Essence of Disney

Whenever Essence launch a limited edition collection, there’ll usually be one or two standout products that are understandably popular and sell out really quickly. On my latest trip to Target, hoping to snap up the Asian Sensation blush and paper lashes from the new Cherry Blossom Girl range, instead I spotted an almost full stand of nail polishes from the Snow White Trend Edition. I remember seeing swatches of some of them on Kate’s blog and being impressed with the glitters in particular, so I knew I had to take some home with me.

l-r: Evil Queen, The Huntsman, Bashful, Sleepy

I’m not the hugest fan of medium green polishes, but something about Bashful called out to me. It reminds me a lot of OPI Live and Let Die with the fine gold shimmer, but the green base is much warmer and lighter.

I have a bazillion nail polishes like Sleepy, but ultimately I was sold on the unique blueish-purple sheen running through the airy, slightly dusty baby blue. On my nails, the shimmer is undetectable and the blue is darker and flatter than in the bottle, a perennial issue I have with these kinds of shades (see Revlon Blue Lagoon). I really like this paired with The Huntsman for a classic gold-flecked turquoise.

l-r: Bashful, Sleepy

Evil Queen technically isn't anything all that special, but come on. Just look at all that glitter packed like fish scales in the bottle. It’s purple hexagonal glitter in a clear base, hard to apply evenly without making it so thick it takes about 3 hours to dry, but when it comes to nail polish, I have abundant patience.

The Huntsman is the must-have in this collection. It’s a gold glittergasm. What makes it special are random foil shards that almost look like bits of shiny candy wrappers stuck to your nail, similar to the shreds in China Glaze Luxe and Lush.

l-r: The Huntsman over Sleepy, Evil Queen over Bashful

The Special Effect Toppers are $3.95 for 10ml which I think are excellent value. The smaller bottles are 5ml and $3.25. They're so affordable that even though I didn't really need any of them, I still felt my $14.40 was well spent. I was lucky to come across a decently stocked stand, since limited edition Essence tends to sell out quickly. Even though there was no sight of the Cherry Blossom Girl collection at my local Target, at least I didn't miss out on Snow White.