Softly Snail Baby on Board Sign

With a new arrival comes a whole new world of things that you never knew that you needed or wanted. As I mentioned last week in this post, I'm not a driver...but my husband is and our car is a beast that we rarely lose in car parks. As the driver, he has, for both children, been put in charge of purchasing and maintaining the 'car bits' when it comes to safety and accessories. It's not fully 'pimped' but it has the relevant necessities that as a pedestrian, wouldn't occur to me (sunshades for example). When I was pregnant with Moo I honestly didn't realise that we should have anything other than a car seat in his car, but he explained to me that a 'baby on board' sign was almost as important; I had no idea!

Like most people, I thought that a 'baby on board' or similar sign, was just a little novelty thing you stuck on your window to say 'hey look, I made a person', just another cute little addition to being a parent and the pride that comes with it. What I didn't realise was their genuine purpose; to alert emergency services personnel in the event of an accident that there is a child involved. If you are unfortunate enough to have an accident in your car whilst travelling with your child, these cute, little swinging signs may well be the one thing that clues help that your child needs them! I honestly had no idea!

With Bear on the way, I was on the lookout for a new one anyway as our existing one was dying a death, when I crossed paths with Little Bird Told Me, a wonderfully whimsical and beautifully-designed nursery brand that offer a wide range of activity toys for baby and young toddlers (and car signs, too)! They have four incredibly cute ranges in their collection; Curious Caterpillar and Friends, Bilowy Butterfly, Hey Bear, it's me Bear... and their adorable and traditional Rocking Horses. They aim to minimise impact on the planet by using Eco-friendly packaging that has a lovely, rustic and vintage feel to it which ties in with their traditional-style toys which are lovingly 'made-to-last'.

Car signs are available in the Curious Caterpillar and Friends or the Hey Bear, it's me Bear ranges, and although Bear's nickname is Bear (yes, I really wrote that), I felt that 'Softly Snail' was a bit more apt to us as a family; soft and colourful without being in-your-face-bright. I thought in terms of safety, the more colour, the better!

'Softly Snail' gently sways to catch the attention of drivers to warn them to drive carefully as you are carrying a baby (hopefully, they're driving carefully anyway and not like something from a video game) and is made of a patchwork of colourful felt, complete with 'Baby on Board' embroidered on her house-shaped shell. When she arrived, Moo fell in love instantly and even though she's almost three, enjoyed nuzzling her. My friend's ten-month-old also took a great interest in watching her swing softly. 

Here are my pros and cons...

Pros.

- Beautiful design.

- Eye-catching without being distracting.

- Well-made and soft-to-touch.

- Big enough to be noticed, not so big that it's obstructive in rear window.

Cons.

- I am hopeless with suction cups and this was one I had trouble with. My husband did it in the end.

Please remember if you're putting such an item in your car's rear window that it is placed so that it is visible but not obstructing your view out the back of your car! Also, please remove the sign if you are travelling without your child so as not to waste valuable time of the emergency services should an accident occur.

The 'Softly Snail Baby on Board' sign is available from Little Bird Told Me priced at £6 (it measures approximately 20x19x4cm).

I'm already looking forward to Bear's first birthday so I can buy this bad boy...what a beauty!

Doodle and Crumb Infant Rocker £85. Image courtesy of Little Bird Told Me.

Are you more into traditional than techno toys? I love nothing more than a beautiful pattern and retro design!

Clare

Please note; I was provided this product for he purposes of review, however all thoughts and opinions are my own and 100% honest.

Ribena Plus

I was recently given the opportunity to try the new Ribena drinks. Growing up, I lived on Ribena...so it was just as well that my Dad worked for Glaxo, who merged with Smith-Kline Beechum who made it, and we got it at a very low price from the staff shop. I drank loads of it but as I grew older, I did move onto other things (you've not lived until you've had lemon Fanta)! I still buy the odd carton when out for myself or even for Moo so I was delighted to be offered the chance to try their new range.

I remember when Ribena launched 'Toothkind' and I wasn't a fan, it had a very funny after-taste and I was used to the original formula. Ribena Plus is a similar product in that it's target is children and is a healthier version of juice drinks with no added sugar but extra calcium/vitamins, promoting oral health and strong bones.

As parents we know that it can be liquid gold but if it doesn't taste nice, good luck getting it down that little one's neck. Moo literally hands things back to me and tells me they're 'nasty' if she doesn't like it. So how does it fair taste-wise? Well, I was sent three flavours; summer fruits, raspberry and apple as well as peach and apple. I couldn't drink the latter because anything peach makes me ill, even the smell makes my eyes water, so I let Moo have them as she's only a month shy of three (they're not recommended for the under threes, as are most juice drinks). I let her have them with food, which is the rule in our house, and she seemed to really enjoy them. When I asked her if it was nice, she said yes and continued to drink from the carton...I'm not going to get much more from an almost-three-year-old if I'm honest. She asked for another the next day so obviously it was a pleasant flavour to her palette.

I tried the apple and raspberry as well as the summer fruits which are both flavours that I would generally buy anyway when it comes to juice drinks and I liked both, apple and raspberry being my favourite. Both had the sweetness of fruit without being too sickening and you could taste the flavours rather than just a sweetness that you get with some drinks. Chilled, both flavours were refreshing in the middle of the day and with food and I'd be happy for Moo to have them though the carton size is a little on the big size for toddlers, these are more an ideal size for school lunch boxes.

All in all I was very impressed with Ribena Plus, I thought they were thirst-quenching and tasted nice with no lingering aftertaste that a lot of low/no sugar drinks have. The one thing that did make me feel a bit uncomfortable was the ingredient 'aspartame' which has been linked with medical problems and had a lot of bad press. Because of the amount of artificial sweeteners within the product, I would limit Moo to having these only on special occasions but I certainly wouldn't be out off letting her have them completely.

Ribena Plus comes in four flavours (the three mentioned above and red apple) and can be bought from most supermarkets in Carton multi-packs.

Clare

The Ribena Plus cartons were provided to me for the purpose of review via BzzAgent, all opinions are my own.

My Big Animal Book

I think pretty much all children like animals, Moo certainly does...well...she likes to look at pictures of animals and can identify them well, she's not so keen on them in real life (excluding NanNan's cat Fluffy and our friend's Lizard, Branston, of course...) her knowledge of some of the more obscure animals fascinates me at times. Currently, she's obsessed with crocodiles because she loves Captain Hook.

'My Big Animal Book' from Tick Tock is a glorious and coloured book filled with wonderful photographs of animals ranging from the exotic to the everyday. There are four 'sections' which are marked by a collection of animal pictures and facts for that topic:

- In the jungle, rainforest and plains.

- Under the sea.

- On the farm.

- At home.

Following each double-page of animal facts, the book goes into further detail on one or two of the animals covered. For example, 'Under the Sea' then goes on to talk about Whales.

Did you know that Humpback Whales are pregnant for eleven-twelve months (and I thought I had it bad)?!! Their offspring is called a calf (I did know that fact). Also, a group of whales is called a 'pod'.

The book is packed with interesting (some well-known, some not) facts about the animals it covers and talks of some that children wouldn't always necessarily know (like the tucan). The facts are given in short, easy-to-read sentences dotted about the page which is good as it goes along with a child's eagerness to look at everything and isn't just one block of text.

The book itself is large, slightly bigger than A4, and made up of thick, difficult to tear pages. This is great for younger children who can be a bit enthusiastic when it comes to reading. The only negative I found was because the book is new, the spine is very stiff and so the pages don't have too much give when turning. This will rectify over time and use, but I feel like I need to be observant of the children when reading it in case they get frustrated and yank the page!

The book is a lovely fun and educational addition to our library which both Moo (nearly three) and my niecelet (eighteen-months) enjoy looking at together. Niecelet points to animals, Moo tells her what they are and then I read the fact to them which then often gets relayed to my husband. Repeatedly.

My Big Animal Book is currently on Amazon for £5.95.

Clare

My Big Animal Book was provided to us for the purpose of review by Tick Tock, however all opinions and thoughts are my own.

You're All My Favourites

Christmas 2011 my daughter received a collection of Walker books from a relative, all 'bear' themed (actual bears, not my son). There were some good ones and some not-so-good ones, but undoubtedly my personal love from the collection was always 'You're All My Favourites'.

'Youre All My Favourites' is a beautiful picture book written by Sam McBratney and illustrated by Anita Jeram (the people behind 'Guess How Much I Love You') and is a story of three little bears, curious and concerned about who out of them is their parent's favourite.

I have always thought this an adorable book, well written and with stunning illustrations but it's not until recently where I've become to appreciate its deeper meaning. Yes, it is relevant to all children as it reinforces the love a parent has for their child but I also found it to be reassuring to Moo given that she has a sibling on the way, and the feelings that may well be mixed up with that new experience. For a tiny mind, it must be terribly difficult to understand how their parents can equally love both themselves and a sibling, and I feel that this story puts into words exactly that sentiment.

I would recommend it to anyone with children under the age of five, but especially those welcoming into the family a new brother or sister. It has all the things a pre-school book should have; nice imagery, simple sentences and likeable characters as well as a clear message that no matter if there's one or five of you, you are all favourites.

Clare

Bernard Bee Trunki

I bet you've read a thousand reviews on Trunkis.

I know, they're 'old news', everyone and their dog has/wants one and there's a lot of different designs to choose from. I picked Moo's Bumble Bee Trunki up from Boots when they had a third off of them a couple of months ago. I bought it with our holiday in mind and also for over-nighting with relatives (the imminent arrival of her brother included). It sat in her bedroom for a couple of months before it saw any use...but by gum when it saw use, it saw use.

I chose the bumble bee because Moo is obsessed with the colour yellow. I had only three to choose from (pink, blue and yellow) when I went in to the shop to buy and while she loves pink equally, I was thinking ahead to the second child and a few more years use that I could get out of it. The thought did cross my mind, what if it didn't last that long but that wasn't an immediate concern, despite I remember when they featured on Dragons Den and one of the dragons (Theo?) managed to pull the strap off easily.

The Trunki survived a stop over in Dover and it's trip in the car from Eastbourne to Paris without a single hitch and it did its job beautifully. On our first night I packed it with overnight essentials for the three of us as we were staying in a hotel closer to Disneyland. It weighed a tonne but as it was spending all of the first day in the car, I wasn't too concerned and besides, it had wheels! It would be fine...

When we arrived at the hotel, the lift was out of order. We had to climb up a couple of flights of stairs, the Trunki had to be carried by the shoulder strap. I wish I had taken a photo of it, packed as it was; 3x pyjamas, 3x outfits and one very full wash bag stuffed with three people's worth of toiletries, it was fit to burst but the claps at the side held fantastically (even if my cardigan was making a desperate bid for freedom out of the top). The shoulder strap held really well, I remember worrying when my husband swung it onto his shoulder, that it might snap (Dragons Den...) but no...

The next afternoon we had to make our way back to our campsite on the train after having stored our Trunki in a locker at the park. It received much of the same over-stuffed, swinging and shoulder carrying as it had the day before, this time on French public transport and the walk from the station to our caravan. All in all, I think my husband carried it on his shoulder for well over an hour, weighing more than our two-year-old. I have had adult suitcases that have survived less traumatising adventures and cost me more pennies. 

I was so, so impressed with how the Trunki faired against a bit of a battering and the weight of it's contents. As a suitcase designed for small children, you wouldn't think that it would be able to cope with the demands of luggage that even full-size cases would strain under. Here are my pros and cons...

Pros.

- Quite roomy for pint-sized people things, plenty of room for clothes, shoes, a toy and a couple of books.

- Brightly coloured so difficult to lose and attractive.

- Locking mechanism surprisingly strong.

- Shoulder strap incredibly strong.

- Has the ride-on feature it's well known for that works well with small children.

- Lightweight when empty and compact for easy storage at our destination.

Cons.

- The wheels aren't fantastic on corners so if you have an overly enthusiastic child, older child or you're just plain daft like me, it's likely to tip if you're wheeling it quickly around a corner if there's no child sat on top.

- The locks on the sides of the case sometimes turned too far with the key provided and were then not secure or not unlocked fully. It was also difficult at times to tell whether they were locked or unlocked.

So yes, I'm most definitely a Trunki fan now and would certainly recommend the, if you're holidaying with a toddler.

You can buy Trunki cases and other products from a variety of shops like Amazon, John Lewis and Boots as well as the Trunki store. The Trunki we have is Bernard Bee and currently costs £31.08 from Amazon.

Clare

Please note that I purchased our Trunki with my own money and was not compensated for this post in any way.

Gro Clock

The Gro company is much-loved amongst parents. They have some wonderful, beautifully-designed and innovative products including the gro-egg and the gro-bag to name their most popular.

In response to a recent rant posted here about Moo's sleeping habits, someone suggested the Gro-clock. This was something that I had looked at and considered in the past admittedly, but the price had put me off. I know it's not a lot of money, however, I hate to part with money unnecessarily and the fact that families have been settling their toddlers to sleep for thousands for years without the need of a light-up clock. So yes, I was sceptical.

My husband, however, was quite frankly sick of me not getting enough sleep whilst pregnant (and moaning about it) and when I suggested it to him, he went on Amazon and ordered it. Moo was very excited about her new nightlight/big girl clock and was enthral led as she watched me plug it in and set it up. It came with it's own storybook which is designed to help children understand why it's important to go to bed at the right time. 

The basic idea is that you set the clock to the correct time and then you have two modes. Night mode and nap mode. I don't use the nap mode as Moo has out-grown hers, so we are only using 'night mode'. You don't need to set a bed time, you simply turn it to night mode when your child goes to bed (which is handy if your child's bed time fluctuates a little like mine does), it you do need to set the waking time.

At bed time, you follow the instructions to set it to night time, the yellow sun winks and goes 'to bed' then a blue star appears. The colour and character differences are designed to teach your child when to be in bed and when to get up. If they wake in the middle of. The night and see the screen is still blue, they will learn to stay in bed, however if they wake and the screen is yellow, they know it is now okay to get up.

I kept a diary of the first two weeks for you to see yourselves how it went. I'm not going to lie, it was trying and the heat wave didn't help in the slightest. Moo's bedtime is typically anywhere between 6 and 7pm as she's two-years-old but doesn't nap. If she has a nap, you'll be lucky if you get her in bed by 9pm (no matter how short of a nap). I set the clock to turn back to day at 7am.

Day 1 - Bed 6:15pm. Woke 12:20am. Woke 6am. Up 6:50am.
Day 2 - Bed 6:45pm. Woke 7:45pm (bad dream). Up at 7:35.
Day 3 - Bed 6pm. Woke 11pm. Woke 12:10pm. Up 6:40am.
Day 4 - Bed 7pm. Up 6:40am.
Day 5 - Bed 6:15pm. Woke 12:30am. Up 6:30am.
Day 6 - Bed 5:50pm due to long, hot day. Woke 10pm (bad dream). Woke 3am. Up 7:15am.
Day 7 - Bed 7pm. Woke 2am. Up 7:30am.
Day 8 - Bed 8:30pm. Awoke 1:30am. Awoke 6:30am. Up 7:30am.
Day 9 - Bed 6:10.pm Awoke 7:10pm (too hot). Awoke 11:45pm (nappy leak). Up 7am.
Day 10 - Bed 6:40pm. Awoke 9:55pm. Awoke 3:05am. Awoke at 4:30am. Up 8am.
Day 11 - Bed 8pm. Up 7:50am.
Day 12 - Bed 9pm. Up 7:10am.
Day 12 - Bed 7:45om. Up 7:45am.
Day 13 - Bed 6:40pm. Awoke 9:30pm (bad dream). Up 7:20am.
Day 14 - Bed 6:40. Awoke at 8:45 (hot). Up 7:20am.
Day 15 - Bed 6:10pm. Awoke 7:30am.

As you can see it started slowly but I did notice an improvement over the fortnight. Moo now sleeps through the night without waking me (unless she has a bad dream or something else is wrong), whereas before she would get out of bed and come and get me every time she woke up. She's even sleeping through outside noise with her window open which is fantastic. I cannot express how nice it is not to have to worry about how long it'll be until she wakes me up again!!

She does still sometimes get up before 'Mr. Sun' does, but she slips into our bed and has a cuddle (which I don't mind). She's definitely sleeping better for it and for that I'm eternally grateful!!

Pros.
- Assists your child in managing their night-time sleep patterns.
- Assists your child in self-settling.
- Provides a nightlight for younger children.
- It works!

Cons.
- You can't turn it off, it's constantly on though does use very little electricity.
- £20 is still a lot to pay for a clock, but is £20 a lot for a good night's sleep? Well...it all depends on your financial circumstances and epwhether or not you have a spare £20 in your budget to spend on sleep-training your children. I would say if you can afford it, do it...it is a quick method of getting some well-deserved sleep back in your life!

Clare

Please note that we purchased this product with our own money and were not compensated in any way for this review.

Sanctuary Mum To Be Shower Cream

At my recent baby shower, a friend gave me a huge bottle of Sanctuary Mum To Be 2-in-1 Shower Cream. I've been using it for about a week now and so I figured it was high time for a review. When I was pregnant with Moo in 2010 I tried a few of the Sanctuary Mum To Be products, and I really enjoyed them so I had high expectations for this product.

The shower cream is exactly that, creamy. It feels incredibly indulgent and soothing on the skin and because of it's thicker than average texture, it doesn't come out of the nozzle too fast. It goes onto the skin wonderfully, and a little does go a long way.

It smells utterly Devine and the scent lingers on the skin for a long while afterwards which is typically what you would expect from a high-end product. It's described as containing rice bran, organic rose hip and sunflower, a luxurious combination and lists being paragon-free and hypoallergenic as two of it's selling points.

Pros.

- Smells fantastic with a long-lasting effect.

- Soothing on stretched skin.

- A little goes a long way.

Cons.

- Price; at £6.50 it's not the sort of thing you're likely to buy yourself for everyday showering though does make a wonderful gift.

I'm really enjoying using the shower cream and will be gutted when it's finished and I have to go back normal shower gel...but with only five weeks left of pregnancy, I suppose I can't drag it out forever!

Sanctuary Spa Mum To Be 2-in-1 Shower Cream 250ml £6.50 Boots

Clare

Please note, this product was given to me as a gift by a friend. I have received no compensation or payment for this review.

Sainsbury's Little Ones Pull-ons

Before I start this review, I'd like to just say that I'm actually rather fond of Sainsbury's. I think they can do some wonderful deals and I especially like their children's clothes, I eagerly await their 25% off weeks that they run (usually around bank holidays for anyone that's interested).

That said, I shall continue.

Sainsbury's 22 Little Ones Pull-ons Size 5 £3.87

We normally buy our nappies in bulk on Amazon or with our groceries from Tesco. However, we recently went away and I sort of let the ball drop on the nappy stock. Caught short and with only three nappies left in my arsenal, I had to pick some up when I went into town. For our holiday I bought a small pack of Boots nappies and was really pleased with them as I'd never used them before, however I was only really going to Sainsbury's on this particular visit and couldn't really be bothered to trek the toddler to Boots. So whilst I was using my baking things, I grabbed a pack of their own. This was the smallest pack of size 5 and I was initially really impressed with the price point when I noticed they were pull-up pant style nappies as opposed to the usual side fastening. I didn't want to buy a large pack of nappies even though the price per nappie would be cheaper, because I knew our usual order would be arriving in a couple of days.

I put Moo in one that evening for bed and my first thought was that they are hideous. The design is very plain and unexciting to myself, let alone a toddler (it's got a weird illustration of a belt on it of all things). My next opinion was formed when I pulled the nappy up and it ripped. Yes, a pull-up nappy that rips when you pull it up. Incredibly helpful. I tweeted Sainsbury's about this but got no response.

In the morning I discovered that the nappy had ridden up on one side (that could just be my fidget bug though) and within moments of her getting up. It had leaked. Everywhere.

I still didn't have any other nappies so I thought I'd just grin and bear it, I'd spent money on them after all so I had to get some use out of them, so Moo continued to wear them (though I borrowed some Lidl-brand ones from my husband's grandmother for night times). As the weather's been so incredibly sweltering hot nice, Moo has been prancing about often in her nappy. This led me to realise that they bunch and ride up a lot. I seem to constantly be plucking one side out (sorry for that image) when I dare to put her in them.

I'll quickly bullet point the good and the bad for you below...

Good.

-Price; very competitive to it's rivals.

Bad.

-Ugly design.

-Leak.

-Ill-fitting.

-Tear easily.

So there you have it, sadly, I shan't be buying Sainsbury's pull-ons again for either child. I have previously used their smaller sized nappies when Moo was a baby and thought them really good (though I find their groceries to be more expensive so generally only go there for clothes or if I'm in town). I think that given the choice of own-brand nappies that you can buy nowadays and how all are quite competitively priced, you'd be better off with another store's brand. Of the supermarkets, I prefer Tesco (slightly better to look at, hold a lot of wee) and Lidl's nappies are fabulous in value and quality, NanNan has a supply as the two great-granddaughters that live in her garden visit often with her are the same size (Moo and our niecelet).

On the nappy front, was sad to see Huggies pull out of the UK market. I'd known about it for quite awhile but only recently noticed that they had finally done it (excluding their swimmers, pull-ups and wipes). Their newborn nappies were the first I ever used and I thought them wonderful and I still use their pure wipes when they're on offer (though sadly was not a fan of their bigger nappies....funny smell). I think it's another sign of supermarket dominance within our nation and the rising number of people who are realising (for whatever reason) that quality doesn't mean you have to pay a higher price and buy branded.

Let me know if you've had any unfortunate nappy experiences like a pull-up ripping when you pull it up...

Clare

The Original Nappy Purse and Change Mat

Hello, I have a lovely product review for you today which I'm so very excited about!

As you all know we went on our holidays last week, just a quick pop over to Paris on the ferry (being thirty-one weeks pregnant I wasn't permitted to fly...I do not recommend holidaying through any modes of transport this pregnant FYI). With Moo still being in nappies, my mind was a whir with packing my travel essentials, food, luggage, bedding and changing bag in our Meriva that was also carrying four adults and a child. Thankfully, I was offered a solution; the Origional Nappy Purse and Change Mat by Ruby and Ginger.

Ruby and Ginger is a lovely, West-Yorkshire based company run by two mums (Liz and Brenda) since 2009 and is designed for 'families on the move'. They create fun and functional products in beautifully-designed fabrics for young children when out and about.

The Origional Nappy Purse and Change Mat comes with a lovely, soft, towelling change mat, plastic wipes case and a little pouch to put it all in with space for three nappies. You can also easily slip some nappy sacks down the side (or in the little phone pocket). I loved the wipes case, it meant that I could leave the whomping big packet in my suitcase (or, as I later found out, squashed between it and the side of the car) and load up the case provided with as many as I thought I'd need. I easily got a quarter of a packet into it which yes, I realise is excessive but every time I blink my child seems to have something on her! She's one of those children, you see...the sticky child that nobody wants to go near at weddings/BBQs etc. I used it from day one, popping it into my handbag for the drive to Dover to stay in a hotel and dinner out. It was incredibly liberating to be able to just grab my little pouch with one hand and child with the other and haul off to the loos rather than lugging my whole bag. As I've mentioned before, pregnancy brings on SPD and I also have a slightly damaged spine so the heavier the change bag, the slower the waddle.

The next morning was time for an early morning ferry, I'd made sure I had my three nappies loaded up before leaving the hotel and inevitably Moo needed a change about twenty minutes into the crossing. The changing station was in a slightly-bigger than-average cubicle and to my horror there was nowhere to hang my bag, there was no hook!
It was such a relief to have something so small and compact with me rather than my big bag (though I do love my change bag). It really did make a difference. Moo seemed comfortable on the change mat and unlike plastic ones that you get usually, she wasn't sticking to it in the heat. I imagine younger babies especially would benefit from such a soft surface and with it being so small, I didn't have to put anything on to the floor, despite how small the changing surface was.

The nappy purse became my best travel buddy whilst on holiday, even my husband popped it into his backpack at Disneyland and gave it a whirl, saying that it was ideal for when he was out alone with the children as he could just pop it in the buggy basket and not have to be seen walking around town with my floral change bag (though he does).

I've already planned to take this to the hospital with me when I have Bear rather than my full-sized bag as it's ideal given the situation (I have to travel light due to the new set-up of my local health authority with regards to maternity care) and I know that since using it, I would grab it over my regular change bag for a variety of situations. This is also an ideal solution to if you are on the fence whether to buy a specific baby changing bag or not. At £20 it is a fraction of the cost of most changing bags and can be used in most handbags or alone. You also have a choice of three fabrics unique to Ruby and Ginger so that you can 'reclaim your handbag' in style!

You can buy Ruby and Ginger from their online shop, at select independent shops as well as Halfords and House of Fraser. Personally, I've got my beady, little gaze settled on this!

Clare

Please note that I was sent this product for the purposes of review, however all opinions and experiences are that of my own.

Barry M Summer 2013 Limited Edition Nail Paint in Pink

Last Saturday my regular feature 'Saturday Savings' featured a bit of a Barry M haul when I was taking advantage of their free limited edition nail polishes when you spend £6 or more in Supadrug. I got a hold of both, the 'coral pink' and the 'bright green' and so have selected the coral for my holiday toenails.

As with all their nail paints, the coral pink limited edition nail paint comes in their trademark rectangular bottle and tall lid making it very easy to open with wet or dry nails. The colour applied quickly and easily, going on to my toenails with just a couple of swipes (depending on nail size). It was quite a translucent colour and so required three coats to achieve the result below but as it was quite quick drying this wasn't a problem at all.

I do have five toes by the way, my pinky toe is just a bit teensy.

To paint all ten nails with three coats it took me about twenty minutes from start to finish which I think is very good timing considering the amount I needed to really get colour pay off and opacity.

Now, for the colour. I'm not entirely sure that I'd describe it as a 'coral', when on my nails it looked more fluorescent pink though I suppose that could be up to interpretation. It definitely has a warmer tone to it than say a Barbie pink, but it still doesn't scream coral at me. That said, it is still a lovely, quick-drying and attractive polish that is utterly perfect for summer nails (assuming the summer ever makes an appearance)!

Clare

The Barry M nail polish in this review was purchased by me with my own money. I was not compensated in any way for my opinions, which are my own.