My Nail Polish Collection Part 1

Hey Everyone!
Months ago now, someone commented requesting a nail polish collection post. I love getting requests from you all and this one took me ages to get around to but here I am finally doing it. I'm splitting it up into two parts so the post isn't too huge. I thought I'd just take pictures and tell you a bit about what I think of each. 
NB: Shades are written from left to right

Barry M Nail Paints in 303 "Bright Purple", 295 "Pure Turqoise", 291 "Cobalt Blue" and 272 "Shocking Pink"

I really like the colour range of the Barry M colours. They have a nice consistency and apply well. I do find though that they 'peel' off really easily especially with more than one coat.

Nails Inc Polish in "denim", "warwick avenue" and "beauchamp place"

I haven't actually paid full price for one of these (as mine have been presents/ came with magazines) but I don't think I would. They're good products and have great lasting power but for me they're not worth the £11 price tag.

H&M Nail Polish in various shades.

I think most of these are limited edition (I bought the sets in Barcelona) but for an alternative to Superdrug's selection these are great and because they're dinky you can get through them without them drying up. Only thing I would say is that application is a little tricky.

Missguided Nail Polishes in "missmatch" and "misstique"

I really like these and should wear them more often. I don't wear orange polish a lot (or ever) but these are a nice consistency, last well and have great colour payoff. 

NYC Nail Varnish in "244B Downtown" and "206 East Village"

These are good value for money but are have a very liquidy consistency meanining it can be difficult to apply wthout streaking and if you're impatient (like me!) there's the risk of smudging if you apply too many coats too soon.

w7 Nail Polish in "86 Metallic Mercury", "87 Metallic Venus" and "88 Metallic Mars"

I really like these polishes, especially the glittery one on the left. w7 is a very reasonably priced brand and I think the quality is great so I want to try more from them. I never thought I'd like brown nail polish but these are amazing- they're different colours in different lights and are really nice for autumn/ winter.

Maybelline Express Finish 50 Second Nail Colour, MAX Factor Nailfinity "704 Disco Pink", Collection Lasting Colour "9 Coral Reef", 

I'm not one for top coats as I don't notice improvements in lasting power of the polish, only a nice shine over it, so these clear polishes are a bit unloved. The others are nice, bold colours but are a bit unloved compared to my other nail polishes.

Miss Cole Flawless Finish Trio

Despite the fact these look a little like kids paints, these polishes are actually really nice! I particularly like the silver on the right for a top coat over colours as it gives a shimmery, frosty look- something different!

China Glaze Nail Lacquer in "1037 Fuchsia Fanatic"

I love love love this! Although it came with a slightly higher price tag than what I usually spend on nail polish, I'd say its worth it. This gorgeous shocking pink comes in a pretty big bottle and is really pretty and lasting.

I hope you enjoyed this 'Show and Tell' style post. Some of these polishes have more in depth reviews which you can view by using the search tool in the right sidebar or by clicking the tag "nails" at the end of this post.

Part 2 will be up on Wednesday!

Review | NYC Showtime Waterproof Mascara

I picked up NYC Showtime Waterproof Mascara in Superdrug for £1.99 as a kind of 'you will do until I find something better product' after my L'Oreal Telescopic ended smudging to the top of my cheekbones after only a few hours wear. I thought either it had a very short prime time or I needed something a little (or a lot) more long wearing. Without the £10.99 price tag (ouch!)

I was pretty much bang on the money with my first impression. This mascara is pretty much your average, not bad, not great product. The packaging is admittedly quite nice for how much it was. So far the writing has stayed intact and everything has stuck where it should be (classic signs of cheap packaging). The wand is pretty standard; straight, strong and brush-like without much flexibility or movement (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). The formula is quite dry which I like as I don't end up with mascara on my lid from blinking too quickly, yet it isn't too dry that it flakes. It definitely lives up to it claim of being waterproof, as it doesn't budge from my lashes even after a day at school (the ultimate test) and, what is most impressive, is that it is actually just as easy as a normal mascara to remove! No red eyes or endless scrubbing. 

However, it really doesn't do anything amazing for my lashes. It gives them a bit of definition, and can look decent if you apply 3 or so coats (I'm sorry, but who has time for that?) but it doesn't volumize or lengthen. For a natural, day to day, long wearing, affordable mascara, this is good. But, if you are looking for a bit of oomph- this isn't the product for you. 

I am still searching for a mascara that ticks all the boxes, and I now wonder whether I will need to wear a waterproof one all the time or whether there was just some weird smudging thing going on with my Telescopic.

Have you tried this mascara? Which one would you recommend?