I Dare You Not To Fall In Love With Essie's New Valentine's Day Nail Polishes — EXCLUSIVE
No matter how you feel about Valentine's Day, I straight up guarantee you'll feel so much love in the air come Feb. 14... love for Essie's new 2019 Valentine's Day Collection, that is. Come to melt the ice away from even the coldest of hearts, the warm new line from Essie features six new glorious shades, each packaged in heart-themed, shrink-wrapped bottles so adorable, I'm about to leave my girlfriend for them. (Don't tell her I told you that.)
“Our Essie loyalists across the globe crave color for every occasion and Valentine’s Day is no exception. To honor this, we created six lovable shades with glitter or shimmer finishes," says Vice President for Essie Greg Hui. "Each has playful shade name that remains true to the brand’s DNA. Housed in our first-ever wrap packaging, we’ve added a fun twist to our classic bottle. Whether gifting to a special someone or keeping for yourself, we hope everyone feels the #essielove this Valentine’s Day with our newest collection!”
Retailing for just $9 a pop, you can peep even more info about these shades on Essie's website. (Though, if you need no more info and you're already sold, which, same, you can purchase any and all of the shades on Target's website as we speak — you're welcome). The new Valentine's Day collection shades are too lovable for words, straight down to the shade names.
Galentine ($9, Target)
If the pastel pink glitter shade Galentine doesn't scream flirty, fun, and festive — all the perfect components of both a Galentine and a Galentine's Day celebration with your friends — then I literally do not know what does.
Crush & Blush ($9, Target)
With Crush & Blush, Essie was somehow able to capture the exact shade of pink my cheeks turn whenever I'm around my crush (i.e. my girlfriend exclusively), right down to the simultaneously glow.
You're So Cupid ($9, Target)
I can't tell if it's the polish or if a small, mischievous cherub just struck me with an arrow, but the pull I feel toward the glitter shade "You're So Cupid" is unbelievably strong.
#EssieLove ($9, Target)
If, like me, Essie has always been your one true nail polish love, then prepare for that love to grow even deeper with the shimmery red shade "#EssieLove." It's like I'm falling in love all over again.
Sparkles Between Us ($9, Target)
Filled with both chunky and fine pink glitter particles, "Sparkles Between Us" is absolutely keeping the spark we all have for glitter nail polish alive and well.
Roses Are Red ($9, Target)
Glittering red shade "Roses Are Red" brings to life both the look and the feel of a super smooth, yet dewy red rose. And with rose illustrations covering the bottle, I'm falling for this shade already.
IDK about you, but I have never been more ready to get my hands (and my heart) on a collection in my life. And honestly, all of the shades are so heart-eyes-inducing, it feels damn near impossible to choose only one shade to wear at a time. Luckily, Essie Celebrity Manicurist Michelle Saunders shared some exclusive tips with Elite Daily when it comes to figuring out how to mix and match these shades.
"Because the base of each polish is complimentary, you can mix and match – or even layer," says Saunders.
If you're interested in a softer, pretty-in-pink style of a mani, Saunders recommends applying a double coat of the shade Crush & Blush, and then applying a coat of the glittery Galentine shade on top, giving you a multi-dimensional, textured pink look.
If you live for the dramatics, however, Saunders has a funkier idea that really packs on the sparkle. Swipe on one coat of the super metallic red #EssieLove and pack on two coats of the glitter shade Sparkles Between Us. I'm literally seduced just thinking about this manicure.
Of course, with a collection of colors that pairs together so perfectly, the sky's the limit when it comes to the nail art you can create. Use your brains as hard as you can, folks, and find a combo you're in love with. Buuuuuuut it never hurts to stay on top of the ~trendiest~ looks either. Thank God Saunders spilled all the tea on that, too.
"You’ll see a lot of dimension and texture on nails for 2019. Essie’s Roses Are Red is a great way to test this trend, as it’s a perfect Valentine’s-Day-red with subtle sheen and tiny glitter flecks," she says. "If you want to test this to the max, layer ALL the glitters in this collection over each other, creating the ultimate textured mani!" If you're wondering, Saunders does have a preferred order to layer the glitter shades in: First, You're So Cupid; then, Galentine; and finally, Sparkles Between Us. Oh, and remember to shake your glitter bottles so the sparkles spread out oh-so-nicely.
Now, take those heart eyes of yours and peep the full line on Essie's website for all the inspo you could ever want. And, when you've finally fallen in love, head to Target to cop these lovelies for yourself. You future mani's so bright, it's blinding.
