… is my favourite nail shade of all time. Over the years I have painted my nails all the colours you can think of, but my favourite remains Essie Clothing Optional. It is a dark neutral shade that suits my skin tone perfectly. Every single other ‘nude’ shade I have tried has been too dark, or too light. Clothing Optional hits a perfect bullseye in between those two extremes. It is perfect for all seasons, and suits everything from faded denim to work suits to pretty floral dresses. It wears pretty well – 8 or so days on me, and I wash my hands often. It is lighter with one coat (above) and darker with three (below). The turquoise is a little messy below as the excess bits had not come off yet. I am not very dextrous!
I found Clothing Optional by total accident, packaged in a nude set with two other shades. I am now on my seventh bottle and have stockpiled another three, just in case. I can recommend this so warmly!
It’s a perfect fit for the tone of both my winter pallor and summer glow. I am going to be in despair when they (as they do) discontinue it. It also suits other skin tones as the the photos here show.
