Swatched - Maybelline Color Show Nails Polka Dot

One of the cheapest thrills I get these days is picking up a new nail varnish or a posh coffee. I'm not big into lipstick, eyeshadows or shoes but I do like the fact that you can bring fancy to your fingertips without breaking the bank; I'm building up quite a collection. 

I bought these Maybelline Color Show Nails Polka Dot in a 3 for two deal at Superdrug. They retail at £2.99 each. Left to right we have Shooting Stars, Chalk Dust and Speckled Pink.

Whilst Shooting Stars (the blue shade) registers as looking fabulous on camera this was the hardest of the three to work with. The gel base reminds me of inky food colouring and I found it difficult to get the polish coverage and placement of the polka dots suspended within it even. There was a lot of dabbing going on, it took an age to dry and, when it did, dried fairly lumpy. I'm definitely going to try this over my favourite navy Chanel lacquer to see if it works better as a top coat.

Chalk Dust (black and white dots) was another matter entirely. This applied very easily and I just loved the speckled effect building it up to full-coverage dotty madness. I think it would look fantastic used with a lighter hand over a bright base coat (like a peppermint green) or to give a nude nail more edge.

The Speckled Pink reminded me of painted Easter eggs, again applied well but has a slightly creamier, less transparent base colour so the polka dots appear less prominent. I probably wouldn't wear ten digits worth of this shade because despite my penchant for glitter and girly things I'm no longer a major fan of pink. As an accent nail? Yes, absolutely.

I didn't apply a top coat because I like the matt, slightly gritty effect but if it sets your teeth on edge you could easily seal it in with something clear over the top. All you'll get is more shine and intensity I would think.

Overall, I was seriously impressed by the effects achieved by all three but Chalk Dust wins hands down. I wear my nails bare, neat and tidy for reflexology treatments so really enjoyed seeing them looking dressed-up and less boyish. These are limited edition shades so snap up a bottle soon (£2.99!! what a snip) to avoid disappointment. #NailLove