Samra and Kyle work together as branded content writers at BuzzFeed. They both are ready to challenge themselves to upgrade their looks on-the-fly by changing their manicures to match their style throughout the day, for a total of three unique looks!
Samra is a writer in her early twenties based in Brooklyn, and originally from Indianapolis. She loves books, beauty, travel, and memes, and is a proud plant mom.
Kyle is a writer who leads an active lifestyle. A vegetarian in his mid-twenties, he enjoys reading (most often on the train), exploring Manhattan, running, and catching movies on the weekend. He’s an extroverted introvert and a Virgo with an Aquarius moon!
The challenge
Samra: I’ve gathered three different outfits and nail polishes for what’s on today’s agenda, which will either go great or be a total disaster. My wardrobe is pretty neutral; I gravitate towards more subdued, muted colors for both my clothes and nails. I’m almost always wearing a nude nail polish, and I can’t count how many times I’ve walked into a room in an all black outfit, only to be asked, “Who died?” These days I’m allowing more color into my wardrobe and on my nails. What I’m mostly concerned with is my nail polish smudging, since I won’t have much time to sit around and wait for it to dry. Hopefully the expressie polishes can keep up!
Kyle: The idea of diving into this challenge feels like a fun, inviting change of pace for me. I would 100% categorize myself as a truly stoic creature of habit, and more often than not, I find myself stuck in cyclical routines (read: same clothes, same plans, same social purgatory). In attempting to pull off three different looks (and manicures!) in one day, I’ll be challenging myself to step out of my comfort zone and have a little fun. In theory, it’s exciting and in reality, it’s slightly daunting!
Samra's Look #1
Samra: I’m starting my day on set for a video shoot, and I’m keeping my look comfortable and simple. I paired this cropped mustard corduroy jacket with a slate blue polish. This is a color I tend to shy away from for my nails, but I'm actually loving it with this outfit. This is my first time using one of the new expressie polishes, and the angled brush made application breezy and precise. The vision behind this look was “video director, but make it fashion.”
Kyle's Look #1
Kyle: I recently moved back home to Jersey, which means my morning commute requires much more walking than it did when I was going from one subway to another in the city. I like moving my body, so I try to relish these morning walks; wearing comfortable clothing during that period, then, is always ideal. With that in mind, I chose a cozy little number and a bright coral manicure to give my morning a little boost without dipping into the hard stuff (nitro cold brew).
Samra's Look #2
Samra: Living in NYC means there are networking events on networking events, and I’m always excited to go meet new people in different industries. I’m channeling my all-black wardrobe roots for this look: a vest/blazer situation with a turtleneck, ripped jeans, and black loafers. I chose a gorgeous cherry red polish, which stands out from all the black, and I got so many compliments on it. I honestly didn’t want to take it off for my next look!
Kyle's Look #2:
Kyle: I have an important meeting today, and I like the idea of throwing on some khakis and a plaid shirt so as to demand more attention (and leg room). To complement my seemingly heterosexual accouterment, I went with a warm, burnt orange nail polish that says: “I’m a businessman in the streets and an Arianator in my tweets.” C’est la vie!
Samra's Look #3
Samra: I zoomed back to the office to change for a date at a restaurant a few blocks away. What I wear usually depends on the date itself, but I think it’s important to put in a little effort, especially for a first date. I’m wearing this forest green dress and black booties, and paired it with an olive green polish for a monochromatic look. The date was fun (he was really funny, which is the only personality trait I really care about), and he told me I looked “really lovely.”
(Imagine rushing to change your outfit and nail polish for a date on an already busy day, and your date doesn’t even tell you you look nice. CANCELED.)
Kyle's Look #3
Kyle: I have a concert this evening, and I’ve developed a sort of self-imposed uniform for events like this over the years. I hastily throw on a bunch of dark colors and call it a night. What I like about a dark, monochromatic ensemble is that I think it makes me appear kind of elusive and chill, like a slam poetry artist. Since my bod was covered in head to toe onyx, I thought I’d go lighter on the nails with a nude color.
Final thoughts
Samra: This was a long, exciting day, but pulling off three different outfits and nail looks was surprisingly not as difficult as I thought it would be! I was mostly shocked that the nail polishes never smudged, even though I was moving at the speed of light to apply them. I'm right-handed, and the angled brush made it super easy to switch hands from right to left. (And my right hand looks flawless thanks to the precision brush!) I learned that I actually do like experimenting with color, and that nothing makes you feel more confident than a fresh manicure. Shoutout to essie, these expressie polishes are the real MVP.
Kyle: Ultimately, I have learned that pulling off three ensembles in one day is challenging, but pulling off three manicures? That’s easy! The angles on the brushes made them perfect for quick yet precise application, which is something I’ll be able to benefit from on my busiest days. And the polishes? Well, they dried so quickly that the process of swapping colors throughout the day couldn't have felt simpler. I’m quite excited at the prospect of rocking some more ‘cures (short for manicures) on a daily basis. Thanks for offering brushes with equally swift and precise angles, essie!
With new expressie nail colors from essie, it’s easier than ever to change your nail polish anytime, anywhere.
Images by JJ Reddington