Essie Mirror Metallics 2012 Collection

“If eyes are the mirror to your soul, then nails are the mirror to your style” – Essie Weingarten

With that opening line, I present Essie’s latest, the 5 gleaming hues of the ‘Mirror Metallics Collection’ that are launching now in early June. Definitely futuristically driven, but given a nice twist by the addition of some subtle tinting, these limited edition lacquers are yet another innovative way to jazz up a mani/pedi and draw some wanted attention.

I love how this image seems to capture not only the metallic essence of these varnishes, but all the colours as well

While metallic lacquers have been around for some time, they were usually too fussy and time-consuming to bother with. Essie’s new ‘Mirror Metallics’, however, have stepped up the game in this field, by introducing a formula that not only applies with such incredible ease and such excellent viscosity, but provides a fresh take on the “modern” nail. Each shade of this collection can almost be a 1-coater – the coverage was that good, and with a quick dry time and a high-intensity reflective gleam, you can almost skip the top coat (but don’t!).

The pros:

fabulous formula
rapid drying
amazing shine

The cons:

need to work fast
can be prone to some visible brush strokes
ridge-filling base coat a must for less than perfectly smooth nails

As this type of formula can be less than forgiving of mistakes, you definitely can’t rush the application. For all of the following swatches, I began with a ridge filling base coat, then added a layer of regular base coat, 2 coats of each shade, and topped this all off with a layer of top coat. I suggest that you work with as steady hand as possible to keep any visible brush strokes to a minimum, and try to not “overwork” the lacquer, as this could result in more effort than you need to be doing.

NOTE: your base coat needs to be 100% dry before applying your varnish, or you run the risk of the colour dragging.

‘No Place Like Chrome’ described as a “richly oxidized nickel”, bears an uncanny resemblance to polished steel. With a pure white gleam to it, this shade gave the highest foil-like intensity of the collection.

in sunlight

in sunlight/alternate

backlit

indoors

indoors/alternate

with flash

‘Good As Gold’ described as a “pure, rock-solid classic”, this looks to me to be more of a platinum-leaning antique golden hue. The bottle shows some bronze-like veins running throughout the base colour, which seemed to impart subtle peach and apricot hints and added an overall warmth.

in sunlight

in sunlight/alternate

backlit

indoors

indoors/alternate

with flash

‘Nothing Else Metals’ (*I can’t even think this name without immediately breaking into “Nothing else matters” by Metallica – one of my all-time favourite songs!) is described as an “ultramodern lilac alloy”. I found this pink-tinged lavender shade to be the most modern way that one can wear such an otherwise girly hue, as it adds “drama without the fuss”!

in sunlight

in sunlight/alternate

backlit

indoors

indoors/alternate

with flash

‘Blue Rhapsody’ is described as a “heavy metal air force blue”, but I loved how this shade seemed to morph from cool to warm-hued, depending on the light. Sometimes a silvered blue, and at others rather gunmetal-leaning, this is the colour that I imagine Frodo’s sword “Sting” must have flashed whenever orcs were near! (In case you’re wondering, it’s a Lord of the Rings reference – and yes, I’m a HUGE fan!)

in sunlight

in sunlight/alternate

backlit

indoors

indoors/alternate

with flash

‘Penny Talk’ is described as a “statement-making incandescent copper”, but I find it to be more rose-gold colour than anything else. A rather pink tinged coppery hue with some veining seen in the bottle, this shade had the smoothest application of them all, however it also seemed to be the least vibrant – but still so incredibly elegant.

in sunlight

in sunlight/alternate

backlit

indoors

indoors/alternate

with flash

Final thoughts: I think Essie was positively brilliant in launching just the 5 shades; any more would have been overkill, and any less would have had people asking for other colours! I remember my first metallic foil, something by Sally Hansen, and how cool I though the finish was, but hated how much of a bother it was to apply, so it was with some hesitation that I welcomed these Essies; I needn’t have worried, as the formula more than exceeded my expectations. I’m also pleased by how even just 1 coat can give full coverage, although I do prefer 2 – and these do not need any more than that. For anyone who’s looking for a little something new that doesn’t include intricate nail art, these ‘Mirror Metallics’ are an excellent alternative and will definitely garner you some major spotlight time!