I've already gushed about Essie nail polishes in my favourite brands of 2012 post, but I just had to show you these beauties which were a little Christmas treat to myself. Essie's Winter 2012 collection was a winner in my eyes as it featured gorgeous glitter effects and shades that you wouldn't quite expect for the winter time, and when I saw the collection of 4 mini bottles on BeautyBay down to £11.95 I just had to snap it up. The winter mini collection includes Leading Lady, Where's My Chauffeur, Beyond Cosy and Snap Happy, and I just can't fault this selection of colours as I'm in love with them all.
Leading Lady is an unusual one as it is a deep red polish filled with gorgeous red glitter and dries to an almost jelly-like finish which I love. I'd say it is quite similar to the China Glaze shade Ruby Pumps which is the same idea but in a lighter, brighter red shade. It's a shame that I got this polish after Christmas it is just the perfect Christmas polish to me, but I'm sure that won't stop me wearing it throughout the year!
Where's My Chauffeur is an unlikely addition to any winter collection as it is a gorgeous turquoisey blue, but that I'm so glad that it was included as I'm sure I'll be wearing it all year round. All you need to do is think of the famous Tiffany blue and bob's your uncle, that is the shade of this polish.
Beyond Cosy is a very welcome addition to my glitter collection as it's unlike anything else I own. At first glance I assumed this polish was just your run of the mill silver glitter, but after seeing swatches it became obvious that there was more to it. Beyond Cosy is a mix between a gold and silver glitter which I had to use as an accent nail straight away, although I'm looking forward to wearing it on all my nails asap.
Last but not least, Snap Happy is another unusual pick for a winter collection as it is a brighter orange toned red that I've found is really flattering against my paler complexion. Now that my love for red shades is at an all time high I'm sure Snap Happy will be getting plenty of use, especially as it is on the brighter side and would look great in the spring/summer too!
I've loved the consistency of all 4 polishes as it took about 2 coats to ensure opacity, although the solid shades were pretty opaque after just 1 coat which was impressive. The smaller 5ml sized bottles are perfect for trying out new shades as you don't need to commit to a full size, and it means that you're more likely to actually finish a full bottle of polish which is always a satisfying feeling. As I've said, you can find this collection on the BeautyBay website for £11.95 with free delivery here which I think is a fab deal, so you'd better be quick if you're interested as I'm not sure how much longer it will be available!
