I was lucky enough to go to the essie pop-up nail bar in Debenhams on Oxford Street last week for a manicure (you can see what I had done HERE). On my way out I was handed a bag that contained the full essie Summer 2015 collection. Cue lots of squealing!
This is such a great collection, really strong with a wide range of colours that include some classics and some unusual additions. So let’s have a peek…
On the picture above, from top left, going clockwise, the Essie Summer 2015 collection includes:
Private Weekend – A sparkling crisp white
Chillato – Frozen cream pistachio
Pret-a-Surfer – Immersive marine blue
Peach Side Babe – Sun-ripe peach
Saltwater Happy – Sugar-sweet atlantic blue
Sunset Sneaks – Bright cushy crimson.
Some of the colours in the image above are a bit off so here are the individual swatches which show the true colours a bit better. All of the polishes have the lovely wide essie brush and the curved tip which make application a DREAM.
essie Private Weekend swatches:
I do love a good white nail varnish, it looks classy and clean and good on everyone. Private Weekend has a slight shimmer which is very noticeable in the bottle but super subtle on the nail. In direct light you can see a small amount of very fine white sparkle but you’d have to be really looking for it. This took 3 thin coats to reach full opacity but was very quick drying.
essie Chillato swatches:
Essie (as in THE Essie) famously hates the colour yellow and avoids bringing out yellow nail varnishes, so I think this is the closest we’ll ever get (EDIT: now that Essie has left the brand, they have released their first ever yellow polish! You can see it here). When you have as many nail varnishes as I do, it’s hard to find new polishes that are unique in your collection but Chillato is exactly that. A pale green/yellow cream that is perfect in 3 thin coats, I was worried that this would make my pinky under-toned hands look like chunks of ham but it’s actually very pretty.
essie Pret-A-Surfer swatches:
If I had a pound for every time I’ve uttered the words ‘I don’t even like blue nail varnish’ on this blog, I would be able to afford essie’s entire back catalogue! But here we are again with another blue polish that has caught my eye. When I saw this in the bottle I actually said the word ‘meh’ out loud. But on the nails it really has…something. I’ve kept this on since and have found myself gazing at it lovingly. It’s a dusty, denim coloured polish with a hint of cornflower. I don’t know why it has struck me so much but I think it’s one of my stand out shades in the collection. This only needed 2 coats.
essie Peach Side Babe swatches:
This is the shade that gives the collection its name and also seems to be the most popular from what I’ve seen in blogs and on social media. It’s a classic peach cream that will suit most skin tones. I think it’s very pretty but it’s also something I’ve seen before. When I first saw it I thought it would be too similar to essie’s ‘tart deco’ but the latter is a lot more pink-toned, in case you were wondering if you needed both (you probably do). This needed 3 coats full for coverage.
essie Saltwater Happy swatches:
Another blue polish ruining my ‘no blue’ rule and making me look stupid. This is such a pretty, summery shade. A cross between a cornflower and periwinkle blue this is very flattering and would look very pretty with a tan. I think I’ll find myself reaching for this polish quite a lot this summer. This was 2 coats but I think it could have done with 3 to give it full opacity.
essie Sunset Sneaks swatches:
This is described as ‘crimson’ by essie, which I wouldn’t really agree with, it’s definitely more orange toned. Perhaps a bright scarlet or a grown up coral? ANYWAY. SEMANTICS. This is a super summery colour that screams ‘beach holiday’. I do have other polishes similar to this, but the essie formula and brush is always a great addition to a classic colour choice. This was 2 coats.
Overall I think this is one of the strongest collections Essie have brought out in a while: there are some classics in there and also some unusual eye-catching shades which makes it a memorable release.
Do you have your eye on any of the shades from the Essie Summer 2015 collection?
Lex
