November 19, 2014

In my third installment of my favorite brands post series I wanted to write about my absolute favorite nail polish brand of all time – Essie! Many of you know in the world of nail polish there are two major brands (among many others) and they would be O.P.I. and Essie. In college I was an O.P.I. devotee. And then something changed – I’m not sure when or why but I switched completely to Essie forever.

As you may remember me saying I was a former marketing major in college, let’s first start with brand’s image and why I love it. The marketing is fantastic – Essie ads are written with a short quote from Essie herself (how cute is the name Essie by the way?) and the ad is always clean and crisp with the focus on the nail color that practically pops off the page. The brand’s ads use white backgrounds featuring white props such as a marshmallow or ice cream with the nail color dripping over it. See below for examples – how great are these?

           

The packaging is adorable too. If you know me well you know I have a weird love of organized shapes (I love cars with shapes). Something about these little perfectly square bottles with the clear writing and clean white top makes me happy. Its simple and lets the color do the talking. And now let’s talk about my favorites!

Ballet Slippers – this is a staple among the beauty industry as one of the best pastel pinks out there. Not too pinky, not too beige.

Mademoiselle – another staple. This is a sheer pink that is one step above having nothing on. It almost is like nail foundation for those with pink nail beds.

Vanity Fairest – similar to Ballet Slippers but has a the teeniest hint of sparkle.

Cocktails and Coconuts – a great beige matte for toes

Fishnet Stockings– classic red with a blue color base. Gorgeous on short nails.

Sunday Funday – coral with a little sparkle – I love this shade in the summer!

Under the Twilight– an inky blue purple – I LOVE this on short nails and always get asked what this is when I wear it.

Merino Cool – my newest favorite from my fabulous friend Emily- a light grey purple

Now that Essie is EVERYWHERE you don’t have to travel very far anymore to get them but if you want to order them for cheaper than their regular retail sign up for the flash sale site Cut and Blow – they are $5, which is completely worth it if you buy more than two. Another place to check out for cheap Essie’s? Off-price stores like Ocean State Job Lot, TJ Maxx and Marshalls.

What’s your favorite Essie?

XOXO

Maureen