LOVE IS IN THE AIRRRR. That’s right, Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. Yes, time is somehow still moving forward. Will you all be having romantic takeout while watching Netflix as well? Yes, I’ll be doing this by myself and it won’t be any different from any other day, what about it. I’m sure I’ll be having a lovely night in with my true love, nail polish.

So let’s talk about some nail polish! Today we’re looking at the Essie release for Valentine’s Day 2021. This is a 6 bottle release of various shades of red, pink, orange and purple for the upcoming holiday of love. Essie has been doing a Valentine’s Day release for a couple years now, and I enjoy when companies do less traditional holiday releases! Of course, Essie also releases like 19 collections a year, but that’s another discussion.

I went on a good ol’ fashioned nail polish hunt for these shades, and by that I mean I took the bus to a bigger Target in a different neighborhood. Listen, that was an exciting Saturday for me, okay. And we love the satisfaction of finding a display of shades you were looking for. These have been a little more elusive to find overall, but I found them in displays in Targets as well as Walgreens stores! Target shows which stores have it in stock, so you can check their website before adventuring.

They don’t have the full bottle wraps like they’ve had other years, but the caps are printed with these cute little gold foil decorations. I do love the little decorations they put on the bottles each year for this specific collection.

Alright, let’s get into the swatches already.

Up first we have ‘Glow & Arrow’. This is a light lilac-pink base with bright purple shimmer. This was definitely a more sheer formula, so even after building up 3 coats, you can still see a touch of nail line and some unevenness on my nails.

Now this is where your own nails and preferences will come in. My nails are more ridged, so that is what is causing the streaks to show. So I didn’t personally love this shade on my own nails, the sheer formula just didn’t work for me. BUT, if you have smoother nails, or enjoy this more squishy look, this shade could be for you. As always, what you buy is up to you in the end.

While I didn’t love it on me, it could be a nice delicate look on the nails!

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‘Heart of Gold’ is a soft, almost champagne golden shimmer. This had a lovely formula, and was easily opaque in just 2 coats. It’s super smooth and paints on nicely.

I do always love a good metallic foil shade, as they almost “glow” on the nails.

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‘Gilded Goddess’ is a warm-toned, medium pink shimmer. Another easy two coat formula and no complaints here! It was nice and smooth to paint onto the nails.

It’s perfect for a more subtle Valentine’s Day look.

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‘Cupid’s Beau’ was the shade I was most excited for from the collection. This is a stunning bright red-orange shimmer. This had a good 1st coat but will need a 2nd, as I could tell the color wasn’t quite all the way even yet. But a 2nd easy coat covered and made it fully opaque.

It’s different from a traditional Valentine’s Day color, and I absolutely loved it. It’s going to be stunning for summer as well!

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Another favorite, ‘Love is in the Air’ is a deep berry purple base with purple shimmer. This had a great formula and was pretty well opaque with just 1 thicker coat. I did 2 thinner coats, and did notice that the color deepened a touch on the 2nd coat. Super smooth, and so easy to paint on!

I love shades like this, and as mentioned, a favorite of the collection.

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And lastly we have ‘Tug at the Harpstrings’. This is a deep, brick red cream shade. Another super easy formula, and goes on so smoothly in just 2 coats. Super lovely, and I think this would be a perfect shade for the fall time as well! Another that’s different from the typical Valentine’s Day shades!

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And that’s the collection! I enjoyed a color palette that was a little different from a traditional Valentine’s Day pick, and there were some more unique shades there! Overall, the shades had easy formulas and almost all were 2 coats. Again, the only one I didn’t love as much was ‘Glow & Arrow’ just because of the formula on MY own nails – it’ll depend on your own preferences for more sheer formulas.

Are you interested in any of the shades?

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Upcoming Posts
OPI Hollywood Spring 2021 • Orly Day Trippin’ Spring 2021 • Sinful Colors Essenchills • Essie Spring 2021 Collection •

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