Spring Pastels | New Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Polishes...

Barry M | Gelly Hi-Shine Polishes | £3.99 each | Link

When it comes to nail polish, Barry M have to be my go-to brand.  Ever since they released their 'gelly hi-shine' range last year (you can read my old post on them here) I've been twiddling my thumbs waiting patiently for them to bring out some new shades.  Well, I can officially stop thumb-twiddling now - Barry M very kindly granted my wishes and released 3 new Spring colours that happen to be just my cup of tea.  'Rose Hip', 'Sugar Apple' and 'Huckleberry' are perfect for pastel lovers. The milky tones are just the ticket for the upcoming warmer weather and will look absolutely fabulous with a bit of a tan.

I'm such a fan of the Gelly Hi-Shine polishes.  They only require 2 coats for full, opaque coverage - which is impressive to say how light these new colours are - it usually takes me a good few coats with pastel shades to get a good coverage on the nail but these don't take a great deal of effort whatsoever.  My only bug-bear at the moment is the fact that my nails aren't half as long as they were last year - I'm trying my best to grow them back but at the moment - but these light colours seem to highlight the fact that my talons are looking less than top-notch. Of course, that's no fault of the polishes (they haven't exactly sprouted teeth and nibbled them away themselves - no fear - these aren't a new range of killer polishes or anything) - no - it's my own stupid fault for being so slap-dash with the ol' nail upkeep routine and giving in to uni stress. Worth baring in mind if you too haven't got the neatest of nails at the moment! Nevertheless, they look lovely once i've popped a glossy topcoat on and neatened the edges up a little - they actually make your skin look much more tanned - yay for summer!  I love the 'milkshake' vibe that these polishes have - they're definitely a little lighter in shade on the nails than what they appear in the bottle - they have a strong 'white-ish' undertone to them but they're unlike any other pastels I have in my collection. I cannot wait to experiment with some floral nail art with them in the coming months... who doesn't love a good dose of floral nail art as soon as the sun comes out?! I know I certainly do!

It's well worth picking one of these up if you have a spare £3.99 in your purse (pre-pay day treat anyone?!) I think my favourite at the minute has to be 'Rose Hip' - it's such a lovely nude pastel pink and it looks really flattering and classy (even on my current stubby little claws).  They apply just as nicely as the previous Gelly Hi-Shines, although you do need to be careful when painting - it's easy to make a bit of a mess with them if you're feeling a bit slap-dash - worth mentioning. Overall, I love them. Feel free to bring out more shades Barry M.... Just sayin'!

Have you tried the new range of Gelly polishes by Barry M?  Which shade is your favourite?

Recent Shopping Buys | Feat. Zara's Office City Bag

Accessories | Zara Office City Bag £50 | New Look Necklaces - £7.99 each | Miss Selfridge Collar Necklace £14 | River Island bikini £27 | Striped Bikini - £43

Hiddely-ho ladies. So, recently I've been a little under the weather. I won't go into the nitty gritty but nothing cheers me up more than treating myself to a few new 'essentials'.  I thought I'd show you all a few things I've bought - even though I hate photographing clothing (does anyone else find it really awkward making it look 'neat'?!).  My best buy over the past few months of course has to be none other than my Zara Office City bag - it's lusted after by many and I can totally see why. I actually wanted it in black, but as my local Zara had sold out and it wasn't available online, I decided to opt for the tan.  It was a blessing in disguise really that the black was unavailable, as it's coming into spring/summer I will be wearing lighter colours and my trusty tan wedges a great deal more, so it will definitely go better with my summer wardrobe. I love the fact it has short handles or the option for a longer strap (not seen) - I'm off to London in July with my uni course so it will come in so handy as there's sections for a laptop, ipad or ebook reader and a slot for your phone and credit cards. Everything you could ever need or want to carry will fit in here - very Mary Poppins-y. I love it.

The bikini's were impulse purchases if i'm honest - the ASOS one definitely a little pricier than the norm but I love the little nautical stripes! In all honesty I'm just a massive bikini addict - I have a drawer full of them even though I only get to wear them for a short period each year (but since I might be going on holiday in the summertime then i'm sure i'll get my wear out of these little numbers).  And of course, New Look has their 'BOGOF' offer on jewellery so I picked a couple of bits up, along with the chunky beaded collar necklace from Miss Selfridge. I love me a bit of statement jewellery!

Clothing | Topshop Jeans - £38 | New Look Crop Top - £12.99 | Primark open-back Playsuit - £10 |  

I needed some new Leigh jeans for this season. I've worn my black and blue denim pairs to death over the past year or so, and thought it would be nice to grab a lighter wash pair.  I tried on their Joni jeans and although I liked them, nothing beats my trusty Leighs - they fit like a glove and wear really well. The Primark playsuit is a must-have for summer and I really cannot wait for the sun to hop out from behind the clouds so I have an excuse to wear it!

H&M Yellow jumper - £19.99 | H&M dress - £19.99 | ASOS nude cape blouse £30 |Rose Jumper - Ebay £15 |

I bought the floral jumper off an Ebay seller and it has to be one of my favourite buys of the past few weeks.  I've been after one of these jumpers for ages, and didn't fancy paying the price tag that I've seen a lot of them selling for. This was a reet bargain and looks lovely layered over tights or leggings as it falls at just the right length - I was unsure about the rips in the material but I suppose it adds to the dressed-down look and it's quite quirky.  The mint dress just had to be mine - purely for the colour and the style! These little girly chiffon dresses are my go-to outfits for spring/summer as they require little or no planning whatsoever - they're just a 'throw on and go' kind of item and i'll be pairing this one with my white blazer and nude heels or sandals.  I bought the ASOS blouse when they did their 25% discount event for students - I don't wear many of my blouses any more - I've sort of 'grown out' of that trend now and I much prefer my baggy tshirts and simple floaty camis and dresses, but I really liked the colour of this one and and it will look really nice paired with my black blazer for a more work appropriate outfit, and the fact it's slightly see through means it wouldn't go a miss for a few drinks either. I thought it was quite versatile and it's a little more 'me' than some of the other blouses I own.

What have you been buying recently? 

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Polishes

Barry M 'Gelly Hi Shine' nail polishes | £3.99 each

When it comes to nail polishes, Barry M have to be unbeatable for getting quality and price bang on the mark. Being a complete sucker for anything that has the word 'new' on the packaging, I treated myself to some of Barry M's Gel polishes a while back now. I remember wishing they would bring out more colours as I was instantly sold on the glossy finish and faultless application and really fancied adding a few more to my collection. Well, I can tell you it was a very exciting day when I heard of the Spring Collection being released and I dashed into Superdrug at the next given opportunity.  I just couldn't decide on which one I liked best.. so i adopted the whole 'buy it in every colour' motto and ended up with a my hands full of all four colours, doing a little balancing act at the till with all my other beauty-related goods before almost tipping them over the poor lady about to zap them through. Standard shopping trip for me. She did have a little giggle with me at my 'forgot to pick up a basket but I shall battle on through' skills though..

As you can probably tell, I love a good pastel polish, me. Don't get me wrong, I adore my reds and classy darker colours, but pastels always look nice and fresh on the nails and cover up all matter of nail sins.  With Spring coming up, I will definitely be bringing out the brighter colours in my collection and I can't wait until I can pair these beauties with my summery outfits! 

The Spring Collection consists of 4 colours - 
'Lychee' being a lovely classic nude shade which is perfect for those understated days or for work/job interviews, and also not dissimilar to Models Own 'Utopia' (which I've wanted for ages!).
'Papaya' is a gorgeous bright peachy orange - which I'm saving until the sun comes out as I can only imagine how amazing it will look with a tan!  
'Dragon' is an adorable pastel pink that is a must-have for any polish collection - it looks lovely any time of the year and I've been wearing this quite a bit recently as it's so versatile!
'Greenberry' - Last but not least is my favourite of the Spring collection,  a beautiful pastel sea-green with a certain brightness to it that just looks so amazing when on the nails (if you liked Topshop's 'Green Room' then you need this in your collection!)

Application is faultless, and they apply smoothly and evenly from the first coat - they only require 2 coats for full opaque colour and don't show up any 'gritty bits'.  They also dry amazingly shiny - the swatches on the nail wheel above were left without a top coat just so you can see how perfect these polishes apply! I personally add a top coat afterwards just because I like to seal in the colour for prolonged wear time.. but if you're a bit of a lazy nail-painter, these will be right up your street!

Superdrug currently have a little offer on these polishes so if you have your eye on any of them I suggest you head on over to grab yourself a deal ASAP..

Have you tried the Gel polishes by Barry M? Love them as much as me? What's your favourite shade?