Essie Winter 2013

      

      

      

      

      

     

      

      

      

      

 
 Essie's Winter Collection was a purchase I completely forgot I had made until I found it under my bookcase earlier this week! I had a bit of a fall out with Essie before Christmas as a lot of my polishes from them had turned gloppy and dry but these new Essie polishes have given me hope so fingers crossed they don't disappoint!

The Winter 2013 Essie Collection contains three 5ml mini polishes in 'Shearling Darling', 'Parka Perfect' and 'Toggle to the Top.' 'Shearling Darling' is the perfect deep red, burgundy which is my go to winter colour of the moment. If I ever struggle to pick a colour this what I've been gravitating towards. 'Parka Perfect' is a light blue/ grey with a subtle silver shimmer throughout that is almost unnoticeable. It's unlike anything in my collection I own but is a great staple to have. Finally 'Toggle to the Top' in my opinion is the show stopper. A dark raspberry, packed with glitter and shimmer that is super opaque and easy to apply. I wish I'd have had this over the festive period as it wouldn't have left my nails! 

If you're a fan of the brush on the full size polishes you'll be pleased to hear these minis have the identical thick brush that so many love. It makes them ridiculously quick and easy to apply that's great for when you're in a hurry! If you haven't tried any Essie polishes before I'd really recommend trying a set of minis to try a few colours and see how you get on with them without having to splash out lots for full sized bottles. If you are interested I know these are still available in Superdrug and Boots as I saw them earlier this week. 

Have you tried any of the colours from the Winter 2013 Collection? 

 

 
 
 

Essie Dupe!

If there was ever a product that bloggers made me buy, this is it. The infamous Essie 'Fiji' polish, described as a creamy, pale pink that everyone and their mum seems to own!

As soon as I spotted the Sally Hansen polish in 'Shell we dance' I knew it would be a great dupe. 

As you can see from the pictures they are pretty similar both are a very pale, soft, milky pink with white undertones. The only difference I find is 'Fiji' once built up has a stronger white undertone and is more opaque than 'Shell we dance.' Both polishes apply very sheer and take at least three coats to build up an opaque colour so if you are in a hurry these aren't the ones to be reaching for! I've gotta admit I find them difficult to apply, they tend to end up streaky until you build them up and take a lot of time. They need three thin coats and each coat needs to be completely dry before applying the next or it'll just go gloppy and smudge, trust me this happened many times! This being said if you've got the time it's worth it! Once applied they both have a gorgeous, creamy finish that looks glossy without a top coat and makes the perfect everyday shade. It goes with everything and is great for work or interviews. 

This was the first time I've tried the Sally Hansen polishes and I've gotta say they are giving Essie a run for their money in my books! They've recently launched in Boots so much more readily available in the Uk, are a pound cheaper at £6.99 compared to the Essie polishes at £7.99 and I think I prefer the brush. The Sally Hansen polishes have a thicker, larger brush that I personally find easier and quicker to use.

I want to try more of the Sally Hansen polishes and see how they compare to other Essie polishes before I can choose a favourite! Do you have any colour recommendations I should try?