(Beauty)

Essie’s Newest Colors Are Proof Metallic Nails Can Be Subtle

by Madge Maril
Courtesy of Essie

Don't pack your metallic New Year's Eve dress away just yet, because the January 2019 Essie colors may make you want to wear it all month long. The nail polish and care company just announced it's releasing two new nail polish collections in January: the Serene Slate Collection and the Treat Love & Color Metallics Collection, both of which feature super reflective metallic shades. You don't need to just wear the collections' shiny shades with sequins, though; the Essie shades show the subtle side of metallic not often explored.

Admittedly, "subtle" and "metallic" aren't often put together in a sentence, but the Serene Slate Collection pulls it off with a pretty mix of cream neutrals and shimmery shades. Retailing at $9 per bottle, the collection and its shade names are all about disconnecting with technology — which doesn't sound bad at all.

The Serene Slate collection features nine colors with two subdued metallics in mostly cool tones (though there is a stunning rose quartz-inspired shade, Wire-Less Is More). The two metallics are both in the cool family; Gadget Free is a shimmery, metallic gunmetal gray and Cause & Reflect is an understated, pearlized indigo blue that will still glitter when caught in the right light.

At $10 per bottle, the Treat Love & Color Metallics Collection features eight shades from all over the rainbow. Since it's a part of the Treat Love & Color line, the metallic collection's shades also include Essie's nail strengthening formula — a breathable blend that includes collagen and camellia extract. The formula targets nail peeling and breakage, two common problems that anyone who paints their nails often may encounter.

According to Essie's website, the formula works: users experienced 60 percent less peeling and 35 percent less breakage after one week. As an added bonus, the nail polish formula doesn't require a base or top coat. So when you buy the $10 nail polish, you're really buying a nail strengthener, base coat, nail color, and top coat, just in one bottle.

Courtesy of Essie

The nail polish's strengthening formula gives the collection's shades their unique, sporty names. The light gold shade is named Glow The Distance, the metallic bronze gold is Pep In Your Rep, the dark copper is Finish Line Fuel, just to name a few. The neutral metallics make it easy to find one that complements your skin tone to create a nude manicure with a subtle shine.

While the collections are posted on Essie's website, they won't be available for purchase there until later in January. For the time being, you can find a few shades from each collection on HSN or CVS.