The first nail-focused beauty blog

Essie Bahamas Swatches

By on July 15, 2007
in Essie, Summer 2007

Essie has teamed up with the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Kamalame Cay to create a special summer collection. As part of the It’s Better In The Bahamas promotion you can win a trip to the gorgeous tropical locale. Check out the Essie website for an entry form and details.

Ok, I’ll be honest with you. When I see the colors in this collection, I don’t think Bahamas or beach or ocean. With the exception of Jumpin’ Junkanoo and The Cove Copper the rest of the colors seem like typical safe shades for the company that has built an empire on pinks, reds and sheers.

Now I haven’t been to the Bahamas myself but I have been to many of the Caribbean islands and if I had created a collection based on the culture and area it would be filled with hot pink, coral, sea green, opalescent shell pink and a sandy shimmer. But we all have different visions and this is Essie’s. It seems to me that she decided to create shades that flatter the women of the islands rather than reflect on their surroundings.

(l-r) Island Hopping, Bahama Mama, Atlantis Pearl
(l-r) The Cove Copper, Lyford Lilac and Jumpin’ Junkanoo
Right off the bat I knew I would love Jumpin Junkanoo. It’s vibrant with a subtle pink shimmer. Slightly rose toned and extremely glossy. I couldn’t wait to put it on my toes and let me tell you, it’s a fabulous pedicure shade. Two quick coats and I was good to go.

The Cove Copper’s metallic bronziness is very hot for summer. It leaves some slight brush strokes but nothing extreme and it was opaque with two coats. For the most part this collection is highly pigmented.

Lyford Lilac is what the nail board would call a “pukey mauve.” No disrespect to the folks at Essie but these type of shades are extremely hard to pull off. I really think this shade is best intended for women of color.

Island Hopping is another shade that would work better on darker skin tones. It’s described as a rum raisin but, with my coloring, it’s just a muted purple nightmare. I must say that since so many cosmetics are geared toward fairer skinned ladies, I applaud Essie for making a collection that has something for everyone.

The name Bahama Mama makes me think of a fruity rum concoction but this berry shade doesn’t quite match the fun and frisky moniker. This berry shade is pretty and glossy but it applied streaky and took three coats to become opaque. Of all the colors in this collection, this is the one I would suggest you pass on.

Atlantis Pearl is slightly paler and less opalescent than the shell pink I would imagine being in this collection but it’s soft and pretty. The only issue I had was with streakiness. I applied two coats in the swatch above but I’m sure that with three coats you could even it out.


Alright, so now it’s your turn to weigh in. I’m sure by now some of you have tried these. What are your “must have” and “I’ll pass” shades? Help keep your fellow polish junkies from missing out on a “holy grail” or wasting money.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Subscribe

If you enjoyed this article, subscribe now to receive more just like it.

There Are 3 Brilliant Comments

Trackback URL

  1. avroys says:
    July 16, 2007 at 5:51 am

    Thanx for the informative reviews. Based on your comments and the fact that I am very fair, the only 2 colours I might consider getting are: Jumpin Junkaroo & Atlantis Pearl. I won’t be holding my breath though – I expect South Africa to get this collection only next year (when our Fall comes around).

  2. GablesGirl says:
    July 16, 2007 at 9:24 am

    I got Bahama Mama and The Cove Copper (which I’ve renamed Copper Cove b/c it flows better) over the weekend and LOVE them!!

  3. Mina24 says:
    July 17, 2007 at 4:32 am

    I like Atlantis Pearl and Bahama Mama the best, so maybe I will purchase those.

Top