Essie Spring 2014 Collection with Comparisons

At first glance, you might be tempted to think that there’s absolutely nothing that unique about Essie’s Spring 2014 Collection, but one swatch of each shade would prove you dead wrong. The six colours shown, are a wonderful representation of the season but yet classic enough to be easily worn throughout the year.

Essie Spring 2014

Romper Room – a soft petal pink hue that was probably the only fussy one of the entire group, but as I’m 100% addicted to white-leaning shades, Romper Room is so worth the extra effort. As with many pastels, the first coat may apply a touch patchy – I found it easiest to work 3 thin coats with a good wait time in between each for the best results. Final look is self-levelling and highly glossy. Coats applied: 3 (thin), plus top coat

Essie Spring 2014 – Romper Room

Spin the Bottle – a buttery smooth nude with pink tints in the base for a touch of warmth that applyies with amazing coverage: self levelling, non-patchy, and very glossy at the finish. Oh yeah, and my new favourite nude shade. Coats applied: 3 (thin, for photo purposes), plus top coat

Essie Spring 2014 – Spin the Bottle

Fashion Playground – a semi-sheer celadon green hue with ultra-fine silvery shimmer that remains hidden for the most part, but can occasionally flash when it catches the light. I FREAKING LOVE THIS COLOUR. Very retro appearing – think Fender Stratocaster guitar or FireKing mixing bowls, and completely unique in my Essie collection. Coats applied: 3 (thin – that 3rd coat is TOTALLY worth the extra step), plus top coat

Essie Spring 2014 – Fashion Playground

Truth or Flare – a semi sheer Wedgewood chine blue shade with a dusty/translucent appeal and in a jelly formula, rendering it totally self-levelling and über-glossy at the finish. Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

Essie Spring 2014 – Truth or Flare

Hide & Go Chic – a denim blue, hybrid crème-jelly hue so highly colour saturated, that you barely need more than 1 coat for full coverage. Self levelling and ending in a glossy shine, the bonus is that it is also completely non-staining upon removal. Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

Essie Spring 2014 – Hide & Go Chic

Style Hunter – a tropical rich magenta hue in a crème-jelly ultra pigmented hybrid formula with an absolutely superb flow, opacity and application. Self-levelling, ridiculously glossy and non-staining upon removal, this is a colour that will be highly flattering on a broad spectrum of skin tones. Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

Essie Spring 2014 – Style Hunter

The following comparisons are all using Essie shades in tones I found the closest to the Spring 2014 hues – all are 3 coats applied, no base or top coat:

Romper Room
Guchi Muchi Puchi – similar tone but slightly bluer based, less opaque than Romper Room
Better Together – warmer toned, peach-tinted, sheerer than Romper Room
Fashion Playground
Absolutely Shore – no shimmer, much paler green but with similar sheerness to Fashion Playground
First Timer – no shimmer, more opaque than Fashion Playground
Truth or Flare
Bikini So Teeny – silver shimmer throughout and brighter than Truth or Flare
Lapis of Luxury – more blue based but with same dusty tone as Truth or Flare
Coat Azure – densely shimmer packed, bluer and more opaque than Truth or Flare
Spin the Bottle
Not Just a Pretty Face – very similar in tone but much sheerer than Spin the Bottle
Topless and Barefoot – sheer, paler and more beige in tone than Spin the Bottle
Style Hunter
Wife Goes On – crème formula, a brighter pink base and a touch more opaque than Style Hunter
Hide & Go Chic
Mesmerize – brighter and bluer based than Hide & Go Chic
Smooth Sailing – cornflower blue base filled with fine prismatic shimmer and sheerer than Hide & Go Chic

I found something to love about each and every shade of this collection, with Romper Room, Fashion Playground, and Spin the Bottle total standouts for me personally. I can already see Style Hunter as a sandal-worthy pedi shade, and even though the Truth or Flare and Hide & Go Chic will transition beautifully into the cooler months down the road, they are both bright enough to wear now as well.