The Essie Bridal 2016 Collection, which is currently available, has colours that interest me more than the ones from previous years. (It could be because there’s a green…and you know that there’s always a spot in my heart for it.)

As a whole, the Essie Bridal 2016 Collection makes me think of spring blossoms. And while many brides sport pink, peach, or white on their nails as they walk down the aisle, I think it’s refreshing that Essie included a purple, a green, and a bolder colour.

What colour did you or would you wear on your nails for the Big Day?

When it came to the formula, Mrs Always-Right (dusty rose) was the most pigmented and only needed two coats. (It figures that she’s ‘always right’…hehe!)

Tied for second best were Passport to Happiness (green), Groom Service (purple), and Between the Seats (pale grey lilac), which looked their best with two to three coats.

In last place were Steal His Name (peach) and Coming Together (pink), which I needed to use three coats to fully cover the nail. (Tip: To get better coverage with these, I suggest that you wait several minutes in between coats. If you just slap on each layer, you might get slight bald patches in some areas of your nails.)

Later in this post, you’ll see some bottle shots and close-up swatches of every colour in the Essie Bridal 2016 Collection. Additionally, I’ve included the official press release, in case you want to read the colour story for further details.

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Get ready to dip your nails into the hottest summer colours because the Essie Summer 2016 Collection officially launches on May 17th across beauty destinations in Canada!

The first thing that stood out to me is that there’s a black nail polish in a summer collection. You know how happy that makes me? I’ve always been a strong believer that you should enjoy any colour you want regardless of what is ‘in season’ or expected.

I’ve been known to sport black manicures in sweltering August and blinding neons during February’s frost. That’s why seeing a dark colour in the Essie Summer 2016 Collection made me smile – it encourages going against the grain, which can oftentimes be quite refreshing!

The formulas on all of these were excellent because I only needed two coats to get full coverage.

It must be noted that Coconut Cove (white) pleasantly surprised me because it wasn’t a streaky, sheer mess, which is typical of many white nail polishes. It covered very well!

Another honourable mention goes out to Tribal Text-styles (black) because the formula was extremely pigmented and smooth with the ideal consistency.

Loot the Booty (sapphire blue) and Viva Antigua! (turquoise) are both gorgeous with a delicate sparkle, and after Tribal Text-styles, they’re my favourites in the collection.

When I swatched Berried Treasures (berry), I wondered, “Is it an Essie Brides No Grooms dupe?” You may remember it from the Bridal 2015 Collection. Since some of you may also be curious, check out the bottom of this post because I did comparison swatches that answer the question.

Additionally, this post includes the official Essie Summer 2016 Collection press release and Rebecca Minkoff’s editor’s note (she’s Essie’s Global Colour Director), in case you want to know the inspiration behind the colour selection.

P.S. Yes, I’m a green nail-polish lover and maybe sometimes I’m immature, but when I read the name Berried Treasures, it made me think of buried treasure…as in the green kind. Am I the only one?

Edit (April 12, 2016): One of my readers asked me on social media if there’d be a mini set for this collection. I sent over an e-mail to find out. Turns out that, YES, there will be a mini set, and it will include all the shades! If I receive more information, I’ll add it here.

Edit (April 15, 2016): Someone on Instagram wondered how they compared, so I added a comparison swatch of Essie Hiking Heels with Essie Color Binge in this post and on my social media.

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