The Essie Winter 2012 Collection includes six Essie Nail Lacquers ($8 USD / $10 CAD) varying in texture and shade (some unexpected ones for a ‘Winter’ collection too).  The collection is all about guts, glory and glamour of the modern, savvy woman. With cute names and bold colors- this collection is dedicated to the adventurous, risk-taking women that work hard and play even harder. These polishes will be available in November 2012 in select spas & retailers.

I was completely taken back when I saw these shades. A winter collection, you say? I could have easily mistaken it for a spring or summer set… but after I checked out the polishes a bit more, I became much more willing to trade up my deep, muted shades for a bright and bubbly teal or champagne!

The collection is all about being an independent woman, and maybe that’s why these colors are so unexpected- to encourage women to wear what they want, not what the season dictates. It’s all in how you wear them.

(L-R): Butler Please, Leading Lady & Snap Happy

(L-R): Where’s My Chauffeur, Beyond Cozy & She’s Pampered

The shades include:

• Butler Please: A stunning, creamy royal blue (reminds me of the iconic YSL Bleu Majorelle)
• Leading Lady: A deep crimson with red glitter
• Snap Happy: A popping orange-red cream
• Where’s My Chauffeur: A bright, creamy turqoise
• Beyond Cozy: A pale white gold shimmer (my favorite!)
• She’s Pampered: A classic true red cream

The shades in this collection were consistently high quality, requiring only 2 coats each. Leading Lady was the only one that gave a little bit of trouble because of the glitter, but other than that- they all look stunning and went on easily.  These lacquers wear about 2-3 days on me without chipping.

I’m quite pleasantly surprised with these shades- a few of them like She’s Pampered and Beyond Cozy are festive for the holidays, but I’m totally ready to rock some bright aqua blue nails with snow on the ground!

Essie Nail Lacquer in Butler Please

Essie Nail Lacquer in Leading Lady

Essie Nail Lacquer in Snap Happy

Essie Nail Lacquer in Where’s My Chauffeur?

Essie Nail Lacquer in Beyond Cozy

Essie Nail Lacquer in She’s Pampered

Summary

• Price: $8 USD / $10 CAD for 0.5oz / 13.5mL
• Availability: Essie (November 2012)
• Overall: An unexpected set of colors for the winter season, but I’m actually really loving them! The meaning behind the collection is empowering (girl power!), and I’m totally ready to wear all these shades for the upcoming season. All of the polishes were consistently good quality, requiring only 2 coats (but the only one that gave a bit of streaky trouble was Leading Lady, the chunky glitter).
• Rating: A-