In front of the nail polish section, it’s difficult to decide: the Essie brand has hundreds of colors, from the most discreet nude drop to the darkest red. Prices are around €10 to €15 per bottle, the brush is large and rounded, the staying power is claimed to be good to very good. But when we look for the best varnishes Essie for a chic home manicure, a few references come up everywhere among the pros and in fashion selections.
In the lead, pale pink Ballet Slippers and deep red Bordeaux form a cult duo: one for a clean and translucent nail, the other for a very shiny wine red effect described by Essie. These two shades serve as benchmarks to then choose other shades like Mademoiselle, Marshmallow or Forever Yummy, depending on the occasion and desire. Understanding them already means structuring a really useful mini-collection of varnishes.
The iconic Essie Ballet Slippers and Bordeaux: chic nude or wine red
On its French site, Essie presents Ballet Slippers as a pale pink with a discreet and translucent finish, designed for a very natural manicure. One coat gives a light veil, two coats provide more presence while remaining soft, especially with base and top coat. This kind of clean nude works well for the office, interviews or weddings, and it goes easily with all skin tones, which explains its status as a must-have since the 1980s.
The Bordeaux varnish is described by Essie as a dark burgundy with an ultra glossy finish, designed for good opacity in two coats followed by a top coat. Here, we are on a real wine red, more intense than a classic red such as Forever Yummy. It’s the ideal shade for evenings, winter or simply when you want sophisticated hands without using a semi-permanent. With a top coat, Radins.com suggests lasting 3 to 5 days for the classics, which is very correct for this type of dark color.
Other best Essie nail polishes: Mademoiselle, Marshmallow, Forever Yummy…
To stay in the nude universe, Vogue magazine cites Mademoiselle as a very soft pink nude, and Marshmallow as a milky white. Mademoiselle can replace Ballet Slippers if you want a little more pink on the nail, while Marshmallow gives that milky “clean nail” look appreciated in minimalist manicures. Alternating these three shades allows you to vary the intensity without leaving the natural zone.
As for reds and effects, Forever Yummy is a vibrant red, vegan and very opaque from the first coat. The range Gel Couturewith shades like Tassel Free or Bubbles Only, promises up to 12 days of hold thanks to anti-flaking technology, provided you add the dedicated top coat. For those in a hurry, the line expressie with shades like Seize The Minute focuses on rapid drying and intense color from the first coat.
Choose your Essie range wisely and achieve a successful long-lasting manicure
Essie Classique varnishes offer 3 to 5 days of wear, the Gel Couture range increases to 6 or 7 days, or even more on certain colors, with a very shiny gel effect finish. The brand, founded in 1981 by Essie Weingarten in Las Vegas, also relies on a standard formula that can be found on its sheets: solvents such as ETHYL ACETATE and BUTYL ACETATE, NITROCELLULOSE film former, resins and plasticizers for shine and flexibility. In any case, the winning routine remains simple: base coat, two thin layers of color, then top coat, taking advantage of the large Essie brush for quick and clean application, even when you’re just starting out.