Essie: The woman behind the brand, her tips for a perfect at-home mani, and spring nail colour trends

Bordeaux, limo-scene, sugar daddy and wicked. What do these four words mean to you? Is it the launching pad for a hot date or your go-to nail polish colours? If you answered the latter, then you’re a tried-and-true fan of Essie, the nail brand superstar.

Well, did you know that there’s an actual Essie behind this top-drawer, salon-pleasing line? Essie Weingarten will be celebrating 30 years in the business after falling in love with nail polish at the age of three during weekly visits to the beauty parlor with her mom. Today, she’s as passionate as ever with over 200 nail colours available in over 100 countries. And, starting next week (Feb 8), the Essie line will be available nationally (at Shoppers Drug Mart) with 54 shades for anytime, at-home use.

I arrived at my appointment with chipped, two-week-old wicked and left with my Mrs. Essie-recommended chin-chilly – the perfect shade of grey, for a frosty mid-winter day.

Essie’s top three tips for perfectly manicured nails:

-Perfect polish: When you’re applying nail polish to the hand that you don’t normally use/write with, turn it in to face you
-Pristine cuticles: Add a few drops of cuticle oil to the base of your nails every night before bed
-Professional mani: Add cuticle oil, then base coat, and then wait two minutes for colour to set, then add your colour, and finish with hand cream

Essie’s spring 2011 nail colour forecast:
Her Spring ‘11 collection, titled French Affair, includes six shades in retro pastels (see photo). After a few seasons of high-impact colour, get ready for a new palette of opaque neutrals (think: sandy grey, soft lavender and pale pink)

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart