My initial thought when I first laid eyes on this collection, was that it seems to be quite an unconventional group of colours – especially for a “winter” theme. Then again, Essie has been taking things up a notch lately with their hues, so upon noticing the 2 sparkly shades included here, it occurred to me that each and every one of these hues seems somehow empowering – not to mention definitely intended to get your digits noticed

 

Essie’s Winter 2012 Collection is comprised of 4 crème hues, 1 jelly-like sparkler, and 1 finely compounded glitter. Broken down like that it may sound simple, but here’s the thing: the crème shades are ridiculously creamy and wearably vibrant, the jelly-ish shade has so many surprising levels to it, while crushed diamonds have nothing on the incredible brilliance of the glitter shade. All swatches are with Essie’s All In One Base Coat and No Chips Ahead Top Coat.

 

Snap Happy – a deeply saturated coral red hue, in a crème-jelly hybrid formula. The first coat looks more maraschino cherry-like albeit with amazing pigmentation, while the second coat deepens the colour (reminds of that boiled lobster red hue) and brings it almost towards neon territory. Self-levelling and with an ultra high-gloss finish, you may want to double up on the base coat as there may be some light staining. Coats applied: 2

in sunlight

shaded light

 

She’s Pampered – a deeply pink based red in the same crème-jelly format as above. and with a unique translucency to it, similar to that of sea glass. A more cool-toned red, this also applied in a self-levelling way and with a glass-like glossy shine at the finish. Base coat is a must here as well, in order to avoid any staining issues – which are light at best, and not bad as far as red hues go. Coats applied: 2

in sunlight

shaded light

 

Leading Lady – a deep berry/wine base colour, filled with red and fuchsia micro glitter. A slightly thick-leaning formula with an odd gelatinous-like texture, the first coat applied a touch patchy, with the glitter looking somewhat lumpy, although the 2nd coat made up for that by providing excellent coverage and applying in a surprisingly self-levelling way. There’s this gorgeous glass-flecked look to it, almost as though the glitter particles are suspended just at the surface level. The finish is semi-matte, so do not skip the top coat for an enhanced appearance as well as providing a smooth finish. Coats applied: 3 (for photo purposes only; 2 are actually more than enough)

PS: am I the only one who sees “raspberry jam” with this shade?!

in sunlight

macro

shaded light

with flash

 

Where’s my Chauffeur? – a beautiful robin’s egg blue crème shade AND a perfect clone of that iconic Tiffany blue colour, in a thinner formula than the others of this collection. The first coat seemed to apply slightly sheer and a touch streaky, but reached perfect opacity by the second coat. A truly stunning aqua hue, it also happens to be paradoxically vivid and muted at the same time – a really interesting effect. Totally self-levelling and insanely glossy at the finish, it is completely non-staining. Coats applied: 3 (very thin)

in sunlight

shaded light

 

Butler Please – an awe-inspiring vivid ultra-marine blue crème shade, in a medium thick formula that bears a unique texture; there almost seems to be an “elasticity” to the application with an unexpected spring-back effect, although this doesn’t affect the flow in any way. The first coat went on a touch streaky, but there was 100% opacity reached by the second coat – although I did notice a slight lumpiness which was resolved by a 3rd thinner layer. Bordering on, but not quite neon, this finishes semi-matte so make sure to apply top coat to truly appreciate every ounce of this beauty. BONUS: no staining, with a mess-free removal. Coats applied: 3 (thin)

in sunlight

shaded light

 

Beyond Cozy – a clear base hue absolutely brimming with antique silver incredibly fine glitter. I was surprised by how well it covered even at the first coat, but 2 coats provides a much denser opacity overall. There’s an “Old Hollywood” glamour vibe to this shade, like a screen siren’s lamé silver gown – but at other angles I see a more “oxidized tinsel” tone. Relatively quick-drying, the finish at the end was semi-shiny, although the glitter particles give off a brilliance of their own – a true paradox! For a perfectly smooth finish to the touch, either double up on, or apply a thicker top coat. Removal needs some elbow grease, but it seemed easier than some other glitters I’ve worn. Coats applied: 3 (thin)

in sunlight

in sunlight/alternate

macro

shaded light

with flash

 

Final thoughts: I’m getting tired of repeating myself, but once again Essie has hit it out of the park with this collection; from the excellent formulas, to the interesting mix of colours and finishes, there’s something here for all tastes. ‘Where’s my Chauffeur’ and ‘Butler Please’ are INSANE and should not be missed, especially if you’re a fan of blues, while ‘Leading Lady’ will have people giving your nails a double-and-triple take. As Essie herself so eloquently put it:

“… what better way to make a statement this winter, than with colour? After all, don’t we all deserve to be treated like royalty?”

… I couldn’t have said it better myself!

 

 

 

Kindly provided by Essie for my unbiased consideration