Essie Maki Me Happy Fall Nail Polish Swatch & Photos

I couldn't let Mani Monday end without posting well...today's mani! Recently, I've been wearing Essie Maki Me Happy ($9) - a crimson with berry hues nail polish from their Fall 2016 collection. img_1175-ccc img_1252-ccc img_1191-ccc img_1196-ccc

I saw this color at the Rebecca Minkoff S/S 2017 NYFW show and have been hooked ever since. As usual, I applied the grow faster base coat just to protect my nails from being stained and it gives an extra added layer of strength. Then I applied two coats of Maki Me Happy and topped it off with a shiny top coat. Once everything dried, I moisturized my hands, nails and cuticles with Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream.

What color have you been wearing?

xoxo1

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Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish - Take Me to Thread Swatch and Wear Test

It's been a while since I did a #ManiMonday blog post and it was largely due to the fact that I haven't tried a new color or formula for my nails that I really wanted to share until now. A few weeks ago, I stopped by Walgreens to check in on the new arrivals for Fall and I stumbled upon Take Me to Thread from the Essie Gel Couture line.IMG_2528 cccThe Gel Couture line of nail polish is a fairly new two-step formula that promises to give you up to 14 days of luxurious wear - while maintaining the color and shine with an instant gel-like manicure that does not require a UV lamp. Naturally, I scoffed at that. I never get more than 2-3 days of non-chipped polish on my natural nails but then again I haven't used gel polish because I didn't want to use a UV lamp and weaken my natural nails or expose my skin to that type of light source directly.

Needless to say I was intrigued to test out Essie's new line and the colors looked beautiful in the store so why not?

First, you want to start off with a fresh set of nails. Remove any residue of previous nail polish or base - you do not need to use a base coat with this line. Next, you can apply the gel couture color that you like - however, before I apply anything to my nails, I make sure to moisturize my hands, nails and cuticles with Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream.IMG_2490 cccThis cream is instrumental to keeping my hands and nails healthy and strong (yes, before you ask, I am working on filming a guide on how to grow natural and healthy nails lol).

Next, I applied two coats of Take Me to Thread and allowed each coat to dry for about 3 minutes before applying another one. The final step - step 2 - is to seal in the color with the gel couture top coat for flawless gel-like shine.IMG_2520 cccIMG_2538 cccThe brush is a bit wider and more tapered than the normal Essie polishes which allows for more coverage and an easier application. IMG_2627 ccc closerIMG_2560 cccIMG_2569 cccNow on to the point of this review; to see if the polish really stands up to its promise of a 14-day wear. So far, I've had this on for 3.5 days. I have done everything normal in my routine: thoroughly washed my hair, washed dishes, showered, cleaned, applied many many products to my natural hair, fussed around at work, styled some photoshoots - everything that I would normally do and nothing has chipped away.IMG_2918 ccc day 2IMG_2929 ccc day 3With Day 3, you can start to see some of the scratches starting to form from just the daily wear and tear but I am beyond impressed with the coverage from this two step system. I will come back and update you everyday up until day 14 so you can see the results but so far - it is a must have!

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Overall: Don't the photos speak for themselves? There are 42 colors available and each gel couture polish and the top coat retails for $11.50. You can pick it up at Ricky's NYC, Ulta Beauty, Walgreens, CVS, Duane Reade or Essie.com. It might look a bit pricey at first, but think about the amount of wear you will get out of one manicure. #WorthIt

xoxo1