Every Story Starts with a Great Nail Polish.

An 'Essie' nail polish to be exact. Whenever I pick a polish from my ever-growing collection, I always remember the story behind buying it. I can remember exactly where I was, what I was doing, who I was with, etc. I know it sounds nuts, but stay with me. Some people have their tea-cup collection, others collect vinyl - for me, it always has and always will be about nail polish. In a way, a collection of nail polishes are no different to your wardrobe. You have your staple pieces (classic, useful colours), your investment items ('Chanel' nail polish), and the seasonal trend clothes you bought on a whim (the fluorescent nail colour you wore once and will never use again).I don't know exactly when it started but I have amassed a huge amount of nail polishes over the years. I'm not even sure how it happens. Whenever I go out, I always seem to come home with one. They're the perfect buy - not too extravagant but just enough to give you the thrill of a great purchase. God knows how much money I've invested over the years.
Nowadays, 'Essie' is readily available in the UK - they even stock them in my local pharmacy - but a few years ago, 'Essie' stands were few and far between. It was only when I was on holiday that I could ever find them, and once I did I would majorly stock up. Having picked out my most-loved 'Essie' colours from my amazing selection, I couldn't help but note the colour scheme that emerged. I clearly love my pinks, reds, and purples. And not just because I'm a girly girl but because these more muted shades go really well with my skin tone. I can't pull off bright, fluorescent polishes so I stick to my faithful 'Essie' shades.

(L to R) 'Masquerade Ball', 'Recessionista', 'It's Genius', 'Island Hopping'

These slightly darker shades are my absolute go-to in the Winter months. I bought 'Masquerade Ball' and 'Recessionista' as an 18th birthday present for myself and they've become my foolproof staples. They look so glamorous when I'm stuck for inspiration. Deep reds and purples always do in my experience. As any other nail polish addict will know, glitter based polishes are a nightmare to remove - the glitter refuses to budge and you're normally reduced to scraping it off in some way or another. This is exactly why I love 'It's Genius' so much - there's none of this hassle and it gives a really pretty metallically sheen. It's a pink based polish with gold glitter. It's sweet and subtle, a winner in my books and one of my most used polishes - as you can probably tell from the slightly tattered looking bottle. As for 'Island Hopping', it didn't really jump out at me on the shelves but I thought I'd give this more muted colour a go. I'm so happy I did. It's the perfect shade of pink - really great for everyday wear, when you don't want your nails to be too loud but to still look pretty and polished. 

'A-List', 'Big Spender', 'Splash of Grenadine'

Generally speaking, these would be my Summer shades. A slightly brighter alternative to my staple colours I'd say. 'A-List' is one of my newest additions - nabbed it in the 'Liberty' sale - and I've been wearing it ever since. It's a bright red that's not too garish. It enhances my skin tone rather than gives me granny hands which is the risk with some red polishes. It looks effortlessly glamorous, especially with upcoming Summer months. It's a really fun pop of colour and I adore it. 'Big Spender' was a bit of an impulse buy one rainy day when I was slogging through university. I was especially bored one day and thought why not go for a shocking pink to spice things up a bit? I would normally shy away from such a colour but it actually looks great on. It's a bright colour but it's not overbearing which is why I always seem to be returning to it. Splash of Grenadine' is a polish with a funny little story behind it. I'd be after this colour for so long - trying desperately hard to get it online. But I couldn't find any website that would ship all the way to the UK. I had just about given up when I was on holiday in Barcelona. It was incredibly hot when Mum and I had gone shopping. I was so eager to go back to the hotel and jump straight in the pool when Mum dragged me into another department store - I was baking hot and fed up. But then I saw it - the biggest 'Essie' display I'd ever seen. I was deliriously happy. They had the colour: the perfect mix of pink and purple, the colour I'd been pining for. I was so thrilled that I bought several bottles and even took a photo of the display as a kind of celebration. Yes, I'm that pathetic. It's since become one of my most-used and best-loved polishes. All because Mum dragged me in that department store. Moral of the story - always stick with Mum.

'Under Where?', 'French Affair', 'Meet Me at the Altar'

'Under Where?' and 'Meet Me at the Altar' were also my best buys of the Liberty sale and I've been getting so much use out of them. Love how I didn't realise that 'Meet Me at the Altar' was part of 'Essie's bridal range... it's a lovely light shade of pink though so I've chosen to overlook that! It's so pretty and its light hue makes my hands look reasonably tanned. Always a plus living in rainy old England. I'm actually wearing 'French Affair' as I type this. It's a great shade of pink simply because it's not too garish or bright. It's an understated girly pink which just looks very polished and chic when applied. I found this shade in an amazing little beauty shop in the Hamptons last Summer. My family and I were walking back to the car when I spotted it. I assured them I would only take a second - which was obviously never going to happen - and I had to hastily choose this colour as they were shouting at me to hurry up. Again, they had one of the largest collections of 'Essie' I'd ever seen and so this was quite a pressurised situation for me. But I chose well. I wear this colour across seasons. It's so pretty and I always look back on that 60 second snap decision whenever I apply it. Like I said, every story starts with a great nail polish.
                                    I know that my nail polish collection will continue to flourish and grow. As long as I'm still breathing, I'll alway be after the new coveted colour. Or sticking to my much-loved staples if I'm not so keen. Tons of people have said my nail polish collection is obscene - and they're probably right. But I love being able to look into my overflowing box and pick a colour at random. A nice manicure is the perfect pick-me-up after a long hard day. As long as 'Essie' continues producing great colours, my nails will always look fabulous.