Summer 2017 Comparisons - Deborah Lippmann Soak Up the Sun (Sunrise Sunset)

Stay tuned for a more in-depth comparison swatch for Kill ‘Em with Kindness!

From left to right: Urban Jungle (Colors in the Wild, Summer 2014), Vanna (Set Sail, May 2015), Jacqueline (Lovely, Spring 2013), Soak Up the Sun, One Chic Chick (Soft Shades 2016, Spring 2016), Lemon Drop (Sweets for My Sweet, Spring 2016), Kill ‘Em with Kindness (My Little Pony, Summer 2017), Whip it Good (Lite Brites, Summer 2016)

My first thought was to compare it to Lemon Drop from last year, but Soak Up the Sun is a lot dustier and more orange toned. Urban Jungle’s too pink toned, Whip it Good is super bright, and Kill ‘Em with Kindness is brighter and squishier. Everything else is fairly close. Vanna is lighter and more nude toned, One Chic Chick is more yellow, and Jacqueline has a subtle shimmer, but they’re all really close.

Summer 2016 Comparisons - Essie Star Studded (Gel Couture Gala Bolds)

From left to right: Sunny (Vivid, April 2014), Solar Power (Ecollection, Spring 2008), Sun’s Up Top Down (Road Trip, Spring 2015), Aim to Misbehave (Shimmer Brights, Summer 2016), Cowardly Lyin’ (Wizard of Ooh Ahz Returns, Holiday 2009), Lighthouse (Anchors Away, Spring 2011), Goldie (Dramatic, February 2014), Champagne Bubbles (Let It Snow, Holiday 2011), Star Studded, Rollin in Cashmere (Gwen Stefani Holiday, Holiday 2014), Getting Groovy (Getting Groovy, Holiday 2016), Marisol (Bask in the Heat, June 2017), Leggy Legend (Leggy Legend, Autumn 2015)

I really have nothing like Star Studded, at all! The only things even sort of close are Rollin in Cashmere (which is a straight metallic) and Champagne Bubbles (which has sliver glitter not gold).

Summer 2017 Comparisons - Essie Fashion Faceoff (Gala Bolds)

Hey, why didn’t I include Hook and Line in my It’s A-Boat Time comparisons?

From left to right: Cords (Retro Diva, Autumn 2009), Hook and Line (Colours from the Capitol/Hunger Games, Spring 2012), It’s A-Boat Time (Spring Fling, Spring 2017), Gossip Over Gimlets (Autumn Nights, Autumn 2013), Ainsley (Cozy in Love, February 2017), My Silk Tie (50 Shades of Grey, Spring 2015), Fashion Faceoff, Dorothy (Luminous Lights, Holiday 2016), Closing Night (Ballet Nudes, Spring 2017), Moon Rendezvous (Romantic Rapture, Spring 2013), On the Wild Side (Wild at Heart, Autumn 2009). Bottom: Seraphina (Zenith, Holiday 2013)

Fashion Faceoff’s closest living relative is My Silk Tie, but the finish of that one is a straight metallic while Fashion Faceoff has a shimmer/glitter to it.

Summer 2017 Comparisons - Essie Front Page Worthy (Gel Couture Gala Bolds)

I just can’t get good bottle swatches of dark blue metallics, I’m sorry.

From left to right: Juniper (Luminous Lights, Holiday 2016), Eunice (Into the Sea, July 2016), Estelle (Flair, Autumn 2015), Aruba Blue, Front Page Worthy, Miss Piggy’s Big Number (Muppets World Tour, Spring 2014), Under the Stars (Coastal Crush, Summer 2017), Scandalous Shenanigans (Autumn Nights, Autumn 2013)

Juniper, Eunice, Estelle, and Aruba Blue are much brighter, Scandalous Shenanigans is much darker, and Under the Stars has pink shimmer in it, but Front Page Worthy and Miss Piggy’s Big Number are super-duper close. If I was being nitpicky I’d say Front Page Worthy is a bit more purple toned but yeah.

Summer 2017 Comparisons - Essie Living Legend (Gel Couture Gala Bolds)

Stay tuned for more indepth comparisons for Éclair My Love and Flame-boyant!

From left to right: Éclair My Love (S’il Vous Play, Summer 2017), Haley (Classics), Lee (Set Sail, May 2015), America (La-Di-Da, Summer 2009), Coca-Cola Red (Coca Cola, Summer 2014), Hannah (Focus, Autumn 2015), Living Legend, Lollipop (Sweet Time of Year, Winter 2009), Fran (Bask in the Sun, June 2017), Carmen (Classics), Flame-boyant (Summer Reign, Summer 2017), It’s Raining Men (Summer 2009), Great Balls of Fire (Happy Days Sephora Exclusive, Summer 2016)

Yeah… unless you really need a red in the Gel Couture line, you don’t need Living Legend.

Mani of the Day - Julep Elaine

Julep Elaine is a beautiful purple texture (although it’s never been listed as a Stardust polish). This is two easy coats. I really wish they still made this one, it’s fabulous!

Essie Bridal Comparisons - To Have & To Gold

From left to right: Getting Groovy (Getting Groovy, Holiday 2016), Cheryl (Very Merry, Holiday 2015), Sienna (Metallics and Chromes, August 2012), Five-and-Ten (Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Holiday 2016), Goldie but Goodie (Autumn Nights, Autumn 2013), Swing Baby (Vintage Vixen, Autumn 2010), Rage (Foil FX, Spring 2010), To Have & to Gold, Worth a Pretty Penne (Venice, Autumn 20150, Beatrice (All Night Long, December 2015), Mercedes (Light & Shadow, November 2016), Million Dollar Views (Mulholland, Autumn 2016), Strike Up a Cosmo (Autumn Nights, Autumn 2013)

The only stuff that’s super close to To Have & to Gold are Rage and Worth a Pretty Penne, Rage is more silvery and Worth a Pretty Penne is warmer and brighter.

Essie Bridal Comparisons - Blush-Worthy

I wish I got Julep Tasha last holiday, I think that would be really close to Blush-Worthy, instead I have her darker sister Sylvie instead. Just imagine Sylvie more of a melon color and you have Tasha, which I think would be reasonably close.

From left to right: Just Stitched (Cashmere Mattes, Spring 2015), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Holiday 2016), Lara (Spring to It, March 2017), Girly (Core), Erika (Chit-Chat, Summer 2008), Blush-Worthy, Princesses Rule! (Princess Charming, Spring 2006), Oh Behave (Getting Groovy, Holiday 2016), Good Witch? (Wizard of Ooh Ahz Returns, Holiday 2009), Chloe (Fleck Effect, Spring 2012), Sylvie (Gem Collection Holiday 2015), Harper (Bubbly, Summer 2014)

Erika is pretty close, it’s sheerer though and lacks Blush-Worthy’s larger flakies. I think if you mixed some of Chloe into Erika you’d have Blush-Worthy. Princesses Rule is in the same family but it’s not the same shade of pink and it’s sheerer.

Misc. Comparisons - Essie All Hands on Deck (Shimmer Brights)

In the future I might make a better comparison shot for the four China Glaze green sparklies, Running in Circles, Watermelon Rind, Emerald Sparkle, and Glittering Garland!

From left to right: Irene (Utopia, Holiday 2007), Viva Antigua! (Viva Antigua, Summer 2016), Custom Kicks (Kicks, Summer 2009), Ivanka (Sparkle, Summer 2010), Cher (Emerald for May, Birthstone May 2015), All Hands on Deck, Standing Ovation (A Night at the Opera, Autumn 2013), Selene (Paradise Sun, Summer 2015), Running in Circles (Cirque Du Soleil, Holiday 2012), Watermelon Rind (Summer Days, Summer 2009), Emerald Sparkle (Sleigh Ride, Holiday 2008), Glittering Garland (Let it Snow, Holiday 2011)

Yeah… I have nothing like All Hands on Deck… like, at all.

Misc. Comparisons - Essie Catch of the Day (Shimmer Brights)

From left to right: I Got a Blue Attitude (Lite Brites, Summer 2016), Blagger (Spring 2011), Gladys (Dark and Stormy Nights, October 2016), Catch of the Day, Aruba Blue (?), Loot the Booty (Viva Antigua, Summer 2016), Up All Night (Patent Leather in the City, Spring 2006), Sleeping Under the Stars (The Great Outdoors, Autumn 2015), Royal Navy (In the Navy, Summer 2010)

Blue Attitude is really more purple; purples are notoriously hard to photograph. It looks nothing like Catch of the Day in person; I just wanted to compare it because the shimmer is similar (namely, impossibly hard to see on the nail!). I thought Blagger would be a good match to the base but it’s a lot more vibrant and green. Royal Navy has a strong light blue shimmer, and while a lot of the awesome red/gold shimmer in Sleeping Under the Stars doesn’t show up the base color is nevertheless a lot darker. Loot the Booty is in the same boat but darker and the shimmer shows up a lot better. Aruba Blue and Gladys are pretty close to Catch of the Day, but Aruba Blue is a metallic while Catch of the Day and Gladys are crèmes with shimmer. Gladys and Catch of the Day are actually really close!