Soon to make it’s debut, is essie’s summer collection, Braziliant!  It features six contemporary shades, inspired by the sexy Brazilian beaches.  Whether you like the daring bright coral of Too Hot Too Hot, or prefer the soft sea foam green of Absolutely Shore, there is a color for everyone.  The collection also includes Meet Me at Sunset (a vivid deep orange), Smooth Sailing (a pearlescent lavender blue), Super Bossa Nova (a bright fuchsia), and Braziliant (a hot shimmery orange).

This collection is a must-have to complete all your summer looks, and for only about $8 each, collecting them all wont break your budget!  My favorites are Meet Me at Sunset and Absolutely Shore, but you can be sure I’ll be rocking all of them!  Which shade will you be spotted wearing on the beach this summer?

If you liked this post and want to see more, visit my blog, Indigo Impression.

April 29, 2011 is an important day for the world, especially the British. This is the day that commoner Kate Middleton became Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge also referred to as  Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge by marrying Prince William. This future princess and Queen of England wore a vintage inspired dress reminiscent of the dress worn by Grace Kelly when she married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco. Both of these women wore dresses with intricate lace bodices and sleeves,  high waist with a full skirt, long dramatic trains, and sheer veils with diamond tiaras. Catehrine’s dress also was a bit reminiscent of her now grandmother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth’s wedding dress.

The makeup she applied herself and it was understated and beautiful, not taking away from her attire. On her nails she wore a mix of two colors, Bourjois So Laque Nail Enamel in Rose Lounge (a very pale pink) and Essie Nail Polish in Allure ( a universal beige ). Both colors are not high end exclusive ones and can easily be found online to buy and wear for yourself. The Boujois Rose Lounge polish is a very high shine polish that according to its makers has “twice as much vinyl and a blend of highly reflecting resins for nails with incredible shine” The Essie Allure polish was created by founder Essie Weingarten 15 years ago and was named after the fashion magazine Allure. Essie Allure is a universally flattering beige shade that can be worn by everyone with everything. Allure is a color that is understated and allows natural beauty to shine through, exactly what Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge needed for this day.

Bourjois So Laque! Nail Polish – 13 Rose Lounge

Essie Allure

Interesting fact: According to Essie Weingarten, Essie nail polish has been the go to brand of polish for royal ceremonies for as long as she can remember

Essie is a brand of nail polish that I have a few bottles of and whenever I wear it I am always pleased with the color, the dry time, and the amount of time it lasts before chipping and looking dull. Around since 1981 and only getting better with age, many nail salons prefer this brand over others. Essie to me  is a classic brand with a great formula. This is a brand that you are not going to find gimmicks with. There are no  crackles, shatters, crazy glitters, and outrageous colors. All of the colors are classic and for the most part timeless. I do not want to make it seem like Essie is a boring brand because it is far from that. There are bold colors like blues, greens, shocking pink and purples, as well as simple glitters and chrome finishes if that is what you prefer.

The Spring 2011 French Affair Collection is a far departure from their Winter 2010 Collection which was bold and fiery with deep purples, gray, brown, and a Christmas green and red. The French Affair Collection is soft and feminine and has a bit of a 1960s retro feel to it. The 6 colors are for the most part opaque so you can get by with 2 coats to get a good nail coverage. Since all of the colors are soft, they will look great on all skintones.

Colors from left to right:
Essie French Affair a soft pink with a slight hint of lavender purple

Essie Sand Tropaz a soft beige that reminds me of sand on the French Riviera

Essie Coat Azure a shimmery deep blue like the ocean
Essie Nice is Nice a light lavender purple

Essie Topless and Barefoot a soft pink/ beige that is sheer
Essie Kisses and Bises a shimmering iridescent pink that can be worn alone for something subtle but is best over a color to make it more unique and pearlesque.