Essie – Bridal Collection for Spring 2012 (swatches & review)

I find it so refreshing that today’s bride isn’t limited to wearing the exceedingly overdone french mani anymore; while there will always be those faithful to the understated “natural” look (if the red carpet trends are anything to go by, nude nails aren’t going away anytime soon), there will always be those that want to stand out – enter Essie’s 2012 ‘Bridal Collection’, four urban hues that have been amped down in volume, but no less sophisticated as a result. All swatches are with Essie’s All In One Base Coat and No Chips Ahead Top Coat.

“pretty maids, all in a row”

‘Instant Hot’ was my biggest surprise of this collection; a medium thick formula in a softly diffused rose-tinted white hue, it bears ultra-fine silver shimmer hidden deep within its core that comes out to play when sunlight hits it or when seen with flash – other than that, it stays mostly dormant but adds a nice depth to round out this shade. As it can be slightly streak-prone, I ended up applying 4 very thin coats to achieve the creamy look of the following swatches, although three would have definitely worked as well. Beautifully glossy and levelling off smoothly, I totally LOVE this colour – so worth the extra effort for this thoroughly modern take on white.

in sunlight

closeup

indoors

with flash

‘Love & Acceptance’, a greyed-out dusty lavender crème hue, bears a much thinner formula than ‘Instant Hot’, allowing it to apply a touch easier, with a similar glossy end and smoothly levelled surface. With 3 coats, you can achieve a completely opaque look, although I applied 4 layers for the following swatches, in order that the end result appears ultra-smooth. Excellent flow and a nicely muted take on purple, this is a colour that works well with both cool and warm skin tones.

in sunlight

backlit

indoors

with flash

‘Who Is The Boss’ is a touch chameleon-like; a dusty Wedgewood blue one moment then taking on a muted sage green tinge the next, this was in a similar formula to ‘Love & Acceptance’ and bearing the same flow, smooth appearance, and glossy finish as well. Once more, I found myself applying 4 thin coats for optimum opacity as well as swatching purposes, although 3 layers would ordinarily be more than enough. I absolutely love shades like this, that seem to be viewed as though through a filter – so romantic!

in sunlight

backlit

indoors

with flash

‘Like To Be Bad’ (I’m sorry, Essie…I don’t get the name connection here!) was another surprise; a nicely flowing formula, this is a fleshy pale pink hue with some secretive pink duochrome shimmer going on deep inside – an almost imperceptible flash, unless seen in direct sunlight, but which serves to add a nice depth just the same. As with the others of this collection, the finish was perfectly self-levelling and glossy, although I applied 4 thin coats for the following swatches to keep it all consistent.

in sunlight

closeup

backlit

indoors

indoors/secondary view

with flash

Final thoughts: I personally associate pastel hues like these four, more for Easter than a wedding, but I can still appreciate how effective they can be for one’s nuptials – adding an unexpected touch of soft colour for the “big day”. The formula on all was pretty good overall, and while ‘Instant Hot’ had a few initial application issues, I still felt it was worth it as the shade is so far removed from your run-of-the-mill chalky whites. ‘Who Is The Boss’ also stole my heart, as it’s a great way to wear this type of green hue, one that won’t come off as overwhelming or distracting. Essie has managed to once more pull another rabbit out of their creative hat, giving us four lacquers in today’s urban tones, but delivered in a traditional formula … the best of both worlds!