Essie Resort 2013

This collection is only available in the US at the moment but is expected to be released in the UK in the run up to Summer this year.

Essie Resort 2013 collection. From left: Come Here!, First Timer, In The Cab-ana, Under Where?

Essie are always on the ball when it comes to nail colours. All 4 of these polishes are bold, pretty Summer shades. With the Summer collection from Dior already available, we'll soon be spoilt for choice.

I think bright nails are a great way to perk up a Summer outfit and add a fun flash of colour.

My favourite is Come Here, although I am also liking the look of Under Where - a very girly, orchid shade.




Liz
xo

Autumn/Winter 2013 Trends from the Catwalk: The Glitter Nail

Hi everyone! Happy Valentines Day! I hope you all have romantic days planned, perhaps a romantic night in pampering yourself (you deserve it!) 

I'll be doing a Valentines beauty post later today but in the meantime I wanted to show you the nail look from Jenny Packham's show at New York Fashion Week A/W 2013.

Jenny Packham A/W 2013

This is such a simple yet effective look and is really easy to achieve. The polish used for this was Essie 'Set in Stone', from their 'luxeffects' range, which is a silver glitter particles polish, best used as a topcoat to add sparkle to any nail colour or in this case applied to a nude nail to bring just a touch of glamour.

Essie 'Set in Stone'

To get this look, start at the centre of the nail and paint towards the tip, letting the brush fan out to get that cascading effect.

The simplicity of this look paired perfectly with the Jenny Packham collection which is described as 'understated luxury'. 

If you want to achieve something a little more dramatic with this polish, try it over a dark shade - either all over the nail or just on the tips like a sparkly French manicure!

Liz

xo

Current favourite nail polishes

I have to confess I've become a bit of a nail polish addict over the last few months and my collection is ever-expanding. I tend to stick to different shades of red but recently I've been trying out a few different colours that I like.

My favourites at the moment are all by the same brand - Essie. I actually bought all 3 of these polishes at the same time. I think Essie polishes are really good quality and there are so many colours to choose from that it's difficult not to branch out and try something other than your usual. With most of their colours, you only need one coat for a glossy, opaque finish and they are fairly chip-resistant which I love.

Essie Nail Polishes. From left: Bobbing for Baubles, Bahama Mama, Luxedo

Bobbing for Baubles is the most out of my colour safety zone. It's a dark navy/saphhire with a hint of grey. Blue is not a colour I would usually wear on my nails but this is really lovely. The grey tones make it a soft colour that doesn't contrast too much with my skin tone and it's a smart, classy colour which is surprisingly easy to wear. If you're looking to try a blue shade I would definitely recommend this one.

Bahama Mama is my favourite out of the 3. It looks slightly lighter in the bottle than it is on your nails and you can really build the colour to a rich, darker shade with a few coats. I would describe this as a medium-dark plum/magenta colour. It's not too dark and once dry it's a really warm tone. One coat of this didn't really do the colour justice so if you ever purchase it I'd recommend two coats to get the most out of the shade.

Luxedo is like the vampy sister in the Essie family. It's a really dark aubergine colour - with more than one coat it can look almost black! In different lights you catch a purple tint in this polish which gives it a unique quality. Because it's so dark, it's not a shade that I would wear a lot but it's definitely a great colour for those days/nights when you want something with a bit of edge and something a little different.

What colours do you wear? I love to try new shades so leave me a comment!

Essie polishes cost £7.99 from Boots 

Liz

xo