Essie is up there as one of my favourite nail polish brands. The reason for this is their great shade range and their kind of runny formula that makes application a breeze for me (also I'm sure it means they don't go gloopy as fast).
However at £8-11 full price they are a little pricey for my liking but thankfully I've never paid that - ever! With the likes of Fragrance Direct and eBay I've never paid over £5 for a single Essie nail polish - pretty good right?
So with now quite the Essie collection I thought I'd select my top 5 that I feel are perfect for autumn/winter!
Leading Lady
£2.49 dupe shade - Fragrance Direct here
First up my total festive favourite! Leading Lady is the most beautiful cranberry glitter and with a slick of top coat transforms into something magical on the nails. It also only requires two coats which is pretty impressive if you ask me. Plus it's a spot on dupe for Deborah Lippmann's Razzle Dazzle. Leading Lady has been sadly discontinued and now hard to find online but Toggle To The Top is virtually the same just a touch darker. You can find it on Fragrance Direct here for £2.49.
Russian Roulette
£6.95 - eBay here
Russian Roulette is my go-to red. With it's cherry red tone it's bright and cheerful but chic at the same time. Also it stunningly glossy and looks great on both fingers and toes! An all year round red here.
Hors D'Oeuvres
£2.49 - Fragrance Direct here
This is my latest acquired Essie polish and I don't think I could be any more in love with it. I love glitter nail polishes in general but when they come with a glided base and a duo tone it's love! In some lights it looks gold, then silver and then when the light really hits it a beautiful platinum shade that's so so stunning. If you are looking for a Christmas glitter then I fully recommend this! (Also requires only 2-3 coats).
Bahama Mama
£4.44 - Amazon here
A stunning deep plum shade here that is ideal for both autumn and winter. This will look great on all skin tones and definitely doesn't need a top coat. Also this is my favourite shade for painting white nail art onto as the contrast is really there and it just makes for a great base colour. You may think there are shades out there that are similar but this is the cream of the crop as far as rich plum polishes are concerned.
Bikini So Teeny
£7.50 - eBay here
Yes, you would instantly think Bikini So Teeny is a summer shade, and well it is, but come cold weather and snow(?!) this looks great again! Sadly my swatches make this lighter than it actually is, but the softness and smoothness is spot on to how it is in real life. As you can see from the bottle image BST contains very subtle shimmer that can be hardly seen unless the sun catches it. Much like Russian Roulette another great all round nail polish that works well for spring, summer and winter.
What do you think of Essie nail polishes? Have you tried them? If so, what are your favourite shades to wear from the brand in autumn/winter?
Fee xo.
