Essie Sweet Time of the Year Giveaway & Swatches!

Above: Essie's recent release of their Winter Collection, Sweet Time of the Year, includes from L-R: Rock Candy, Lollipop and Mint Candy Apple.

Above & Below: Rock Candy applied nicely in 3 coats. It's a very pale shade of pink and the color deepens upon each coat. All photos were taken outdoors with no flash under cloudy skies.

Below: Lollipop was nearly opaque in one coat, but I decided to go with the usual 2. This is a red creme with slight red/orange tendencies and the application was perfect...I'm not saying my application was perfect, but rather the formula/consistency was perfect!

Above & Below: Mint Candy Apple is shown in 2 coats. The first coat went on a little streaky, but covered well with a second coat. I added 2 drops of thinner to it after the first coat, because it seemed a little on the thick side. It looks so creamy in real life! In the last photo, I added a coat of Essie's Matte About You.

Essie recently released a small Winter Color Collection and although it contains just 3 shades, I love it. I was initially drawn to Mint Candy Apple, but after using all of them, I am equally smitten with the other two. According to their creator, Essie Weingarten, she says "This Season, I wanted to create a new set of classic, fun colors that are wearable on every skin tone." Mint Candy Apple is described as a creme de mint mint (that's not a typo!), Lollipop as a candy cane red, and Rock Candy as a sweet pink treat. Here's what I personally like about each one: Rock Candy, although considered a sheer and not extremely colorful, gives a very nice, clean look to the nail. It looks simple and finished, and sometimes that's what an occassion calls for. Lollipop is such a vivid shade and the coverage and ease of application makes for a quick and eye-catching look. Mint Candy Apple is mint green. Need I say more? These are available on their web site in full-sized bottles and also as 4-piece mini set, which includes a bottle of their 3-Way Glaze.

If you'd like a chance to win a set of all 3 shades in the full-sized bottle, just leave a comment below with your e-mail. To make it a little more interesting, tell me what your favorite Essie polish is or what shade you'd like to see Essie come out with. I'll start by telling you my favorite...it's hard to pick just one, but of the polishes I have, I'd probably say either Huckle Buckle or Viva La Vespa. As far as what I'd like to see them come out with, certainly a re-release of Starry Starry Night would be a wish of mine. Otherwise, I'd have to say some unique shades of green with various finishes. I'll draw a random winner on Thursday, October 22, so have your entries in by midnight, October 21 (tomorrow). Followers only please (via my blog, Twitter, etc.), and International followers are also welcome to enter.