Maybelline MNY My Varnish: Pictures & Swatches

Our interest was piqued about this yoof launch from Maybelline's little sister MNY line when we heard about it a few months ago and 14 nail polishes from the range landed in Ireland in October for €4.49 a pop. Xgirl had previously checked out some eye offerings from MNY she'd gotten in Austria and found them to be decent for the small pricepoint, so how do these lacquers stack up?

For starters, I think they're a little bit overpriced considering the market segment they're fitting into - in the Netherlands for example they're €2.49 (I am sure different VAT rates etc apply), and these will stack up as a comparable spend to offerings from Catrice and Essence, brands which already absolutely knock it out of the park for really, really good budget polish. Catrice polishes cost €2.79 and Essence rarely has you laying out more than €1.99, and both brands offer dupes that are things of joy and wonder.

MNY offers you nice packaging, 7ml of polish in a thin, easy to use formula that dries quickly and is easy to layer. I can't fault it - I like thin polish - but if you're strictly a one coat gal you might not take to them, because the eight I tested are all at least two coaters; a couple - the green and blue shimmers - need three to do away with all visible signs of nail lines.

Shades are numbered, not named, which may be a bugbear for some.
From left to right we have 553, 264, 341, 749, 753, 657, 669, 677

There's a nice mix of cremes, brights, shimmers and darks in the lot I tested. Application is smooth and easy, the brush is grand - nothing particularly noteworthy about it either way - and coats of paint dry quickly.  I think if you're frustrated by not being able to find the cheaper options offered by Essence and Catrice near you then these will be a good bet - Maybelline is massively widely available nationwide.

657, 669, 677

I can't comment accurately on wear time as my nails are crappy - they don't hold polish properly so I'm no barometer, even with base and topcoats; I rarely get more than a day or two max from even a salon paint job.

All-in-all, for under a fiver, these are a bright, fun budget pick. I'm liking.