Barry M Magnetic Nail Paint

The Mission
Creating nail effects are hard work. You use a lot of acetone soaked cotton wool, orange sticks, nail polish and energy. When the lovely people at Barry M do it for you it is a joy to behold.
Lancome may have invented the formula for Magnetic Nail Polish but its Barry m that made it affordable and simple.
I could not wait to try this out when it hit the blogging world, but while I love the concept, the pewters and blues just wouldn't have suited me.
A quick trip to Superdrug showed me that this lovely burgundy was available though, so, dear reader, I bought it.
The Packaging
The bottle itself stands out in the module. The large square lid houses the magnet and you pop it off to reveal the standard Barry M lid. I love the simplicity of Barry Ms packaging don't you?
Its slightly indie looking, no frills but feminine, and they stack side by side so nicely in my display. As always, Barry M nail paints look nicer in the bottle, not helped by the skinny straight cut brush.
This is probably the only design flaw I feel Barry M could improve.


Formula And Application

These magnetics are a complicated business, involving polymers and particles, and controlling drying times and saturation of the little iron pieces inside.
I had to experiment with all my metallic nail colours and the magnet supplied, and none of them performed the way the magnetic nail polish did. I have to know it's not just a re-packaged idea when these things come out, and am pleased to say the formula of Magnetic Nail Paint is not one of these instances.
It goes on thickly, which is a nice treat for Barry M lovers,as their colours are great, but often thin and a little prone to flooding the cuticle and creating bald spots on the nail. I did one coat on every nail, let it dry, and then applied a thin second coat and used the magnet immediately. It was, of course tricky, and you need a steady hand. My nail beds are small and curved, so I tended to get a concentration of the diagonal effect on the uppermost part of the nail.
I played with positioning the magnet on my thumb, just to see what would happen, and by holding it horizontally across the nail, got a sunray effect.
Fun.
I kept it on for two days, and no obvious signs of wear and tear, so I believe it to be a very durable manicure as well as eye catching and fun to apply.

Verdict

3 poodles for Price, Application and Wearability