I’M not a fan of Halloween.
In fact, my idea of spooky fancy dress goes as far as a witchy-black manicure.
But in the spirit of all things ghoulish, this week I try out black nail polish . . .
Budget
Essie ExprEssie Nail Polish 380 Now Or Never, £7.99 for 10ml, boots.com: My favourite thing about this is the brush.
I’ve got small nail beds, so the angled applicator keeps things neat, and I can coat most of my nails with one swipe.
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It takes about three coats to get an opaque black, which means even though it dries really fast (it’s touch dry in a couple of minutes) you lose time reapplying.
Disappointingly, it chips very easily and starts wearing away from the end of my fingers in less than a day, which is immediately noticeable given the black hue.
Mid-range
OPI Infinite Shine Long-Wear Nail Polish in Lady in Black, £16.90, lookfantastic.com: The glossy finish looks almost identical to the shine you get from gel polish, so it’ll definitely help fill the void while I take a break from salon manicures.
It took a few coats – I managed two on some of my nails, but had to do three on others – to get a streak-free finish but that is to be expected with black polish.
It also lasted the longest out of all the black polishes I tried, but more like a few days than the ten it promises on the packaging.
The best part is it doesn’t stain your nails, so you can remove it without having to apply another colour straight away.
My favourite.
Luxury
Gucci Vernis à Ongles Nail Polish in Crystal Black, £26 for 10ml, johnlewis.com: Not only does this bottle look super chic, but the long handle makes controlling brush strokes easier so my right hand looked almost as good as my left.
The formula was the thickest of the three, so it wasn’t as streaky, but I still needed to do two coats.
And it was the quickest to dry of the three.
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So far I’ve gone four days without getting a chip, which is good for me.
It would make a great present, especially with Christmas on the horizon, but I don’t think I would buy it again for myself.
Pick of the week
TOPPING the Airwrap was no mean feat – but Dyson has gone and done it.
It is introducing two new Airwrap attachments, each priced £30.
I love the large round volumising brush for its speedy drying and frizz-free styling (ideal if you’ve got long hair) and the precision engineered diffuser is perfect for enhancing natural waves.
