Barry M Instant Nail Effects: Black and Silver Crackle!

If you haven't been living on Mars, you'll know what Barry M Instant Nail Effects is - it's this (not-so) newfangled thing called crackle or shatter polish. The reason why these polishes are called crackle or shatters is because, once applied on the nail, they dry up and contract very quickly, producing the coolest shatter/crackle effects ever.

Crackle polishes actually first made an appearance in in the late 90's (the brand was Covergirl back then, and the polishes were called Crackle Laquers), but went out of vogue until the trend was revived. Isn't it interesting how fashion - even nail fashion - seems to go in cycles? I mean, there were the Covergirl Crackle Laquers, and then the Sally Hansen Nail Prisms (holographic before holo became a trend), and the Maybelline Street Wears (all kinds of funky finishes and colours back in the day)! So you never know - that old dinky bottle of crap from 10 years ago might just be next trend!

Anyway, I'm sure you didn't want to hear a history lesson about nail polish (and yes, I am so much of a geek I know the origins of nail polish trends). I'm sure you wanted to see the awesome crackle/shatter effects.



There are many crackle polishes out there, of course, and Barry M and OPI were the first brands to have them out this time round. (Unfortunately Covergirl missed out.) But between the two, I personally prefer the Barry M Instant Nail Effects to OPI's Black Shatter - it's cheaper, and it shatters better. Yes, I said that Barry M's crackle polish beat out OPI Black Shatter! Now I'd better hide before the OPI fans come after me.

One of the things to note about applying crackle polishes is that they dry very fast. Very, very fast, as in almost immediately. So they're really like an instant way to glam up your nails!



One of the things about applying crackle/shatter polish is that the way the polish shatters/crackles on your nails is highly dependent on how thick or thin the coat of polish is. I've found that in general, thin coats tend to produce finer, smaller shatters, while thick coats tend to shatter in bigger pieces. Whether you prefer your shatters smaller or larger is personal preference, of course, but for me, I strive for a happy medium.

Here's Barry M Instant Nail Effects applied thinly. As you can see, it shatters in to tiny pieces, especially nearer the tip of the nail, where the coat of polish was the thinnest. Some people may like that, but for me, it's a bit too thin.



And here's the same shatter polish, applied thickly. This one I didn't like at all. It seemed a bit gloopy and clumpy instead of nicely crackling.



One of the last questions I faced when applying my shatter polish was - to top coat or not to top coat? Either way is possible, the topcoat just gives a glossier finish to the nails. Personally I prefer applying top coat, because the shattered bits can chip off quite easily without it.



I'm really loving my shatter manicure, and I'm so excited to try this out on top of other colours! *Waves nails around in the air*

Orly Fantasea + Barry M Vivid Purple = Multidimensional Awesomeness!

There's something about the colour purple that I love so much, and I can't quite explain why. It could be that purple is a colour with enough oomph to not be boring, and yet still remains a colour that's pretty work-appropriate, or it could be that purple was the first colour of nail polish I tried, and fell in love with. Whatever the matter, I love purples, and I'm constantly trying to create more pretty purples to wear on my nails.

In one of my experiments, I tried creating a multidimensional purple on my nail, and I layered Orly Fantasea over Barry M Vivid Purple. Now both are gorgeous purples in their own right, and a quick google will turn up plenty of pretty NOTDs featuring one or the other worn alone, but I just had to try them together.

Here is the result:



Orly Fantasea, one of those hard-to-find but oh-so-gorgeous polishes, is a very pretty colour, consisting of multidimensional shimmer in a sheer purple base. It's the shimmer in Fantasea that's showing up on the nail and giving the entire layering experiment it's complexity. However, Orly Fantasea is quite sheer when worn alone on the nail, which is why I chose to layer it. I didn't want to waste my precious bottle of Fantasea trying to build up the colour by using 4 coats!

Barry M Vivid Purple, the base colour, is a purple with gold shimmer that's opaque in 1-2 coats, and one of the standouts in the entire Barry M nail polish lineup (in my opinion anyway). The gold shimmer doesn't really show through after the layering, but I'm sure it's in there contributing in some subtle way.



I don't know about you, but I absolutely love the effect. The resulting purple is a gorgous deep purple with a certain multidimensional shimmer quality that I love. I can't quite describe it, but it seems to me to look like little flecks of shimmer just capture the light and wink at you. I can make out pink and blue, but I'm sure there are more colours in there I can't describe. It's not a duochrome, but it sure is pretty.

Application for both Barry M Vivid Purple and Orly Fantasea was smooth, and the entire combination lasted for about 4 days before chipping, which was average for me. I definitely love this colour, and I'm sure I'll wear it again soon!

Barry M Blusher Swatches Part 2: The Brights

Barry M is usually known for their bright colours, but judging by last post's swatches, you wouldn't be able to guess. Fortunately, those who want blush (or blusher) shades that are brighter aren't disappointed, because today's swatches are all brights, and shades that I imagine are geared for more tanned women.

The blushers come in a plastic compact with a flip-top lid, and these colours are very nicely pigmented. I actually really like these, they're like a cheaper NARS or Illamasqua. The texture isn't as smooth or soft as Illamasqua's, of course, but for the price you can't complain. I'm a fan of these, and judging by the popularity of these blushes, I'm not the only one.



L-R: Raspberry 4, Apricot 5, Terracotta 6

Raspberry 4 is a gorgeous bright magenta pink. It's brighter and darker than Strawberry 3 (which was swatched in the previous post). This is one of those colours which virtually anyone could wear, although it does lean a little to the cool-toned side. It was probably created with the darker girls in mind, but fairer girls could apply this with a light hand to get a pink flush.

Apricot 5 is a bright red-orange, kind of a cross between those reds and oranges you see on the colour wheel...that kind of bright. Still though, I think this is rather wearable because it's bright but not neon. This isn't my shade, but I can imagine it looking lovely on darker girls.

Terracotta 6 is also another one of those shades that was probably created for darker girls, but is another one which I think fairer girls could potentially pull off with a light hand. It's a brown-red, but I think applied lightly could be a neutral pinky-brown colour on, and those types of neutral pinky-browns are usually quite universally flattering. I'm guessing that if colours like Bobbi Brown Slopes and MAC Blushbaby didn't show up on you, this one would.

All the blushers are matte, or if they had a shimmer it was so slight that I can't remember it as being shimmery. The darker colours (swatched in this post) tended to be more intense and more pigmented than the lighter colours (swatched in the previous post), and to my mind, they seemed to have a slightly better texture too. Cheap and pigmented blushes are a rarity these days, so these are definitely picking up if you want some oomph but don't wish to spend too much.

Barry M Blusher Swatches Part 1: The Pinks

Barry M is one of the more popular UK drugstore makeup brands for a reason. Their products are generally very pigmented, and they have a good colour range that has something for everyone. It thus seems a pity that despite their gazillion Dazzle Dust shades, they only have six blush shades. Fortunately, the six encompass a good range of colours that are pretty wearable.

Almost all Barry M Blushers (yes, they call them blushers! It seems to me that it's "blush" in the USA, and "blusher" in Asia/Europe, although the geographical boundaries seem to be blurring) are matte, and very pigmented. The only slight drawback is that the powder isn't silky-soft like some of the high-end brands. Still though, for the price these are worth having. I rather like them.



L-R: Pink Orchid 1, Rose 2, Strawberry 3

Pink Orchid 1 is a cool-toned light pink colour that's light but not quite pastel...very nice but quite common - I mean, doesn't every brand have a colour like that? Still, this one is a good basic, and it's probably better than your pastel pink because it has better pigmentation. Probably a very popular colour

Rose 2 is a slightly muted magenta pink. I think this one is also very pretty, and reminds me a bit of NARS Desire or Bobbi Brown's Pale Pink. You know, one of those bright pink shades. A bright, clean pink.

Strawberry 3 is a medium rose pink. This one is pretty intense, but I think it will probably be quite universally wearable - I think lighter skintones can apply this one lightly for a slight flush, and darker skintones can carry this off beautifully too. I love it when companies make colours like this that everyone can wear.

I imagine these colours must be pretty popular - I mean out of the six blusher shades, four of them are pink, so people must like pink. They do have some (okay, fine, two) non-pink shades though, which you'll see in the next post.

Barry M Fine Glitter Dust Swatches Part 2!

I always want to laugh at the name of Barry M's Fine Glitter Dust - as I've mentioned before, the glitter is chunky, and not exactly fine! But still, if you aren't glitter-averse like me, you will probably like some of these shades. I know if they didn't have the glitter I'd be all over a couple of them. I don't know what it is with me and glitter, really. I hate glitter in my foundations, powders, eyeshadows, lip products, blushes, eyeliners...I think I just hate glitter. I mean, I'm fine with shimmer, but big glitter bits are a no-no. Seriously, what's wrong with me?

Anyway, fortunately for non-glitter-loving people like me, there are a few shades that don't actually have the chunky glitter - they have a finish that's more akin to the Dazzle Dusts instead. I believe they still have glitter, it's just not chunky.

Here are the swatches:



Silver 4 was swatched before as well, and this is one of those chunky-glitter colours.

Denim 20 is a bright colbalt blue.

Opal 21 is supposedly one of the newer colours, or so says the display. This one had a cool irisdescence in the packaging that my camera couldn't capture, and that didn't seem to show up as much during swatching.

Black Purple 23 is one of those colours I'd love if I liked glitter. This one is a blackened purple base with purple-blue glitter. Very cool. Like stars in a night sky!

Black Gold 22 is also another colour I'd admire and love from far but daren't wear. It's a blackened base with gold glitter. The glitter really stands out on this one.

Toffee 24 is a shade that doesn't have the chunky glitter. I actually really like this neutral antique gold. It sort of reminds me of MAC's Patina, without the pink irisdescence, and with more glitter. The base shade is in the same colour family.

Forest Green 25 is a green with gold flash. Very pretty. Also one of the colours where the glitter isn't that chunky.

Aqua Frost 26 is also really pretty! It's a aqua blue with gold flash.

As you can see, the glitter on the last three colours is finer than the glitter in the other shades. I'd be wary of fallout, especially when using colours like Silver, but if you have a good base that holds all the glitter in place, some of the colours are really pretty. For the rest of us, there's always the Dazzle Dusts!

Barry M Fine Glitter Dust Swatches Part 1!

Remember the last time I swatched the Barry M Dazzle Dusts, a looong time ago? (Roundup post with links to each of the six parts - yes six! They have that many colours! - is HERE.) And remember at some point in the series of swatches I said I had also swatched the Fine Glitter Dusts and would be uploading them soon? Ummmm, turns out I forgot about them when real life got in the way, and soon means a month later. Yeah, I can't believe I let my real life get in the way of blogging, LOL. :P

Anyway, Here are the Fine Glitter Dust swatches! Fortunately for me this is in just two parts (as compared to the six of the Dazzle Dusts) because they have fewer colours. One thing to note though - the feel and pigmentation of the Fine Glitter Dusts is largely similar to the Dazzle Dusts, BUT - and this is one big but - the Fine Glitter Dusts have holey-moley huge chunky glitter - not fine at all! While most of the Dazzle Dusts had a shimmery or frosty finish, the Glitter Dusts tend to have huge chunks of glitter. I'd beware fallout with these ones.

Here's the first set of swatches. See what I said about big chunky glitter? I'm sorry the photo is a bit blurry - it was the best out of the bunch. I know it isn't my usual swatching standard, I promise Part 2 is clearer.



Yellow Gold 10 is a primary yellow gold with glitter.

Crimson 7 isn't really crimson, it's more of a pale pink with glitter.

Purple 18 is a blue-based purple, also with glitter.

Bright Blue 5 isn't neon bright blue as you might think. It's a slightly muted blue. Goes without saying that it also has glitter.

Aqua 6 is a greenish aqua.

Blue Silver 13 is silver with hints of blue, that just swatched up as silver on me. Bah.

Gold Irisdescent 15 is really pretty. Me likey! It's a gold colour that would be suitable for even the cool-toned ladies, as it doesn't veer too orange.

Silver 1 is chunky silver glitter.

For some reason, the Fine Glitter Dusts seem to have this glitter. There are a few colours that don't have huge chunky glitter, but the ones that are swatched for today are all glittery. This automatically makes them unwearable for me, but they do have some pretty colours and might be better over a sticky base like UDPP (Urban Decay Primer Potion, if you don't already know), and would probably appeal to someone who doesn't mind the glitter.

Barry M Shimmering Lip and Eye Crayon Swatches

Barry M's Shimmering Lip and Eye Crayons are supposed to be highlighters for the eyes and lips, although looking at the colour range that is available at my local Superdrug, you'd probably end up using them more on the eyes than on the lips (unless you wanted an unusual lip colour). The colour palette for this is very pastel with some shimmer.



Gold 1 is a light pastel gold with shimmer.

Turquoise 4 is a light pastel blue with shimmer. It looks a little more blue than Turquoise to me, but it could just be the pastel-ness of the colour.

Marshmallow 5 is a shimmery light pink.

Violet 6 is a cool-toned pastel violet shade. I quite like this one, it's a colour that's right up my alley.

Bronze 7 is one of the colours that pops a little bit more, being less pastel. This one is a very gold-orange bronze with shimmer.

Green 8 is also one of the less pastel colours that stands out a bit more. This one is a muted pastel-ized forest green with shimmer.

The only thing I have to mention is that while I was swatching, these don't seem to "set" on their own very well, and are a little bit smudgy. They would probaby work best as an underlay or overlay for other eyeshadow colours. If you wanted a sheer wash of colour these are perfectly fine worn alone too.

NOTD: Barry M Mushroom: I haz it!

Today's NOTD is Barry M Mushroom, and I have it thanks to Jellyminx, who writes the blog Jellyminx Thinks. Remember how a few posts back HERE I was whining about how I couldn't find it? Jellyminx had one, and she offered to send it to me! She's like the nicest person ever!

So anyway, here is Barry M Mushroom. I know some people will be wondering if this is a dupe for Chanel Particuliere. Unfortunately I don't have any comparison swatches, but by sheer fortune I was able to compare to my friend, who was wearing Particuliere on the exact same day I was wearing Mushroom. By comparing our fingers, we were able to do a quick visual comparison, and while I don't have photos, I can say that it isn't a dupe, although it is a similar shade. Mushroom is a tad darker than Particuliere, but otherwise they're both close, being brown-grey based shades with comparatively little purple (as compared to other mushroom shades).

Anyway, here is the NOTD:



And here's another picture of my crabby-looking hands with the bottle:



Gorgeous isn't it? How do you guys like this taupe trend? Still hot, or dying out?

Summer Bronzing: Barry M Natural Dazzle Bronzer Swatch

It's summer, so I'll be attempting to swatch more summer items, like bronzers! Now personally I'm not a fan of bronzers, as being Asian I've spent my entire life being indoctrinated with the kooky belief that fairer=good, and as a result I always want to be that shade of pale that's always out of my range. LOL! Nevertheless, I can certainly appreciate a beautiful tan on another girl. And why not? A tan is so summery, and it makes a lot of the seasonal colours so in vogue now pop a little more. So while I'm intent on sloughing on all the sunscreen I can lay my hands on, for everyone else who is more normal (LOL!) I'm swatching a couple of bronzing items for you guys!

Today we start off with a cheap but good one - good ol' Barry M. Barry M strangely only has one (yes, one) shade of bronzer, and this is called Natural Dazzle. So that makes the Barry M Bronzing line easy to swatch, hah! Anyway, given that this has to be a one-size-fits-all shade, I think they've done a pretty good job. The bronzer in question is a nice shade of medium neutral brown, although there still is a teensy hint of orange that might make it not too great on very pale girls with cool undertones. It also has some shimmer, but not enough to be horribly distracting or OTT. I think it's a good amount, and the shimmer is fine enough to not be too obvious.

Here is the swatch:



As you can see, the name "Natural Dazzle" is a bit of a misnomer, because the shimmer isn't THAT dazzly. But tht's what makes it good, in my opinion. I think the level of shimmer is just nice. This would make a good bronzer, although I doubt anyone would want to contour with it (the Sleek contour palettes are probably better for that), because in general contour shades used to shadow your face (the ones that are darker than your skintone) should ideally be devoid of shimmer. But for light and medium girls with neutral-to-warm undertones, this would probably work well as a bronzer.

Lusting After: Barry M Mushroom Nail Paint - Where Is It?!

Okay, Barry M, hand it over. I KNOW you have it. I KNOW you've released this fabulous new shade of nail polish called Mushroom, and we both know it's right up my alley, since it's another one of those brown-grey mushroom shades I love so much. And you know I'll buy it. In fact, you know I'll probably buy TWO, because right now Superdrug is having a 2 for 5GBP promotion on Barry M Nail Paints.

So WHY can't I find it any of my Superdrugs?! I've been to 2 or 3, and I've seen all the other new colours - Strawberry Ice Cream, Berry Ice Cream, Blueberry Ice Cream, and Lemon Ice Cream - and I think they're alright, but where's Mushroom? That's the one I really want!

And don't tell me you don't have it, Barry M. I know you do. Your website HERE has a really tantalizing, teasing picture of Mushroom. I want I want I want. Maybe it's not quite the epitome of a mushroom griege shade, because from the picture and from swatches I've seen, it's a little too heavy on the brown and doesn't have as much purple as I'd like, but I want it anyway. I mean, it's a greige, right?

One day I'll get my hands on it. In the meantime, Barry M, can you please replace the picture of the model on your website HERE. Seriously, something's a little unsettling about that picture - is it because the girl is too skinny, too skinny, or too skinny? I seriously hope no young impressionable minds get body image issues looking at that photo. (Okay, I know there's more to body image issues than looking at photos of stick-thin girls, but you gotta admit this ain't helping.)

Barry M Dazzle Dust Swatches: Roundup Post

Here is a roundup post of the Barry M Dazzle Dust swatches I've been doing over the past couple of weeks. They're in 6 parts, so I thought a compilation post would be good. Don't forget to click on the links provided to the individual reviews!

Part 1: LINK TO FULL REVIEW



L-R: Silver Irisdescent 8, Lime 75, Parrot Green 95, Aqua Gold 92, Mint 82, Emerald 72, Khaki 14, Aqua 15

Part 2: LINK TO FULL REVIEW



L - R: Baby Blue 20, Block Blue 93 (New), Teal 94 (New), Kingfisher 78, Crystal Blue 81, Bright Blue 22, Midnight 23, Petrol Black 93


Part 3: LINK TO FULL REVIEW



L-R: Burnt Orange 71, Orange 77, Cherry Red 84, Winter Cherry 88, Pearly Mauve 90, Cherry 34, Purple Passion LE2 (New), Pretty Pink LE1 (New)


Part 4: LINK TO FULL REVIEW



L-R: Pale Silver 9, Grey 10, Rust 25, Chocolate 53, Dark Chocolate 97, Silver 91, Charcoal 11, Black 66


Part 5: LINK TO FULL REVIEW



L-R: Yellow 76, Gold 96, Gold Iridiscent 27, Tan 39, Bronze 44, Old Gold 24, Mushroom 51, Oyester Grey 89


Part 6: FULL REVIEW HERE



L-R: Sapphire 69, Lilac 59, Lavender 31, Ice Pink 1, Candy 58, Pink Gold 3, Pink Shimmer 86, Neon Pink 85

Barry M Dazzle Dust Swatches Part 6 of 6! (Whew!)

Phew! That was a long series of swatches, but we're at the end! But I STILL have more up my sleeve, because following this, I'll be swatching the Barry M Fine Glitter Dusts as well, since they're similar to the Dazzle Dusts. But first, the Dazzle Dust swatches.

Today's swatches are the pastels, and the feminine colours. A lot of purples, pinks, and things you'd want if you were going to do a makeup look for Valentine's Day.

Here are swatches. Please ignore the dirtied makeup wipe in the background, I was using those to clean my arm between swatches (and yes, as you can tell from how dirty the wipe is, I have been swatching a lot).



L-R: Sapphire 69, Lilac 59, Lavender 31, Ice Pink 1, Candy 58, Pink Gold 3, Pink Shimmer 86, Neon Pink 85

Sapphire 69 isn't really sapphire. It's a purple-blue, and it doesn't have as much shimmer or frost as the other colours.

Lilac 59 is a light purply shade that's very reminiscent of spring. It has small bits of glitter.

Lavender 31 is a lighter, whiter, more pastel version of Lilac 59, with similar glitter. Lilac 59 and Lavender 31 are both very pretty pastel purples, and which one you prefer is entirely a matter of preference and depth of skin colour.

Ice Pink 1 is a white with a tinge of pink. It has a slightly frosty finish.

Candy 58 is a pastel pink that's similar to Ice Pink, except that it has more pink and less white. It also has the same frosty sheen.

Pink Gold 3 is really gorgeous. It's a light orange gold with a pink duochrome. It reminds me of the sunrise! This is very unique, especially considering it's drugstore.

Pink Shimmer 86 is a frosty, sheeny pink. It's not pastel, but it's not hot neon pink either. It's a cool-toned bright pink that's been diluted a tad with white, and with shimmer.

Neon Pink 85 isn't really neon. But it's a bright hot pink that leans cool. This one also has some shimmer in it.

And that's it for the Barry M Dazzle Dust swatches! Don't forget to stay tuned for the Barry M Fine Glitter Dusts swatches! It might take me a few days to get them up, but they'll be there soon, hopefully :)

Barry M Dazzle Dusts Swatches Part 5 of 6!

Like yesterday, today's Barry M Dazzle Dust swatches actually feature some colours that are a lot more demure than Parts 1-3. Some of these are actually pretty work-appropriate, and I love the taupes featured here.

Yes you heared me right! TAUPE ALERT!

Anyway, I bet you want me to shut up so you can see pictures of the taupes, right? Here you go, swatches:



L-R: Yellow 76, Gold 96, Gold Iridiscent 27, Tan 39, Bronze 44, Old Gold 24, Mushroom 51, Oyester Grey 89

Yellow 76 is a bright primary yellow with big bits of sparkly glitter.

Gold 96 is also a bright primary yellow, better in pigmentation than Yellow 76 and less in glitter. It does have glitter, but the glitter bits are smaller and finer.

Gold Iridiscent 27 reminds me a lot of MAC's Vanilla pigment. I need to get out my MAC Vanilla pigment to check if they are dupes or not one day. I think the shimmer in Gold Irisdiscent might be a tad grainier and less fine though, and Gold Irisdiscent also doesn't have the pink flash that MAC's Vanilla has (which may make it better than the MAC version or not, depending on your preferences). Anyway, I like this colour, and I think it's a great highlighting shade for most people.

Tan 39 is very pretty, and work appropriate (if you don't mind shimmer), and not at all tan. I'd call it pink with some beige. This is a great lid colour for cool-toned girls who want to wear pink but don't want to wear neon fluorescent pink.

Bronze 44 is a pretty bronze that isn't harsh and too orangey. I actually quite like it. This one is also work appropriate, if you don't mind the shimmer.

Old Gold 24 is another one of my favourite Barry M Dazzle Dusts. It's an antique gold shade that's neither too warm or too cool. I love it. You know how hard it is to find a gold shade that isn't too warm? This is great, it isn't gold-gold though, because it isn't yellow enough. But it's a browned gold that's pretty in its own right.

Mushroom 51 is - TAUPE ALERT! TAUPE ALERT! TAUPE ALERT! - oh sorry where was I now? Oh yes. Mushroom is a very pretty, albeit glittery, TAUPE! Now you know I love my neutrals, so you know I'll LOVE this. *Starts singing Lady Gaga* Love, love, love, I want your love! Okay, but anyway. This is taupe, and it's pretty. It's got equal parts brown, grey, and purple (maybe more purple than the other two colours), so it leans a little to the cool side, but I think it's neutral enough for most people, if you want a purply taupe. This one is also makeup that's suitable for work.

Oyester Grey 89 is not taupe, but it's also pure gorgeousness. I LOVE this one. It's not quite taupe, because it doesn't really have that much brown in it, but it's still absolutely lovely. It's purple and grey combined, with a pink duochrome. This one is also very finely textured because it doesn't have any big bits of glitter (although it does have a pearly shimmer finish). I love this one, and dare I say, I love this one more than Mushroom because it has a better texture.

So that's it for today! Tomorrow we'll be doing the last of the Dazzle Dust swatches - but I still have more Barry M swatches, because I'll be swatching the Fine Glitter Dusts as well. So I hope you guys don't get sick of Barry M swatches :X

Barry M Dazzle Dust Swatches Part 4 of 6!

We have more Barry M Dazzle Dust swatches today, and this time, they're all neutrals! While it's true that most of the Dazzle Dust shades tend to be loud bright colours, the selection of neutrals is also pretty decent. Today's swatches feature browns, greys, and a couple of blacks. The colours are basic, but useful. Most of these are actually really work-friendly, too.

Here are swatches:



L-R: Pale Silver 9, Grey 10, Rust 25, Chocolate 53, Dark Chocolate 97, Silver 91, Charcoal 11, Black 66

Pale Silver 9 is a nice basic colour, but it isn't really silver. It's sort of white-grey. It has visible glitter, too.

Grey 10 is a straight up basic grey.

Rust 25 is...I have no idea. I'd describe it more as an antique gold colour, because I've always thought rust was reddish? This one has no red. It's a gold-brown with shimmer. One of my favourites of the bunch, this colour is pretty universal since it's a good neutral, and leans neither cool nor warm.

Chocolate 53 is another shimmery neutral, this time a dark chocolate brown. A tad boring, maybe, but a good basic colour.

Dark Chocolate 97 isn't quite brown, but it's more of a black on me. It swatched darker than in the pot. In the pot it looks like a deep, deep brown. On me it looks black, with shimmer. I was a little disappointed when I swatched this.

Silver 91 is a midtone grey with silver sparkle. Unlike most of the other colours, which have a more subtle shimmer (subtle as far as Barry M Dazzle Dusts go, anyway) this isn't shimmer, it's glitter, and it's visible.

Charcoal 11 is a dark dark grey, so dark that it looks more like black with a tinge of blue. I think this colour is pretty cool, though.

Black 66 is a basic black, with some shimmer.

Swatching is hard work. I swatched all of the Barry M Dazzle Dusts at one go, so I vividly remember my arm protesting at this point, LOL. I was swatching, then wiping off all the eyeshadows with a makeup wipe, then writing down the colour names, and then swatching again. I remember the skin on my arm turning red (through excessive scrubbing with the wipe) about halfway through the Dazzle Dust swatches, LOL. But well, you know, I'm young and defiant, and so I continued anyway, which is why we have more swatches for the next time. LOL.

Barry M Dazzle Dust Swatches Part 3 of 6!

Today we are on part 3 of 6 of our Barry M Dazzle Dust swatches! Today's swatches are of a varying bunch of colours, featuring orange, reds and some purples. There's also the appearance of a matte Dazzle Dust, the comparatively rare creature.

Here are swatches. Some of the colours were marked "New" by the display, so I just dutifully copied that information down, although I think they've been around for a bit:



L-R: Burnt Orange 71, Orange 77, Cherry Red 84, Winter Cherry 88, Pearly Mauve 90, Cherry 34, Purple Passion LE2 (New), Pretty Pink LE1 (New)

Burnt Orange 71 is a glittery bright orange. It's a great colour if you like something bright with visible glitter. It really pops on my arm.

Orange 77 is also orange, but a bit paler. This one has no visible glitter, but a smooth shiny frosty, pearly finish instead.

Cherry Red 84 is a red that leans more to the cool side. It does sort of remind me of cherries. It also has a shiny frosty finish, although the finish is a lot more toned down than Orange 77.

Winter Cherry 88 is a beautiful colour. It's a purple, but with a red tone to it, and a shimmery pearly finish that makes it glow. I like this colour.

Pearly Mauve 90 isn't quite mauve, but it's a very pretty violet or periwinkle colour. It's pretty though, and yes it does have a pearly frosty sort of finish that's glowy.

Cherry 34 is similar to Cherry Red 84, but it has less red. This one is more blue-based, but it has the same finish as Cherry Red.

Purple Passion LE2 is pretty cool - it's neon, and it's matte. Neon matte violet. 'Nuff said.

Pretty Pink LE1 is a shimmery hot pink that leans cool - it's a pink with good amounts of blue in it. It's also got that shimmery, pearly finish that's similar to Winter Cherry and Pearly Mauve, just more toned down.

Whew! We're halfway through our massive Barry M swatchfest! I hope you guys aren't getting bored yet, because we still have 3 more instalments to go! *Imagines follower count dropping like flies* Oops, LOL. But I promise for the neutral-lovers there are a couple of good colours coming up, so expect a change :)

Barry M Dazzle Dust Swatches Part 2 of 6!

Today's Barry M Dazzle Dust swatches focus on the blues. For the unintiated, Barry M is a very popular drugstore brand that has even found a following across the Atlantic, in the great ol' USA, and the Dazzle Dusts are one of their most popular items. They have a lot of colours, which is why the swatches are going to take up 6 entire posts...I hope this doesn't bore you!

The Dazzle Dusts in particular are cheap, cheerful, and have some really kickass colours. Most of them also have some form of glitter or frost finish, so they may not be the best choice of loose eyeshadows for those who are looking for something completely matte. Today's swatches feature colours with more muted glitter.

Here are swatches. The display labelled some of the colours as "New" although they've been around for awhile, but I've just included that information for anyone who might need it:



L - R: Baby Blue 20, Block Blue 93 (New), Teal 94 (New), Kingfisher 78, Crystal Blue 81, Bright Blue 22, Midnight 23, Petrol Black 93

Bably Blue 20 is a very very light blue - so much that it looks to me to be more of a blue-tinged white than anything else. This one has small white glitter bits.

Block Blue 93 (New) is a pale blue that still packs a punch - it's a pale colour, but it isn't a wimpy pastel, as it's quite bright. This one is one of the more matte colours, so it's great for anyone who doesn't like glitter.

Teal 94 (New) is a bright blue with just a smidgen of green. It isn't my idea of teal, although it is a pretty colour. It has some fine shimmer.

Kingfisher 78 is a hybrid of Teal 94 and Block Blue 93. It has the colour base of Block Blue 93, but mixed with the punch of Teal 94, and it a frosty glitter finish that is all it's own.

Crystal Blue 81 is like Kingfisher 78, but with the base colour of Teal 94 instead of Block Blue 93.

Bright Blue 22 is blue, with a tinge of violet in it. Unlike the other blues, with had some green in them, this one has some purple in it instead, making it a cooler colour than the previous shades discussed. Bright Blue has a similar finish to Crystal Blue and Kingfisher.

Midnight 23 is a cobalt blue, not too dark or light, and it has a frosty shimmery finish similar to Bright Blue, Crystal blue, and Kingfisher.

Petrol Black 93 is absolutely gorgeous. It's like blue stars in a night sky! I love it. Small blue glitter suspended in a black matte base. The glitter really pops in this colour. The thing I like about this colour is that the glitter is relatively fine, too. It's not as chunky as I expected.

Well, that's it for today, and we'll be moving on to Part 3 of 6 of the Barry M Dazzle Dust Swatches next! :)

Barry M Dazzle Dust Swatches Part 1 of 6!

Today we'll be swatching the entire series of Barry M Dazzle Dusts! And since there are a lot of colours, we'll be doing it in 6 parts. Barry M is, of course, a much-acclaimed UK-based drugstore brand that has fans in the US as well. And their Dazzle Dusts are one of their star products in the brand's lineup, along with their Lip Paints (which, by the way, were swatched and reviewed extensively by yours truly. The roundup post, with links to all the other posts, is HERE).

Personally, I really like the Dazzle Dusts, and I can see why they have such a cult following. They're value for money, and a good alternative to MAC pigments - in fact, there are some colours that are pretty similar to some rather popular MAC pigments, like Vanilla Pigment. But it is my experience that although they're cheaper, they don't quite last as long as MAC - after awhile they do fade, but just a tad. But I really don't have anything to complain about, especially given the price. I think this is good as drugstore pigments are ever going to get, and I absolutely love the fact that they have a wide range of colours. There really is something for everyone, whether you like glitter or not, whether you like neutrals or brights...And for ol' boring me, who loves taupes, I'm pleased to report that there are indeed some killer taupes!

The Barry M Dazzle Dusts also have a range of finishes. There are few, if any matte ones, so most, if not all, the shades have some form of glitter. The glitter varies, however. In some colours it takes the form of big bits, in some it's more of a fine shimmer, and in others it's a frosty finish. Again, there's something for everyone, as long as you're not glitter or shimmer averse.

So without further ado, here are the first batch of swatches for your viewing pleasure:



L-R: Silver Irisdescent 8, Lime 75, Parrot Green 95, Aqua Gold 92, Mint 82, Emerald 72, Khaki 14, Aqua 15

Silver Irisdescent 8 isn't really silver, or irisdescent. It's more like a white frosty glitter. But I guess White Frost isn't as exciting a name as Silver Irisdescent. Nevertheless, this basic shade will make a good brow highlighter for anyone wanting one, especially for pale girls who feel that all the brow highlight shades tend to fade into their own skin.

Lime 75 is a bright lime green with glitter bits. It's a yellowed green, which makes it lean more warm than cool. It's a close relative of Parrot Green 95, but they aren't identical.

Parrot Green 95 is another green, and this one actually does kind of remind me of parrots! It's similar to Lime 75, except that Lime has bigger bits of glitter than Parrot Green, and Parrot Green is a bit more green and less yellow than Lime, and just a shade more intense.

Aqua Gold 92 is a beautiful turquoise shade with a little bit of gold duochrome. You can see the duochrome effect in the edges of my swatch. The shimmer in this one is also really fine, unlike it's sister shade, Mint 82.

Mint 82 has a similar base shade to Aqua Gold 92, but it has much bigger bits of glitter, and no gold duochrome. As you can see in my swatch, the glitter is actually visible to the eye. It's also a bit brighter and less subdued than Aqua Gold 92.

Emerald 72 is a beautiful jewelled forest green that does kind of look like what I imagine an emerald might look like. It also has a pretty gold duochrome and a fine shimmer to it.

Khaki 14 is Emerald 72's close sister, but they aren't twins. It's darker, more blue-based (and thus cooler toned), and also doesn't have the gold duochrome. It does, however, also have the same fine, slightly frosty shimmer Emerald 72 has.

Aqua 15 is a hybrid between Mint 82 and Aqua Gold 92 - it's sort of like the base colour of Mint with the duochrome effect and frosty shimmer of Aqua Gold. Although I have to qualify that the duochrome effect is barely there.

Well that's it for Part One! Part Two will be up the next time! :)

Barry M Lip Paints Swatches: Roundup Post

This is a post compiling all the Barry M Lip Paints swatches I've done over the past few days. I've really enjoyed swatching these, as they are probably the most pigmented lipsticks I've seen (with the exception of Part 4), and they are cheap and readily available at drugstores. I really like them, but the only drawback is that they aren't very moisturizing. The texture kind of reminds me of a tube of foundation rather than a tube of lipstick. I guess they traded in emollience for pigmentation. I love these for their pigmentation, but it would be better if they were less dry.

Here are the compilation of swatches. For a more in-depth review of each of the swatch sets, don't forget to check out the individual entries!

Part 1 (full review HERE):



L - R: Orange 117, Peach 54, Coral 53, Peachy Pink 147 (New), Marshmellow 101

Part 2 (full review HERE):



L - R: Palest Lavender 129 , Baby Pink 100, Sheer Pink 113, Pink Sparkle 140, Dolly Pink 146 (New), Vibrant Pink 62

Part 3(full review HERE):



L - R: Vibrant Pink 62, Shocking Pink 52, Punky Pink 145 (New), Cerise Pink 144 (New), Royal Raspberry 141, Pillar Box Red 121

Part 4 (full reviewHERE):



L - R: Pink Glitter 107, Golden Bronze 136, Black 37, Touch of Magic

That's it for today, and HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY everyone! :) I'll be announcing the winner of my giveaway tomorrow!

Barry M Lip Paints Swatches Part 4

Today, I bring you the final swatches in our series on Barry M's Lip Paints. These are the unusual colours, which are really cool, and I think they'd look awesome layered over other lipstick colours. Breaking the Barry M Lip Paints trend, most of these are also sheer, presumably because they're meant to be layered.

As always, we begin with swatches:



L - R: Pink Glitter 107, Golden Bronze 136, Black 37, Touch of Magic

Pink Glitter 107 is a bunch of magenta glitter suspended in a clear base. This one would be cool over other colours. This isn't as blingy as it looks in my photo, and it's actually quite sheer and not-that-saturated with glitter. I just built up the glitter for photo clarity.

Golden Bronze 136 is also much, much, much sheerer than it appears in the photo - like 107, I ha to really really build up this one. This isn't glitter, instead it's more of a sheen, which is pretty cool. It's got a goldish, bronze-ish sheen to it, which you can use on top of matte lipsticks to give them a pretty shimmer. I like this alot, and I'm thinking maybe I did it a disservice by swatching it so heavily. (But then again if I hadn't swatched heavily you wouldn't be able to see the colour. Ahhh, decisions, decisions.)

Black 37 is flat matte black, and this is the only one from today's swatches that is NOT sheer. It's incredibly pigmented. I've no idea when you'd wear black lipstick except halloween, but if ever you need one, this is it. I think it'd be good for mixing with other lip colours.

And lastly, perhaps my favourite of the whole bunch, Touch of Magic. Like it's name implies, it has a little surprise, because of it's colour change. It's actually green in the tube, a very definite yellow lime green, but when you first put it on, it's clear, and then it gradually becomes a sheer gold sheen (sort of like MAC Spring Bean lustreglass), and then it eventually evolves to become this very pretty sheer neutral red. I think this is the perfect sheer red lipstick for every girl out there. It's very sheer though, so it required a little building up for this swatch. I really really like this one, because of its sheer red prettiness, and of course, the colour change is pretty cool too.

So that's it for the Barry M Lip Paints. I'll be doing a roundup post to conclude next, and I hope you've enjoyed this series as much as I have!

Barry M Lip Paints Swatches Part 3

Today's Barry M Lip Paints swatches consist of some of the prettiest colours in the line. We're looking at berries and reds. They also have kickass pigmentation! No wonder they're called Lip Paints. They're definitely the most pigmented lipsticks I've tried to this date!

Let's start with swatches:



L - R: Vibrant Pink 62, Shocking Pink 52, Punky Pink 145 (New), Cerise Pink 144 (New), Royal Raspberry 141, Pillar Box Red 121

I know I touched on Vibrant Pink 62 in the previous post, but I thought I'd just swatch it next to Shocking Pink 52 for anyone who wants to know the differences between the two. Shocking Pink 52 is a really eye-burning, show-stopping neon pink, and yes, it's actually a bit brighter and more pigmented than Vibrant Pink 62! Wowza. That's really neon hot pink to the max. If you're looking for that kind of lipstick, your search has ended. It's definitely cool-toned.

Punky Pink 145 and Cerise Pink 144 are both pinky plummy berries, and both fo them are my favourites out of the line - they're pigmented and bright, but also very wearable. They kind of remind me of brighter, more pigmented versions of MAC's Sweetie lipstick (which I love). Anyway, they look identical in the swatch, which is odd because in the tubes they looked a little more different. Cerise Pink 144 is a bit brighter than Punky Pink 145, but they're both in the same colour family.

Royal Raspberry 141 and Pillar Box Red 121 are must-haves for any girl looking for that red lipstick of confidence. I love Royal Raspberry 141, it's a beautiful cool-toned red. I really like this. Pillar Box Red 121 is a bright tomato red, and this one's for the warm-toned girls. Very beautiful. They kind of remind me of the various red lipsticks MAC has released over the years - Queen's Sin, Port Red...Only these are much more pigmented, and they're cheaper.

That's it for today's post on Barry M Lip Paints. Next time, we'll continue with the final swatches of Barry M paints, which include some very surprising colours! :)