Essie

The Falling Tokyo Leaves, Cat Lady #lifegoals and the Essie Fall 2016 Collection

September 14th, 2016 by Karen 19 Comments

essie kimono over — Creamy plum Essie Kimono Over ($9, one of six shades in the limited edition Essie fall 2016 collection)

This is going to sound terribly cat lady of me (really, what did you expect?), but how’s this for a plan? — you, me, the Essie fall 2016 collection and Toyko in the fall. We could traipse down Icho Namiki Avenue with our manis and pedis and see how many cute maneki-nekos we can find.

Of course, we’d also have to stuff our pockets with cat treats just in case any real city kitties cross our path…

OK, that may have been the most CCL thing I’ve ever written.

Well…probably not. 🙂

Anyway, Tokyo! In the fall! It was the inspiration for the Essie fall 2016 collection.

I’ve never been to Japan before, but I just googled “tokyo in the fall,” and it looks AMAZING.

Now one of my #lifegoals is to visit Tokyo in the fall to see the autumn leaves changing.

I don’t know much about Tokyo, but I always picture a bustling city (I blame this on watching Lost in Translation a few hundred times… It’s one of my favorite movies.), so I was surprised to find out that Essie was inspired by the colors of Tokyo’s fall foliage.

Essie fall 2016 is a six-piece limited edition collection, available right meow, and the polishes are $9 each.

Easy-peasy

This has to one of my favorite Essie collections of all time because there are usually one or two colors in their collections that I end up having to baby a little, like by having to use several layers because of how super sheer they are (I prefer full opacity) or by having to remove my polish and practice a few times with one of them that ends up being streakier than the others, but all six of these shades are a breeze to use…

essie maki me happy — Essie Maki Me Happy

[Continue reading…]

Paint Your Paws at Your Keyboard: Multitasking Manis Are a Thing

August 9th, 2016 by Karen 26 Comments

I had to paint my paws this morning for the secret squirrel project I’m working on, but I didn’t have time to do a full-on mani with the works — soaking, filing, pushing back my cuticles with an orange stick, etc., you know the drill — so I did everything right at my keyboard.

Yeah, that’s totally a thing.

In my world, LOL!

If you’re always in front of your computer like I am, painting your nails at your keyboard takes multitasking to the next level, and it’s a real option, especially if you use a quick drying polish.

I like these Essie Gel Couture Polishes, which I know I’ve already mentioned, but I like ’em that much. I’m wearing First View today, which is a baby blue with a hint of pearl).

Technically, the formula isn’t called “quick drying,” but it is. Layers dry in about five minutes, and I’ve been wearing these a lot lately and talking about them all the time because they’re grrrrreat. I love the colors, and I can usually get 6-7 days out of them before any chips.

Like I was saying, for my keyboard manis, I’ll do a layer, then type a little while it dries. This time I answered some comments on MBB and wrote two emails. Then I’ll repeat with a second layer.

And as long as I’m careful when I type and don’t bump my nails, I don’t get any nicks.

Time really flies, too, while I’m at my keyboard, so this is truly a nifty mental trick to actually getting your paws painted.

[Continue reading…]

The Day in Beauty Vol. 24: The Best Black Liquid Liner and a Makeup Tip for Late Nights

July 27th, 2016 by Karen 40 Comments

essie pre show jitters swatch — Essie Gel Couture in Pre-Show Jitters ($11.50)

I Love the ’90s…

That was the name of the concert I went to last Saturday night — I Love the ’90s — with my friend Marisol, and it was the first time I stayed out late since…

Shoot, I can’t even remember, but it’s been a looong time. I’ve been serving hard time in baby jail for almost five months now, and even before Connor arrived, back when I was still pregnant, I wasn’t going out a lot because I was ginormous, always tired and constantly uncomfortable.

Anywho, like I was saying, I hadn’t been out since forever, and when we were driving back home in the middle of the night from Jackson, California, which is a small town — I’m sorry, Jacksonites — out in the middle of nowhere, I suddenly got the feeling that I was wearing 20 layers of makeup on my face.

I wasn’t wearing a ton, though. Just, like, NARS tinted moisturizer, some powder, a little bit of cat eye makeup, so nothing too cray, but after being out and about in the summer sun for a few hours and perspiring at the concert, that drive home was rough.

I couldn’t wait to get home and wash my face, and Marisol said the same thing.

Has that ever happened to you? — where you get the sudden urge to wash your face in the car on a long drive home in the middle of the night? I mean, Marisol and I can’t be the only two people.

Oh! — I just thought of a genius (if I do say so myself) idea for the next time I’m out and about in the wee hours (whenever that may be). I’ll bring along a pack of makeup wipes to keep in the car! 🙂

That way I can remove my makeup, wipe down my face, and let my skin breathe. Then when I get home, I can just fall right into bed, ah…

By the way, these new Clinique Take the Day Off Micellar Cleansing Towelettes are SO BOMB.

Clinique Take the Day Off Micellar Cleansing Towelettes for Face & Eyes ($14 for 50 wipes) — Clinique Take the Day Off Micellar Cleansing Towelettes for Face & Eyes ($14 for a pack of 50 wipes)

[Continue reading…]

The Essie Resort 2016 Collection Will Get Your Fingers and Toes Ready for Summer!

May 13th, 2016 by Jen Clark 19 Comments

I feel the need to talk about some nail polish today, so let’s talk about this cute collection, Essie Resort 2016.

If you knew me a couple of years ago, you probably would have known about my ridiculous polish addiction. Like, the addiction was real. I had a shelf covered with hundreds — yes, hundreds — of bottles.

I’ve since downsized to my current nail polish collection, but those were the days… I would paint my nails a different color almost every day of the week, not even kidding. I even got really good at design, but alas, babies came and time got short, and sleep became more important.

I am so, so ashamed to admit that I’ve only painted my nails maybe once over the last six months (!). That is just ree-dic and so unlike me, so when my best friend texted me the other day to go get my nails done with her, I jumped at the chance.

I also did something really different — I got acrylics! — and had them do the almond shape. I’ve always admired almond shaped nails but never thought to try them myself. Turns out, I LOVE them! There’s just something so feminine about long nails, although I am having the hardest time typing this post. You win some, you lose some, I guess.

In honor of my new nails, I’m wearing the new Essie Resort Collection for 2016.

All of these colors are so up my alley. I’ve never, ever been one to shy away from bright colors. In fact, they’re what I gravitate toward, and these are gorgeous! And actually pretty unique!

Normally when I get new nail polish colors the ones I decide to get aren’t too special compared to the polishes I already have, but some of these are unique and unlike anything I own.

[Continue reading…]

Palm Beach Awaits With the Essie Spring 2016 Collection

April 29th, 2016 by Adia Goss 10 Comments

The Palm Beach-themed nail polishes in the Essie Spring 2016 nail polish collection have all the right moves for a tropical vacation, and I’m loving every shade! When I think of springtime colors, pastel shades come to mind, so I like that there are some super-saturated, unexpected colors in this six-piece release.

High Class Affair, the peachy nude, is my favorite of the collection. I love that it’s neutral but has juuust enough blush to be interesting.

I really think bright pink Lounge Lover would also be beautiful as a blush or a lipstick (Essie, are you listening?).

[Continue reading…]

Essie Retro Revival 2016 Swatches & Quick (but Sleepy) Thoughts

December 22nd, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

It’s a revival of the fittest over at Essie!

OK, I thought that was very clever at first…but now I see that it doesn’t make a lick of sense.

Haha. I’m sorry, friend, but I barely got a wink of sleep last night. We had a scary storm with 45-mile-per-hour winds and nonstop rain, and it kept me up all night. I got through the day today, but now I’m passing out. Zzz…

I did, however, muster the energy to try on the new new Essie Retro Revival 2016 collection, which will go down in MBB history as “The Collection That Knocked Off My Red Dolce & Gabbana Christmas Mani of 2015 After About 2.5 Seconds.”

LOL!

The collection comes out next month with six $8.50 polishes, all of them throwbacks to colors that were previously released in limited edition Essie launches, so it’s sort of a glance back at the brand’s 35-year history.

In the comments, reader broantza left some dates for when these polishes first appeared in their respective limited edition launches (thank you, broantza!).

Cabana Boy – 2005; Birthday Suit – 1981; Bikini with a Martini – 2006; Sequin Sash – 2005; Life of the Party – 2002; Starry, Starry Night – 1997

It’s also limited edition, so if you see something you like, grab it (the collection’s on pre-sale now on the Essie website).

essie starry starry night swatch — Essie Starry Starry Night (two coats)

I’m excited about this one, especially Starry Starry Night, which is the dark glittery midnight blue, and Sequin Stash, the sheer glittery bronze with tiny flecks of glitter.

What can I say? Glitter — it moves me.

essie life of the party swatch — Essie Life of the Party (two coats)

[Continue reading…]

The Essie Holiday 2015 Fringe Luxeeffects Collection Nail Polishes for When You Want to Sparkle Like You Mean It!

November 16th, 2015 by Karen 26 Comments

Essie Fringe Luxeeffects 2015 collection — The Essie Holiday 2015 Fringe Luxeeffects Collection nail polishes ($8.50 each, available now online, at salons, drugstores and Ulta)

Like a confetti party for your paws, Essie’s four new Holiday 2015 Luxeeffects nail polishes have So. Much. Glitter.

Glorious gobs of glittering, glistening, lens-flare inducing glitter!

And the glitter comes in different shapes, colors and sizes, all of it suspended in a clear nail polish base, so you won’t be stuck staring at standard-issue sparkle. No, way. There’s gunmetal gray and pink glitter in Fringe Factor, platinum and cobalt in Frilling Me Softly, copper and bronze in Tassel Shaker and maroon sparkly flecks in Fashion Flares.

essie fashion flares — Essiei Fashion Flares

essie tassel shaker — Essie Tassel Shaker

essie fringe factor — Essie Fringe Factor

[Continue reading…]

The Essie Winter 2015 Collection

October 30th, 2015 by Karen 24 Comments

essie haute tub — Creamy jet black Essie Haute Tub, one of six new $8.50 shades in the Essie Winter 2015 collection, has flecks of amethyst glitter…

Your lift ticket awaits to Chalet Essie! It’s a winter wonderland of chic, but don’t worry about freezing your tush off, because the six new nail polishes in the Essie Winter 2015 collection ($8.50 each) will keep you warm. 🙂

There are three bold shades for babes (and dudes!) who like luxurious nail colors, and three lower-key lacquers for laid back luxe.

essie altitude attitude — Essie Altitude Attitude, a creamy scarlet

I’m wearing two coats of each color in these swatches, and the only one that gave me trubs is Peak Show, the creamy, powdery pink. It went on a little streaky…

The other five took to the slopes like pros! — especially Haute Tub, that beautiful black with amethyst glitter.

SO HOT, that Haute Tub. (Random side note: did you know that pregnant ladies are supposed to avoid hot tubs? Oh, well! Guess that means no trips in my hot tub time machine.)

As for the reds, both are incredibly silky smooth…

essie shall we chalet — Essie Shall We Chalet, a creamy ruby

[Continue reading…]