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New Solution to Gel Manicures at Home?

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Strath chapter.

So this month, I have been testing the drugstore polishes that claim to work wonders for your nails. Recently, I was browsing products in Boots pondering what beauty items I was going to buy when I noticed a point of sale stand displaying Barry M cosmetics. What captured my attention was the ‘Sunset Daylight Curing’ range which claims to give the appearance of a professional, gel, salon manicure using the step by step guide advised. I was intrigued as although I have a gel manicure kit, I find it extremely time consuming to paint a gel manicure at home so these Barry M polishes seemed like a quick fix, a cheat method if you like, to my problem. 

Basically, you are required to have a colour varnish top coat from the range. I chose a deep berry colour named Fuchsia Generation as I think its the perfect transition shade from winter into spring that I can use in the coming months, due to the fact it is not too bright, but also not a deep colour. I didn’t apply a base coat, which is surprising for me as I usually do, however it didn’t detail any information on the instructions about a base coat, so I skipped this step. I applied 2 thin coats of colour to my natural, clean nails leaving around 5 minutes between each coat. Following with one layer of the top coat, I adore the gold, glittery, luxury bottle exterior and the varnish was quick drying. I am super impressed with the glossy, shiny look that it created. My nails also feel stronger which is another bonus. I have now been wearing this colour for 3 days, and I have very minor chips at the tip of my nails, nothing major which I am happy with. I honestly believe that these varnishes live up to their promises, and priced at £4.99 each (buy one get one half price in Superdrug) they are certainly much cheaper than going to a salon and paying for a gel manicure. Its also a way of relaxing at night and pampering yourself, and I’m sure that even the worst nail polish painters are sure to make their nails look sleek with this polish. 

Hi, my name is Caitlin and I am a third year BA (Hons) International Business student currently majoring in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. I am a lover of all things beauty and makeup related and in my spare time I love to read fashion and beauty blogs to keep up with the latest trends. I am also a keen traveller, having spent 4 months studying in Montreal, Canada last year which was the best experience of my life to date!