Barry M Nail Paint; BIRTHDAY

I have never tried Barry M cosmetics. I have never tried any of their products as I'm one of those girls who finds something they like and I never change. and makeup is no exception. I heard about Barry M's 'Birthday' polish because of Superdrug's 50th birthday promotion and whilst shopping around for a hard wearing polish for my tootsies for my holiday, I thought I'd give it a try!

Barry M Nail Paint - Birthday - £2.99 - Superdrug

The polish looks very pigmented and sparkly in the pot and as the pot is 10ml it's quite big which makes it easy to hold when applying even with your left hand.

When I opened the pot, the brush was a little crooked and some strands were coming out which I was a little disappointed with. Also, I was disappointed when applying it - it was quite thick which made it hard to spread and I am in no doubt this contributed to the long drying time and when the first coat finally dried, it was a little streaky. I therefore had to apply a second coat and wait for that to dry completely too. I don't know if this is standard for Barry M nail polishes but in comparison with other brands of polish this hasn't been the case.

Barry M Nail Paint - Birthday - Swatch

When dry, the polish is okay. It's cerise pink and you can see the glitter, but not as much as I had hoped. The glitter also made the coats quite bumpy - so I added a clear top coat. I had the Barry M nail polish in 'Birthday' on my toes for my 2 week holiday and it has been very durable with only a couple of chips which weren't very noticeable. I will carry on using it until it's used up, but I don't think I'll be repurchasing as I think I'll try the Gelly Nail Polishes next!

RATING;

Price: 4 STARS £2.99 is reasonable in my opinion for this nail polish. Of course, you can create a similar look with a plain polish and then a glitter coat but it would probably be the same cost or even more.

Ease of Application: 3 STARS I found the polish quite thick when applied. It also took a while to dry which was a tad annoying as I had to apply 2 coats as it was slightly streaky. 

Would I Recommend to a Friend?: MAYBE It depends on what you're looking for. If you want something more glittery and sparkly- find a glitter coat, but if you're looking for something a bit more subtle - this would be fine.

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MATALAN: Get Beach Body Ready

Happy Holidays!
I'm off on my holiday in a few of days, so I thought I'd get all of you in the holiday mood by sharing my thoughts on 2 of many bikinis that I'll be taking away with me this year. I chose these 2 as they are new to Matalan this year and are quite frankly, my favourite!

If you've ever met me or seen me in pictures, you'll know that I am very slim but being slim isn't fabulous 24/7. As a size 6 with a bit of a bum, I find it hard to find bikini's that fit everywhere especially if they're a set; I'm not the kind of girl who has half her bottom hanging out on the beach. BUT I have finally found some that I love!

Matalan Bikinis - Animal Print Bandeau Bikini & Floral and Animal Print Bandeau Bikini

 I have various styles of bikini but a regular staple in my summer wardrobe has been the triangle moulded bikini. I have never stepped out from that comfort zone and tried anything different until I saw these Bandeau styles! In general, I can't wear bikini's that are sized by bra size as I'm a 30 - and where have you seen bikini's as small as a 30?!  Therefore I have to settle for sizes such as 8's and mix-and-match sets.

Honestly, my mum doesn't like the shape or style of the bandeau top but that's because I'm not exactly 'gifted' in that area of body shape and obviously it doesn't enhance anything but if a slim woman like Kate Moss can wear one, why can't I?

Animal Print Bandeau Bikini: Bandeau Top £6 - Shorts £5

Floral and Animal Print Bandeau Bikini: Bandeau Top £6 - Shorts £5

You can't go wrong with animal print and the animal print bandeau bikini is no exception! As soon as I tried it on it reminded me of Katy Perry's Roar video! Also, what better to get you in the summer holiday mood than a beautiful floral print?! The floral and animal print bandeau bikini is beautiful. The pictures really do not do the set justice. I cannot wait to wear this - the colours are really pigmented and as you can see, even the bees are loving it!!

Both are shaped by moulded cups and the shorts are especially flattering. The shorts are higher than most bottoms I've seen and as they come slightly higher - they cover up any little bits you're not comfortable with.  A major plus point about these pieces is that the bandeau tops have detachable straps -  meaning no tan lines! Also as I'm not top heavy, they both sit comfortably without the straps on. You can also mix and match pieces with the same print but in a different style. If shorts aren't your thing, there's normal bottoms too and if you're not a fan of the bandeau top then you can swap and change for the triangle moulded top instead!

RATING;
Price: 5 STARS Both bikinis were £11 each (including the top and bottoms). As a student I had 10% off with my NUS student card but still, £11 is an amazing price for such amazing products!

Wearability: 4 STARS If I had better comments from my mum, I would have given these 5 stars. I am aware that bandeau tops do flatten you slightly but in my opinion I still love them!! I love the fact they have detachable straps too - versatile!

Would I Recommend to a Friend?: YES I love these prints. If you get the chance, have a look at Matalan's current holiday shop - they have amazing pieces in at the moment!

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My Mr Nutcase Custom Phone Case

I love personalised products. I love looking at something and being reminded of memories and the good times and so when I was contacted by The Mr Nutcase Team at Mr. Nutcase with the opportunity to review a custom made phone case, I couldn't say no!

It's really easy to design your own custom phone case. Any Design, Any Device- including custom iPhone cases. You can either choose from a variety of designs pre-made or design your own.

You simply choose your phone manufacturer, device and desired case type and away you go!

You can then choose from a variety of layouts and there is bound to be one that suits you - I chose to design my own. I chose a collage design because just the one image seemed a bit boring and as I have soo many photos I love, I would have found it extremely hard to have decided. Although the collage consisted of 8 photos, I still found it extremely hard to decide on what ones to use. I must have made several different variations before choosing my final design, but what made it easier it that Mr Nutcase give you the opportunity to view the case and get a rough idea of the finished product - so you can decide whether to make changes or add to your basket! You can re-size the images and move them around, but you need to make sure the images fill up the desired square because otherwise you'll be left with a white line around the outside.

Mr Nutcase dispatch the next day and I received my phone case within 2 days! I am extremely happy with the quality and finish of my case - it's beautiful and it puts a smile on my face everytime I look at it. The case is hard - not flimsy like a lot I have had off of eBay and the prints are really high quality! 

My custom case was priced at £14.95. Although this is quite expensive for a basic case, I think the price is great for a custom phone case! It's a great way to 'immortalize memories' into everyday products, reminding you of the good times and memories with friends and family. It would make a great present too - a phone case - no, but a personalised custom made phone case - YES!

Do you want one? Here's 10% off your case from Mr Nutcase with discount code: 'Thanku10'

RATING:

Price; 4 STARS This price isn't for just any old phone case, it's for a custom phone case. It's a great price for the product, service and quality!

Ease of Use/Create; 5 STARS Creating the phone case online was really easy as the steps were really clear. I had no issues choosing my design, uploading my desired images or paying for the product. 

Would I Recommend to a Friend?; YES This product is great to remind yourself of great memories and the good times. It's also a great idea for a present as it's personalised and I find these ideas are the best as it shows you've put more thought into it.

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