The polish does begin to chip after about 3 days but you can't expect perfection for just £2.99! I am very impressed with the Barry M Nail Paints and will definitely be purchasing more in the future.



I mentioned already that my first Barry M purchase was a crackle polish. I currently own two of the Instant Nail Effects Crackle nail polishes in Black Magic and White Frost. As these are the only crackle polishes I have tried, I can't compare them to any others. I never really felt the need to try any other crackle polishes as I am very happy with the effect that this gives. The polish is easy to apply and the consistency is quite good. The crackle polish last a lot longer than I had expected, at least 3 days without chipping, even without using a topcoat. I have heard a few people giving these polishes negative reviews compared to other crackle polishes. I, however, probably won't even try another crackle polish as I am happy with the effect these give. They are also a lot more affordable than most other crackle polishes at just £3.99.



I also have two other Barry M nail polishes. I have a limited edition nail polish in Silver Glitter and a Foil Effects nail polish in Silver Foil.
I picked up the Silver Glitter nail polish because I couldn't resist this lovely bottle of sparkles when I passed it in Boots. I was a little bit disappointed with this polish. I don't know what I was expecting but I was not overly impressed when this polish turned out to be nothing more than a glitter topcoat. To wear it as a glitter polish without a base coat under it, you would probably need 4+ coats. I don't know about you but I just cannot be bothered with all of that effort. However, if it was to be worn as just a glitter topcoat, it is a perfectly good polish.
The Silver Foil nail polish was also a bit of a disappointment. I didn't really know what to expect from this polish but I liked the idea of having shiny silver nails. I originally swatched this polish on a nail wheel and I was very impressed. The polish didn't let me down when I wore it for the first time either. The application was really easy and it only took one coat to give a really nice look on the nails. The major disappointment came when the polish began to chip quite badly after just one day! For just £3.99, I can't really complain too much and I might possibly try out the new Lilac Foil Effects some time soon.

Barry M Nail Paints are available here for £2.99.
Barry M Instant Nail Effects - Crackle are available here for £3.99.
Barry M Instant Nail Effects - Foil are available here for £3.99.
The Barry M Silver Glitter is no longer available but they have a range of glitter nail polishes which are available here for £2.99.

Sophie :)

Tag: How Much Does Your Face Cost?

Hey :)

I saw this tag a while ago and thought I would give it a go. The idea is to add up the prices of your 'everyday' makeup to see how much your face 'costs'.



Foundation: Rimmel London Match Perfection Foundation - £8.99



Concealer: Rimmel London Match Perfection Concealer - £5.99



Powder: Natural Collection Loose Powder - £1.99



Eyeliner: Rimmel London Soft Kohl Eyeliner Pencil - £2.99



Mascara: Maybelline Great Lash Mascara - £4.99

How Much Does My Face Cost? £24.95

As you can see I'm clearly a big spender! I don't wear a great amount of makeup ever day so I suppose if I included things like blush, eyeshadow and lip products it would definitely come to a lot more!

So, how much does your face cost?

Sophie :)

Top 10 Study Tips

(image: weheartit.com)

Hello :)

So I promised that I would do some more school/university related posts since my blog has been overrun with beauty related posts recently. As it is exam time just now or coming up to exam time for some, I thought I would share my top 10 study tips. I'm currently in the middle of studying for exams so these are tips that I am currently using while I'm studying.

ONE: Find a study method that works for you!

I have gone through both Standard Grades and Highers (those who don't know what these are can find out here) while experimenting with study techniques to find what works for me. It has taken until this year for me to find a method that I find works for me which I shared in this post. I would definitely suggest trying to find a method that works for you as early as possible.

TWO: Study what you like least first!

If a certain subject that you are studying for has an area or topic which you like least, study this topic first. If you start with what you don't like, you are less likely to just not bother studying it. I often find that if I study the areas of a subject that I enjoy first, when I come to study the areas I don't enjoy I give up and don't bother studying that area. It's easier to study what you like so leave that until last.

THREE: Take regular breaks!

There is nothing worse than studying for hours on end and doing nothing else. Study for a couple of hours then take a break for a good half an hour to an hour to give your brain a rest. Try to avoid things like going on a computer or watching TV as they can often distract you for hours or even the rest of the day.

FOUR: Get help!

Ask a teacher of tutor to give you a help with your studying. You could ask them to sit down with you to go through the work if that works for you and they are willing too. I find it helpful to get a teacher or tutor to mark sample questions/essays or past paper answers to give me an idea of what I need to do. If you don't really want to go out of your way to go in to your school to get them to mark something, ask for an email address and email it to them. Teachers want you to pass your exams just as much as you do so will be willing to help you out.

FIVE: Eat healthily!

I know it's often very tempting to eat nothing but crisps and chocolate while your studying, and I am terrible for this, but try to eat healthier snacks. Healthy snacks are better for your brain, or so they say, so make sure you have some food available that is easy to snack on but good for you as well.

SIX: Don't cram the night before!

Do not leave all your studying to the night before! When you cram for an exam you don't take in as much information as you would if you study over a longer period of time because you are trying to force yourself to learn information. Spread your studying out over at least a week to make sure that you have time to learn everything that you need to learn.

SEVEN: Reward yourself!

I always find that I am much more productive when I reward myself for studying. I often set myself a target of what to do and if I reach my target I reward myself with something. You could reward yourself with anything like seeing your friends or watching your favourite movie, whatever motivates you.

EIGHT: Take days off!

While you're studying, you need to be aware that your brain will need to rest occasionally. Set aside one day a week that you can have as a day off. It doesn't have to be a whole day if you don't feel you have time for a full day off, it could just be an afternoon. However, don't use days off as an excuse not to study. One or two days off a week is perfectly enough, don't push it and take more!

NINE: Make note of what you struggle with!

During your studying, make notes of the things which you are struggling with. Spend a bit of extra time each day looking over the things you are not sure of and make sure to look over them again before the exam. If you still are not sure of some things after spending extra time on it, ask a teacher or tutor to go over it with you.

TEN: Have a good study space!

Make sure you have a good area to study in when you are preparing for exams. A good study space will have a decent sized area for you to study with space for all your books and equipment. You should study in an area that is quiet and you won't be distracted.

I hope you find these tips helpful and for those sitting exams soon, good luck!

Sophie :)

The Lipstick Tag

Hey there :)

I was a little bit bored tonight and fancied something fun to do so I thought I would find a few tags that I could do and put away in my draft posts for the days when I am far too busy to write a sensible blog post.

I found this tag, 'The Lipstick Tag', on the blog Peaches and Blush, here.


(image: weheartit.com)

When you were a child, did you use your mother's lipsticks?
My mum has never been into makeup. In fact, on the very rare occasion she does wear it she's the one using mine. I do remember sneaking into my grandmother's bedroom a few times when I was younger to steal some of her lipsticks though.

How old were you when you bought your first lipstick?
I had been given a lot of lipsticks in makeup gift sets before I actually purchased my first one myself so I think I bought my first lipstick when I was around 15 or 16.

Pink or Red lipstick?
That's a tough one! I would probably have to go for pink because I feel like that's a bit more wearable than red most of the time.

The most expensive lipstick you have ever bought?
A MAC lipstick.

And the cheapest?
A Natural Collection lipstick.

What's the most bizarre thing you've ever done with a lipstick?
As boring as it may make me, I don't believe I have ever done anything other than wear a lipstick.

If you had to recommend a lipstick, which brand would you recommend and why?
It would have to be MAC. For me, although they may cost a little bit more than a drugstore lipstick, they are completely worth the price. The choice of shades is amazing and they last forever on your lips, I love them!

Sophie :)

Review: Natural Collection Loose Powder

Hello there!

I have a bit of a beauty rave for you today, rather than just your average review.

If you haven't already met, I would like you to meet my dearest friend, Natural Collection Loose Powder.



I was introduced to this product by a friend and, although we are not exactly the best of friends anymore, I am so glad I found it! I have repurchased this product about 5 times and I will continue to happily repurchase it for as long as I can.



Although this just appears to be your average loose powder, it is somehow so much more. I often find that a powder can make your makeup feel heavy and it is powders like that that cause my skin to break out. This powder feels the complete opposite, very light on the skin, and doesn't cause my skin to break out.



The powder is available in neutral, warm and cool translucent and I have found that Neutral Translucent is just perfect for me. The powder gives a beautiful matte finish and sets makeup very well.

Natural Collection Loose Powder is available here for the amazing price of just £1.99 and is almost always on 3 for 2 at Boots.

Sophie :)

NOTD: Green Foil

Hello there!

Another nail polish post for you today. I've been experimenting with some new Barry M nail polishes, as you may have noticed from the last NOTD post, and I will be reviewing them for you soon.


(Apologies for the messy work, I was in a rush)

Again this picture has been edited but it is still true to life.



On all nails but the ring finger I have Barry M's Foil Effects nail polish in Silver Foil. This nail polish is available in Boots or here for £3.99.



I have Barry M's Mint Green on my ring finger. It's really hard to get a true-to-life picture of this polish but it is a lot more like the colour in the first picture of this post than in the picture above. You can buy this nail polish in Boots or here for £2.99.

For those of you who are more intersted in the school/university related posts, there will be more coming soon!

Sophie :)

Tesco Haul

Hello.

I picked up a few things in Tesco the other day and I thought I would share them.



Cleansing Wipes -
I always take my makeup off with wipes before I cleanse my face and often just choose the cheapest or whatever wipes are on offer. I bought these Tesco Sensitive Cleansing Wipes for 99p.

Concealer -
I'm running low on my Rimmel London Match Perfection Concealer and decided to repurchase the Maybelline Super Stay 24 Hour Concealer. This is available here for £6.12 but I'm sure I paid slightly less.

Concealer -
After reading this Foundation Routine, I decided to try out Hannah's method of concealer. I bought the Rimmel London Hide The Blemish Concealer to try out. This is available here for £4.49.

Foundation -
As I have mentioned before, I am currently on the search for the perfect foundation. I picked up the Rimmel London Stay Matte Foundation as I am a fan of Rimmel London's foundations and this was the cheapest there. This is available here for £5.99.

All makeup is currently on offer for 3 for 2 at Tesco.

Sophie :)