Manicure Monday: Barry M Molten Metals

Firstly, a very happy Bank Holiday Monday to you! I hope you're enjoying a relaxing morning!

I am so, so in love with the latest release from Barry M. The brand has tackled metal style polishes in the past with the foil effects polishes but these are definitely a couple of steps up! The range consists of four polishes, a copper, bronze, silver and a gold.

I just had to go for Bronze Bae and Copper Mine, which are both perfect if you want to introduce the bronze/copper trend to your nails as it's a trend that is definitely not going away anytime soon. These polishes are not just plain old metal looking shades, they come with a foil, almost speckled glittery finish, which catches the light so well.

As per usual they applied really nicely. I'm a big fan of the Barry M nail polishe brushes these days, they coat the nails so easily and you can even get away with just one coat of each shade or you can add more to build up the finish. In the photos above I used two coats of polish and I'm really happy with how they look. I found the Bronze Bae shade came out a little lighter than expected but it's still absolutely dreamy looking and don't get me started on Copper Mine, it's just the perfect copper nail polish and I absolutely love it.


The polishes dried super quickly and although they have a glittery/speckled finish, they aren't rough to the touch, which I was expecting. They have a lovely glossy finish too, you could add a top coat if you want but I found there was really no need.

What I'm most impressed with is the staying power of these polishes. I've been wearing them for just under a week and there is still only very minimal chipping. Some nails have no chipping at all. It's quite a contrast to last week's post where the £6 Topshop nail polish chipped within one day. Barry M is a fraction of the price and lasts twice as long so I know which brand I'll be sticking to in the future. You just cannot go wrong with Barry M.

Have you tried the new Barry M Molten Metals polishes? Let me know in the comments.

A little TLC for your hands... Trouva's Meraki Linen Dew Hand Cream

These past few months I've been suffering really badly with eczema on my hands, particularly on the joints of the fingers and just under. I think it's probably the changing season and from all the central heating that's been on in the first quarter of the year. Usually it clears up but it seems to be lingering for a bit longer than usual. Usually my lanolin hand cream helps to soothe it but it doesn't seem to be doing such a good job this time around.

I've been using Hydrocortisone cream recently that I picked up from the chemist, which is helping, but inbetween applications I seem to have switched to a new hand cream to help soothe the itchy skin. Step in Trouva's Meraki's Linen Dew Hand Cream.

Trouva is an online collective of independent boutiques and it recently introduced Meraki to its virtual shelves, which is a Denmark-based brand specialising in skincare products with a Scandinavian aesthetic. The products use natural perfumes, basic oils and organic vitamins and all of its products are without parabens, colorants, endocrine disrupting substances and SLS. They only contain mild preservatives and are vegan-friendly.

As you can see from the packaging this has a very simplistic feel and a slight Aesop/Antipodes look to it. I'm a big fan of the simple style and typography and I'm an even bigger fan of the product itself. I've found in the past that hand creams with perfumes irritate my hands more so the fact this is very gentle and natural is a big plus.

The hand cream itself combines sunflower and chamomile with a scent of fresh mint. It's super refreshing and you get a nice whiff of mint every time you use it. It's non-greasy and soaks into the hands nice and quickly, leaving them lovely and moisturised. The hand cream also has antibacterial properties so my hands feel super clean after use too.

I've found myself reaching for this over and over and I have even taken to popping it in my bag so I can use it on the move. It's great for keeping my dry skin well moisturised and keeping the itchiness away. At £18.95 for 50ml this is definitely more than I would usually spend on a hand cream but it will certainly last a long time and if it continues to leave my hands feeling as good as they have been recently, then it's definitely one I'll be purchasing myself.

Have you ever tried anything from Meraki? Let me know in the comments.

*This post contains a PR sample.

A mini Boots haul: NYX Cosmetics Prismatic Eye Shadows

There had been rumblings about NYX Cosmetics coming to Boots for quite a while but I never thought in a million years that my local Boots would get its own stand. If one did come to Weston-super-Mare I thought it would probably mean it would be in the store in the town centre, not the one that's near me but low and behold I saw a sign on the front doors saying it was near!

The new counter was finally 'launched' at my local store on May 3 and when I popped in it was absolutely swarming with girls checking out the latest offerings. Now I know NYX isn't a new brand but now it's much more accessible and because of this, I've finally been able to give it a try. I ummed and aahed over what to buy but finally ended up picking up two of the Prismatic eyeshadows.

What really caught my eye about these was the fab range of colours available and the cute silver pots with bow shaped catch. I picked up a gorgeously pigmented bright copper colour, called Bedroom Eyes and I also opted for something a bit different for me in the super metallic green Jaded shade.




Just looking at the shades in the pot I could see they were super pigmented and at £5 each, these are great fun to mix and match. When I first plonked my brush into the pan I was really surprised at how soft the shades felt under the bristles, almost velvety. They apply like a dream too, the pigments cling onto the eyelid and stay super bright and sparkly all day long.

As you can tell I'm really impressed and these are two cute little additions to my make-up collection. The silver pots are just adorable and look much more expensive for £5. They are bargainous eyeshadows with great colour pay off and staying power, proving you don't need to spend the big bucks on a high-end name.




Have you tried anything from NYX cosmetics? Are you excited about NYX coming to your local Boots? Let me know in the comments.