Essie Nail Polish Colors?

[Christa]

OK, I blame this on Pricescope . . . I was content with my $3 Sally Hansen polish until someone here recommended Essie Marshmallow and Mademoiselle for french manicures. I''m totally hooked now--it lasts so much longer and just looks better. Sigh. I don''t have a convenient way to look at colors in person, though, and I''m not sure I trust the color swatches on the website, so I''m hoping for some feedback. I''m looking for a neutral-ish pink, not sheer, with no orange to it. A little brownishness is OK.

Does anyone have Innocent? How about Spritzer? Any feedback on whether they might fit my picky criteria?

 

[Sundial]

I also have to order my Essie so I can appreciate your situation. I have had Spritzer in the past and it is a really pretty color that I think would meet your criteria. I haven't tried Innocent. I am currently enjoying Argenteeny-pinkini (OPI), but it may be a little too coral for you.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Lately I've been using Sugar Daddy, which I think is new this season. I like it a lot; sheer pink with no orange. No brownieness either though. And you're right, Essie does last forever. If I'm good about putting on an extra coat of clear on days 2, 4, and 6 my manicure lasts an entire week. (Well, OK, by the time I go in on day 7 the tips are a big beat up, but since the color is so sheer only I can tell.

)

 

[Mara]

christa i havent been unhappy with an essie color, even when purchased in person on a whim, they have the best polish colors IMO...esp for pinks!!!

my faves are mademoiselle, limo-scene, vanity fairest, room with a view. there's one or two others i have tried, like linen is a good one for over a french if you don't want a true pink look, it's a more tan pink. probably more accurate as to how our nails really look with a bit of pink.

but my latest super fave is pink glove service. it's a super super super sheer pink but i love it...it's bright in the bottle but on person it's very sheer, barely there. i usually put 2-3 coats on at least to get the look i want. i really wish they had one that was just a tiny bit less sheer but same kind of coverage and look. that way i could do 2 coats and have it look more like 4. but i still love it.

do you have any beauty supply stores near you at all? we have a few and they all carry essie. that's where i first found it. anyway, good luck!

 

[Christa]

Thanks for the feedback everyone! Mara, I looked up "where to buy" on essie.com, and the only place listed in my town has closed down. There are a couple of places a little farther out that I''ll check out when I get there, I just don''t make it out of my little tiny world very often.

Thanks for the confirmation about Spritzer, Sundial. I think I''ll try that. I definitely don''t want coral, and right now I''m looking for something not at all bright. Remember what color Silly Putty is? That''s close to what I''m looking for. I''m the kind of person who rotates two or three colors and I don''t branch out much. I''ve been using Sally Hansen''s Toffee Creme, in case anyone happens to know what Essie is close to that.

Dee Jay, that''s exactly what I found! I was so amazed when I realized my DIY manicure had lasted a whole week! I''m really good about wearing gloves when I do dishes or whatever, but still, I work with my hands so much that I''m usually lucky to keep my nails looking good for 3 days.

OK, one more--which top coat does everyone use? Ha anyone tried the Quick-E fast drying drops?

 

[Dee*Jay]

For top coat at the time of the manicure she uses Seche Vite, and then for my every-other-day clear I use Teflon Tough (I think by Sally Hanson ???). I found that if I use the Seche Vite once my nails had started to chip at all then it just peeled right back from the edges too, but the other stuff stays on. I''ve also used Maybeline''s Express Finish before I got the Teflon Tough, but that bottle seems to have disappeared somewhere in my house/office/purse/car... ?

As for the drops, I used to love them--thought they made my nailpolish super hard. But one time she put them on too soon and the nail polish was still really wet and the polish shriveled up like prune skin. It eventually evened back out *almost* perfectly (watching it all happen was like having some sort of bad dream!) but she said that happens all the time so I''ve never asked for them again again. To pay for a manicure and then walk around with prune skin nails for the next week--No way!

 

[flutterby]

these are some great color suggestions! I will have to try out that pink glove service mara suggested. My current fave is ador-a-ball. Its a perfect sheer pink! I even wore it for my wedding

 

[Christa]

Thanks everybody! I stopped by the beauty supply store to make sure they don''t have Essie, and they don''t.

I think I''ll order Spritzer and Innocent and see which I like--hopefully at least one of them will work for me!

 

[FireGoddess]

I also like Essie Princess Pink.

 

[Christa]

Mara, or anyone else who knows--is Room with a View sheer? The color looks like something I''d wear, but I really want some "coverage".

 

[Sundial]

Spaghetti Strap is a nice light pink that still provides coverage. It is not as sheer as many of the other Essie colors.

 

[Christa]

Date: 9/5/2006 12:25:33 PM
Author: Sundial
Spaghetti Strap is a nice light pink that still provides coverage. It is not as sheer as many of the other Essie colors.

Thanks--good to know!

 

[Christa]

One more question for Sundial or anyone else who orders their Essie products--where do you get them? So far mine have been through eBay, but I just wondered if there might be a better source.

 

[Sundial]

I have had exceptional service ordering from beautysak.com

 

[sanfranciscoellen]

Other than my standard fav Mademoiselle, I am really loving Essie''s "Real Simple" (as in the magazine). It''s a bit more coverage but not by much. I like those sheer/opaque hybrids that are more forgiving of streakiness by a certain sloppy polisher I know

I ordered from enailsupply.com

I wasn''t thrilled with "to dry for" topcoat. Wasn''t a super fast dry, for me.

 

[Christa]

Wow, lots of great suggestions! I checked out Beautysak and Enailsupply--the prices are a little better at enailsupply, but when you figure in shipping the best prices I''ve found are still from the eBay store Supersalon. Their selection is a little limited, though, so I may order from the other places if neither of the colors I ordered from Supersalon turn out to be "the one".

I appreciate all the suggestions so far, and I''ll take any more I can get!

 

[diamondfan]

there is a new one with Simple in the name, it is lovely. The basics are all nice, these are ones I know do not really have peach in them...mademoiselle, vanity fairest, pink ribbon (for breat cancer, looks like it has a hint of frost in the bottle) like linen, south of the highway (there was a Hamptons collection that was pretty)...I also like OPI bubble bath, not to throw a monkey wrench into things! There are other Essies too, but it is hard to know without trying them on...

 

[diamondfan]

the Qtica half time drops are great. Let the polish dry for a bit, or run through the dryer thing at the salon (I love the one with the UV lite, it really works well)...then put the drops. I think they work really well.

 

[Christa]

Just an update for anyone who cares.

My Innocent and Spritzer came in the mail today, and neither one of them looks (in the bottle anyway) much like the color swatches on my screen. And both are slightly iridescent, which I couldn''t tell at all. It''s not all bad, though--I haven''t actually tried them yet, but I think I''ll like Innocent.

 

[FireGoddess]

I''d never be able to order an Essie or OPI nailpolish color based on the website swatch - I don''t think they look anything close to accurate. I usually go on people''s recommendations, and then go to a beauty supply store to see them. It would be hard if I didn''t have one nearby to see the colors IRL!!

 

[Christa]

Yep, that''s my problem. I''ll have to plan a little trip to somewhere that carries it, I guess.

 

[Sundial]

They can also look quite different on your nails than they appear in the bottle, so give them a try and let us know how you like them.

 

[Christa]

I will, and I'lll be sure to give everyone here an update . . . I know you're all waiting with bated breath for the result.

 

[Giada]

I have a lot of Essie polishes, all along the lines of pale washes. My favorites are Mademoiselle and Allure. Allure is less pink than Mademoiselle, but I love it!

I''ll second Diamondfan''s suggestion of OPI Bubble Bath. I wear it just about every day!

Do you have Ulta in your area? They are a national chain that is pretty well represented thoughout the US, I think.

www.ulta.com

They carry all the major nail polish brands.

 

[Christa]

I checked Ulta.com, and the nearest one is over an hour away . . . not going to happen any time soon.

Well, I have Spritzer on my toes right now (I have a perfect Marshmallow/Mademoiselle french on my hands, so I didn't want to take that off when it's still in great shape). It's not exactly what I had in mind, but I like it. It's a little darker than what I was looking for, but it's something I'd probably wear in the fall and winter. It's browner and much less pearl-y than it looks in the bottle. I'll try Innocent in a couple of days when my french starts to break down.

About the famous OPI Bubble Bath--it looks like a sheer color that would be good for french manicures, is that right?

 

[Giada]

Christa,

I''m not sure Bubble Bath would work for a French Manicure. It may be a bit too opaque, but you could try.

I''m wearing Bubble Bath in my photos on the "Show Me The Ring" forum. I usually apply two thin coats.

 

[Sundial]

I thought Spritzer was very pretty, but it is definitely not one of Essie''s sheer colors. Nude Beach would be pretty for a french manicure with a touch of glitter. I love OPI''s Bubble Bath myself but not for a french manicure.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Question. I need some everyday pale pink for when I do my nails myself. Are Mademoiselle and Pink Glove Service only for french nails or do they look good alone?

 

[Mara]

I love both Madem and PGS.

DS If you check out my 2.32 J stone thread, the latest batch of photos I posted this week, the handshot has me with either 3 or 4 coats of PGS. So you can get an idea. It''s super sheer so the more you add the more pink it looks but it''s still sheer. Madem is more like an opaque pink but it''s still very soft.

If anyone is ever going to buy or own just ONE pink for sheer alone coverage or french or whatever, I would get Mademoiselle. It seems like that is the one color that almost everyone I know has!

 

[Christa]

Mademoiselle is definitely sheer . . . my nails are a little wonky so I don''t like how they look with sheer polish unless it''s with a French, but I love it for that. It looks really pink in the bottle, but it''s very subtle and neutral IRL.

Sundail, you''re right that Spritzer is not sheer at all! I was looking for a couple of not-too-bright opaque colors originally, so it works. I still need to try Innocent and report back.