Which nail polish has been the only to grace the Queen of England’s royal fingers? Essie’s Ballet Slipper, of course. And she’s not the only royal wearing Essie; Kate Middleton wore the color Allure on her wedding day. Essie is a name recognized by women worldwide as the bottle in their favorite salons with the most beautiful array of colors. As nail art is trending hard this season, we got to speak with the woman behind the whole movement she started more than three decades ago, Essie Weingarten. She’s been addicted to manicures since age 12 and launched her obsession into a hugely successful business starting with just a dozen colors.

Why did you debut your first collection in Las Vegas?
It was 1981, and there were not many women with disposable incomes in the country. Between cocktail waitresses and dancing showgirls, I figured in Vegas I could get better bang for my buck than anywhere else in the United States. I left samples at every hotel. There were 12 colors, and I said ‘try it, if you like it call me.’ By the time I got home, I had a ton of calls. If you try it you get hooked, and it’s the best addiction around! It makes us feel like we’re wearing a whole new outfit. It was a great addiction in the 80’s.

We got calls from all around the country. It was really grass roots, one salon at a time. I had to use the yellow pages to find people. I believe I can mentor women today because if I could do it back then, anyone can do it! I’m the American Dream.

As a woman in business, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There were huge obstacles everywhere I went. The bottle manufacturers made me pay everything up front, which is unusual. They said, ‘we had another woman come here that was really good looking, and she never paid.’

I had a nest egg I could exist on for one year. No one would give me a loan, so there was no finance from banks. There were plenty of salons that said ‘bye, don’t even leave samples.’ But persistence is very important, so I would always go back and try again. The word ‘no’ doesn’t exist to me. If you have a product you love and you know it is the best, the rest of the world will get hooked. Service and follow-through are extremely important.

My company had to move at least 2-million bottles for two years in a row before the manufacturer would consider making me a private mold. In 1999, we met the mark and the bottle got a facelift by getting the name in the glass. Before that, it was the label-less bottle with a white cap in salons. But the color speaks for itself in the bottle. It’s a connection with women, they fall in love with what they see.

Top row, from left:

NARS Nail Polish in Schiap $17, barneys.com

OPI Nail Polish in Do You Lilac It? $6, amazon.com

American Apparel Nail Polish in Neon Green $6, americanapparel.net

Deborah Lippmann Nail Color in Yellow Brick Road $16, barneys.com

Essie Nail Polish in Forget Me Nots $8, Duane Reade & Rite Aid Stores

Bottom row, from left:

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in Prized Possession Purple $7, amazon.com

Hot Topic Nail Polish in Marigold $2.99, hottopic.com

H&M Nail Varnish in U Must Have This $5, hm.com

By Terry Terrybly Nail Lacquer in Electric Vermillion $30, barneys.com

China Glaze Nail Polish in Thataway $4.20, lotionsource.com

What is your favorite nail hue for the coming summer months?

1. Soak feet to soothe and prepare: Soaking feet will soften and prepare them for the pedicure ahead. Adding bath salts to warm water will soothe feet and relax tired muscles. Carol’s Daughter Body Aches Bath Salts include essential oils of tea tree, lavender and peppermint for an aromatic and pampering experience.

2. Scrub-a-dub-dub: Before your feet can be at their very softest, you need to remove all those dead skin cells. The easiest way to do it is on the side of your tub before getting into the shower. Caudalie Merlot Friction Scrub uses crushed grape seeds, essential oils and sugar to buff away dry skin and make your feet glow.

3. Moisturizing is key: All of that dead skin buffing will be thrown out the window if you don’t lock in moisture with a good foot cream. Use a liberal amount from ankles to toes after showering. L’Occitane Shea Butter Foot Cream is enriched with lavender essential oil to relieve tired, inflamed feet while shea butter soothes and softens skin.

4. Buff and file toenails: If you don’t want to polish toes, this can be your last step in the sandal ready feet process. File nails straight across, not round, to avoid ingrown toenails. Buff and shine nails to get that salon pedicure glow. The Sephora Collection 4-Step Nail Buffer has the instructions written on the tool to get beautifully shiny nails with no effort at all.

5. Soften and nourish cuticles: Even if you don’t want to cut your cuticles, it’s important to moisturize and pamper them. Apply a dab to each fingernail and gently rub into your cuticles. Butter of London Handbag Holiday Cuticle Oil contains tons of vitamins and natural oils that smell great and will make your fingers feel even better.

6. Polish time: You’ve primped your feet, so now it’s time to polish those toes. Make sure to swipe a cotton ball soaked with nail polish remover over toenails to eliminate oils or lotion that could prevent polish from sticking. Start with a base coat, like OPI Natural Nail Base Coat, then apply your favorite spring color. Finish with a top coat like Essie No Chips Ahead Top Coat to preserve that gorgeous pedicure for days!

DIY is wonderful, but if you’re really yearning for a pampering spa pedicure, many salons and spas have extended their Spa Week $50 treatments. Check out the website for more details.

Self-portraits about feet

News has it Essie has joined the bandwagon of cartoon beauty collaborations. The newest partnership involves The Addams Family’s Morticia Addams! Featuring three signature colors, “Blood Curling Red,” “Bone Chilling White”, and “Midnight Tango”, the small but impressive collection is set to promote the Broadway musical featuring Bebe Neuwirth. Proceeds even benefit Neuwirth’s charity, The Actor’s Fund.

LINK LOVE: SheFinds

The above colors are part of the Essie and Judith Ripka limited edition collection.

Via Nailphile

If your he ultimate girly girl this may be one of your greatest dreams come true. Diamonds and nail polish team up as one? Just like a fantasy. News has it Judith Ripka has teamed up with Essie nail polish to create three new colors. Heart My JR Jewels, Put a Ripka Ring on It, and Queen of Hearts are three colors we can’t wait to get out hands on. So what’s the Ripka touch? The colors are supposedly infused with a diamond dust!

LINKAGE: NYMag

After seeing a ton of Essie’s bright nail polishes on J.Crew models for recent ad campaigns, the label has let loose some exciting news. The company is reportedly selling a select few of the Essie polishes in their stores! Stocking up for the fall, J. Crew is selling colors “One of Kind” and “Eternal Optimist”.

LINKAGE: Style

LINKAGE: Style

It may be a perennial shade, but now—spring–is the optimal time to lacquer your fingers and toes with a soft, opaque infantile pink. At first I was unconvinced, but after having recently tried the color out for myself, I became fascinated with how beautifully subtle and universally flattering the hue can be. It looks stunning on just about every skin tone and registers a clean, sophisticated look. Take a much-needed break from in-your-face neons and heavy darks, and give this delicate, creamy tint a try. Best bets:

‘I Pink I Love You’ by OPI

‘Wedded Bliss’ by Sally Hansen

‘Limo Scene’ by Essie

A revival of the 80′s is upon us. The burgeoning of bright jeans and sneakers has turned into something bigger. Nail companies, Essie, O.P.I and Chanel have taken note and subsequently launched their own neon nail color lines. Women have been hitting the streets clad in colorful lip and eye color.  From the catwalk to the sidewalk, women are embracing ROYBGIV.