Essie Gel Couture - Ballet Nudes

Hey... Remember me?  I've been gone for a while and I've had a couple of unsuccessful goes of getting back to my blog since I took a break.  My blog has always been a hobby, and I never wanted it to become a chore, so I didn't let it become one.

I've finally decided that I wont post about every single nail design that I create, or every colour that I wear, but I'll blog when the mood strikes.  When I was lucky enough to win the gorgeous Essie Gel Couture Ballet Nudes collection with Vicky from The Polish List and Essie I thought that they would be perfect for a post.

I've got some other Essie polishes in my collection, but only one other one from the Gel Couture range, so I was really chuffed when Vicky said that I had won with her giveaway.  Essie polishes never disappoint me and this collection is no different.  All of my swatches show two coats, other than Closing Night where I used three, and they are all finished with the Gel Couture Top Coat.

Satin Slipper is a beautiful ivory with a subtle shimmer running through it.  You can see the shimmer more here in the bottle than on the nail, but it catches the light beautifully and gives the ivory another dimension without being too harsh on the nail.  This looks exactly like the colour of satin ballet shoes I had as a child.  I probably could have gone for a third coat, but I think it would have taken away from the finished look.

Lace Me Up is a very pretty very light pink cream colour.  It would be the perfect choice if you want a nude shade with a slight colour, but one that would still go with any outfit.  With a third coat I think the pink colour would be slightly more obvious, but it's all personal preference depending on the look you'd like.

At The Barre is what I would class as the most skin tone nude in the collection.  The colour is what I think of when I first think of a pale suede, which I know is silly as suede comes in lots of different colours, but hopefully you know what I mean.  I'm not normally keen on nail polishes in this sort of colour, but I was actually pleasantly surprised with this one, and think it actually suits my skin tone.  It's a little patchy in places, but I'd only noticed that when I took the pictures.

Hold The Position is a gorgeous light salmon coloured pink.  It's exactly the colour pink I think of when I think of a ballerina.  It paints on beautifully and has such a smooth finish.  The perfect colour for Spring.

Perfect Posture is one of my favourites from the collection.  It's a beautiful powder blue with a slight grey undertone, and also paints on like a dream.  The first coat is a bit streaky, but evens out perfectly with a second.  I think it's one that could easily transform if you were to add another coat, and also depending what outfit you were to wear it with.  I used this as a base for some nail art using some of the other Ballet Nudes, which you've hopefully seen on Instagram.

Closing Night is a gorgeous blue grey with beautiful shimmer.  This is my favourite from the collection and I think it's such a versatile colour.  Just look at the shimmer both in the bottle and on the nail, what more can I say? I just love it!  I did use three coats for this one, as I found it to be quite a sheer formula for a gel polish, but I can forgive this colour for that.

Overall the formula of all the colours is lovely.  They aren't too thick compared to some other gel collections which means they don't feel heavy on the nail, and they paint on smoothly.  The gel top coat isn't gooey, leaves a smooth finish and beautiful shine.  The polishes are long wearing; I had a Perfect Posture on as a base for 8 days with no chips at all.

I can see where the inspiration came from in ballet for each one - Satin Slipper and At The Barre, most obviously from ballet shoes and the actual barres; Lace Me Up and Perfect Posture remind me of the colour of leotards you see ballerinas wear; Hold The Position is the colour you imagine when you think of a little girl in a tutu; and Closing Night represents the stage in contrast to the beautiful costumes at a performance.

I think Essie got everything right with this collection.  Which is your favourite?

Aimée x