essie Original Nail Polish, 61 russian roulette, Classic Red Nail Polish, 13.5 ml

Product Information

Essie calls ‘Aperitif’ an ‘ appetizing creamy red polish‘. I had no clue what to expect. They don’t mention anything about undertones, or whether it is a dark or lighter shade of red. Now that I have actually seen this shade and worn it, I can tell you that it is a slightly cooler toned red creme, that covers in two coats. It is a bit darker than Russian Roulette and Really red, but not a lot. The shade was opaque in two coats, but it also has a jelly formula, so if you have longer nails you might have to use three. The shade was originally released around the year 2000 in a drink-themed collection. Based on the number this color used to have in the US (362), I estimate that this color is from the Winter 1999 collection, which is indeed the drink-themed collection called ‘The Essie Vineyard’. Other shades in the collection all had drink-inspired names such as Cognac and Vermouth. Salon tip: The day our nail esthetician recommended one coat Funny Bunny, followed by one coat Ballet Slippers, was a real game-changer. Sheer pink meets creamy white? Perfection.

If you're out when delivery is attempted, a card will be posted to instruct you on what to do and how to receive your parcel. Majority of the time your parcel will be held at your local Royal Mail sorting office awaiting your collection. Meet Big Apple's fiery orange-red counterpart, Russian Roulette. Even the name sounds a tad more rip-roaring, hm? If your skin tone runs warm, this orangey red is your most flattering new friend. Over the last 40 years, this barely-there pale pink has remained a favorite of celebrities, royals (Queen Elizabeth, we're looking at you), and all of Essie's customer base (which is, as we know, mammoth). It looks good on everyone and works for every occasion.

With the holiday season around the corner, I always feel attracted to red nail polish. There were 11 Essie red cremes in my drugstore’s Essie display, and then I’m not even counting the reds in the Gel couture and Expressie displays! I decided that it was time to do the ultimate Essie red creme comparison. At home, I was able to find out that there are even more red cremes in Essie’s core collection! The core collection differs a bit between North America and Europe, but they are mostly the same. It also differs a bit between stores. It’s quite a list actually! And spoiler alert: some shades are extremely close, and you don’t need them all! Considering I’m living in Europe, some of these shades were quite challenging to find, but I’m happy to report that I now own all of these shades. I’ve swatched most of these shades below, but I will be updating this post over the next coming weeks with the shades that I haven’t swatched yet! You can immediately skip to the comparison if you don’t want to see the individual swatches! Essie Handmade with love Essie Handmade with love I was able to find out that the following red cremes are part of Essie’s core collection (without counting the Gel couture and Expressie shades): Recognised for its whimsical name and square bottle with white cap, the nail polish sits perfectly in the hand and features internal rounded corners so you can reach every last drop of your favourite shade. Its specially designed brush allows controlled application for a mistake-free, professional finish every time.

Essie Geranium belonged to the first 130 Essie colors ever produced, and is still part of the permanent collection in the US. To me, that says everything you need to know about this shade! It’s a true classic that will look great on (almost everyone). Sadly, it got discontinued in Europe, but it was shortly available as part of Essie’s Advent calendar for 2022. How to describe a perfect taupey gray? We imagine something chic, sophisticated, and anything but frilly or stuffy. We imagine this nail color. Southern gals love this gray-beige (with purpley undertones) as a never-let-you-down neutral. While researching this shade, I found out that Essie discontinued Fifth Avenue in the US! If you really want to own this shade, it might be time to plan a trip to Europe! I posted a complete review post of Fifth Avenue over here. Essie Lacquered up This shade is probably very difficult to find in the US, however, in Europe, it should be easy. Essie Nailed it Essie Nailed it

For more than 35 years, essie has been a colour authority and leader in nail luxury, committed to high quality standards with an award-winning line of nail polishes and nail care products. Started in 1981 by their namesake Essie Weingarten, essie continues to delight the colour-obsessed with a love shared all over the world. Essie Geranium is clearly the most orange from all of these shades. Lacquered up is a red with a bit of orange. While Russian roulette also contains a tiny bit of orange, it is slightly cooler toned and darker than Lacquered up, but the difference is really subtle. Essie Not Red-y for Bed is very cool-toned and contains the most pink. Comparison of Essie Russian roulette vs Essie Really red vs Essie Aperitif vs Essie Forever yummy