20 Best Essie Nail Polishes (2024 Update)

I absolutely hate waiting for polish to dry. We all got stuff ta to you know? What's worse is waking up realizing that you've somehow smeared your polish that should have dried hours ago in your sleep. Can anyone relate? Well that was not happen with this polish. It dries so quickly that unless you're just not paying attention you can't mess it up. It goes on well too, as well as any polish I've tried and I don't buy the cheap stuff. Here's the cons. It chips easily if you do not wear gloves when doing work around the house or if you have to wash your hands a lot. It's also hard to remove. I scrub and scrub and the three kinds I have with shimmer in them, the glitter wants to hang on no matter what. Then there's the health of my nails. I'm pretty sure that this polish has made my nails peel at the tips so it's probably drying my nails. Ok so if you need a quick manicure this is the polish for you. If you hate waiting or just don't have time to wait this is the polish for you. I would recommended trying a base coat, which I am going to try soon, to see if it helps the issues I've mentioned.Brynn

This is some of the best nail polish I've tried, and I do home manis every week. The colors are on point, more unique than other brands which is one thing I love about this brand. This formula dries smooth and clear, and lasts. I wash my hands a lot and polish only lasts 2-3 days before I need a touch up, but it's easy to touch up and color blends smoothly. Best of all, it does dry quickly which is a huge selling point for me because I tend to paint my nails before bed while winding down and watching TV, and never seem to leave enough time for them to dry before I'm ready for bed! Two thin coats of this polish dry completely for me in 10-15 minutes. I love Essie! It's my favorite brand of polish by far.amy

🎵 It's just another #maniMonday🎵 Actually it's my first manicure Monday!! Thank you @essie and @Topbox for sending me Expressie in shade #145 , Bearer of Rad News- so fun for summer!! This was my first time trying Essie and I am extremely impressed. It's quick dry in about a minute meaning I can do right before bed and it's not wrecked in the morning. I was also impressed with my application because normally I 'colour outside the lines' lol. But it wasn't me- it's their first ever angled brush that makes applying with your non-dominant hand a breeze. It also has amazing staying power- one coat lasted over 10 days. This vegan formula is made without formaldehyde, toluene and a bunch of other chemicals or animal derived ingredients. My only very small complaint is that you need 2-3 coats or you can see through to your nails but since it's quick dry, it's not really a big deal. New Essie fan here!! **received in exchange for my honest opinionSomialoves

Disclaimer: I received this product as part of a "mission" from Topbox Circle. However, the opinions in this review are my own. #freeproduct #trywithtopbox #ad #freesample First impression(s): The colour of the polish was slightly different than the pinkish taupe on the website – the polish was more of a purplish taupe with luxurious pearly tones. The polish had a strong smell. This smell (after painting my nails) would eventually disappear in a couple of days. Experience using it: I painted the nails on both hands, using neither a base nor top coat – two thin coats on my left hand, and two thick coats on my right hand. The bristles of the brush fanned out readily, covering my whole nail (and more, for smaller nails) in one fell swoop. Thinner coats dried fairly quickly, while thick coats took forever (45 mins!) to dry. After drying, my left hand had semi-sheer paint (this made the colour look like the pinkish taupe on the website), while my right hand had opaque paint (purplish taupe). The polish was glossy enough to make me skip putting a top coat. The polish lasted for over a week, but the polish on the sides of my nails chipped away within 3-4 days of applying the polish. That said, this only happened to the nails of fingers I use the most; the polish on my ring fingers and pinkies remained completely intact (I'm still waiting for them to show signs of wear). Even while chipping/wearing away, the polish remained perfectly smooth and pearly on my nails. I'm sure that, if I did a better job of applying the polish and used a top coat, the polish would easily last much longer.April

#freeproduct #trywithtopbox. I have always love Essie Nail Polish and was so happy when I was chosen to try its product. Although I love Essie Nail Polish, I will give an honest review for this product. The colour that I got was Jewels and Jacquard. The outcome of the colour is actually prettier than I thought but it is not a colour that I would personally pay for. I prefer colours that my outfit can easily match. I love the brush the Essie gel couture nail polish has; It makes it very easy for me to apply. The Essie gel couture nail polish also dries in no time. If it were not for this colour, I would say that I totally love this Essie gel couture nail polish. Even though the Essie gel couture nail polish is priced on the high end, I cannot wait to try the other colours available.Bella

I received this as a #freeproduct from Top Box to review. I have used this nail polish before and its a great polish to use. It lasts a lot longer than other nail polish brands, so you're not always having to redo your nails. Normally I wouldn't use such a light color, I prefer brighter more bold colors, but this pink was pretty on my finger nails. I do recommend using a primer color under this pink (Gossamer Garments) unless you like the sheerness of light pink. This was a cute color for my toe nails. I did find the brush to be a little big for my nail bed, which would leave a little polish on the side of my toe, but nothing a q-tip and remover can't fix! This nail polish dries quicker than most other brands as well! Overall I love Essie Nail Polish and will continue to purchase their line, I would recommend this brand to friends or family!Jennifer

The nail polish is nice. applies easily and dries a bit faster than other brands. during the first few hours it'll get scratches or texture until it's 100% set. (it was completely dry when I went to sleep, passed the fingerprint test, but had random scratches the next morning). after it dried it became seemingly indestructible. I work in a warehouse, I use tools and have my hands in machines all day and it didn't chip at all. (I used 3 coats) however i had another shade that chipped and budged just from washing dishes and playing with a one year old. in any other case I'd say its way too expensive to risk getting a shade that has a 50/50 chance of chipping easily, but target has a good return policyM

I used this nail polish for the first time three days ago and I couldn't be happier with the result! For years I have had acrylic nails and have recently stopped because I don't have time to go and get them done with my new baby, so I decided to invest in some new nail polish and boy am I glad I did! I used the JINsoon Power Coat Strengthening Base Coat, followed by 2 coats of the Essie Light Lilac, then the JINsoon Top Gloss Quick Dry Top Coat, and finished off with the Essie Quick-e Drying Drops Nail Polish Treatment and my nail look AMAZING! They actually look like I've got shellac on. And what's even more amazing, they dried SUPER fast! It took me maybe 10-15 minutes to do the application, and then I let dry for maybe 20-30 minutes and they were completely set. I was able to get dinner ready and do the dishes straight away with no denting or smudging! This is a game changer! I'm now on day three and they still look as good as day 1! Couldn't recommend this more!Heiny

Essie has great new limited edition fall colors just in time for "swetta weatha" and I'm really feeling them. I have Feelin' Amped, High Voltage Vinyl and Off the Record. My two favorites are Feelin' Amped and High Voltage Vinyl. Feelin' Amped is an intense but unique blue that reminds of a mix between cobalt blue and peacock blue. You only need one coat of polish since the polish covers very well and has a really smooth, shiny finish. This color would also look amazing if you added a mattifying powder to it as well. High Voltage Vinyl is a gorgeous onyx base with gold. I didn't like it very much at first because I was probably still in summer mode, but now that it's fall, this color would go perfectly with a pair of black jeans and a black leather jacket. It's an interesting color since it takes on olive green tint in some lights, but in the sun, you can definitely see the beautiful gold tones. Off the Record is your classic, elegant wine color. It goes well with any outfit and any skin tone…You can't go wrong with a nice merlot color…it's perfect for this season and the next!Lovely1

Okay, this color is the CUTEST color of them all. This polish is thick and very pigmented rather than the regular essie nail polishes. This one strengthens your nails super well too! I had acrylics for 2 weeks then took them off and my nail beds were thin and very bad (dry/brittle) but after I used this nail polish for a week and after taking the polish off my nails were thicker and also hydrated!! I definitely LOVE this polish and recommend it for anyone who wears acrylics/gel nails a lot!! It's a great treatment to get your nails back in shape. Also I had gotten so many compliments from people when I wore this shade! 10000/10 reccomendelle.g

When I took my old nail polish off this week my nails were peeling, which has never happened to me before. I sought out this product after trying 2 different brands “repairing” polish that were pretty terrible. At the store, there were two bottles labeled Minimally Modest but they were noticeably different, even after I shook them. I chose the one that was more pink vs. peach. I applied two coats and it looked pretty at first, but in daylight it’s really streaky. I think the streaks would be filled with three coats but the color would have been too light and opaque for a sheer polish. The formula seems smooth, feels good on my nails, and is long wearing, so I came here looking for another color. I’ll give it one more try and hope for better results.EvaE1izabeth

I had been curious about this product for a while, and when I found it marked down from it's original $10 price tag, I figured I'd give it a go. It's supposed to help dry, brittle nails in a week's time. I'm not sure about that. Essie has never been a brand that performs like a champ for me. It's okay, but I've always had better results from cheaper brands like Sinful Colors or comparable brands (price-wise) like Orly or OPI. Essie has come to be a brand that will get my attention, but I'll be looking at Sinful Colors, Orly and OPI first, and then I'll see what Essie has to offer. I like that this is a base coat that can be worn alone and it's supposed to have brightening pigments, kind of like a BB cream, but for nails. As something akin to a BB cream, it's pretty good. Just one coat and my nails look brighter and a bit healthier. Two coats, and even more so. With the second coat, the pearliness comes out and in some lighting my nails look a bit like the inside of a seashell, for what that's worth. It's subtle, though, so I like it for low-key polish.The contents are faintly lavender with a tiny hint of pearl to them, doing a nice job of concealing yellowing due to wearing nail polish most of the time. It actually makes a better difference on my nails than some other pale/sheer/pearl nail polishes, and it is a much nicer result than some other brands' sheer tinted polishes which I've tried in years past. This is basically what I was hoping for in a sheer, tinted product, so I'm very pleased with it. I don't even care if it strengthens my nails or makes them less brittle (it would be a nice occurrence, however, if it did) but I like that this makes my naked nails look nicer and I can easily apply one coat in a hurry for prettier nails on the fly. (Dry time is okay; it's pretty speedy for a single coat, but a second coat stays a bit tacky for slightly longer than I'd like.) Since it's a basecoat, I know it will at least make my nails somewhat less likely to chip. But for the prettier, brighter nails I get after applying this, I love it enough that I'd consider repurchasing. At full price, no less.darling87

I absolutely hate waiting for polish to dry. We all got stuff ta to you know? What's worse is waking up realizing that you've somehow smeared your polish that should have dried hours ago in your sleep. Can anyone relate? Well that was not happen with this polish. It dries so quickly that unless you're just not paying attention you can't mess it up. It goes on well too, as well as any polish I've tried and I don't buy the cheap stuff. Here's the cons. It chips easily if you do not wear gloves when doing work around the house or if you have to wash your hands a lot. It's also hard to remove. I scrub and scrub and the three kinds I have with shimmer in them, the glitter wants to hang on no matter what. Then there's the health of my nails. I'm pretty sure that this polish has made my nails peel at the tips so it's probably drying my nails. Ok so if you need a quick manicure this is the polish for you. If you hate waiting or just don't have time to wait this is the polish for you. I would recommended trying a base coat, which I am going to try soon, to see if it helps the issues I've mentioned.Brynn

This is some of the best nail polish I've tried, and I do home manis every week. The colors are on point, more unique than other brands which is one thing I love about this brand. This formula dries smooth and clear, and lasts. I wash my hands a lot and polish only lasts 2-3 days before I need a touch up, but it's easy to touch up and color blends smoothly. Best of all, it does dry quickly which is a huge selling point for me because I tend to paint my nails before bed while winding down and watching TV, and never seem to leave enough time for them to dry before I'm ready for bed! Two thin coats of this polish dry completely for me in 10-15 minutes. I love Essie! It's my favorite brand of polish by far.amy

🎵 It's just another #maniMonday🎵 Actually it's my first manicure Monday!! Thank you @essie and @Topbox for sending me Expressie in shade #145 , Bearer of Rad News- so fun for summer!! This was my first time trying Essie and I am extremely impressed. It's quick dry in about a minute meaning I can do right before bed and it's not wrecked in the morning. I was also impressed with my application because normally I 'colour outside the lines' lol. But it wasn't me- it's their first ever angled brush that makes applying with your non-dominant hand a breeze. It also has amazing staying power- one coat lasted over 10 days. This vegan formula is made without formaldehyde, toluene and a bunch of other chemicals or animal derived ingredients. My only very small complaint is that you need 2-3 coats or you can see through to your nails but since it's quick dry, it's not really a big deal. New Essie fan here!! **received in exchange for my honest opinionSomialoves

Wanna talk about the perfect neutral nail polish?? Essie gel couture in corset is a pure dream. On my particular skin tone which is a light with neutral undertones,,( if that helps??) this polish is the perfect I'm not wearing any polish but yet my nails look absolutely perfect and gorgeous. After using two generous coats it still shows a bit sheer, which in this case is fine with me. I also really appreciate the brush, it's a bit thicker which is easy to pass over your fingertip and about two swipes. Essie corset leans a little bit closer on the nude than the pink side. Which in my opinion means more on the natural nail side instead of the fake pink side. Don't get me wrong I love pink. Although on some days I want to have my nails ,look amazing look without anything on them, but yet there is something on them and they look perfectly healthy, shiny and unstoppable! Essie is a heavenly neutral that I would highly recommend to anybody looking for that sort of thing.catherine.p

Disclaimer: I received this product as part of a "mission" from Topbox Circle. However, the opinions in this review are my own. #freeproduct #trywithtopbox #ad #freesample First impression(s): The colour of the polish was slightly different than the pinkish taupe on the website – the polish was more of a purplish taupe with luxurious pearly tones. The polish had a strong smell. This smell (after painting my nails) would eventually disappear in a couple of days. Experience using it: I painted the nails on both hands, using neither a base nor top coat – two thin coats on my left hand, and two thick coats on my right hand. The bristles of the brush fanned out readily, covering my whole nail (and more, for smaller nails) in one fell swoop. Thinner coats dried fairly quickly, while thick coats took forever (45 mins!) to dry. After drying, my left hand had semi-sheer paint (this made the colour look like the pinkish taupe on the website), while my right hand had opaque paint (purplish taupe). The polish was glossy enough to make me skip putting a top coat. The polish lasted for over a week, but the polish on the sides of my nails chipped away within 3-4 days of applying the polish. That said, this only happened to the nails of fingers I use the most; the polish on my ring fingers and pinkies remained completely intact (I'm still waiting for them to show signs of wear). Even while chipping/wearing away, the polish remained perfectly smooth and pearly on my nails. I'm sure that, if I did a better job of applying the polish and used a top coat, the polish would easily last much longer.April

I love this Essie Couture Gel Polish it is one of my new favorites. The application of this gel polish is very precise and very smooth with no streaks. One coat would actually look great but I did two for long lasting wear. I had this polish on for about 2 weeks and it did not chip away. I was very amazed because I’m constantly washing dishes and deep cleaning. (I am a mother of 5) The applicator is the perfect size to get your whole nail without going over the edges and making a mess. This color is beautiful and sheer with a little shimmer. It is very buildable so if you do not like the sheer you can darken it. It dries very quickly and is has a nice shine. This color is very neutral which makes great for all year round looks. The best thing about this gel polish is there is no need for a UV lamp. The formula is substantial. This polish gives you salon quality right at home.Kalarcon93

This gel-setter top coat really shines! It takes my nails to a new level and makes the color pop. I naturally have ridges in my nails and this top coat makes my nail beds perfectly smooth. The formula looks thick but it’s really not. I paint two coats of my nail color, then one coat of this gel-setter top coat. It dries super fast and is strong. This is better than gel nails in my opinion, this won’t damage your natural nail bed.RebeccaS

I am so disappointed I spent any money on this. I figured I would give it a try because I like the polish as a whole and I wanted to give my nails a break after having the professional done. After less than 24 they are chipped and peeling like crazy. I figured with the “gel like finish” it would be sturdy then everyday activities. I’d also like to add I have already repaint my thumbs before this picture was taken. So don’t waste your time or money on this top coat.Hazel95

I received this gel setter in hopes of it doing a better job at keeping my color from chipping. Within 3 days it has started to chip other than the short life, it is a amazing setter! For it to be gel it does set very quickly. Within a minute it was completely dry and non tacky. It doesn’t leave a lingering smell like the off brand gels so either. It’s shine is fantastic! I will definitely be buying more colors from this brand!BloodedLycan

Love love love! There are not enough words to express how much I love this too coat! It is a bit on the pricey side, however, it is well worth it! Other top coats have never held up as well as this one. There is no smudging, and they last for several days before chipping (which is the first top coat to ever do that for me). I honestly always have at least a bottle (sometimes two) of this stashed away. Highly recommend!member-94eaa

Its just your average top coat. Calling this anywhere close to gel is a joke. I followed up a red gel couture polish with this matching top coat and within a few hours my nails have all ready chipped and worn on the tips. Save your money and get a lower cost alternative, it's going to do just as well. This also drags off the color of your polish with it regardless of how long your polish has been drying. I wanted to love this and I wanted it to last more than a few hours.katie.l

This top coat is pretty good! It was very easy apply, and went on very smooth. I had no issues applying it. It did take 5-10 minutes to fully dry. Within the first couple of days I was noticing that the polish under the top coat started the break apart but the top coat was still doing well. By day 3 I was starting to see some small chips on some of my nails, but one nail I had tried a different kind of gel polish from Essie (the blue/grey nail) and that one didn't have any chips yet. It is day 4 now of wearing the polishes, the blue/grey polish on my left hand (my non dominant hand) has a small chip at the side, but my right is still doing well. It seems like the polish underneath determines how well the top coat does and lasts. Some last, some don't. It's a pretty good top coat though!louise.c

Disclaimer: I received this product as part of a "mission" from Topbox Circle. However, the opinions in this review are my own. #freeproduct #trywithtopbox #ad #freesample First impression(s): The colour of the polish was slightly different than the pinkish taupe on the website – the polish was more of a purplish taupe with luxurious pearly tones. The polish had a strong smell. This smell (after painting my nails) would eventually disappear in a couple of days. Experience using it: I painted the nails on both hands, using neither a base nor top coat – two thin coats on my left hand, and two thick coats on my right hand. The bristles of the brush fanned out readily, covering my whole nail (and more, for smaller nails) in one fell swoop. Thinner coats dried fairly quickly, while thick coats took forever (45 mins!) to dry. After drying, my left hand had semi-sheer paint (this made the colour look like the pinkish taupe on the website), while my right hand had opaque paint (purplish taupe). The polish was glossy enough to make me skip putting a top coat. The polish lasted for over a week, but the polish on the sides of my nails chipped away within 3-4 days of applying the polish. That said, this only happened to the nails of fingers I use the most; the polish on my ring fingers and pinkies remained completely intact (I'm still waiting for them to show signs of wear). Even while chipping/wearing away, the polish remained perfectly smooth and pearly on my nails. I'm sure that, if I did a better job of applying the polish and used a top coat, the polish would easily last much longer.April

#freeproduct #trywithtopbox. I have always love Essie Nail Polish and was so happy when I was chosen to try its product. Although I love Essie Nail Polish, I will give an honest review for this product. The colour that I got was Jewels and Jacquard. The outcome of the colour is actually prettier than I thought but it is not a colour that I would personally pay for. I prefer colours that my outfit can easily match. I love the brush the Essie gel couture nail polish has; It makes it very easy for me to apply. The Essie gel couture nail polish also dries in no time. If it were not for this colour, I would say that I totally love this Essie gel couture nail polish. Even though the Essie gel couture nail polish is priced on the high end, I cannot wait to try the other colours available.Bella

I received this as a #freeproduct from Top Box to review. I have used this nail polish before and its a great polish to use. It lasts a lot longer than other nail polish brands, so you're not always having to redo your nails. Normally I wouldn't use such a light color, I prefer brighter more bold colors, but this pink was pretty on my finger nails. I do recommend using a primer color under this pink (Gossamer Garments) unless you like the sheerness of light pink. This was a cute color for my toe nails. I did find the brush to be a little big for my nail bed, which would leave a little polish on the side of my toe, but nothing a q-tip and remover can't fix! This nail polish dries quicker than most other brands as well! Overall I love Essie Nail Polish and will continue to purchase their line, I would recommend this brand to friends or family!Jennifer

I've been using seche viet and out the door top coats exclusively for over 10 years. I never tried anything else because those did the job of being really shiny and drying fast. The problem I had was that they would dry up really quickly and were almost too thick and sometimes would shrink the polish under neath or streak. I noticed with this top coat that it's shiny but it isn't overly thick. It glides right over polish and smoothed out an imperfection without being super thick. I didn't notice any shrinking either. Also, the brush applicator is great it's a bit wider and fluffier than the average top coat brush. I really like this top coat and Im glad I took a chance, I haven't been a super fan of essie polishes in the past but I do enjoy this.Nessa

This is the only top coat I can trust to not chip on my nails. I have purchased about 3 times. I do my own mani/pedis- might get them done professionally 1-2 times per year. This gel system lasts just as long as when my nail lady uses her polishes. If I need the color to last for vacations, I use this gel system. I’m really hard on my hands, and this doesn’t chip. My pedicure will last till I remove the color (3-4 weeks). I do take care to prep the nail bed, making sure there is not oily residue. The shine from the top coat is awesome, evens out the polish nicely and really resists chipping. I would say it takes 8-10 mins to dry over the Essie gel polishes.Yessie

This top coat is pretty good! It was very easy apply, and went on very smooth. I had no issues applying it. It did take 5-10 minutes to fully dry. Within the first couple of days I was noticing that the polish under the top coat started the break apart but the top coat was still doing well. By day 3 I was starting to see some small chips on some of my nails, but one nail I had tried a different kind of gel polish from Essie (the blue/grey nail) and that one didn't have any chips yet. It is day 4 now of wearing the polishes, the blue/grey polish on my left hand (my non dominant hand) has a small chip at the side, but my right is still doing well. It seems like the polish underneath determines how well the top coat does and lasts. Some last, some don't. It's a pretty good top coat though!louise.c

Okay, this color is the CUTEST color of them all. This polish is thick and very pigmented rather than the regular essie nail polishes. This one strengthens your nails super well too! I had acrylics for 2 weeks then took them off and my nail beds were thin and very bad (dry/brittle) but after I used this nail polish for a week and after taking the polish off my nails were thicker and also hydrated!! I definitely LOVE this polish and recommend it for anyone who wears acrylics/gel nails a lot!! It's a great treatment to get your nails back in shape. Also I had gotten so many compliments from people when I wore this shade! 10000/10 reccomendelle.g

When I took my old nail polish off this week my nails were peeling, which has never happened to me before. I sought out this product after trying 2 different brands “repairing” polish that were pretty terrible. At the store, there were two bottles labeled Minimally Modest but they were noticeably different, even after I shook them. I chose the one that was more pink vs. peach. I applied two coats and it looked pretty at first, but in daylight it’s really streaky. I think the streaks would be filled with three coats but the color would have been too light and opaque for a sheer polish. The formula seems smooth, feels good on my nails, and is long wearing, so I came here looking for another color. I’ll give it one more try and hope for better results.EvaE1izabeth

I had been curious about this product for a while, and when I found it marked down from it's original $10 price tag, I figured I'd give it a go. It's supposed to help dry, brittle nails in a week's time. I'm not sure about that. Essie has never been a brand that performs like a champ for me. It's okay, but I've always had better results from cheaper brands like Sinful Colors or comparable brands (price-wise) like Orly or OPI. Essie has come to be a brand that will get my attention, but I'll be looking at Sinful Colors, Orly and OPI first, and then I'll see what Essie has to offer. I like that this is a base coat that can be worn alone and it's supposed to have brightening pigments, kind of like a BB cream, but for nails. As something akin to a BB cream, it's pretty good. Just one coat and my nails look brighter and a bit healthier. Two coats, and even more so. With the second coat, the pearliness comes out and in some lighting my nails look a bit like the inside of a seashell, for what that's worth. It's subtle, though, so I like it for low-key polish.The contents are faintly lavender with a tiny hint of pearl to them, doing a nice job of concealing yellowing due to wearing nail polish most of the time. It actually makes a better difference on my nails than some other pale/sheer/pearl nail polishes, and it is a much nicer result than some other brands' sheer tinted polishes which I've tried in years past. This is basically what I was hoping for in a sheer, tinted product, so I'm very pleased with it. I don't even care if it strengthens my nails or makes them less brittle (it would be a nice occurrence, however, if it did) but I like that this makes my naked nails look nicer and I can easily apply one coat in a hurry for prettier nails on the fly. (Dry time is okay; it's pretty speedy for a single coat, but a second coat stays a bit tacky for slightly longer than I'd like.) Since it's a basecoat, I know it will at least make my nails somewhat less likely to chip. But for the prettier, brighter nails I get after applying this, I love it enough that I'd consider repurchasing. At full price, no less.darling87

I received this product free from Chick Advisor for review. I chose the color "A-game", which is a deep dusty burgundy. I paired it with another of essie's regular polish "penny talk" to compare wear (it just so happened that the colors complement each other very well!) This polish is an all in one, so I didn't use a base coat, nor a top coat. The polish applies like butter. It's a beautiful thick polish that you can almost get away with one coat. It dries quickly and I was able to resume my day within 15 minutes of applying the polish with no bumps or dents. The polish dries to a decent shine and seemed significantly darker once dry on my nails than it looked in the bottle. The brush isn't perfect. I found mine to be jagged and it took some maneuvering but the formula was really easy to work with so it was a little more forgiving of the jagged brush. The first 2 days of the polish were flawless, there was no shrinkage, I didn't have any issues with cracking or chipping and this is all while going about my normal routine (Which includes washing dishes by hand) By the time day 3 came around there was noticeable tip wear of both the Essie TLC line and their regular polish. I was expecting more for staying power as I really don't see a difference between their regular polish and this TLC polish without a top coat. I think you can get away without the base coat, it has held on to my nail and it seems to be a decent strengthener (for the 4 days it's been on) but the tips wear and with my choice being a darker color I definitely notice the white line at the tip of my nails. Next time I use this color I'll reach for a top coat. As a side note for those that do nail stamping. This polish is thick and stamps wonderfully! But I come back to use a top coat because the stamping was starting to rub off after 3 days. I've also attached some photos. The first coat (it covers very well in one coat!) Two coats which has stamping, and then after 3 days of wear showing the wear on the tips. Both lines of polish have near identical wear with no top coat. I usually get 5-7 days out of a manicure. I was a little disappointed in the color selection. These are excellent fall colors, but coming up on spring I would really be looking for a bright full coverage color. I found these colors to be a little more dusty or sheer than I would have looked for in a spring line. Then again the swathes here don't do the colors justice. I'll be keeping my eye on this line!SteffiMara

I chose Indi-go for it, a light denim blue. Essie TLC is a 1-step treatment so you don't have to bother with base and top coat in addition to your colour treatment. All my life I have had weak fingernails prone to peeling. The only way I can keep them stronger is by using polish but it can be a real pain to have to reapply several times per week. Various household chores are usually very wearing on my polishes, so to have a manicure last more than 4 days without some signs of chipping is really rare. I was really impressed with essie TLC. The brush on this particular bottle is flat and even which makes application so easy. 1 coat was kind of streaky so I did 2 coats which made it a beautiful milky blue colour. Later I did my toes and painted 3 coats for a bolder look. When I removed the polish, I did not have any staining which is what I usually experience if I'm not using a base coat. I only removed my polish once it started to chip noticeably (about 6-7 days) and surprisingly the polish remained glossy all the way up to the end. I'm used to my polishes going matte, but not in a good way :/ It's hard to say if my nails were stronger afterward. I do feel some improvement, and I'm looking forward to seeing how using this product longer term might make a difference. Pretty pleased with this polish, and since I was an essie fan before I tried TLC, I'm sure I'll be buying more shades in the near future. It is a little more than their usual polishes but for the longer wear and glossier finish, I think it's worth it! I received this polish as a gift.mamaluv

Okay! So I finally had a chance to try out this new metallic polish from essie in the colour 92 LacedUpLilac. (I've always had a hard time growing my nails due to peeling and breakage) So that's why I was excited to try a product that curbs both! After wearing this polish for about a week, I am happy to say I have no peeling or breakage so far. Usually my nails peel and break every few days and I can't keep up with applying a strengther, treatment and colour every week but with this bad boy I can apply 2 coats and be on my merry way! I'm excited to see what results continued usage will produce. This lilac is the perfect shade for Spring. It's soft and whimsical and has just the right amount of metallic goodness. I'm excited to pick up the rest of shades to match all my summer looks. At just $10.00 each I would highly recommend this polish to friends and family. I think this is a steal for an all in one treatment that actually works to strengthen my nails. Look out long sleek nails, here I come! #tryessieTLCmetallics #essie #chickadvisor #gotitfreeWanttotrybeforeIbuy

I used this nail polish for the first time three days ago and I couldn't be happier with the result! For years I have had acrylic nails and have recently stopped because I don't have time to go and get them done with my new baby, so I decided to invest in some new nail polish and boy am I glad I did! I used the JINsoon Power Coat Strengthening Base Coat, followed by 2 coats of the Essie Light Lilac, then the JINsoon Top Gloss Quick Dry Top Coat, and finished off with the Essie Quick-e Drying Drops Nail Polish Treatment and my nail look AMAZING! They actually look like I've got shellac on. And what's even more amazing, they dried SUPER fast! It took me maybe 10-15 minutes to do the application, and then I let dry for maybe 20-30 minutes and they were completely set. I was able to get dinner ready and do the dishes straight away with no denting or smudging! This is a game changer! I'm now on day three and they still look as good as day 1! Couldn't recommend this more!Heiny

When it comes to nail polish, I tend to be quite skeptical especially since gel is a go-to. However, I was pleasantly surprised with this Essie polish due to its color, application and wear. In terms of color, this shade looks great with one coat or multiple depending on the look youre going for. And since it has a nice shimmer to it, it doesnt show imperfections or chips either. I love natural colors, so this one was an A+ for me. Because you can really build up the opacity of this polish, this made applying it really easy with three main swipes across the nail. And due to the shimmer, its really forgiving even if you do make a mistake. The brush was also quite flat and wide, which helped with the application process. (Drying time was quite short especially if you do thin layers). This polish was also great in terms of wear and is still holding up well after a good week of wearing it. Granted I did apply a topcoat, this still held up through housework and doing dishes by hand. In all, Im a big fan of this shade of Essie polish and think it would be perfect year round if not an easy to upkeep color in the summer months on my fingers and toes.AleksandraM

I am obsessed with Essie, that’s all I have bought since 10 years ago. I have tried Tuck it in my Tux and few others and decided Marshmallow has the best hue!!!! I love the color, not too white not pink, just right. The formula however is horrible. The first couple of times after opening the bottle is great except in order not to get streaks you have to apply 3 coats. After a few days of opening the bottle, the formula gets thick and clumpy and not usable!!! Also, the mandatory 3 layers make the nail polish to peel off in a day or two because it’s simply two thick and rubber feel like almost. Please note this is a constructive review for Essie, I am asking you to please change this formula since I love your products. I would love others to enjoy this wonderful nail polish but at this stage I am not able to use this color anymore. I don’t like anything with sparkle or shine and neither one of your colors mimic marshmallows. The open bottles show the clumps on top. Unfortunately my video would not upload. Please helps and fix this formula. I have wasted so much money on this nail polish tossing bottles after bottles!!!Want to Love Essie again