Saturday, March 22, 2014

My Essie Collection

About four months ago, I went through a major Essie phase and bought 8 of their polishes in a short period of time. Since then, I've been meaning to do a post about my Essie nail polish collection, but never managed to get around to it until now. I'm happy with the shades that I have and no longer feel the need to add to my collection, with the exception of limited edition flakie polish Shine of the Times. (Liz and Chloé know what I'm talking about.) It got so bad late last year that I seriously contemplated forking out $31 to have it shipped to me. Fortunately, I was talked out of it, but I'm still kicking myself for not buying it while I was on holiday in New York. I picked it up at least twice on separate occasions while at Rite Aid, only to put it down again. Why.


l-r: Leading Lady, Mint Candy Apple, First Timer, Bangle Jangle

Essie Leading Lady
I have an entire post dedicated to this stunner, so there isn't too much to add here. What I love most about Leading Lady is its glass fleck quality. It has this jelly-like translucence and shine, but is still entirely opaque. The red shimmer looks suspended in the polish, rather than just sitting on top of the nail or disappearing underneath.

Essie Mint Candy Apple
An Essie classic, Mint Candy Apple was always sold out at Woolworths or Priceline when Essie first launched in those stores. I had to resort to an online shop to purchase mine. In the end, I have to say this shade was a bit of a letdown for me. I was hoping for mint green perfection, but for whatever reason, this applies extremely blue on my nails. I already have way too many similar pale blues (Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Barracuda, Sportsgirl Nail It! in Iceberg) so I didn't need another one.

Essie First Timer
Ingrid of missglamorazzi kept talking about this polish and I'm glad she did, because it's turned out to be a surprising favourite. Greens are a bit unusual and mainly associated with Saint Patrick's Day or Christmas, but I find myself frequently drawn to them. First Timer is more medium-toned with a slight pastel edge, which makes it quite unique in my collection, as most greens I have are either very light and minty or much darker.

Essie Bangle Jangle
I bought this one blind, not having seen the bottle in person and basing my decision purely off swatches online, and it didn't turn out to be exactly what I was hoping. I've featured this previously with a copper/rose gold glitter which I thought paired well together, but the polish on its own is a little underwhelming. I'm not sure what it is precisely, but perhaps I was hoping for something paler and a touch more grey? More of an airy, delicate dove grey, than the medium dusty purple that it is.

l-r: Fiji, As Gold As It Gets, Chinchilly, Bikini So Teeny

Essie Fiji
Tanya Burr convinced me I needed Fiji in my life, but for the longest time I resisted buying it because I felt I could find similar alternatives for much cheaper. It was somewhat amusing in the end when I caved and bought this, because I compared it against all the "cheaper alternatives" I'd purchased that I thought would be nearly identical, and they were completely off. From swatches I'd seen of Fiji, I always assumed it was such a pale pink that it photographed nearly white. Turns out it really isn't that light. Revlon ColorStay Nail Enamel in Pale Cashmere and Sinful Colors Easy Going are much, much lighter.

Essie As Gold As It Gets
This definitely isn't as gold as it gets — see OPI GoldenEye for that. But it's a very pretty gold flakie topper regardless. The flakes are distinctly yellowish as opposed to a metallic gold and the density is good. I have on two coats in the picture. Because of the opacity of the flakes and the predominately yellow colour, it might not suit every single base colour that it's painted over. This one requires some experimentation to achieve the most flattering base and top coat combination, but it's nifty to have in your nail art arsenal.

Essie Chinchilly
Along with Mint Candy Apple, this is another one of those iconic Essie shades that you always hear about. For me, it's just too similar to Sally Hansen Commander in Chic to justify having both. An excellent "drugstore"/budget dupe for Chinchilly is Essence Colour & Go Quick Drying Nail Polish in Walk of Fame. Still, a very sophisticated, medium-to-dark mushroom shade that remains timeless.

Essie Bikini So Teeny
I first heard about this polish from Allison of amarixe in her Drugstore Makeup Haul all the way back in June 2012, so when I saw Bikini So Teeny at Priceline in November last year, I was mainly surprised that Australia had begun selling it more than a year after it launched in the States. This "sparkling, cornflower blue" (light, bright periwinkle with slight silver shimmer) is one of my favourite blue polishes because it's not a shade that I see very often. A must if you're partial to blue polishes.

l-r: Van D'Go, Funny Face, Absolutely Shore, A Cut Above

Essie Van D'Go
My very first Essie polish which I ordered from BeautyBay back when you could still order nail polish from there and have it shipped to Australia. This is a creamy pastel pinky-peach that looks quite Barbie-ish on my nails, but I love it anyway. The definition of a "spring colour".

Essie Funny Face
A medium fuchsia/hot pink that I was fortunate to win in Sue's giveaway. The formulation on this one is impeccable, it applied so smoothly and evenly, and was opaque in one coat. For whatever reason, I don't find myself naturally drawn to fuchsia shades in nail polish, though I can't seem to stay away from them in the lip department. I should really give more love to Funny Face because it's fun and girly (and I can totally go matchy-matchy with my lipstick).

Essie Absolutely Shore
My favourite Essie polish ... and one of my favourite polishes, period. Now this, not Mint Candy Apple, is mint green perfection, though it's more of a pale, airy, slightly dusty, seafoamy green. For a light colour, it applies completely opaque with not a bald patch to be seen in just two coats. Absolutely Shore paired with Revlon Whimsical is my ultimate go-to combination.

Essie A Cut Above
Major pink bling bling. This is incredibly dense for a glitter polish which means you can easily wear it on its own for ultra jazzed up nails. It only has one colour of glitter in varying sizes, so it's not the most complex of glitter concoctions, and there are similar polishes that are more affordable (Maybelline Color Show Sequins in Rose Bling comes to mind), but when this is on the nails, it demands your attention.

57 comments:

  1. I only have four Essie polishes, one of which is Shine of the Times which I'm super happy to own. I'm not sure if it's still available, but there was an Australis polish that is a pretty good dupe! Essie does really lovely pastels, more of which I need to check out!

    Tasha // shiwashiful.

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  2. awesome loved the post and the collection. I love Leading Lady, Chinchilly, Bikini So Teeny and Absolutely Shore..I was very excited to buy Essie when I went to the States for the first time. While I like that they have a huge array of colors, am not that big a fan of the polish and the brush itself..

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  3. if only i could store my own essie collection like that! and holy moly i don't need more nail polishes but ... shine of the times is also on my own wish list!

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  4. Lovely colors! I have two Essies but they are so sheer so I think I just chose the wrong ones. Good job on stacking those! Haha skills.

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  5. Ohh Essie *__*
    They used to be available at Sephora here for some wicked reason can only be found at professional salons (which means, they are super hard to get)
    I'm really curious about fiji, mint candy apple and absolutely shore. I really wanted to get more from them but it's so hard...the only place I know that sells them is in my best-friend's town. I'll be visiting her next month so...I might bought one or two Essie's.

    Thank you for the lovely post :3
    Take care*

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  6. These nail polishes are so pretty! I don't own any Essie nail polishes but I would definitely buy that red polish with glitter or that cute light blue color one!

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  7. Ohhh~ so beautiful shades. I'm honest: I have NO Essie polish, haha :D I always use the cheaper ones. But these shades make me think about buying some Essie polishes :D

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  8. i don't really own that many essie polishes shockingly, i love all of their colours though! xx
    mollyox.blogspot.co.uk

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  9. Lovely collection :)
    I only own so far one Essie nail polish.

    kkelllyblog.blogspot.com

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  10. Gorgeous photos!

    Absolutely shore is my fav of your picks!

    Georgina at itotallypaused.com

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  11. Wow! All the colors are so gorgeous.
    Have an amazing day :)
    http://sheseeksvictoria.wordpress.com

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  12. You have some seriously gorgeous colours here! I want them all!

    Nicky
    zeeblikesit.blogspot.com
    xx

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  13. Essie is seriously my favorite :D All of those shades are so beautiful!

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  14. Love all of the pastels :)
    http://whattaylorbuys.blogspot.co.uk/

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  15. I love Essie, my favourite shade at the moment is Splash of Grenadine (: Van D'Go and Chinchilly look so nice! x

    www.madeleineslittleblog.blogspot.co.uk

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  16. I have many Essie nail polishes as well! I have my eyes on several more but I really need to stop and control myself haha. xx
    Celina | The Celution | Bloglovin’

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  17. I love all the shades you own. I'm wearing Essie's In The Cab-ana right now on my fingers and toes right now! I feel like the brand makes great pastels, I need to pick up Fiji and Absolutely Shore ASAP ^-^

    Jordan | Boho Vanity

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  18. My faves are Mint candy apple, Fiji, As Gold As It Gets and Van D'go!! Oh, damn they are sooo pretty! I own only one from essie and its neon coral orange that was gifted to me. I really would like more shades from them!

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  19. Wha, how did you stack them up like that?! I must try it myself asap. LOL.
    I love Essie polishes and I usually get them at around $3.50 which is the price salons get from the suppliers. Sorry that I bragged... ;)

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  20. absolutely shore is one of my favorite ones! you should try out mochaccino it is a beautiful taupe with silver shimmer!
    The Beauty Break

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  21. I love Essie polishes so much! First Timer is on my list. :)
    The Grass Skirt

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  22. you have a nice Essie collection!!
    I have some essie polishes as well but I am not a huge fan, as I find them to be inconsistent.. Mint candy apple, and Fiji are a bit too streaky and gloopy for my liking.. But their nude-neutral polishes like Chincilla, All Tied up, and their glitter nail polishes are excellent :-)
    Leading Lady is such a beautiful shade!!

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    Replies
    1. I can see what you mean, the formula isn't consistent but I think generally pastel polishes are really hard to get right. Most require at least 2 coats to eliminate any patchiness or bald spots. The Essie formula is quite runny and the brush is small, so it can be tricky to work with. But I just love the colours so much I'm willing to overlook those issues :p

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  23. I actually love how Mint Candy Apple looks on you! On my nails, it looks a lot darker and more green.

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  24. Loved your swatches! It's made me add a few to my wishlist list.. Damn you. I always regret not purchasing Limited Edition products.. I feel your pain!

    Sarah | More Than Adored

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  25. I also became addicted to Essie in the last 2 years. It helped that my local drugstore stocked them and got some great colours on clearance! My latest is Bahama Mama ;)

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    1. Ahhh yes, Bahama Mama was one I was eyeing, but I wasn't sure if I already had something very similar. It looks like such a perfect autumnal shade though!

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  26. Essie has such pretty packaging - I can see why you go all crazy when looking at them in store and buying 8 pretty much at once haha. I LOVE Fiji - and Mint Candy Apple was also a let down for me. Overhyped a tonne!

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  27. I'm emailing you right now so you can send me your address. I wish it was possible to send you all my Essies without being charged an arm and a leg by the postal service but alas. At least you'll have the one that got away! I have no clue why I bought it but it was definitely not $31 here, LOL.

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  28. I absolutely MUST get my hands on absolutely shore, it is stunning !

    Madeline | Its a Mads Mads World

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  29. My essie collection is small, only Master Plan and Imported Bubbly at the moment, but this reminds me to check out more of their polishes.

    x
    Kat // bespectacled

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  30. That nail polish stack is absolutely perfect - how did you manage that?! LOL. Fiji and Van D'Go look the best out of your collection. It must be my sudden love for pink polishes!

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    1. It wasn't too hard actually, or maybe I just got lucky haha. I know a fellow blogger attempted the stack after seeing my post and it was 3x larger than mine:

      http://instagram.com/p/l6I1q7Lj7n/

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  31. You have a great collection in a range of colours!

    Tsui.
    Fashion Ganache.

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  32. Absolutely shore is so much nicer than Mint Candy Apple in my opinion :)
    Amy x | A Little Boat Sailing

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  33. If you can get your hands on the essie glitter polishes, they are my favourite! I think they are called Luxe Effects.

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  34. Oh my gosh, all of the bottles stacked on top of each other… I'd be so nervous haha! It's always so fun to poke around people's brand collections though; I have a few of these myself and have now added "Absolutely Shore" to my list of wants. It really does look perfect! :)

    ♥Cassie
    thriftthick.blogspot.com

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  35. Chinchilly looks like my kind of shade! I would build my own Essie collection if I don't always have to take them off for work :(

    Burberry nail polish review: http://bit.ly/1jlfJGh

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  36. I adore Essie polishes, perhaps a bit more than I would like to admit, my collection is getting slightly out of control :)
    xxx Claire
    http://wwwclairabelle.blogspot.co.uk/

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  37. Bikini so teeny looks incredibly beautiful, it has that touch on uniqueness about it <3

    Jennie xo | sailorjennie.com

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  38. first timer is my fave minty green OF ALL TIME. i used to mix my own, but it was never as pretty as FT, so i'm glad such a shade exists!

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  39. You have some really good ones! I have about 50+ Essie polishes. I'm seriously addicted.

    Oh, goodness. I am ABSOLUTELY with you on Mint Candy Apple. It is SOOOO BLUE on me and I hate it. Honestly, the color is actually pretty, I was just expecting a minty green, not a minty blue. Butter London's Fiver is a great alternative, the kind of mint green I was expecting.

    Of the ones you posted I have and love Chinchilly and Bikini So Teeny. Both are in my Top 10 Favorite Essie's list and my Top 25 Favorite Nail Polishes of All Time. (Both are just lists I have in my head, I never blogged about them - YET! - or anything). I also have and adore First Timer and Fiji. I have Mint Candy Apple, but as we have established I do NOT love that one!

    The others you posted are all on my Essie wishlist - a list that's about as long as my actual Essie collection!

    I really like this post a lot, mostly because I'm an Essie addict (and nail polish in general - I love when you do nail polish posts). I would love to suggest you do similar posts with other nail polish brands, if you want to of course. :)

    -realitygreene

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    1. Oh wow, 50+ Essie polishes! That's amazing :) But I think they're much more affordable in other countries than in overpriced Australia, where they retail for $18.95 each :( Yikes. I managed to get most of mine for much cheaper than that, either through sales, purchasing overseas or purchasing online.

      Glad I'm not the only one who feels that way about Mint Candy Apple! Thanks for the Butter London recommendation, I'll keep Fiver in mind :)

      I did one post dedicated to my OPI nail polishes but that was so long ago, almost when I first started up the blog! My collection of OPIs has grown quite a bit since then so I think a post dedicated to them would be quite long, haha. I think I tried to do a post about my Revlon polishes as well but that collection is out of control. I have another post on my Butter London collection - it's very small so that one was easy :)

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    2. Soooo I may or may not have placed an order on transdesign last week...all Essie of course. I picked up Leading Lady, Bangle Jangle, Absolutely Shore, and A Cut Above. And about 15 others (I was serious about having a problem), but I got those four because of this post. :) Leading Lady is seriously one of the prettiest nail polishes I have ever since. It's definitely my favorite red and I am not a fan of red, especially red nail polish. I'm more of a blue/green/purple/grey/anything-else-but-red-kind-of-girl when it come to nail polish. I just pained my nails with OPI's Don't Bossa Nova Me Around with a Pink Yet Lavender glitter accent but I really REALLY wanted to use Leading Lady even though it's not a spring color at all. It's just so darn gorgeous. I'm really excited to use Absolutely Shore with Revlon Whimsical over it like you mentioned. I just have to get Revlon Whimsical! :) I'm going to place an order this weekend for it, probably on drugstore.com. I think they have a few in stock. Just wanted to let you know! :)

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    3. *ever seen and *painted

      -lots of typos, sorry-

      :(

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    4. Oh, that's awesome! I ordered off Transdesign as well for my Essie polishes, though the international delivery cost was somewhat obscene (I think it was nearly $30 or something). I'm so glad you like Leading Lady! It's definitely a stunner. I am very partial to Revlon Whimsical but I have heard some people complain about the extremely sheer formula, which is understandable. I guess for me, I like it enough to tolerate the sheerness and the fact you need to be super patient with it to get a really good level of opacity. Though painting over a creme base like Absolutely Shore does help with that problem :)

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  40. I have a Essie addiction too. First timer is beautiful!! Just bought ona silver platter, couldn't resist :)

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  41. I love Chinchilly too, one of my favorites. I don't own Commander in Chic so I have nothing else quite like it. I am still so surprised how blue MCA is on you! That is such a beloved shade and every time I wear it I am very underwhelmed. Maybe I need to try out Absolutely Shore! You seem to love fun colors! Not many reds eh? Essie makes a few reds that I really love...Lollipop and Clambake to name a couple. I enjoy Van'Dgo too, such a pretty, feminine shade.

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    1. Lol you're so right, I'm all about the blues, purples and greens, pastels, glitters, anything a bit out there, unusual, fun, eye-catching, I'm all over. I have like, 1 red polish in my collection :p (Which I never wear.) The closest to reds I wear are wine/plummy/burgundy colours or glass fleck polishes that are more raspberry-toned or festive in nature (like Leading Lady or OPI The One That Got Away or OPI The Spy Who Loved Me). Basically, not many straightforward cremes :p

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  42. I love Essie polishes, they always have the prettiest colors.

    Krystal || Little Beauty Bug <3

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  43. So many Essie polishes! I think I've just added about 3 of those on my wish list lol.
    I do wish Essie polishes weren't so hike up in price here, hopefully Priceline will be doing a special on them soon enough. ;)

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  44. I need to give Essie polishes another go - haven't tried any of these and they all look so beautiful! x

    Evelyn @ We Were Raised By Wolves

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  45. Oh wow, these colors are just gorgeous! I love how many different colors you have!

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