Barry M Boots Limited Edition Collection 2014 Review and Swatches

Hey everyone! I have another exciting release from Barry M today 🙂 as is their tradition, they are releasing some two limited edition seasonal Nail Paints for both Boots and Superdrug. I’m showing you the Boots duo today (Bikini and Carousel), and the blogpost for the Superdrug two will be up in the next couple of days.

These seasonal limited edition polishes often have a unique pattern or design on the cap and this year is no different – they have the cutest sweetheart print on them; I think they’re so cute! Even if I hated the polish colours I would still buy these for the packaging alone, because we all know I’m a massive sucker for cute/quirky packaging!

Bikini
This is a stunning dark cornflower blue crelly. It’s a little more purple than the photos show, more like a light blurple but not by much (and my camera couldn’t handle it!). I’m so impressed with this polish I can’t even tell you. I am very into blue creme colours at the moment so this nail polish is just perfection for me! Bikini looks just like a jelly in finish – it’s squishy and slightly sheer at the edges which is gorgeous.

Application:
I really can’t fault this polish on formula. I think it’s about the nicest formula I’ve used in a long while. It’s even, a great consistency and despite being jelly-ish in finish it’s totally opaque at just two coats. It dries fairly quickly and really doesn’t need a topcoat for shine! I’m just obsessed, I will definitely be needing backups and I’m not ashamed to admit it 😉

Carousel
This is another beautiful summery shade and really quite unique to my collection. It’s a soft corally-orange creme with golden shimmer running through it. While the shimmer is quite apparent in the bottle it’s much less visible on the nail which is a shame, but it’s still a pretty touch. I am a big fan of the colour because it’s unique to me and I think the idea was great.

Application:
Unfortunately the formula on Carousel doesn’t have a patch on that of Bikini. I found it to be very thick, which made it really tricky to work with. Its only saving grace is that it does self-level very well, so if you can bear it just leave that bumpy coat to do it’s magic! The thickness means that a lot of air bubbles get trapped in the polish which you can see on a few of my nails and in the photo on the left. They aren’t all that noticeable in person but they’re there all the same! The first coat was very opaque but a little streaky so it did need a second coat for opacity. It dries fairly quickly but I’d recommend using a quick-dry topcoat as any thickly-applied nails will take a while to dry. The finish is pretty shiny. If you do have any nail polish thinner I would definitely use it on this polish as it’s definitely in need of some!

Overall, I LOVE the two colours, and while Carousel’s formula leaves a lot to be desired, that of Bikini is so perfect that I can’t complain. For a unique colour, Carousel definitely wins but best overall winner is definitely Bikini and I will be wearing it a lot. I will probably be wearing Carousel too because I do just love that colour!!

The Boots Limited Edition Collection will be launching in Boots on 11th June for £3.99 each, along with the Barry M Summer Matte Collection so make sure you save the date! 🙂 Let me know what you think of these two pretty polishes!