This morning I had the opportunity to get a mani and sip a mimosa with none other than Essie Weingarten, (yes, the Essie herself who founded the mass polish line you're probably wearing on your fingers right now) at an event for Glamour magazine at Tenoverten in Tribeca. We talked about her fave polishes, where she gets her weekly manis and how she comes up with all of those names!
Her new winter collection, Bling It On, has a color called "Size Matters," and when asked about where the name came from Essie commented, "I don't know where your head is, but I was thinking about diamonds!" When naming her polishes, sometimes she starts with the name of the collection in general and creates names for the individual polishes afterwards, but sometimes she'll come up with a great polish name and develop a whole collection around it. In this case, had the theme in mind first.
When we were discussing our favorite Essie colors of all times, (mine being Wicked obvi), she said she doesn't have a favorite color, but one holds a special place in her heart because of what it did for the line – Ballet Slippers. Once she received a letter on proper stationary from the Queen of England herself requesting to purchase the polish. Then in The Devil Wears Prada, Meryl Streep (Anna Wintour) claims, "If you work at Vogue you must paint your nails with one coat Ballet Slippers and one coat Marshmallow." The attention that one shade continues to draw from around the world helps to make Essie polishes a constant go-to.
Finally, I had to know where the Queen of Nail Lacquers gets her nails done! The answer – Samuel Shriqui Salon on the Upper East Side. Word has it even Julia Roberts goes there! I'm going to have to pay a visit!
