NAILS . LITTLE LITTLE BAM-BAMBI

Dear higher power, please bless my roommate and the new Essie Cashmere Matte collection. Why? Well, bless my roommate for finding an entirely new season of Project Runway All Stars to keep us occupied as I embarked on a two hour struggle to remove my shellac manicure. And bless the Essie Cashmere Matte collection for being so damn stunning – that's reason enough, right? The end result of my nail-athon, a matte manicure that is reminiscent of Bambi's cute little derrière.

Being an impatient beginner with a shaky hand doesn't bode well when you're a nail art lover, but thankfully there is the dotticure manicure, which looks stunning, yet requires minimal effort or talent. To re-create this look you'll simply need to apply three thin coats of Essie's All Eyes On Nudes over your favourite base coat – I've been a slave to OPI Nail Envy for years. Once dry, simply use a dotting tool and the Essie polish in Wrap Me Up to create various sized dots at the tip of the nail. I achieved the variation in size by using a heavy or lighter hand while dotting. Being that the polishes have a matte finish I chose to forgo a top coat, although you could apply a matte top coat, like the Nicole by OPI Matte Top Coat, to seal in your design.

I'm certain that this won't be the last nail art design I create with this collection.

Have you got your hands on these polishes yet?

AM¥     XO

ESSIE . CASHMERE MATTE COLLECTION + SWATCHES

I've had one hell of a time trying to track down the latest Essie polish release, the Cashmere Matte Collection, after it almost instantly sold out online. But luckily my local Shopper's Drug Mart had just received them and the sales associate was kind enough to scour through the newly delivered shipment to find the four shades I had my eyes set on from the get-go: Wrap Me Up, All Eyes On Nudes, Comfy In Cashmere and Just Stitched. The collection is totally unique, with a satin-matte finish that dries quickly, leaving a suede-like texture – and two of the polishes feature a pearlized matte finish that is beyond gorgeous.

All of the polishes are on the thicker side and therefore a little tricky to apply, requiring three thin coats for the best results. But if you've got patience the pay off is totally worth it. Wrap Me Up is a beautiful soft white with the slightest bit of pink – it's romantic and totally office worthy if you're looking to avoid a stark white. The other nude in the collection, All Eyes On Nudes, is a camel-toned polish that looks so luxurious when paired with gold accessories. I'm just hopeful that it will still look as chic when summer comes around and I have a tan as some polishes can look muddled when there isn't enough contrast between your skin tone and the polish. Next up is the darkest polish I went for, Comfy In Cashmere, a taupe polish filled with a blue iridescence that can be seen at all angles. Out of all the polishes in this range this one was by far the easiest to work with and was some-what self-leveling. The final polish, Just Stitched, is also filled with a blue iridescent shimmer but the finish is a little more subtle. I usually steer clear of baby pink polishes, but the pearlized matte finish and subtle iridescence make it a must have.

There are two more shades available from the collection, Coat Couture and Spun In Luxe, however I simply didn't gravitate towards them – too dark, too matte, too something... just not my style.

THE SWATCHES

Swatched in Natural Light . Wrap Me Up, All Eyes On Nudes, Comfy In Cashmere, and Just Stitched

Have you spotted these polishes yet? What shade is your favourite?

AM¥     XO