Essie Fall 2010 Collection Review, Photos, Swatches
Thursday, September 9th, 2010

Nail Lacquers: Sew Psyched, Limited Addiction, In Stitches, Merino Cool, Velvet Voyeur, Little Brown Dress
Essie Gets It Just Right for Fall
Essie’s Fall Collection includes six new shades, which you can purchase individually for $8 a pop. You can also purchase all six together for $48 (which is still $8 each). Nordstrom also has a mini four-pack (includes Merino Cool, Limited Addiction, Little Brown Dress, and Sew Psyched) for $17. The shades are described as: Sew Psyched (cashmere-soft sage pewter), Limited Addiction (racy garnet red), In Stitches (cheeky blush pink), Merino Cool (sensuous autumn mulberry), Velvet Voyeur (intense chocolate amethyst), Little Brown Dress (beguiling black coffee).
- Sew Psyched is a muted sage green with silvered-gray micro-shimmer. Two coats. It reminded me of Rescue Beauty Lounge’s Diddy Mow, but it’s darker and less yellow–like cousins but not twins.
- Limited Addiction is a deep red cream that’s very opaque in one coat, though I found two coats to be perfect. It almost looked like a jelly lacquer, even though it’s a cream. Though the color may be similar to other shades of red, the application was flawless.
- In Stitches is a muted rose-berry cream. I love how it’s pink, but it’s not really pink–and it’s not plum either. I think this would be really lovely on cooler skin tones in particular.
- Merino Cool is a purple-tinged gray, or perhaps a very dull, darkened lilac? But not really. I think you have to go with gray as the primary descriptor, even though it is quite altered by the purple pull. I swatched it with two coats, but I think three would be better.
- Velvet Voyeur is an ultra vampy red-based purple burgundy cream. It has a very glossy, inky look. Make sure you get enough polish on the brush when you go to do a second coat–I didn’t get enough on one of my nails (you’ll notice in the swatch), and it layered rather streakily.
- Little Brown Dress is a deep, blackened chocolate brown cream. It’s dark, but it’s distinctly brown, even in natural light. I love that it doesn’t look black but definitively black-brown. Just two coats here, as it was incredibly pigmented.
The formula was really nice on these; not too thin, not too thick, and the majority were pigmented enough to use just two coats of polish. Merino Cool was the only one where I think three coats was necessary (though the swatch photos are with two, for reference). My personal favorites were Merino Cool and Sew Psyched, though I kind of dig Little Brown Dress.

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 29/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: There’s no reason not to consider one of these shades, as they all performed quite well. I found Merino Cool and Sew Psyched to be the two that really grabbed me, but Little Brown Dress is a shade I wouldn’t normally consider wearing, so I liked getting the chance to try it!
AVAILABILITY: Essie
See more photos & swatches!

Nail Lacquers: Sew Psyched, Limited Addiction, In Stitches

Nail Lacquers: Sew Psyched, Limited Addiction, In Stitches

Nail Lacquers: Sew Psyched, Limited Addiction, In Stitches

Nail Lacquers: Merino Cool, Velvet Voyeur, Little Brown Dress

Nail Lacquers: Merino Cool, Velvet Voyeur, Little Brown Dress

Nail Lacquers: Merino Cool, Velvet Voyeur, Little Brown Dress

Essie Sew Psyched Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Essie Sew Psyched Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Essie Sew Psyched Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Essie Sew Psyched Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Essie Limited Addiction Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Essie Limited Addiction Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Essie Limited Addiction Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Essie Limited Addiction Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Essie In Stitches Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Essie In Stitches Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Essie In Stitches Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Essie In Stitches Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Essie Merino Cool Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Essie Merino Cool Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Essie Merino Cool Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Essie Merino Cool Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Essie Velvet Voyeur Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Essie Velvet Voyeur Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Essie Velvet Voyeur Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Essie Velvet Voyeur Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Essie Little Brown Dress Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Essie Little Brown Dress Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Essie Little Brown Dress Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Essie Little Brown Dress Nail Lacquer (Flash)
Disclosure
This review contains a sample product sent for consideration by the brand or its PR firm. Our priority is to you, and we honor that commitment by being honest! We don't do paid reviews or guarantee reviews. We're going to give you the truth and nothing but! For more information, please read our editorial/review policies.
This post contains an affiliate link, which will give us a commission (often 2-5% of the purchase price) when you click-through the link and make a purchase. When you shop through affiliate links, you help to support the site!
I bought In Stitches and Limited Addiction. They are my first essie nailpolishs and im totally addicted to in Stitches! Its such a wonderful old-fashioned color. Thanks Christine, i would have never bought an essie lacquer if i havent seen it here :)
I always find Essie a little too expensive for my taste. But I love this collection, especially the In Stiches. I found this website, www.nailbeauty4u.com, that sells each Essie for $3-4. Or you can buy the entire Fall 2010 collection for $27. I have heard good reviews about this site, but this is my first purchase. I hope my experience will be good, because the prices are wonderful.
Out of principle I refuse to buy Essie nail polishes. Every time I see a bottle I can't help but think how ridiculously over priced they are for something that looks as though it's made for a child's play makeup purposes. I honestly cannot get past the fact it looks like it's worth maybe $1? $2 at best.I've never found anything particularly unique about the colours either. They really look like something I can imagine sitting on a dollar store counter really cheap because they can't get anyone to buy them. Sorry >< I just don't understand this brand. Please excuse my ranting :)
I bought Sew Psyched and Limited Addiction..I was looking at In Stitches but Scrangie mentioned it being a bit of an old lady color so i decided against it. It looks really great in these photos though! I might have to order it now.. Love Merino Cool but I have SOPI Metro Chic which fulfills my need for that kind of purple/grey/beige/whatever color.
I picked up Sew Psyched and Merino Cool today. They were out of Little Brown Dress but I see I have to go back for Velvet Voyeur too. I'm still torn on In Stitches. I just think there's probably a cheaper dupe out there and I already get my Essie's cheap, lol.
It's blue-based, which makes it pretty different IMO -- especially if you are warmer. Rouge Fatal has brown in it.
Hi Christine, I've been waiting for a blogger to do a good swatch review of this collection. But I couldnt wait so I order In Stiches first ( I am from Singapore, its takes about 3 weeks for me to get my hand on essie nail polish) but now since I found your blog looks like I have to order more colours .... THANKS!
gotta love ulta. i bought the first 3 up top on a buy 2 get 1 and then i had a coupon for 3.50 off :)
I'm wearing LBD right now...it's become one of my favorite fall shades! Sew Psyched is similar to Diddy Mow by RBL. So if you have that I would skip. Also, In Stitches is similar to Smokey Rose by Diamond Cosmetics. And of course Merino Cool and Metro Chic are the same. I think LBD is the only must have out of the collection. You can always find a vampy purple shade and Limited Addiction didn't tickle my fancy enough.
I have Sew Psyched on my toes right now. I like it a lot, though from a distance it looks almost dark grey.
I've been wearing Sew Psyched all week and I am IN LOVE! It's this cool grey green that is totally unique to my stash. I'm going to Ulta this weekend for Velvet Voyeur, Little Brown Dress and Limited Addiction. Ulta has Essie's Buy 2, Get 1 free...and there's a $3.50 coupon. SCORE!!!
I love all these colors, they are just perfect! I might get everything, but I have to have Merino Cool!
I love Velvet Yoyer and Little Brown Dress. These colors are resembling the ones from Kinetics Backstage collection for fall 2010. Anyway I'm crazy about dark colors. :)
I kind of like the more sophisticated, toned down form jewel tones are taking this season. when i heard jewel tones are in for fall/winter I wanted to barf, but if these polishes are any indication it's not gonna be as Christmas-party as I was fearing.
Ugh, these nail polish reviews need to stop...I am spending too much money lately!!! ;-) First the Orly Cosmic FX, now this!!! I should just build a little nest at Ulta to live in.
It's funny you posted this today :) I just bought 5 of the 6 colors at Ulta a few hours ago. They're all such great shades! The only one I didn't get was Little Brown Dress. It's nice, but I know I'd never wear it. I didn't realize that Merino Cool looks exactly like Metro Chic until I got home and put them side by side :\ I'm debating on whether or not to keep it.
Merino Cool... I know I have SO many taupe-purpley-grays but I think I need to pick this one up asap!
I thought I really liked In Stitches in the bottle, but on the nails.. its kind of a MEH shade, you know? I REALLY like Little Brown Dress though! Didn't expect that.. :) Thanks for the swatches/photos Christine!
Sew Psyched is really pretty! I haven't seen anything quite like it this fall. Merino Cool did remind me of Metro Chic as well. I may have to grab a couple of these if I see them.
Little Brown Dress looks very similar to Revlon's Hot for Chocolate. Thanks for the swatches, Christine!
Thanks for the review! I saw sew psyched in a store a couple of days ago but decided to wait until I could catch a review. I love it.
I absolutely need In Stitches and Little Brown dress, though I really love Merino Cool as well. Thanks for all the swatches, this is a superb collection!
Merino Cool and OPI's Metro Chic are very similar, but after trying them both Metro Chic is a bit darker and chips much easier than Essie's Merino Cool.
These are ALL gorgeous... I need them all haha I've never used Essie before, but I can't wait to try them....now...to find them!

Discussion and debate are highly encouraged, and we expect community members to participate respectfully. When asking a question, please check the FAQ section (above) for information about purchasing, price, dupes, and the like. If you have general feedback or need technical support, please contact us.
Comments that include advertisements, self-promotion, insults, etc. may be in violation of our comment policy and subject to deletion. Please see our comment policy for more information.