Today, my husband & I celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary, so I thought it only fitting that I feature a nuptial-themed post in honour of the occasion (cheesy tie-in + shameless self-promoting … yes, I know). The four soft pastels of Essie’s Bridal 2013 Collection definitely lean towards the traditional – but are graced with unique shimmery touches – perfect for today’s modern bride, non-brides, and everyone else who just wants a break from the dark & vampy hues of the past few seasons.

All swatches are with base and top coats.

 

Essie – Bridal 2013 Collection

 

Meet Me At The Altar – a pink tinged lavender crème hue filled with ultra-fine pink and silver glass fleck shimmer, which translates very delicately across the nails but does supply a subtle reflection just the same. Self-levelling and relatively streak-free, shorter nails can definitely get by with just 2 simple coats. Coats applied: 3, thin

 

Essie – Meet Me At The Altar

 

Essie – Meet Me At The Altar

 

No Baggage Please – a cool leaning baby pink hue with silver and palest pink finely ground shimmer dust. With a surprisingly good coverage for such a pale shade, 2 thick-ish coats are more than enough to be fully opaque on shorter nails. Coats applied: 3, thin

 

Essie – No Baggage Please

 

Essie – No Baggage Please

 

Using My Maiden Name – a pale violet with a heart of purple shimmer that also flashes silver & pink at times, in a jelly-esque formula that applies like a dream. The self-levelling finish gives amazing coverage even by the first coat and this shade can definitely be worn by most skin tones across the board – LOVE! Coats applied: 2

 

Essie – Using My Maiden Name

 

Essie – Using My Maiden Name

 

My Better Half – a slightly faded-looking magenta hue with an inner core of silver & pink ultra fine shimmer. This amazing formula is highly colour saturated and will suit both cool and warmer skin tones equally. Interestingly enough, the finish is not as glossy as the others of this group, but that’s easily taken care of with the addition of top coat. Coats applied: 2

 

Essie – My Better Half

 

Essie – My Better Half

 

Last word: There’s a good reason why Essie has garnered the reputation as the go-to brand for most brides; they carry a range of pastels and neutrals unlike anyone else, and while the four shades of the Bridal 2013 Collection are nothing we haven’t already previously seen, the differences are in the nuances, the shimmer each one bears, and their wonderful formulas – something pastels are not usually known for. My choice here is hands down ‘Using My Maiden Name’ (which I do, incidentally – that’s the law here in Canada), a delicate stunner that had me staring at my hands all day!

 

 

Kindly provided by Essie for my unbiased consideration