Beauty: Making Each Stroke Count

We’ve all experienced it – you spend half an hour or so painting your nails before a night out, only to sit for a further half an hour using anything possible to speed along the drying process. You get dressed and reach your destination to find you’ve managed to smudge or chip most of your hard graft, and try hiding your toes and fingernails behind napkins and wine glasses all night, hoping someone doesn’t see and think “God, she could have replaced last month's nail polish!”

Nail polishes should certainly be given some thought. It's easy to see the colour you want and jump at it, but thinking about the style and brand could save you from nail hell on those rushed nights out. A perfect place to start is with the beautiful range offered by No7. Their Speed Dry collection, £6.25 here, offers a fantastic range of colours and the speedy finish that it gives is flawless. They also offer a Stay Perfect range, which you can also buy for £6.25 here. Although you need two coats, it's well worth every stroke.

If you're looking for something a little less pricey, then take a look at the incredible range offered by Barry M. They offer over 50 shades here  at only £2.95, while it might become a little gloopy after a few uses, but it’s a great way to build up your colour palette with those shades you may only need once. 


Natural earthy colours are great for everyday use, and Cetuem Crème definitely put forward a perfect range of them for £5.23 a bottle here.  The polish itself stays unblemished with one quick coat, making this perfect for those days when you are on the way out of the door to work and need an extra little touch, and it adds a bit of European spice to your make up bag. 


A French manicure works for every occasion at every age, so look like you’ve just stepped out of the salon with Rimmel. Their striking nail tip whitener stands out and gives you nails to die for - get it for £3.99 here.

Last but certainly not least, the must-have for any nail polish set is the all important quick shine. This really will make your nails look salon-fresh, and as a bonus will make your polish last a lot longer then the usual few days. Chanel presents a fabulous ‘laque reflet immèdiat naturel’ (quick shine) for a well spent £14.00 here - definitely one for your Christmas list!