Whoomp, there it is! Let your nails time travel back to the 90s this season thanks to Essie’s ‘As If’ Fall 2017 Collection. This off the hook line features 6 cool tones with even cooler names that will have you feeling like you’re all that and a bag of chips. I was so psyched to check out the collection and test it out to show you all, so check out the bangin’ colors below!
I may have gone overboard on that retro slang but, whatever… 😉
MIXTAUPE Mixtaupe – The name is a big confusing because it’s not really taupe, but more of a pink-toned ivory. I actually love the color, and it’s a good one to mix in with the darker Fall colors. However, the formula was extremely frustrating! I couldn’t get my coats even at all, not even after top coat–as you can see.
I used three thin coats plus top.
SAVED BY THE BELLE Saved By the Belle – Essie describes this as a “light baby pink with a subtle blue undertone”, which is true…but the blue gives it a subtle purple hue and that light pink is very ‘bubblegum’. I like the color but it feels more of a spring shade to me. It’s not too noticeable in the photos, but in person it appeared to dry a bit darker than in the bottle.
Formula-wise this was also a real pain to apply, not as bad as Mixtaupe though. It seemed to even out better after the second coat, but I did three thin ones with top coat to be safe.
AS IF As If! – I was surprised with how much I liked this “powdery periwinkle with a hint of red”. It was a dream to apply–compared to the other two, thin but not watery and only two smooth coats were needed.
When I first saw the collection, I was confused with all the pastel looking colors…but I could see wearing this one in the fall, for sure.
VERDICT: I’m a sucker for anything 90s-related, so I may grab the rest of the collection and even give the frustrating formulas another try. I was disappointed that there wasn’t a yellow included considering when you think “As if” you think of Cher Horowitz’s catchphrase from the cult classic movie, “Clueless”…and, hello, her yellow plaid skirt suit is iconic. I also don’t know about you, but I wore a lot of black and navy polish in the 90s so I felt this collection could’ve benefited from some more darker tones.
As for my recommendation, I think you NEED is As if!.
Colors not included in this review but also available:
Knee-High Life, Girly Grunge and Dressed to the Nineties.
Essie’s Fall 2017 Collection is available online at essie.com, salons and local drugstores.
