Cracked out

Ok, so I'm pretty tardy to the Barry M Instant Nail Effects party, mainly because it was sold out everywhere I looked before Xmas. BUT, I have a small pearl of wisdom to impart which makes what must be the millionth blog post on this clever-if-not-slightly-gimmicky product worthwhile:
The thinner the stroke, the more it splits.
See my thumb - this was a relatively thin coat. The ring finger was a much thicker layer. So there you have it.
The basecoat above is Nails Inc Cadogan Square, a lovely creamy camel that matches my skin colour perfectly in natural light, meaning it can look a little like I'm wearing no polish at all. It's pretty damn chic. Application was a little patchy so you'll need a steady hand, two good coats and some Seche Vite.

Feelin' blue

Party people, you are going to love me. I've discovered an amazingly pigmented, easy-to-apply, glossy A/W nail polish for a fiver - Rimmel Lycra Pro in Blue Vogue.

I actually borrowed this from a colleague this afternoon as many late nights in the office meant I hardly had time to wash my hair this week, nevermind paint my nails, and tonight I'm off for cocktails - Soho, you will never see me without a manicure.

This is 2 coats, and I could have left it at one! The first glided on neatly with not a streak in sight, thanks to an incredibly creamy formula that isn't sticky or gloopy like some thicker varnishes (Nails Inc, I'm talking to you). And check out that shine, without a topcoat! It's a little bluer than this photo, and has a hint of sparkle which is pretty invisible to the naked eye but must serve to enhance that awesome gleam.

Another boon of this brand is their new brush - it's wider and flat than your usual brush, and curved at the sides to fit around the nail bed. Seriously, this is an innovation in polish.

This line is marketed as offering a 'professional finish', and I have to agree that this is the neatest, glossiest, most even coverage I've ever achieved by myself.

If I wasn't in the middle of yet another spending embargo until payday, I would be straight to Boots to stock up on every colour of this miracle find, OPI Lincoln Park After Dark, you are no longer my favourite navy blue!

Polishing up the rumours

It's been noted that sometimes I'm a little slapdash. I'm not a great washer-upper, I bump into things and just this week I've lost my phone and cashcard. And when it comes to warnings, rules and sell-by dates, I tend to fly by the seat of my pants rather than throw away a yoghurt because it's one minute into the best-before date.

That being said, this week I got a bit of a shock from the back of a bottle. It turns out my beloved Seche Vite topcoat bears the warning: 'This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm.'

Hmmm.This was a bit of a frightener. I've been slapping it on a few times a week for months, and only found out after a pregnant friend I'd recommended it to, who thankfully does do things by the book, alerted me to it.

The thought of not being able to use said topcoat (the one I've proclaimed changed my life) filled me with sadness, so I set about finding out more.

The chemical in question is toluene, which in large doses can be pretty nasty stuff. It's what gives Seche Vite that slightly scary chemical smell, and if injested or inhaled in large doses, can cause all kinds of problems. However, the amount in a nail polish should be harmless.

The warning in question is there thanks to strict Californian laws regarding certain chemicals, which cover the manufacturer's back should anyone ever, in litiginous American society, suspect they have fallen foul of after-effects. From my limited research, the same warning can be found on some hairsprays and even artificial sweetner produced in California. Basically, if the product was made in the UK, rest of US or, in fact, the world, we would have no idea the chemical was there.

Now I know the facts it's not something that will put me off using it. I will, however, try some alternatives, such as the highly recommended Sally Henson version, which doesn't contain toluene.

That said, I think it's important everyone makes their own informed decision about the products they use, and what's in them, and as I've been plugging this wonder product pretty heavily over recent months, I wanted to let everyone know what's in it!

I hope this sheds a bit of light on the subject, and I'd lve to know if my readers are careful about the chemicals they use, or are more interested in the after effects?

Leave it to the experts

Last night I had my monthly trawl of Sophy Robson's blog. I love it so much I like to save it up (anyone else do that with their favourite bloggers?)

I'd watched her how to videos before, but this time I paid pull attention to the Chanel nails tutorial, looking for some tips, and boy, was I blessed!



Here's what I learned:

• Don't put too much pressure on the brush. I think my three coats obsession is a result of my pressing too hard and making polish streaky, rather than the formula being disappointing. If you think about it, two slightly thicker, more even coats is better than three thin ones, right?
• Watch how she applies, paying attention to how much is on the brush, then painting the nail bed before sweeping the polish along the nail. My three-lines method seems positively slapdash in comparison.
• Nail dehydrator? I'd never even heard of the stuff! But now I've been paid I'll be investing on some ASAP.

So, inspired by Olivia Palermo's signature red nails I tested my new skills with Essie Red Nouveau.

Much neater than my usual efforts, much better coverage than I generally get with three coats, and altogether more impressive results. I'll never be a nail goddess like Sophy, but in 10 minutes, I think I improved my efforts by 50 per cent.

Take matte

During a fleeting visit to Superdrug to grab some painkillers, I was momentarily distracted by the kaleidoscopic Barry M counter.

A friend had mentioned Barry M's Cyan, and once I saw it, I couldn't resist. It helped that she lives a few doors down from me, and we can effectively share a nail polish collection, so in my mind I was doing a public service by picking up this little beauty. (£2.99)

I hope you ladies (and gentlemen) are sitting down because what I'm about to tell you could knock you off your feet... this is only two coats! This polish is a flippin' gem. Regular readers will know I'm a three-coat addict, but there was absolutely no need with this creamy, opaque beauty. And the colour is great. (Coated with Seche Vite here for extra gloss)

Then I took things to another level. I picked up Topshop's Matte with my other items last Wednesday, and although I was pretty dubious as to whether I'd take to matte nails, on a vibrant colour like this I'm sold.

Don't get me wrong, I'll always love that shiny manicured look. But for the crazier colours in my repertoire this gives a more casual edge I'm a real fan of. Would rather like to try it with some of Barry's ice cream colours, and definitely with Topshop's Gypsy Night, just to see what it does to glitter polishes. Either way, it's a fun product for a fiver, worked well here on top of my topcoat, letting you change it up on a whim, and dried in seconds with no brushstroaks. Go forth and mattify!