Freebies

Surprisingly I think it's going to take a while before I brazenly walk into department stores or up to make up counters and announce that I'm getting married. Apparently I will get to a stage where I do this and get fussed over and it actually makes things easier but at the moment I'm still a little nervy.

However, in Selfridges at the moment you can get your nails done for free and continue shopping afterwards without fear of smudges or getting varnish on that really expensive hat you were just trying on but costs more than four months salary. Marian Newman one of the UK's foremost nail experts has come up with a new product that not only literally dries hard in 90 seconds but also doesn't damage your nail or cause nightmares when removing. And now after years in the field she has developed Marian Newman: Nails. The Inks.

The Inks make colouring nails easy and accessible to more women. It is more immediate, and more disposable but still has the ability to stay on if the wearer wants it to. It is not intended to take the place of traditional nail polish but it is a fantastic alternative for the busy person who doesn't have the time nor the inclination to perform the nail polish ritual.

Ok so that was from the press release but its all true. I was a little bit wary about getting my nails done. I was looking for a cream hat for a November wedding and didn't want to be charged for the five hats I tried on and then got nail varnish on. But it does what it says on the packaging. First my nails were buffed. But not like they normally are. This was just a one sided buffer rather than the usual three way one and this really did make my nails shine. That's all very well I thought but as I found out later, this was the real thing.

Choosing colours was difficult - I usually go for a very light pink colour on my finger nails as I hate dramatic chipping but I went for a lilac silver colour - I mean, this stuff is supposed to come of really easily so whats the problem having a wackier colour for once? The pen applicator is a lot like Touche Eclait or other pen concealers and is just fantastic for application. Any bits that get on the skin or cuticles around your nails wipes off easily with a wet wipe and you really only need one application. You then apply the top coat which shines and hardens the nails and your nails are literally touch dry in 20 seconds and rock hard in 90. There was no smudging or dents and when I removed the varnish the next day it just wiped off with a bit of nail varnish remover. My nails are still feeling conditioned and shiny after the buffer and nail sensitive colour.

This is just what you need if you just don't have the time or the patience to put up with the constant base coat, top coat and intermediate layers and blowing of standard nail varnish. You could apply this on the tube with no problem and the range of colours go from the more demure pinks to the more ravishing oranges and purples. Really worth a try! xx