It’s time for another throwback post! This is the Essie Spring 2007 collection. I already did the Essie Spring 2003 and Spring 2004 collections, but I’m skipping 2005 and 2006 since I do not own any shades from those years. 2007 was the first year when two Essie Spring collections were released. I’m going to be swatching the Essie ‘It’s a mod, mod world‘ collection, but there is another collection called ‘Starting over’. Since Essie is always releasing a wedding collection during spring nowadays, you would maybe expect that ‘Starting over’ is a wedding collection, but it is actually a divorce collection. Quite hilarious in my opinion!
Anyway, I was able to find the original announcement pictures of the ‘It’s a mod, mod world’ over here on All lacquered up. I am very thankful that she kept the website online because it is super helpful to see original posts from that time.
This is what I was able to retrieve from Essie’s website using the Wayback machine:
Step back in time with spring’s soft and sweet retro looks. The season’s fashions blend pale and pretty with a dash of bright and beautiful, and so do Essie’s newest confections.
Splash out with bubble skirts, psychedelic prints, geometric haircuts, clackety bangles or plastic fantastic swing bags. Just make sure you’ve got your platform shoes and these six marvelously Mod new shades to get you in the groove.
Essie ~ https://web.archive.org/web/20070205225441/http://www.essie.com/collections/index.php?sub=product
I definitely think I understand the theme Essie was going for with this collection. But I also find it funny, because they released so many shades with ‘groove’ in their name in recent years too.
The six shades that were released as part of the ‘It’s a mod, mod world’ collection are:
- Jackie oh my
- Cool-lots
- Pinkadelic
- Guchi muchi puchi (still available, but name changed to muchi,muchi)
- Mod squad (still available, but name changed to Mod square)
- Mini how high
Essie Jackie oh my
I heard so many people rave about ‘Jackie Oh my’ back in my day. This shade was already hard to find when I first started to get into nail polish. I was surprised I could get my hands on this one. My bottle of Jackie Oh my is slightly discolored, since it used to be more of a true white with gorgeous subtle sparkles.
I had to use four coats for the coverage that you see in the picture. It didn’t apply great. I can’t help but feeling slightly disappointed in my particular bottle. At the same time, I wouldn’t know an Essie that could be a dupe for this shade, so I get why it would be so popular.
Essie Cool-lots
Next up is Cool-lots. I used to think this shade was discolored, but some recent pictures make me believe that this color was already this shade when it was first released. Definitely not a flattering look on me! I did three coats in the pictures, so the color is extremely sheer. It does have a very nice golden shimmer, so maybe it would work as a topcoat. Overall, I would never wear this polish on its own considering how orange it makes my nails look.
Essie Pinkadelic
My bottle of Pinkadelic is definitely discolored. This used to be light pink with a pretty shimmer. The shimmer is still left, but the base color completely changed. I’m wearing three coats in the pictures, and again, I would never wear this color on its own, but the shimmer is super pretty. If you’re still looking for this polish: it shouldn’t be too difficult to find since Pinkadelic wasn’t immediately discontinued.
In case you’re living in the US: Pinkadelic is still in stock on Transdesign over here.
Essie Muchi, muchi
The original name of Muchi, Muchi is ‘Guchi muchi puchi’. I actually own two contemporary European bottles of Muchi, muchi. One shade is a pale pink, the other is a medium pink. I originally only owned the pale version, but when I posted it on Instagram, I got so many reactions from people telling me that their bottle was a different shade of pink that I just had to check my drugstore again. This time, they only had the darker bottles of pink, but I swear that when I bought my first bottle of Muchi, muchi, it already had a lighter color than the color I ended up picking up today! Both shades are sheer and both needed three coats to get rid of the patchiness.
Of course, I wanted to know what was up. I used the Internet Archive to search for the old Essie website from 2007, and I found the picture below. The color is described as a cool-toned pink. It definitely matches my darker bottle of pink much better!
So as you can see, there is quite a difference between the shades of Muchi, muchi that I own. The lighter version is closer to Ballet slippers, while the darker version is even darker than Essie Spaghetti strap.
I would love to know what happened, but I guess I will probably never find out. My guess would be that the lighter version was already lighter than the darker version, but it probably changed even more over time. I seriously have no clue! The color is still available worldwide, but I would be a bit careful. Only purchase it if you’re OK with it fading over time!
Muchi, muchi is still available over here on Amazon US (affiliate link). Be aware that the color might be completely different from what I’ve shown you here, because this seems to be a pretty inconsistent shade!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Essie Mod square
Mod square is still in the permanent collection in the US. Surprisingly, it was never released here in Europe! However, it was in last year’s advent calendar. I couldn’t be happier, because it saves me some shipping cost to ship it to Europe!
The formula is just perfection, and I only needed two coats for full opacity. No wonder they have kept this one around for so long!
I have featured Essie Mod square in quite a few comparisons! Here in this first picture, there are no dupes. OPI Big bow energy is cooler-toned. OPI Strawberry Margarita is darker. Essie Lovie dovie is lighter.
OPI No turning back from Pink street is cooler-toned than Essie Mod square, Essie All dolled up is lighter. In case you’re not able to get your hands on Mod square anymore: All dolled up is sort of close.
In the end, most shades here are not exact dupes, but they have a very similar vibe!
Mod square is still available on Amazon US over here (affiliate link). If you live in Europe, I would recommend checking out the 2021 Advent Calendar.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Essie Mini how high
Essie Mini how high is a sheer warm pink. I’m wearing 3 coats, and it is still not opaque, but of course it is supposed to be this way. I was first afraid that this shade would be too orange, but I actually like it a lot. It gives a very natural effect to do the nail.
Mini how high should be a bit easier to find than some of the others, since this shade also wasn’t discontinued immediately.
Conclusion
I’m just going to admit it: this is probably my least favorite collection from the throwback swatches I did. I liked the 2003 Spring Central park collection a lot, and also the Spring 2004 collection featured some epic shades. But I’m just that convinced about this collection.
What especially throws me off is the inconsistent colors (almost all of these shades have changed color!), and the names that keep changing. Nevertheless, I love the pink version of Muchi, muchi and some of the other shades also have a special place in my heart now!
Update April 2022
I eventually found some new information on the Internet Archive, including some original pictures of this collection, and a gigantic description:
THIS SPRING, RETRO IS REIGNING, WITH THE SPLASHIEST PRINTS, BOLDEST COLORS, AND KICKIEST ACCESSORIES WE’VE SEEN SINCE THE FIRST TIME THEY WENT AROUND!
It’s time to pick up some platforms and get the jump on a plastic fantastic spring, because it’s going to be a mod, mod world.
The swirly, twirly prints on all the catwalks had Essie’s head spinning, and she especially liked the pastel poetry coming from Emilio Pucci. The dresses, especially the longer ones are as bright and variegated as butterfly wings, with colors flowing in mind-blowing patterns. Versace is also blending colors with curves, using strong whirls of color blocks for a very-70s state of mind. For delicacy, that master of frilly femininity, Valentino, has some sheer print chiffon layered chemise dresses that are sweet but never goody-goody, especially a seemingly weightless icy lavender strapless minidress. Emanuel Ungaro has it all: ruffles, tonalities, flowers and draping, as he shows how prints, stripes, and polka dots can actually work together! And hot pants are a hit again, though now under their new name, “formal shorts,” as well as culottes, like the shiny satin ones spied trotting down the runway at Christian Lacroix. And who’d have thought the sack dress would come back? Matthew Williamson has a real winner in rose and red, with a gathered hemline. Accessories on Essie’s shopping list include swingy carousel bags like Pucci’s, or bags of many colors (Vuitton covered one in multi-colored paillettes), plus chunky plastic”jewels,” the bigger the better; and those ever-present platform shoes. Fab on the feet? Gold platform wedgie ankle- strap sandals from Hermes, Fendi’s sweet peep-toe platform T-straps and Miu Miu’s satin platform spectators.
source: http://web.archive.org/web/20070206194025/http://www.essie.com/style/
I have the exact same issue with Muchi, Muchi! Bought my first bottle some eight years (?) ago, in the DA in Groningen. Just got another bottle of it today in a box of nail polish I bought from someone else (hello black label OPI!), and noticed that colour is way, way darker than my original one. I’m certain my original bottle didn’t shift colours. So weird! The second bottle is from Belgium, France, or Italy, so perhaps location is a clue?
Ah interesting. I believe I purchased my first one (the pale one) from Big Bazaar, so I thought it might have been stored in a wrong way. It was already that pale color when I purchased it there. It’s probably indeed an ‘older’ bottle. The darker one I purchased from Etos, but that might have been a more recent bottle! So in my case, both bottles were purchased in the Netherlands, but I have no clue where the Big Bazaar bottle originally came from of course.