Essie

Essie's new Luxeffects holiday collection is really exceptional — there's not a single special effect coat that's disappointing or not worth your time. In fact, most of them are so pretty that it's cool to wear them without any other polish. Shine of the Times, which looks like the "fire" inside an opal, looks amazing all by itself, and it's even better with a little bit of silver glitter Set in Stones or rose glitter A Cut Above layered on the tips.

The other two shades are As Gold As It Gets, a pretty soft gilt shimmer, and
Pure Pearlfection, which gives nails a mother of pearl effect. They're great as well, but best layered over an opaque polish. As Gold As It Gets looks amazing over black, charcoal, or navy, and Pure Pearlfection is a great topper for dove gray or orchid shades.

The majority of you were loving Kristen Stewart's ensemble at the 2011 MTV Movie Awards, but did you happen to catch a glimpse of her dark blue nail polish? To complement her Balmain minidress, which was accentuated with spikes and safety pins, manicurist Ashlie Johnson applied Essie's Midnight Cami ($8) to Kristen's nails. "It's a gorgeous deep rich blue that looked amazing with her red studded dress, and also suits Kristen's daily style," Johnson said. Will you be trying this shade out?

Having beautiful painted nails is sure to make you feel polished and poised, and thanks to essie and its wittily named lacquer colors, mani/pedis can be quite entertaining, too!

To celebrate its Summer Collection, essie wants you to get inspired by the beach, so it's giving away all six "braziliant" colors in the Summer Collection! From coral to blue hues; braziliant, too too hot, super bossa nova, meet me at sunset, smooth sailing and absolutely shore has you covered for the season of relaxation and fun!

So essie wants to know - what is your favorite color in the braziliant Summer Collection? Log in and comment below for your chance to win this colorful giveaway!

The contest ends May 23rd, 2011. Click here to view the entire braziliant Summer Collection! Good luck!

Official Rules

For people living in developing countries who are often unable to afford shoes, going barefoot can lead to afflictions ranging from soil-transmitted diseases to cuts that can lead to infections. One Day Without Shoes, started by Toms Shoes, is a global movement in which people pledge not to wear shoes for a day to raise awareness on the issue.


And in honor of the event, Toms has paired up with Essie, giving away a limited-edition polish dubbed One Day Without Blues. While the pale blue shade, which mirrors the Toms Shoes flag, has already been snatched up, it's great to see two companies working together to bring the topic to light. Will you go shoe-free on April 5, aka One Day Without Shoes?