I was worried about what was going to happen to essie after the brand was sold to Estee Lauder, but luckily the transition seems to have been super smooth and they’ve come out with covetable shades for Summer 2011. I was a little surprised that two out of the six new hues are fairly similar – Brazilliant (a bright orange) and Meet me at Sunset (flamingo-citrine). Brazilliant has a little more of a metallic finish, while Meet me at Sunset has some red undertones that make it slightly less poppingly orange. I am SO glad there is no yellow in this collection. Am I alone in thinking yellow needs to go away ASAP? There is one thing that I wish had changed about essie however — their polishes chip after just a day! Whether I do my own nails or whether I go out for a manicure, I always, always, always have a chip within 24hours when using an essie shade (even with top and bottom coats). Aside from the edges the shades last 5-6 days, but I hate looking down and seeing little cracks. essie is still one of the brands I use most often though because their colors are amazing and they always seem to be ahead of color trends. The $8 price point also makes them half the price or most of my other favorite brands.
Speaking of other faves, I also wanted to single out Deborah Lippmann’s new shades. She does have a yellow which I’m not a fan of, but the three others: Girls Just Want To Have Fun (coral),
I Know What Boys Like (blue with hints of purple), and Lara’s Theme (bright orange), I really like. I Know What Boys Like is my fave (very easy to pull off for a blue). Blue is definitely a trend now, but it’s still not so commonplace that you won’t be somewhat adventurous if you opt for it and this is a nice creamy take on the color. Unlike essie, Lippmann’s shades are long-lasting, but at $16 they cost double so it’s a give and take…money or time?
What’s most important to you when picking a nail polish shade? The color itself? How long it will last? The price?
