…with Essie’s Lilacism shade. And no, Essie is not paying me for this review, but I would love it if they did!

Essie is my brand. This ho is loyal. I even choose Essie gel shades when I go to nail salons. For years, I held food service jobs that forbade painted nails in the workplace. But now, more than ever, finally freed of that torture, I need my nails to be consistently on point—people grab my hand to check out my ring constantly! The *joys* of being newly engaged…

Lilacism is by far my favorite shade out of the 20 or so Essie polishes I’ve accumulated (runners up being Bikini So Teeny, Chinchilly, and Sand Tropez). It’s a “grown-up” purple—neutral enough to be professional, but still fun and funky. It’s a perfect pastel for spring and summer.

The odd thing about my obsession with this color is that I don’t even like the color purple. I’ve long found it completely obnoxious. Purple bridesmaids dresses, purple flowers, purple home décor—PASS! I don’t think there is a single purple item in my wardrobe. I’m all about pink, pastel blue, and mint, so it’s not that I don’t like traditionally “girly” colors. Purple just doesn’t really do it for my eyes and brain. That being said, this purple polish is so muted that even I, the purple-naysayer, find it completely aesthetically pleasing. It even makes for a pretty little tableau:

What are your favorite Essie shades? Are there other polish brands worthy of my devotion?

Sound off in the comments!

-DellaBites