I’ve been noticing a fair amount of advertising for those new Essie “Luxeffects” glitter topcoats. And, since I happen to be in the business of decoding these ads into tips and tricks that work for real women, I had to buy the polish, right? The jury’s still out on whether I really needed to buy two different colors, but I justified the purchase by telling myself there was no point in paying shipping for an $8 purchase. The verdict? I don’t regret the decision.
My killer combo.
While all the options seemed really pretty, I wanted to pick a) the most different from everything else I’ve seen on the market recently, and b) the one I thought I would use the most. So, the two I selected were “Shine of the Times,” a pearlescent pastel-white that runs the gamut from silver to pastel pink, yellow, and beyond; and “As Gold as it Gets,” a rockstar-worthy gilt-free gold. They arrived in the mail and I struggled for about 20 minutes trying to decide which one to try first. In the end, I went with the one I thought would get the most attention, Shine of the Times. It worked.
Shine of the Times
What I love about this topcoat over other glittery nail products I’ve tried is that it isn’t chunky. Instead, the glitter is like a hologram that floats in and out of view but is inherently part of the liquid itself. Thus, when the polish dries, it is in an even shine instead of a rough chunky mess. The next day at work, strangers and colleagues could NOT get enough of my nails. I must have had to walk at least ten people through the products I used under badgering. And a good dozen more simply remarked, “Love your nails!”
Bonus: I painted mine several days ago, and I still don’t have a single chip. This glitter really works as a Teflon-strong topcoat; I didn’t put anything over it!
As Gold as it Gets
I tried Essie’s “Sweet Talker,” a pale powder blue under my Luxeffects. This unique combination of pastels is super pretty and attention-grabbing. Next up? I plan to try a cherry red covered in As Gold as it Gets, like the ad shows. May as well put their tried-and-true combo to the test, no? Happy glittering, girls!
You can purchase the Essie Luxeffects line of products on ulta.com, $8 a bottle.
