Bargin Buys - Nail Varnish

I never spend much on nail varnishes. I'm unbelievably bad when it comes to my nails. I just can't keep nail varnish looking nice for more than a couple of days, no matter how much money I shell out. I chip nail varnish in my sleep (I'm not even kidding. I have no idea how I do it). Because of this, I've tried a fair few of the lower end brands of nail varnishes, and I thought I would share my findings. So here's what's in my nail varnish collection at the moment:

From left to right














Two coats of all, except Barry M, which has one coat














17 Last Fix Nail Polish in Tropical Island - This has a sticker on in, saying 'New Precision Brush'. Personally, it looks like a regular brush to me. It's a pretty coral colour with some gold sparkle. It applies sheerly and evenly and the colour builds up well. This lasted about a day before it chipped on me, which isn't too bad I suppose. It's nothing spectacular, but for what you're paying, you can't complain.
Price - £1.37 (Boots)

Barry M Nail Paint in Cyan Blue (no. 294) - Barry M are know for their brightly coloured cosmetics, and the nail varnishes are no exception. This one is a bright, matte, blue. The nail varnish is a little thicker than the 17 stuff, but it's still easy to apply. I was amazed by the colour pay off. In the swatch photos, I only used one coat of Barry M, compared to two of each of the others, to show just how pigmented this is. Staying power is good. Lasted 2 days on my nails before needed touch up.
Price - £2.89 (Boots)

Boots Natural Collection Nail Colour in Black Cherry - Love this colour. It's a glimmering deep red. Again, it's pretty sheer, but the colour builds up well. It only lasted a day before it chipped though.
Price - £1.75 (Boots)

No. 7 Colour Miracle Nail Colour in Miracle Cerise - This is the most expensive nail varnish, but I got it for free so I thought I'd put it in here. It's a nice pink that turns bright red when you put a clear nail varnish over it (I used No.7 So Strong). This makes french tipping easier. It's a thicker formula, but it still applies evenly. Took a little longer to dry though. And it took me less than 24 hours to chip it.
Price - £6.50 (Boots)



Miss Sporty Lasting Colour in shade 11 - The Miss Sporty nail varnishes are all very sheer. Shade 11 is a pretty blue with a green tint when it catches the light. Really pretty. But because it's so sheer you need a few coats. In the swatches I only used two coats, and you can see how sheer it is. Three coats usually leaves me happy with the results. Because it's so sheer it dries fast, which is good for someone like me who is too impatient to stop doing things to wait for her nails to dry. This lasts about 2 days before it starts to chip.
Price - £1.95 (Superdrug)

Again, from left to right














Two coats of all














Maybelline New York Forever Strong Professional + Iron in Extreme Blackcurrent - This is the thickest of the nail varnishes, and it's therefore harder to apply evenly, and it takes the longest to dry. You only really need two coats of it though. It's a nice dark purple, which I am starting to prefer to black. However, the staying power leaves a lot to be desired. I chipped it in my sleep.
Price - £3.91 (Boots)

Miss Sporty Lasting Colour shades 13 and 29 - Shade 13 has got to be my favourite nail varnish. It's a pretty pink with gold shimmer. I'm curious as to how close to NARS Orgasm nail varnish (£12.50) it is. Shade 29 is a darker pink, with a slight silver shimmer, which, although is nice, isn't one I wear often.

I think I'll be sticking to my cheap nail varnish. Miss Sporty for pretty shimmery colours, Barry M for bright mattes.