I had never purchased nor tried an Essie polish before now. There are reasons behind that: Essie polishes are more expensive than most brands, while the bottles hold less product, and the colors seem rather ordinary to me. Oh, and they’re hard to find. At the same time, I *hear* they wear very well and the formula is among the best. I figured they were worth a try, so while at Ulta recently, here’s what I picked up.
Exotic Liras appeared to be a muted hot pink; and although pretty, it is a light red in most lighting. The formula is very nice and smooth; however, the brush is flared out at the tip and had hairs sticking out in all directions, making application very difficult. Thigh High is a darkened red with a gorgeous shimmer. Thankfully, the brush on this one had no problems whatsoever. Unfortunately, the formula was horrible; very thick, almost lumpy, which made it difficult to apply thin, even coats.
I also found a four pack of Essie’s Fall 2008 Guilty Pleasures collection. Here’s the best part though: being last years collection, the four pack cost only $4.95! The catch: all the brushes on these mini-bottles were flared or curved, not good. Rock Star Skinny is a darkened brown-red color with very subtle shimmer; I don’t care for this color, it looks flat and plain. It’s Genius is a medium mauve-purple shade, with silvery shimmer; this is the one stand out shade, just love it. Bold + Beautiful is a burgundy creme polish; pretty standard, we’ve all seen it before. Sexy Divide is a blackened purple, with slight purple shimmer; it is very unique and great for Fall.
Hmmm… The formula was hit or miss depending on the shade. The quality of the brushes was poor. The wear time was about average. I’d have to say I wasn’t impressed with Essie polishes. What do you guys think? Did I just get a bunch of duds?
xoxo
Valerie
The Nail Files 