Now is the time to suit up. Whether you prefer to strike a pose poolside or relax at the beach, the myriad maillot varieties provide endless inspiration for this season’s hottest shades. Wherever you may fall on the swimsuit spectrum, there’s a color for it — and it’s invariably essie.
Essie Navigate Her Nail Lacquer ($8.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “new growth green.” It’s a soft pastel green with subtle warm yellow undertones. The closest dupe I could think of was Zoya Tracie, which has subtle metallic shimmer running through it. It’s also a little yellower. Barielle Myrza’s Meadow is also a bit similar, though a touch lighter, and it has multi-colored flecks of sparkle. I love the yellow component to this, because it keeps it from being a cool, minty green that screams winter to me; the warmth gives it the freshness of springtime to me.
Navigate Her was opaque in two coats. The initial coat was a little streaky, but it was opaque and even with the second coat. It had a well-balanced consistency that was neither too thick or too thin, so it applied fluidly and evenly without pooling or bubbling. I tested Navigate Her for wear, and it managed a full seven days without chipping and had minimal tip wear at the end of the week.
This will be beautiful against neutral and warm skin tones in particular--though it has subtle warm undertones, so I think cooler complexions can still pull this off. The formula was really easy to work with, and there was excellent color payoff.
Product
9.5/10
Pigmentation
9.5/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
9.5/10
Application
5/5
Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!
Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
This spring, essie pays tribute to the beautiful, ambitious woman of action. Not content to play it safe and hedge her bets during the wintry economic climate, the change in weather perfectly suits her sunnier outlook. In both fashion and finance, she’s ready, willing and able to strike out and try something fresh and new.
Never one to rest on her formidable charms alone, this self-made woman knows what she wants and exactly how to get it. She’s in the driver’s seat navigating her way through life with daring, wit and fashion aplomb. “Fortune favors the bold,” says essie brand founder and global creative director Essie Weingarten. “I am so inspired by women who dream big, go with their instincts and always manage to put their best self forward.”
This supremely feminine collection creates the perfect spring wardrobe for every woman on a mission. With skin-flattering brights and power pastels to suit every occasion, she’s always at the top of her game with essie color. For those in the vanguard, blazing a trail of glory to new heights, there’s olé caliente. For a more gentle touch and soft-sell approach, a crewed interest is sure to post serious profits. Whatever your strategy, choose one of six ingenious colors that means business.
Navigate Her New growth green
A Crewed Interest Pretty pursuable peach
Ole Caliente Spicy scarlet fever
Orange, It’s Obvious! Headstrong outspoken orange
To Buy or Not to Buy Limitless lilac shimmer
Tour de Finance Incandescent fuchsia futures
availability: February 2012 at salons and beauty destinations worlwide, $8.00 each
Essie Nail Lacquers in Brooch the Subject, Cocktail Bling, Bangle Jangle
Essie Cocktail Bling Collection
Essie Cocktail Bling Collection ($8.00 for 0.46 fl. oz.) is comprised of six shades: Brooch the Subject (creamy cashmere cameo), Cocktail Bling (precious pale gray jewel), Bangle Jangle (lavender amethyst), School of Hard Rocks (midnight malachite), Bobbing for Baubles (deepest darkest sapphire), and Size Matters (blazing hot ruby red).
Brooch the Subject is a neutral light-medium beige. This is one of my new favorites when it comes to nudes, because it doesn’t lean warm or cool. It’s opaque in two coats. It’s not as peach as Rescue Beauty Sheer Nude but not as cool-toned as MAC Quiet Time.
Cocktail Bling is a really cool-toned gray lavender with a cream finish that’s opaque in two coats. Zoya Caitlin is similar in family but it is several shades darker.
Bangle Jangle is a pink-lavender cream that’s opaque in two coats. It’s much warmer compared to Cocktail Bling. It’s darker than MAC Little Girl Type and Zoya Marley but not as pink as Essie Nice is Nice.
School of Hard Rocks is a muted, almost gray-tinted, teal. It’s more of a dusty teal that leans green. It’s opaque in two coats and has a cream finish. MAC Blue India was the only comparable shade I could find, though it is bluer.
Bobbing for Baubles is an inky deep, dark bluish purple cream. It’s opaque in almost one coat, though I did two for swatches. Despite tons of blue polishes swatched, I couldn’t think of a dupe for this one–it’s that purplish tint that makes it difficult I think!
Size Matters is a deep red cream that’s opaque in two coats (though almost in one). China Glaze Winter Berry and MAC Get Noticed are a touch brighter and lighter.
Essie does cream polishes really, really well. It’s like if I want a certain color in a cream finish, I’ll look to Essie first. The winter collection is fab from start to finish, because every shade is a delight to work with–smooth, even application with polish that’s not too thick or too thin. It doesn’t streak, bubble, or later on, chip. I get minimal tip wear with Essie’s polishes, as it is a solid lacquer. I also loved that Cocktail Bling, School of Hard Rocks, and Bobbing for Baubles didn’t have any similar shades that I could think of–it’s tough to be original!
Essie does cream polishes really, really well. It's like if I want a certain color in a cream finish, I'll look to Essie first. The winter collection is fab from start to finish, because every shade is a delight to work with--smooth, even application with polish that's not too thick or too thin. It doesn't streak, bubble, or later on, chip. I get minimal tip wear with Essie's polishes, as it is a solid lacquer. I also loved that Cocktail Bling, School of Hard Knocks, and Bobbing for Baubles didn't have any similar shades that I could think of--it's tough to be original!
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
9.5/10
Application
5/5
Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!
Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
I met briefly with the very knowledgeable Dominick who walked me through several of Essie’s upcoming collections. I love that we’ll be seeing less traditional Essie shades for the holidays–it’s nice and refreshing to see something different from the brand. I love that they will be permanent.
Essie’s fall collection is called Carry On, which is inspired by handbags. It includes Carry On, Glamour Purse, Lady Like, Case Study, Very Structured, and Power Clutch.
In time for winter, we have Cocktail Bling, which includes six shades, which I don’t have the names for yet!
Holiday is a mix of jewel-tones in a collection called Dive Bar. This collection takes three shades from the retail line (Dive Bar, Jamaican Me Crazy, and Troph Wife) and is adding it to the salon line. It also includes three repromotes.
Releasing to coordinate with New Year’s and the holidays, Luxeffects is all about layering and bling–and these will all be permanent going forward. Glitter, micro-glitters, and even flakies!
