"Once a girl finds her go-to nail polish color, the bond is unbreakable. It’s the shade that will see her graduate college, watch partners come and go, give her the confidence boost she needs on the first day of a new job, and sometimes even grace her nails on her wedding day. It defies weather and seasons—it’s simply a match made in heaven. Finding your soulmate nail polish color is no easy feat, but as Lana Del Rey puts it, “When you know, you know.” So imagine the absolute betrayal when that nail polish color—meant to be there for you until the end of time—breaks things off. The discontinuation of a nail polish shade is a unique form of heartbreak that only those who have gone through it can understand.
You might have just experienced it with OPI’s Cajun Shrimp formula change, or you might have been weathering the storm for years, trying and failing to find a replacement for the iconic Essie Clambake. It was discontinued in 2017, briefly brought back in 2021 (which gave all the Clambake girlies false hope), and then discontinued again.
But now, we can all thank our favorite TikTok chef, Meredith Hayden (aka Wishbone Kitchen), because to celebrate the launch of her cookbook, The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook, Essie is bringing back her favorite fiery red.
Hayden announced the relaunch on her Instagram, revealing that the poppy red polish is even the inspiration behind her dog’s name, Poppy. After months of “harassing” Essie via DMs and email, the brand finally agreed to bring the color back. She left us with some wise parting words in her caption: “Proof that being annoying sometimes pays off.”
You can purchase Clambake online at Ulta for $10, but it’s only back for a limited time. If you can’t handle the emotional back-and-forth Clambake has put us through over the past few years, I’d recommend preemptively ordering a lifetime supply. While I do wish this was a permanent relaunch, I’m still thrilled I get to rock the iconic Essie Clambake all summer long.
Lauren Blue, Assistant Editor
As an Assistant Editor for The Everygirl, Lauren ideates and writes content for every facet of our readers’ lives. Her articles span the topics of must-read books, movies, home tours, travel itineraries—and everything in between. When she isn’t testing the latest TikTok trend, she can be found scouring Goodreads for new releases to feature on the site.