Essie Treat, Love & Color

Hi gang, it's Jess.  If you're anything like me, it's rare that you don't have polish on your nails.  Seriously, my students always notice if I have plain nails and assume I must be sick or something when it happens.  Anyway, after constant polishing and removing, sometimes I notice that my nails are brittle, chipping and dry.  Okay, this happens pretty much every time I remove my polish.

I heard about Essie's new Treat, Love & Color line through their Instagram account.  These sheer polishes claim to treat damage and brighten your nails in just a week.  They're specially formulated with collagen and camellia extract and DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde free.  Not to mention that, but they come in three sheer colors (check out Lauren's site for some great swatches), so that your nails don't look totally boring and plain while you treat them.  I decided to order the lilac color (Laven-Dearly) and check it out.

This is what my (admittedly terrible looking) nails looked like before:

Here's what my nails looked like on the initial application.  I did two thin coats which still looked a little sheer.  In certain lighting, my nails looked almost natural and the shimmer showed up best in natural sunlight.  Overall, it's lighter than I would usually go, but I liked the effect.

I got antsy and removed my polish after just 5 days, but I noticed a difference almost immediately.  Check it out.

Not perfect, but definitely better than before!  My nails looked shiny (similar to after buffing them) and felt stronger and less dry.  I still have some cracks from before, but I think the overall appearance is much improved.  I would definitely recommend this product if your nails are in need of a break from over-polishing or dryness.  

Have you tried any of the Essie Treat Love & Color treatments?  Which were your favorite?