Essie Cashmere Matte Brights 4PC Mini Set Swatches + Review

After having adored the Essie Cashmere Matte Collection earlier this year, I didn't hesitate when I stumbled upon the Cashmere Matte Brights 4 Pc Mini Nail Polish Set. Matte? Brights? Sign me up...stat! Though I was expecting something along the lines of the Ciaté Dolls House Collection I loved so much last year, I found that {le sigh} the finish and formula didn't always live up to my expectations. Read on for my complete thoughts + swatches!

Sea the Sights is a Vibrant Matte Blue. Sea the Sights is, hands down, the standout in this quartet in terms of formula and color. Color-wise this was a surprise...in the bottle it looks like a pale, pastel baby blue, then you apply it to the nail and bam! Vibrant, bright, tropical...Sea the Sights is all of the above. The formula here was fabu - it self-leveled, applied smoothly, and looked divine for days {despite having no top coat}. This is 2 coats.

Hip Tide is a Bright Pink with Pink/Lavender Micro-Iridescence. If Barbie pink is your jam, this one will capture your heart. Hip Tide was a surprise favorite for me in terms of color. What I didn't like was that the micro-iridescence {which literally does not show up} created application issues in that it was laden with bumps galore, and wound up looking and feeling like a texture polish - not really what I was going for. Props for the gorgey color; fail for the formula. This is 2 coats.

Yespadrilles is a Muted Pistachio-Meets-Mint with Minty/Spring Green Micro-Iridescence. You'll be shocked to learn that Yespadrilles {how cute is that name?!} is actually my least favorite shade in this quartet. I found this shade to feel out of place in a brights collection; and, like Hip Tide, it featured a frustrating formula that refused to level out, and seemed more trouble than it was worth. Also like Hip Tide, the micro-iridescence here is virtually undetectable to the eye. This is 2 coats.

Soft As Sand is a Soft Rosy Seashell Pink Mauve with Pinky/Lavender Micro-Iridescence. Le sigh. I lovelovelove this color {and, if you adore Essie's Fiji, you definitely will too}; but, following in the footsteps of Hip Tide and Yespadrilles, the formula of Soft As Sand is just...a pain to work with. Though not as bumpy of a finish as Yespadrilles, Soft As Sand definitely didn't result in the smooth matte finish that I was hoping for. Nevertheless, I will still reach for it in the future as the color is so pretty. This is 2 coats.
PERSONAL THOUGHTS

Having adored the Essie Cashmere Matte Collection released earlier this year, I am v. surprised at the formula issues I encountered with this quartet. My personal opinion is that the micro-iridescence caused the issue here, as the one color that did not feature micro-iridescence {Sea the Sights} was an absolute breeze to work with. If these were supposed to be texture shades, obvi the lumps and bumps wouldn't have been an issue; but since these are merely labeled as matte, it raises questions for me. My two cents...

AVAILABILITY: Ulta for the mini set; Ulta for individual bottles.

PRICE: $13.00 for the quartet; or buy individual bottles separately for $8.50 each.


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