Barry M Frosted Cupcakes Collection* - Swatches and Review

Today I've got one of the first new launches of 2017! Barry M's new Frosted Cupcakes collection is a set of four pastel shades with delicate iridescent flakies in the polish. I think it's a cool little twist on the traditional pastel shades that are released at the start of the year. I'm a sucker for pastels AND glitter so let's see how these new shades stack up to ye olde Spring faithful, the pastel creme.

All of the following swatches are three thin coats and no top coat as I want you to see what the texture of the polish is like.

Barry M Marshmallow - A light nude, I was a little afraid that this would wash me out but the paleness of the polish isn't too bad on my ghostly white hands. This would be a great alternative as a base for nail art since the flakies add a cool texture to a manicure.

Barry M Strawberries and Cream - A pale pink, this shade gives me the perfect mannequin hands without looking too freaky deeky. The flakies are really hard to capture on camera but they give this typically girly shade a cool edge.

Barry M Blue Velvet - A gorgeous baby blue, this shade is another winner. The blue shade makes the flakies look a little greener than in the other shades which is pretty cool. This shade gives me ALL of the Elsa from Frozen vibes, just saying.

Barry M Earl Grey - With this darker shade, the flakies are a little more obvious and have that slightly more green/cool tint like Blue Velvet. It's interesting to see a grey in a Spring collection but I'm all about it.

Emma Stone/Maison Valentino inspired nail art - Over on instagram, I asked everyone whether I should start off my return to nail art with either recreating Emma Stone's Golden Globes outfit on my nails or my take on Pantone's Colour of the Year Greenery. Once the Frosted Cupcakes collection dropped through my letterbox, my decision was made. I used Strawberries and Cream as the base and Models Own Chrome Silver and Pearl for the star and embellishment detail, completing it all with a silver star stud. I topped it with Seche Vite and here we are! What do you think?

Thoughts? The idea behind the collection is pretty darn cool since I'm partial to applying a flaky top coat on occasion. Application wasn't too bad. The wide brush is present and makes meeting the cuticle pretty easy. Apply in thin coats rather than thick as it seems to dry very fast and get tacky easily. You don't want to spend too long working with it. It tends to get a little thin on the tip so it might be worth doing an extra coat just on the top. With the flakies, the polish does have a texture and some glitter pieces can stick up at the ends (as you can see in some swatches) Beware of this when applying and use a top coat, be it matte or gloss.

Barry M's Frosted Cupcakes collection is available from Superdrug and Boots from Wednesday 18th January 2017, priced at £3.99.

Which is your favourite? Mine is Earl Grey because this girl just loves a grey polish. Let me know which is yours in the comments below, on social media (links at the side) and until next time:D