Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Essie Mirror Metallics Collection


    Today I have a review of the Essie Mirror Metallics collection. This  5 polish collection was released in June of 2012. I was so excited when I first saw swatches of these polishes. So much so that I decided to use it as motivation to quit smoking. After one month of not smoking, I took that money I would have spent on cigarettes and bought the entire collection. It was the first and only collection I bought all at once. So as you may have guessed I had some pretty high expectations for these polishes.

     So why did I wait so long to finally use these? Well, I've read a lot of reviews on these polishes over the last year. And the results are all over the board. Some people rave about the amazing application, others say they are hard to work with. I was beginning to have a slight case of buyers remorse. I decided I needed to find out for myself. And I have to say my opinion lands somewhere in the middle. The formula for all 5 polishes are pretty much the same so I'll go into more details about that after the photos.

   * All photos are 2 coats of polish without top coat taken with incandescent lighting.*

Essie Nothing Else Metals, Mirror Metallic Collection

     Nothing Else Metals is described as an “ultramodern lilac alloy”.  I like the modern take on such a girly color.

Essie Blue Rhapsody, Mirror Metallic Collection

     Blue Rhapsody is described as a “heavy metal air force blue”, but I loved how this shade seemed to morph from cool to warm-hued, depending on the light. At moments it had an almost gunmetal look to it.

Essie Penny Talk, Mirror Metallic Collection

     Penny Talk is described as a “statement-making incandescent copper”, If you're looking for that new penny look this is the polish for you.

Essie No Place Like Chrome, Mirror Metalli Collection

     No Place Like Chrome is described as a “richly oxidized nickel”, bears an uncanny resemblance to polished steel.

Essie Good as Gold, Mirror Metallic Collection

     Good as Gold is described as a “pure, rock-solid classic”. This shade is a little more honey-ish then deep yellow and is my least favorite color in the collection. 

     So, about the application.... There are pros and cons to these polishes. All 5 polishes are extremely pigmented and could almost be one coaters. Which will probably make them good for stamping. However like with all metallic/foil finish polishes they are extremely unforgiving to less than perfect nails. I would highly recommend a good ridge filling base coat when wearing these. For me the polish flowed nicely off the brush and onto the nail for even coverage. I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of brush strokes visible once dry. These polishes do dry extremely quickly, but I would wait until the first cost is completely dry before adding a second to avoid dragging.

     Some bloggers have had issues with these polishes not leveling out nicely and leaving ridges on the nail.  For the most part I was able to avoid that by applying 2 thin coats. I did have a slight issue with ridges when using a thicker coat on one of my nails, but I was able to fix it pretty easily.

     Over all I am happy with my purchase, No more buyers remorse for this little polish lover.   Copper Penny and Blue Rhapsody would have to be my favorites of this collection because they are different from anything else I own.  What are your experiences with this collection? Do you love them or hate them?

     Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!





2 comments:

  1. I have Penny Talk and No Place Like Chrome. I like them but I usually don't wear them as a full mani. They are my best stamping polishes by far though!

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    1. Oh Im so glad to hear that they stamp well! I dont think I will wear these as full manicures either, Maybe as a base for some Christmas nail art or something similar. My nails have too many ridges and imperfections for them to look nice on their own.

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