Essie Blossom Dandy

Essie Blossom Dandy is a polish that I saw on the Essie display and grabbed without even hesitating. Minty blue? Yes, please! Actually, I’m not sure if I would call this quite “mint”. It’s definitely more blue than green.

The formula is not bad for it being a pastel. It is a little streaky, but I was able to get away with two coats. This is from the Spring 2015 collection. There are a couple other colors that I have my eye on too, but for now I’m sticking with Blossom Dandy. And that name- how cute is it?

If you like pastels, definitely check out this one!

Essie My Better Half

Essie My Better Half is from the 2013 wedding collection. I specifically remember ordering the little square cube of mini polishes from this collection on Amazon. I was having a TERRIBLE day at work (at a place where I NO LONGER WORK, yay!), and I decided to have some wine. Since I never drink and have no tolerance whatsoever, I was buzzed before I knew it and ended up shopping online.

Anyway- that was awhile ago and I finally got around to wearing this GORGEOUS polish. Isn’t it beautiful? It’s peony pink with a bit of sheen. The formula is thin, but builds up beautifully. I recommend this one for pink fans! 🙂

Essie Hors D’oeuvres

Essie Hors D’oeuvres- run out and get this polish if you like sparkly things. No, seriously! I adore this polish so much, and it is so unique! It is described as “a delightful confection of platinum gold with a touch of iridescent silver glitter.” This is an accurate description; it definitely has a “white gold” feel to it.

The sparkle and shine of this polish is unbelievable. I’m sure some may find it tacky, but I love how it is bright and almost looks like tinfoil. I layered it here over OPI Haven’t the Foggiest, which is a seriously amazing shade in itself. This shade was from the 2013 holiday collection, which seemed to be pretty hit or miss, but I loved it. 🙂

Hors D’oeuvres is a fantastic layering shade and I definitely recommend it!

2014 Color of the Year: Radiant Orchid Polish Picks!

Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2014 is Radiant Orchid. I thought it would be fun to share some of my polish picks in that shade range. As you can see, some are dark, some are bright, and some are in the nude shade range.

Essie Play Date– This is described as “soft purple.” It’s coming across a little dark here; it’s a little brighter in person.

OPI You’re Such a Budapest– This is a purple toned periwinkle shade. This is a really great color for winter and spring because it truly pops on the nail!

Maybelline Lust for Lilac– I think that this is Maybelline’s answer to Radiant Orchid, because this is a new shade for 2014.

Butter London Molly Coddled– This is the perfect choice, as it is described as “lavender orchid cream.”

China Glaze Sweet Hook– I seriously love this color. It’s a pale lavender shade that is white-based.

Essie Bangle Jangle– This is one of the first polishes I bought when I stopped biting my nails. Described as “lavender amethyst”, this looks a lot darker here than in person.

Zoya Rue– I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this color. This is a pink toned nude from Zoya’s spring collection that appears to be Radiant Orchid inspired.

Zoya Kennedy– This is a cool beige cream shade that has a slight lavender tint. This is a great nude!

Revlon Gray Suede– This is another nude in the same color family as Kennedy and Rue. It has some slight shimmer to it. Very office appropriate!

Essie Go Ginza– This is a milky, white-based lavender. It’s like the purple version of Fiji.

In the sunlight!

There are a lot of great picks out there if you want to get into the Radiant Orchid craze! My favorites from this bunch are China Glaze Sweet Hook (my favorite of them all!), Essie Go Ginza, and OPI You’re Such a Budapest.

Are you enjoying this year’s color of the year?

Essie After School Boy Blazer

Essie After School Boy Blazer is a deep navy blue, almost black polish. This is probably my favorite navy blue color right now, if not of all time. I love that it is almost black!

This is from Essie’s fall collection, and it is just perfect for the season. I can think of a couple navy shades that I like, but there’s just something about the glossiness and richness about this one that makes me swoon. Plus, the name is just too cute! My nails are way short right now, but they’re still longer than when I used to bite them anyway! 🙂

Did you pick up any of the fall Essie polishes? What colors do you like to wear in the fall?

Essie Haute As Hello

Since it’s the end of summer, I’m still trying to enjoy those gorgeous peach and coral shades that are so popular this time of year. One of those shades is Haute As Hello from Essie. This is a gorgeous, retro, cantaloupe type shade!

I’ve read a lot of complaints about the formula of this polish, but honestly I didn’t think it was that bad. I did use three coats, and I added a top coat since this dries matte. This is one of those “I can’t stop staring at my nails” colors for sure! This would look especially great on someone who has a more medium skin tone.

What do you think of this shade?

Essie Go Ginza

Go Ginza is a milky, white-based lavender. I heard someone compare this to the lavender version of Fiji, so that made me have to have it! This is from Essie’s spring 2013 collection. I like it because although it has some color, it is still appropriate enough for wearing at someplace more serious, like an interview or the workplace. This is also a great color for weddings!

The formula is very opaque and easy to work with. I used two coats for opacity and found it long lasting on the nail. This is a great shade to wear year round!

What do you think of Go Ginza?

Essie Maximillian Strasse-Her

Maximillian-Strasse Her is…..my new obsession. This polish from a spring Essie collection has me swooning! I bought this MONTHS ago and I have no idea why I didn’t reach for it until now. Look at it! This polish is quite unique and something special!

The color is described by Essie as a “cool gray”, but it is so not gray! Maybe a touch, but is mostly a hazy, bluish green. It makes for a great neutral but still a beautiful color. This is a “I-can’t-stop-staring-at-my-hands” polish.

The formula is runny, but I had no problem getting it opaque with two coats. Just make sure to clean off the brush well while applying, otherwise your nails might end up flooded! This is such an amazing shade…I see a lot of this in my future. 🙂

Essie Fiji

Essie is known for their pastels, and Fiji is definitely one of those classic shades! This is a chalky, white-based light pink color. I added American Apparel Meteor Shower on the ring finger for a little accent, which is a shredded gold polish that I love!

The formula of Fiji is a little tricky. In three coats is is opaque, but the first two coats are quite streaky. The formula definitely doesn’t just glide on the nail, but it is not the worst formula I ever used by any means!

I love this color and how clean and crisp it looks on the nails! Definitely an Essie must have. 🙂

Essie Naughty Nautical

Essie’s summer collection is full of bright, popping colors! Naughty Nautical is one of those shades. One thing all of the colors have in common (except for the green one, I believe), is that they all have a thread of silver shimmer running through them, which is apparent on the nails, but difficult to capture in photographs (at least it was for me).

Zoomed way in…you can sort of see the shimmer!

The formula on Naughty Nautical is great: nearly opaque in one coat, and not too thin or not too thick. I’m disappointed that the shimmer doesn’t show through in the photos, because it is very pretty! That said, the collection as a whole is gorgeous. It’s exactly what a summer collection should be: bright and fun.