Review: Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint

Nails Varnish vs Baby: Round One
Painting my nails is one of the ways I like to preserve my “sense of self”. It’s a small outlet for my creativity, and I enjoy the ritual of applying polish, and the environment in which I do it: rubbish TV (usually Hollyoaks) and a glass of wine. 

Since having Busby I’ve discovered that nail varnish doesn’t tend to last longer than about 24 hours before chipping, after catching on a nappy tab, or peeling off after washing my hands for the 20th time that day! So when I was sent three bottles of Barry M’s new range, Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint, to review, I thought I’d give the polish the ultimate challenge: nail paint vs baby. Who will come out on top?

Colours
The colours in the Gelly Hi-Shine range have a fruit theme, and are lovely, fresh, bright colours for Spring. I was sent “Lychee” (nude), “Prickly pear” (purple) and “Dragon” (pink). I decided to use “Lychee” for the nail paint vs baby challenge. 

Application
After the clear base coat had dried (I use the Barry M base coat polish), I applied the first coat of varnish – it went on like a dream. It’s a little thicker than regular polish, which I imagine is due to the “gelly” element. I could’ve got away with one coat, but decided to apply two to ensure overall coverage. The nail paint dried quickly; a useful advantage with a baby!

Finish
Once dry, the finish lives up to its “Hi-Shine” name; so much so that I didn’t apply a top, clear coat as I usually do with other varnishes. The colour is subtle but really pretty.

Nail paint vs baby?
I applied the polish on Friday last week – as I type it’s Wednesday evening. Examining my nails there is one chip on my left thumb. My hands have changed around 30 nappies, have been washed numerous times, have had alcohol gel smeared over them just as many times, and have been munched upon by a teething baby!

Conclusion
I’m impressed! Not only has the varnish lasted more than 24 hours, it still looks presentable five days later. I would definitely recommend this product to any Yummy Mummies out there looking for a durable, reasonably priced polish. The Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint retails at £3.99, and can be found in most Boots and Superdrug stores, as well as on the Barry M website. 

Hannah

*I was sent three bottles of Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint free of charge for the purpose of this review. All views expressed in this post are my own.*