Celisse Bottled the “Ribbon Nails” from Sandy Liang’s SS27 Show

I’m a little burnt out on collab culture—so many of them just feel like a game of Mad Libs—but every now and again, one comes along that just makes you go “duh.” Devon Lee Carlson x Frankies Bikinis, Glossier x Starface, Clairo x Catbird. And today, we have a new one to add to the list of almost too perfect partnerships: Celisse x Sandy Liang.

The two brands have history, co-founder Holly Falcone and Liang are longtime friends and collaborators, but also just feel like a perfect vibe match. They’re both for the girl who isn’t afraid of the ultra-feminine, but at her core isn’t fussy. A girl about town who understands that form and function can co-exist. And obviously, someone who is attracted to Sandy Liang’s bows, sparkles, and cartoon characters is going to love painting their nails with shades called Bunny, Swan, and Babydoll (I would know because that is me).

On September 24, Celisse introduces Ribbon, a shimmery baby blue in collaboration with Liang into their ultra-curated collection. Ahead, everything you need to know about the shade, plus my review.

The Inspo

Celisse officially introduced their first-ever non-neutral shades this summer with a bright, juicy red—aptly named Celisse Red—and a baby pink shimmer, but that wasn’t our first glimpse of color from the brand. Eagle-eyed fans (again, me) picked up on the fact that the brand was behind the nails at Liang’s show this February, where models walked the runway with pearly blue and pink nails.

The same shades made a return at September’s show (alongside a metallic dark blue that I need to come out soon), but this time, we have all the details. The pink has revealed itself to be Bunny, part of the summer collection, while the brand-new Ribbon is a beautiful metallic pastel blue that makes me think of Kiki from Sanrio’s Little Twin Stars or Kirstin Dunst in Marie Antoinette. As the name suggests, it was inspired by the ribbons in Liang’s collections and shopping bags.

Backstage at the show, Falcone told me that this moment is extra-special since she’s done the nails for 15 of Liang’s shows, and they finally have something physical to represent their longtime friendship and collaboration.

“Celisse has always been such a special part of bringing our runway looks to life, so collaborating on a polish felt like a natural next step,” said Liang in a press release. “We’ve worked with Holly season after season, and she always comes up with such creative ways to use nails to help tell the story of a collection. When we started talking about creating a color together, we wanted to make something that felt like a little piece of the Sandy Liang world that you could take home with you. We landed on the perfect shade of blue and called it Ribbon, inspired by one of our favorite details that always finds its way into our collections. I love that now everyone can wear a little Sandy Liang on their fingertips.”

The Formula

“Working with Sandy is different from working on other projects because storytelling and symbolism are so important to her,” said Falcone. “More than just coordinating colors or making the nails look presentable, I work with Sandy on the nails telling part of that story. Maybe the nail color is a movie reference, a matched hue of an 1800s scrap of moire in a museum, or a signal of a secret princessdom. When I think of the most consistent theme in Sandy’s collections, satin adornments are almost always present. So when Sandy wanted to create a nail color together, it only made sense to bottle that up and name it ‘Ribbon.’”

Ribbon is the second venture into shimmer for the brand, and marks the first big step away from the more classic shades in their lineup so far. However, it has the same Quickcoat Formula you know and love. It features a glossy finish that dries in 90 seconds per coat. The formula incudes mastic gum to reduce breakage and support healthy nail growth. Ribbon is available at both brand’s websites, as well as Liang’s New York City store.

My Review

I have been wearing this polish nonstop since I was slipped a bottle backstage, and every time I catch a glimpse of my nails I can’t help but smile. I’m usually a red girl but I’ve been trying to play with color more, and this is the perfect step. It’s really the perfect frosty blue that feels girly but still cool, and almost looks silver depending on how it catches the light. It’s very ‘60s and Y2K at the same time, and feels like a fresh slate as we head into fall. Don’t be intimidated by the shade as I find it ultra flattering, and it makes my stubby nails look long and elegant.

I love the Celisse polish formula, and this is no difference. I usually do my own nails and while it’s kind of zen, it can also be really annoying. These polishes make it so quick and easy—the big brush covers my nails in one swipe, and they really do dry so fast. I also find them so shiny you can skip the top coat if you don’t feel like taking the time to do so. Usually with a pastel shade like this, you need several coats to get it to show up, but I found my usual two coats worked perfectly. It’s worth noting that truly everything chips on me in a matter of days, even gel, so I’m not a great judge of staying power, but I’ve been impressed by how well this lasts for my standards due to how smooth and even the application is. (My more normal friends say the brand’s polishes last a week without chipping.)

I’m not sure if this collab is limited-edition, but I’ll probably stock up on a few bottles anyways. Now that I know about ribbon, I’m not sure I can live without it—it compliments my Sandy Liang collection perfectly.