Essie Shearling Darling, Parka Perfect, and Mind Your Mittens nail polish review + swatches (Winter 2013)

          As a Chicagoan, I think it's fair to say that I've experienced my fair share of winter!  But even though icy winds and seeping cold dominate the winter experience, it's the sensation of warmth that truly defines it. There's something quite wonderful about stepping out into a cold, mid-December flurry bundled in a downy parka, shearling boots, and thick, woolen mittens, scurrying down the street into the inviting, oven-toasted warmth of my neighborhood's fragrant French bakery!

          To celebrate the season, Essie has created a collection of polishes with warm, fuzzy, wintry names. Today I have the creme shades from Essie Shearling Darling (Winter 2013) to share with you, courtesy of Essie!

I'm not one to resist a darling dark red like Essie Shearling Darling!

         Essie Shearling Darling, the namesake shade from the collection, is a gorgeous dark burgundy red creme polish. (You know how I feel about dark reds!) Of course, this was the first shade I applied from the collection, immediately upon receiving it.

Essie Parka Perfect is a beautiful watery glacier blue

          Essie Parka Perfect is a dusty grey-blue with barely perceptible shimmer. I think it's a lovely representation of melting snow (or perhaps a melting snowman?). I love the subtle tinting of this glacier blue; it evokes a sense of obscure, clouded depth behind a tranquil exterior. It was slightly tricky to apply, but the color was worth it.

          Essie Mind Your Mittens is a dark blue spruce. The teal blue conveys the dimly reflective shadows of evergreen hills, permeated by pallid winter light. The creme nail polish applied smoothly in 1-2 coats.

'Spruce'-ing things up with Essie Mind Your Mittens

           I've made a few comparison swatches to better show the nuances in my set of polishes from the Essie Shearling Darling collection. CHANEL Rouge Noir (reviewed here) is a dark, blackened crimson, while Shearling Darling is lighter and more brown (i.e. maroon). Essie Bordeaux, one of the oldest reds in my collection, is a much lighter shade of wine. Essie Mint Candy Apple is brighter, more candy colored, and more green than Essie Parka Perfect. Essie Rock The Boat (reviewed here) is more sky blue; you can appreciate the greenish tones in Essie Parka Perfect in the comparison. SpaRitual Basalt (reviewed here) has similar intensity, however it is more grey and less blue-green than Essie Mind Your Mittens. NARS Storm Bird (reviewed here) is lighter, again more grey, and less blue.

         This winter, I'm planning on delighting in my warmest winter wrappings, along with as many mocha lattes as I can get my hands on! Of course, a matching manicure à la Essie's Shearling Darling collection adds just the right touch to a warm winter ensemble. Of my three, Essie Shearling Darling steals my heart, however the glacier blue of Essie Parka Perfect is quite wonderful as well!

         Thanks for reading! Have you picked up any shades from Essie Shearling Darling (Winter 2013)? What Essie shades have you been loving lately?

Love, Dovey.

P.S. I have shades from Essie Encrusted Treasures (Holiday 2013) coming up next, so stay tuned!
Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own.