Tag Archives: Essie

Essie Coconut Cove Swatches & Review

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Essie Coconut Cove Swatches Review

Essie Coconut Cove from the Summer 2016 Collection is one of those rare, impressive light nail polishes that took me by surprise.

Going nuts for coconuts!

At first glance, the colour appears white, but it’s softer and not a stark hospital white.

My photos in the sunlight later in this post really show how it’s more of a creamy French vanilla, which is probably why I found it to be more flattering against my warm skin tone.

When it comes to most white nail polishes, I have infrequently wore them as full manicures because they reminded me way back of those early school days when I used to play around with White Out as a makeshift nail polish.

Learning that I really enjoyed Essie Coconut Cove was novel to me and shows that the nail polish is in a league of its own. However, there’s another major reason why I’m giving this polish two painted thumbs up. Why? Find out in my review!

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Essie Loot the Booty Swatches & Review

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Essie Loot the Booty Swatches Review

Essie Loot the Booty from the Summer 2016 Collection will bring out your inner swashbuckling pirate…even if you’re a landlubber! Arr!

Akin to the sun kissing the sea, Essie Loot the Booty graces your nails with a gentle shimmer. X marks the spot, and it’s as blue as the sapphires in the impressive treasure chest.

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Essie Tribal Text-styles Swatches & Review

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Essie Tribal Text-Styles Swatches Review

Send a ‘text message’ with your nails when wearing Essie Tribal Text-styles!

Hailing from the Summer 2016 Collection, Essie Tribal Text-styles brings out your dark (and sparkly) side. You’ll want to dip your claws into this moody superstar!

This shade got me excited because it’s not every day that a mainstream nail-polish company strays from the longtime convention of summer collections favouring bright hues!

For as long as I can remember, I haven’t limited myself to ‘seasonally appropriate’ shades because I believe that self-expression runs the gamut of colours. Wear what makes you happy!

In scorching summers, I have worn a jet-black manicure, and in the dead of winter, I busted out my most flamboyant neons without batting an eyelash.

That’s why it was so incredible to see Essie encourage fellow nail junkies to embrace any colour any time! There are no nail rules etched in stone, and I urge you all to create your own ‘rules’ that are guided by your love of colour and passion for experimentation.

In my swatches later in this post, you’ll be able to see how brilliantly this polish sparkles, especially in the sunlight! In person, it’s even more mesmerizing, as they dance on your nails like tap shoes burning a hole in the ground!

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Essie Aim to Misbehave Swatches & Review (Essie’s 1000th Shade!)

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Essie 1000th Shade Aim to Misbehave

Officially launching on May 31, 2016, Essie Aim to Misbehave is the brand’s 1000th shade!

To celebrate, they decided to opt for a celebratory yellow, which is pretty unique when it comes to the kinds of polishes that Essie tends to release. (It’s not their very first yellow, though. Avid nail-polish collectors will remember Essie Shorty Pants, which was a bright yellow.)

Forget about Bananas in Pyjamas. This is what bananas rolling around in shimmer looks like!

Is it just me, or do you also think that Austin Powers should’ve been part of this Essie campaign? 😉 “Oh, behave!”

You know that I absolutely love experimenting with all the colours in the rainbow, and yellow nail polish is no exception. It’s bright and cheerful!

In this post, I go into detail about what I think about Essie Aim to Misbehave in terms of the colour and the formula. Also, as per my usual reviews, I show you what it looks like in bright artificial light and in natural light. (With Essie Aim to Misbehave, there’s a huge difference, depending on the light.)

Additionally, I’ve included the official press release, in case you’re like me and love to learn more about the colour story and inspiration behind it all.

P.S. Did you see the nail news that I shared yesterday on social media? Talk about taking #essielove way too far! There’s a dude stealing hundreds of bottles of nail polish from the drugstore, and they’re exclusively Essie nail polishes! (I imagine him wearing a huge coat with special pockets on the inside and looking like the Michelin Tires mascot.)

Essie Aim to Misbehave Swatches Review

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Essie Bridal 2016 Collection Swatches

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Essie Bridal 2016 Collection Swatches

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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Essie Viva Antigua! Swatches & Review

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Essie Viva Antigua Swatches Review

Essie Viva Antigua! from the upcoming Summer 2016 Collection is a turquoise that makes you want to jump into the hammock with your tropical beverage and enjoy the warm sun!

It’s a summer daydream in a bottle!

This is one of my favourites from the collection because it is happy-go-lucky, has a little bit of sparkle, and the colour pops.

If Ariel, the Little Mermaid, wore nail polish, I imagine this would be the one to complement her fiery red hair and seashells. When I look at Essie Viva Antigua!, it brings to mind a mermaid’s tail,  not that I’ve ever seen one…yet! 😉

Since I won’t be devoting a separate post for this nail art, I thought I’d include it here because the base colour is Essie Viva Antigua!

I was inspired by Essie’s Camo Waves nail art that was featured in a press booklet I received. Although I used the same three nail polishes (Viva Antigua!, Loot the Booty, and Coconut Cove), I put a slight twist on the design. Instead of horizontal waves and copying the design exactly, I painted them on a slant.

Painting abstract designs is really fun because you can be as messy and carefree as you want. There’s no pressure for perfection. It’s all happiness!

I painted this without the intention of ever sharing it. Then, at the last minute, I grabbed my camera. Hehe, nail-blogger habits, I guess!

Essie Nail Art

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Essie Summer 2016 Collection Swatches

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Essie Summer 2016 Collection Swatches

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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