NYC Nails (NYC Nail Polish Nail Glossies)

Member Name: ButterBear

Product:	NYC Nail Polish Nail Glossies
Date:	10/03/08 (519 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great Colours

Disadvantages: Takes a while to apply as very thin

I've reviewed a few nail varnish brands in the past and here I'm about to talk about my most used brand N.Y.C. I don't often have the time or inclination to put on a full face of slap but I do always like to make sure my hands look good and that includes a fun application of nail colour.

N.Y.C make up at least appears to be a Superdrug only range, an affordable line that caters for all your budget make up needs, from eyebrow pencil sharpeners to glitter shadows, pressed powders to mascara, but the product that use most frequently is their nail varnish. N.Y.C nail varnish comes in a wide variety of colours from the classic pinks and reds to more vibrant blues, greens and mauves, it is this variety that attracts me to the range more than anything as I love to have a little fun with my nail varnish, many of the expensive brands don't have such a fun selection and those that do are simply beyond the budget of a family of 5.

Coming in 2 bottle sizes and shapes, you can select from the basic £1.99 13ml round bottle which is designed to be long wearing or the slightly larger £2.99 13.3ml square bottle which is designed with extra shine and added vitamin B5. Colours in the range include Hot Orchid, Turquoise Seas, Black Lace..........as well as clear top coats and fortifiers.

The nail varnish itself whether you choose the long wearing or added shine variety is quite thin and runny but it is quick to dry between coats because of this. Of course being a budget range and being of such a thin consistency you cannot simply apply one coat and hope for a great colour, no it can take as many as 5 coats to get a complete and deep colour otherwise the varnish simply looks watery and washed out, especially the lighter colours such as the pale pink. I don't really mind this although it does take a bit longer than usual to do my nails this way, but because the varnish is so cheap you don't really mind having to use the extra coats, a bottle still lasts a fair amount of time, no doubt a result of the thinner consistency in comparison to more expensive brands which are used up far quicker. The clear varnishes of course are the only exception to this rule, only needing one or two coats to give a nice layer of shine, after all you don't need to build up a colour because there is none.

You do have to leave the varnish to dry fully in between coats and not rush off to do a job, answer the phone etc.... otherwise the polish will end up denting, or worse, smudging all over the place leaving you to have to start that nail, or entire hand again. This can be quite time consuming and not exactly suitable for those with busy lives which is why I always wait to do my nails after I've tucked the kids up in bed at night, a little peace and quiet and 5 minutes all to myself!

Once applied you are free to add a top coat if you desire and the colours do look quite funky if you apply nail gems or glitter varnish over the top. You don't really need a base coat though if you don't want to, I've never experienced any damage or staining to my nails as a result of applying the colour directly to them and the varnish stays on for equal amounts of time whether I've used base and tops coats or not. Depending on what I'm up to in a week and how much work I have to do with my hands will affect the life span of the varnish, quite frequently I can find the polish lasts for up to a week with no chips, although doing your nails and then getting stuck into some gardening or D.I.Y is more likely to produce chips and flaking quite quickly. I've never noticed any difference between the long wearing and glossy varieties, both last equal lengths of time and stand up to the same level of wear, they also both have great similar colours that produce a glossy shine, the only actual difference seems to be 0.3ml and £1 extra.

Removing the polish is really easy and quick, you can use any form of polish remover although I use Superdrug nail varnish remover pads, a quick rub and a few minutes later and all the colour is gone leaving clean looking healthy nails ready for a different colour to be applied. I wouldn't recommend picking the polish off, this is possible with N.Y.C polish but isn't great for your nails.

Overall I'm very happy using N.Y.C nail varnish and will continue to do so as long as they have such fun and interesting colours, while they may take a lot more coats than a colour range such as Barry M I find that they last longer, not chipping so quickly, they are also a lot friendlier on my pocket than ranges such as Ruby & Milly and many of those designer or TV only brands. They are easy to apply, although not particularly quick due to the amount of coats you need, and they last a sufficient amount of time to make the work seem worth it, I always get comments on my nail varnish when I've applied N.Y.C varnishes and they always make me feel a little more light hearted. I can highly recommend them although I'm sure those of you out there with more expensive tastes or more cash to flash will not find this budget range appealing in the slightest, still as they say don't knock it until you've tried it.

Go to http://www.superdrug.com and search for the N.Y.C brand for a look at a selection of their products, of course the selection is so extensive and the colours so varied that you'll need to check them out in store for a full look.

Summary: If you're after fun colours and have the time and patience give it a try.