Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit

Not too many months ago I naively thought that maybe, just maybe this whole contour craze had died down a little. Clearly I couldn't have been more wrong as  lately there seems to have been a new contour kit released every other week. While I was working on a make up counter I consistently had people come and ask me if we sold contour kits. I can't really be bothered with cream contouring, unless for a special occasion and I'm trying to save money so I can't justify the Anastasia Beverly Hills price, so I was very excited when I saw the Barry M contour kit in one of Amelia Liana's videos. 

Prior to hearing about Barry M's Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit, I'd been using Benefit's Hoola bronzer. It did a good job but I still felt like I needed more. Barry M's contour kit was so affordable that I just had to try it. Initially I thought the dark brown contour shade, furthest to the right would be quite scary to use, but it's not, it's just the right shade for fair to medium complexions. It's great for just a quick stroke of colour but can also be built up if you want a darker, more contoured look. It's cool undertone helps to really sculpt the cheek bones, It's quite rare to find a good contouring shade, that's affordable and isn't too warm. All of the shades are really pigmented and blend really well. They feel quite smooth, creamy/buttery, like good eye shadows do and seem to last well throughout the day. I like the light highlight shade, but I'm still not sure that it beats my beloved MAC Emphasize powder. The medium brown, middle shade is more like a bronzer to blend out the contour and add warmth to the complexion. All three shades work really well together and I think they are great shades that will suit a lot of skin tones. I would definitely recommend this contour kit, as a great value and more travel friendly option. 
You can purchase Barry M's contour kit from Boots or Superdrug for £6.49. 

NEW BARRY M A/W GELLY NAIL PAINTS | SWATCHES

I've completely forgot that we ever had a summer and I wouldn't even blame you if you didn't even realise we did, as it was definitely easy to miss! I am completely ready for Autumn and have already started craving hot chocolates and Autumn fashion - which I feel like I need to stock up on. I came across Barry M's new A/W collection a couple of weeks ago and knew that I needed to add some more colours to my ever growing-already too big- collection. I initially saw the shades Mustard and Paprika and instantly knew I needed them, but then I saw the rest and as it was 3 for 2, I just had to. The only shade that I didn't get was the poor green shade which I sadly neglected;I even chose a different colour from an older collection as the free nail varnish in the offer over the green. 

As with all of the Barry M nail paints, these shades apply really smoothly, give a lovely shiny finish and look good after either one heavier coat or two layers for a completely opaque finish. I find that they last well on the nails and hardly chip; mostly I find that they still look reasonable after a weeks wear and I normally change the colour every week. 

I absolutely love the colours that they chose to release and feel that they really are quite unique in the nail varnish world. Even the red and orange shades, aren't your typical shades and instead have the perfect Autumn tone to them; the red shade (chilli), is a darker deep brown red shade and the orange (Paprika) also has the brown deepness to it. I love the Mustard shade and really have not seen anything like it before. Although grey (Chai), sounds pretty boring, it's such an easy and sophisticated shade to wear. The dark brown shade (Cocoa), looked gorgeous in the store, but looking back on it now I did wonder why I bought a brown nail varnish. I do like it on but I'm still not completely sure on it as I wear a lot of black which may not go too well. 

 So, that's nails sorted now I need to sort out my wardrobe for Autumn and Winter!

 At the moment Superdrug have a 3 for 2 offer on all Barry M and Boots have a buy 1 get 2nd half price - yes, I've done my research! What's your favourite shade from the collection?

KATE MIDDLETON INSPIRED NAILS

I love my nails being painted; I can't stand having them naked, so, the only time I'm not wearing any nail varnish is when I'm taking the old colour off, to put on the new colour. However, I do hate choosing what colour to paint them or what nail art to try, as I'm sure like us, you've all got so many that you're literally choosing from every colour possible.

While I was sitting pondering over which colour to choose, Kate and Will came on the television, showing off their new royal baby. The polka dot blue and white print of Kate's dress was so cute, especially since she had a boy, so I wanted to follow the theme and copy take inspiration with my nails. I'm definitely a fan of the whole, 'wear the gender colour of your baby', so pink for girls and blue for boys, as long as it remains classy like Kate's and not over the top. 

The blue base colour is from Nails inc. If you've read our previous posts on Nails inc polishes, you'll know that we haven't ever paid full price for any of the quite a few that we now own and instead have either bought them with a magazine or when they've been on offer. They're nice, but they're not £11 nice. This colour came with Instyle magazine and ours either never had a name or it's just come off. 

I used two of the NAIL ART pens, one bright pink for the petals and a white to do the dots. I'll forgive you if you didn't guess that the design on the ring finger is supposed to be roses! At least I tried! I used Revlon's Nude pink for the inside of the roses and also added the Barry M confetti in Marshmallow to try to add texture to the roses, however, you can't really see this in the photo. The green leaves are Models Own Green Tea. 

I loved having my nails like this as it made a change from just one plain colour and I got so many compliments! Even people that I wouldn't expect to even notice my nails were commenting on how good they looked, which was nice. 

I'd love to know what your favourite, easy nail art designs are? 

HANNAH'S JULY FAVORITES

Here are just seven of the products I have fallen in love with this summer month;

Rimmel Natural Bronzer

Rimmel's Natural Bronzer comes in a wide range of colours which makes it great for a wide range of skin tones and seasons, which comes in handy for me considering my skin has pretty dramatic shade changes from winter to summer! It has great pigmentation and the matte finish means that its multi-purpose; I use the bronzer to contour and add warmth to the skin which previously I may have bought two separate products for. 

L'oreal Falsh Lash Flutter

Without being too enthusiastic and out of my character, this may be the best mascara I've ever owned! Both Georgia and I have been a fan of Loreal's mascaras, and this has just become the best one yet. Ignoring the cute name and style, this product also gives great length and volume in the first application, which means that your lashes look brilliant even if you're in a rush and only have time to put one layer on, similarly if you're feeling more patient the lashes can take on a false lash effect with multiple application. The wand has a longer edge which is ideal to ensure all lashes are coated with the remainder of the wand creating the volume. 

Garnier Summer Body

I have been using Garnier's Summer Body for the past two summers, and I am yet to find a better product at a similar price. I find with one application my skin is transformed to a much 'healthier glow', and I only need to use the light shade for immediate results. I only need to apply the product twice a week to maintain the tan which also moisturises the skin each time you use it. Additionally, it doesn't take long to apply or to absorb which means it can be applied in the morning or evening. The only downfall in my opinion is the smell; which isn't bad, however, for the first day after you have applied it the smell is a bit of a give away that you are wearing fake tan and the natural looking brown can be questioned! But for the price, ease and results I would and have recommended this to many as it's perfect for summer. 

Nivea In Shower Body Moisturiser

Nivea's in shower body moisturiser has quickly became a favourite of mine  for reasons not as closely linked to how effective the product is. Although I'm worryingly addicted to Body Shops Body Butters, it is rare that I will moisturise  my entire body ever day, and I am more prone to only applying them to my legs after shaving.  Therefore, this in shower moisturiser is perfect for me because it makes it easy; your hair is wet and so completely out of the way and you are left with an immediate soft skin effect without having to wait for the absorption. So overall I love this more due to my laziness than anything else but the idea is great and leaves your skin feeling super soft. I would however, only buy the dry skin version, even though I don't have particularly  dry skin I wouldn't want any less moisture than this gives.  

Bourjois Health Mix 

This Bourjois foundation may be 'the one' for me; it gives the skin such a radiant appearance and has a high coverage which means you can use less of the product resulting in it lasting longer. Even after 9 hour shifts at work it is still going strong which in my opinion is the true test of how long lasting a piece of make up can be! It is also a thick texture, which I prefer in a foundation as I feel it is easier to apply and doesn't risk me spilling it over myself, which actually has happened check out my Revlon Photoready review!

Barry M High Shine Gelly - Passionfruit

Finally, Barry M's Passion Fruit gelly nail varnish has been on my nails almost every other week; when choosing which colour I just can't resist it! Not only does the colour make a good tan look great the gelly collection have such a glossy finish. 

SUMMER DAISY NAILS

As the weather has decided to be a bit more like summer as of late, I decided that I wanted to do something with my nails to make them look all nice and summery too! While rummaging through our nail varnish collection, I found this little daisy stickers. I bought these a last year, I think, If not longer ago. There were from Claire's Accessories and cost around £3. All you do is peel them off ans stick them on, as easy as that! As you can see from the photos, some of the stickers don't lay very flat, where the nail curves, however, this doesn't seem to be too much of a problem. They may work better if you cut the daisies off indivually, instead of being lazy and just cutting bigger sections off like I did. 

I decided to use the blue nail varnishes underneath as I think the daises look good against both of the different shades. I used the Barry M Gelly High Shine nail paint in Guava, which is from the newest summer collection and as you can see is a gorgeous bright blue.  It's also super shiny and applies so well. 

 The lighter blue is by Models Own and is the shade Aqua Pro 051. We have a couple of other colours in the same pro range, which are also apparently limited edition. I wasn't at all impressed with the other shades, as the price of these nail varnishes was £8 and for that price I expected them to be better than my normal Barry M favourites, which are under half the price. I found that they chipped really easily and didn't last at all well on the nails. The Models Own Pro range polishes, do look really great at first and apply nicely, just the longevity is terrible, especially considering the price. I only bought this shade as I really liked the colour and it was on offer for £3, which I then didn't mind too much if it chipped fairly easily. 

What are your favourite summer nail art ideas?

OUR OUTFITS OF THE DAY

It all seemed like a great idea; go for a walk in the countryside, in the lovely warm weather and while out take some photos for the blog. Well, this did all happen, however, I've now been dying of hayfever ever since. I'm so envious of Hannah and everyone else who doesn't suffer from hayfever, if you do suffer, you'll know how horrible it is and how useless the majority of the hayfever relief products are.

And yes, we have matching sunglasses... I like to copy Hannah.

Hannah's Outfit 

I'm really loving poka dots at the moment; anything poka dot immediately catches my eye when shopping. This poka top is from Hollister and I love the cut out shape in the back, as it makes the top a little more interesting and I really love when tops and dresses have cool backs. The red shorts really brighten up the outfit and are quite high waisted, so work well with the top being a little on the cropped side. 

 

 

Poka dot top - Hollister

Red Shorts -  Forever 21 

Necklace - Forever 21

Earrings - Topshop 

Shoes - New Look

Sunglasses - River Island

Georgia's Outfit

  This is such a cheap outfit. The necklace itself cost more than the top( christmas present), shorts and shoes put together. The top was only £4 from Primark! Can you believe that they still sell tops that cheap?! I bought two colours... as you do. One has already been washed and it's still in great condition, so I'd really recommend these tops if you're looking for plain coloured tops. The shorts are also from Primark and were around £10. They're really cute and can be left casual or dressed up. 

 

Top - Primark- £4

Shorts - Primark- £10

Sunglasses - River Island 

Necklace - Lola & Grace

Nail Varnish - Barry M Gelly Blue Grape

Shoes - Forever 21

Hope you're all enjoying the warmer weather and if you've found any miracle hayfever remedies TELL ME! :)

NEW BARRY M GELLY NAIL PAINTS

 

Barry M are really getting good at these 'Gelly' nail paints; they now have a really great selection of colours, ranging from pastel to brights. There is definitely a colour for every occasion and every taste. This is their new selection for summer which has only just been released in stores.

We love these nail paints as they are so shiny and glossy and also stay on for a good week without becoming chipped - which is more than I can say for some of the more expensive nail varnish brands. The Gelly's are £3.99 each, so just £1 more than the normal Barry M nail paints, however the finish of these definitely makes them worth it! 

 The colours are great and can look good with just one coat, although we would tend to do two coats. There is also no need for a top coat as they are super glossy already, however, you could add one just for extra chip protection!

Passion fruit, Mango, Blue Grape, Guava, Key Lime

  The colours show up on the nail exactly as pictured, so you know exactly what colour you are picking up.

You can get Barry M nail paints at Boots, Superdrug or online on the Barry M website. They are currently 3 for 2 in Superdrug!!