The budget buy every ‘Porchester Square’ lover needs to try
I’ve always painted my nails, I love the way a few brush strokes can liven up an outfit or change your mood (for the better hopefully) my medications and vitamin deficiencies have pretty much battered my skin, hair and nails over the years and so I decided some 7 years ago now that I would make myself feel better, especially when looking down at my hands, by having acrylic overlays.
‘Pretty Woman’, the salon I always go to, uses no drills or bizarre machinery methods they simply take their time and give extra TLC by a manual application. When I do soak my acrylic off, there’s no indent or ridge in my nail-bed and they look super healthy with no damage.
One of my all-time favourite nail colours is ‘Porchester Square’ by Nails Inc. I’m a huge fan of a neutral, unique colour (my other favourite being the gorgeous ‘Particuliere’ by Chanel, reviewed here), although I am obsessive about beauty products and cosmetics I don’t usually buy nail polish because of going to the salon every 3 weeks to have my nails pampered, so my polish buying has tapered off over the years.
But every so often, like the Chanel moment, I see a colour and I simply must buy it. ‘Porchester Square’ is gorgeous and I have always adored it but yet, for reasons of which I have noooo idea, I’ve never bought a bottle. Which (after my usual high level of waffling on) leads me to the awesome Anna at viviannadoesmakeup.com , I follow Anna on Twitter @ViviannaMakeup and saw her post about a ‘Porchester Square’ dupe, link is here – after reading I instantly ordered a bottle!☺
I am so very impressed! Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in ‘Almond’ is pretty much spot on as a ‘Porchester Square’ dupe, it’s still a quality brand but costing £3.99, instead of £11 for Nails Inc, I thought I’d give it a whirl. I love its neutral, muted mushroomy, grey-lilacy shade, plus it goes with so many outfits – it’s a win-win!
I took my bottle along to the salon on Saturday and got Ems to pop a couple of coats on for me and then a gel top-coat and UV light sealed. These babies won’t budge or chip for the next 3 weeks!
I had managed to do my own pedicure, my unsteady hand coating much of my foot in the process, with the Barry M colour so I’m now pinkie and tootsie co-ordinated☺I’ve already had a colleague compliment me on such a lovely colour, much of the time when I’m on the help desk at work I get talking to students because they notice my nails, I end up waffling (a thing I do way too much as every-one knows) to people and then realise that I queue has built up while I’ve been talking about products or the perfume I’m wearing – usually commented on as I douse myself obsessively and when walking into my office you’re greeted by a heavy wall of fragrance!
I digress, back to nail polish! For anyone out there who loves ‘Porchester Square’ but has been yearning for a more budget-friendly version then Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in ‘Almond’ is definitely the first (and only) stop you need – in my opinion! The colour plus the finish is fab and I am so glad Anna wrote about it!
It’s a purchase that isn’t going to make a horrific dent in your bank balance and is a perfect all-seasons shade that will see you sporting it whilst being jumper’d and welly’d up as well as pretty frock’d and sandal’d