Maybelline Forever Strong Professional Nail Polish

RRP: £3.99 for 10ml
no. of shades available: 18

--What does the promo say?--
"# Perfect precision curved brush
# Rich colour and high shine
# Enriched with Iron & Calcium"

--Packaging--
Nice slender squarish bottle with a medium-sized black lid. The logo and product information is written on the transparent bottle in white writing. Nothing special going on there, though I do like how the extra layer of glass at the bottom of the bottle creates an effect of the varnish being suspended in the bottle.

--Application--
Pretty standard stuff: unscrew the lid, allow any excess polish to drip back into the bottle, and apply 1 or 2 layers to your nails after prepping them with a base coat.

--Texture/consistency--
Smooth without being runny: in other words, perfect.

--Appearance--
I personally prefer to apply two coats of any nail varnish I use, but with this varnish you could probably get away with just one. The colour I have is a really definite colour, but still suitable for everyday, and fits my overall look and colouring well.

--Longevity--
Not too bad. I'd say it lasts 4-5 days before it starts to chip.

--Ease of removal--
Fine :)

--Value for money--
For the amount you get and the quality of the varnish itself, the price is extremely reasonable and the range of available shades is impressive. Top marks.

17 Lasting Fix Nail Polish

RRP: c. £2.99

--What the promo says--
"Nail Varnish. 17 Lasting Fix Nail Polish, one colour. All week, no chips, promise. Hard Working nail polish that stays put, no matter what you get up to. Shake Well and apply 2 coats for maximum coverage."

--Packaging--
Small, slightly squat glass bottle, measuring no more than 5-6cm in height. The lid of the applicator is black, and the 17 logo and the name of the product appears on the front of the bottle in silver.

--Application--
Same as any other nail polish. After applying a base coat, I'll apply the main nail colour using one streak in the middle of the nail and then one either side; after leaving to dry for 5 minutes, I'll repeat this step again, before leaving to dry and then adding the top coat. However, this takes soooo long to dry that perhaps 5 minutes for each coat is a bit optimistic. It smudges easily and it's difficult to get it on the nail in thin enough layers.

--Texture--
Gloopy and runny. Not good news.

--Appearance--
The first coat of colour looks very weak, so you have to apply a second. To be fair, they do say in their promo description that 2 coats looks best. However, I'd say it still looks streaky even then even though the colour itself is strong.

--Does it do what it promises?--
Frankly, no. It chips after a day or two, even with a top coat. 'Lasting fix' my backside.

--Value for money--
Poor, especially considering the smallness of the bottle. While I liked the colour I chose (white with a sort of peacock blue sheen to it when it caught the light), I wouldn't buy this again. It was a last minute purchase (I bought it from the airport Boots when I realised I was off on holiday for 2 months but hadn't packed any nail varnish) and I wouldn't bother with this brand again.