The 15 Best Essie Nail Colors – Our Top Picks For 2024

For a wide range of vibrant, fun, and long-lasting nail colors for every season.

Written by Baishali Bhattacharya, MA (English)
Edited by Srijani Roy Chowdhury, MA (Journalism & Mass Communication), Certified Style & Image Consultant
Fact-checked by Shatabdi Bhattacharya, BSc  • 
All products recommended on StyleCraze are independently selected by our editorial team. If you make a purchase through any of these links, we may receive a commission. Learn more about our product selection process here.

Every nail polish lover would love to add Essie’s iconic nail paints to their collection. This timeless beauty brand has been a popular name in the nail polish industry since its advent in 1981, and a coat of the best Essie nail colors can undoubtedly make nails look gorgeous in seconds. The label’s vibrant and bold hues come in high-quality, quick-drying formulas. Essie offers a plethora of shades that last long and are chip-resistant. Many celebrities have worn nail polishes from this brand on red carpets and at their statement-making events. Besides, their glossy finishes suit every skin tone. We have listed our favorite nail polish colors from the award-winning brand below that have positive reviews online. Check them out!

Top PicksCheck Price
Best For All Seasons:Essie Nail Polish – Ballet Slippers
Price on Amazon
Best For Vegan:Essie Expressie Quick Dry Nail Color – 000 Crop Top & Roll
Price on Amazon
Best For Office Use:Essie Nail Lacquer – Marshmallow
Price on Amazon
Best For Medium Skin:Essie Nail Polish – Not Just A Pretty Face
Price on Amazon
Best Fast Drying:Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish – Spiked With Style
Price on Amazon
Best For Pigmented Nail:Essie Nail Polish – Treat Love & Color Nail Polish
Price on Amazon
Best For Summer:Essie Nail Polish – Bustling Bazaar
Price on Amazon
Best For French Manicures: Essie Nail Polish 0337 Waltz
Price on Amazon

Best Metallic Finish:Essie Nail Lacquer – Sweater Weather
Price on Amazon
Best Flawless Coverage:Essie Nail Polish – License To ThrillPrice on Amazon

The 15 Best Essie Nail Colors Available Right Now

1.Best For All Seasons:Essie Nail Polish – Ballet Slippers

4.4
essie Nail Polish, Glossy Shine Finish, Ballet Slippers, Sheer Pink, 0.46 Ounces Image: Essie
Now 32% Off

Essie Nail Polish in the shade Ballet Slippers has a salon-quality glossy finish. Emma Stone, a renowned celebrity wore this shade in a Louis Vitton event. This celebrity-favorite nail color offers flawless coverage and outstanding durability. This is the best shade when it comes to nude nail polish. This sheer pink color is suitable for all seasons. It delivers a subtle, sheer finish that is suitable for all skin tones. This nail polish comes with an exclusive easy-glide brush that fits every nail size for streak-free application. It has the perfect thickness and gives a glossy and shiny finish. This pale pink color is very neutral and light and formulated without using DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde. Watch this video for a thorough understanding of the product and a tester’s experience of using it.

Color: 12 ballet slippers | Product Dimensions: 1.14 x 1.14 x 2.7 inches | Weight: 1.9 Ounces

protip_icon Did You Know?
In 1989, Queen Elizabeth requested a bottle of Essie Ballet Slippers. Rumor has it that the queen was extremely fond of the shade.

Why We Think It's Worth Buying

The product has more than 6,346 reviews and is a top choice all around the world.

2.Best For Vegan:Essie Expressie Quick Dry Nail Color – 000 Crop Top & Roll

4.4
essie expressie Quick-Dry Vegan Nail Polish, Crop Top and Roll, Slate Blue, 0.33 Ounce 1 Count (Pack of 1) 0 crop top & roll (Classic Pink) Image: Essie
Now 32% Off

Essie Expressie Quick Dry Nail Color is a fast-drying one-step nail polish. It dries in about a minute. It also comes with an angled brush for easy application with both hands. It has a vegan formula and contains no animal-derived ingredients. This quick-dry formula is free of formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, xylene, camphor ethyl tosylamide, dibutyl phthalate, and triphenyl phosphate. The shade 000 Crop Top & Roll is soft pink beige that is suitable for all skin tones. It is the perfect subtle nude shade for formal events in the winter. Click here to check out a detailed personal review of this product and the reviewer’s experience with it.

Color: 14 crop top & roll | Product Dimensions: 11.83 x 10.06 x 4.19 inches | Weight: 0.8 Ounces.

3.Best For Office Use:Essie Nail Lacquer – Marshmallow

4.4
essie Nail Polish, Glossy Shine Sheer White, Marshmallow, 0.46 Ounce WHITES marshmallow Image: Essie
Now 14% Off

Essie Nail Polish in the shade Marshmallow has a glossy finish. This cloudy, sheer white nail lacquer is the perfect shade for French manicures. It is also a popular color for any occasion. It offers flawless coverage and lasts long. Its brush fits every nail size for streak-free application. Since this is a white nail polish, its formula runs thin and requires a few coats. This translucent nail color is best for a classy and sophisticated look for the office. It is formulated without using DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde. Here’s a review video to help you get a better understanding of the product through a tester’s experience of using it.

Color: 08 marshmallow | Product Dimensions: 1.14 x 1.14 x 2.75 inches | Weight: 1.87 Ounces

protip_icon Trivia
Blanc, Bordeaux, and Baby’s Breath are three classic Essie shades from the 1981 Essie launch that still exist.

Essie Nail Polish – Ballet Slippers
Best For All Seasons
Essie Expressie Quick Dry Nail Color – 000 Crop Top & Roll
Best For Vegan
Essie Nail Lacquer – Marshmallow
Best For Office Use
Color 12 ballet slippers 14 crop top & roll 08 marshmallow
Dimensions 1.14 x 1.14 x 2.7 inches 11.83 x 10.06 x 4.19 inches 1.14 x 1.14 x 2.75 inches
Weight 1.9 Ounces 0.8 Ounces. 1.87 Ounces
Rating
Reviews6,3461,1066,347
Price$6.78$6.8$8.65

4.Best For Medium Skin:Essie Nail Polish – Not Just A Pretty Face

Essie Nail Color Polish in the shade Not Just A Pretty Face is a pretty pinkish nude color. It is the perfect nude for olive and medium-toned skin. It offers flawless coverage and outstanding durability. This professional-looking color is great for daily use. This classic “grown-up” pink shade is eternally trendy and works for darker skin tones. Also, it is formulated without using DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde.

5.Best Fast Drying:Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish – Spiked With Style

4.5
essie Gel Couture Longwear Nail Polish, Deep Red, Spiked With Style, 0.46 Ounce 360 SPIKED WITH STYLE Image: Essie
Now 26% Off

Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish in the shade Spiked With Style is an edgy deep blood-red nail color. It offers an instant gel-like shine in an easy 2-step process. Reviewers noted that this high-quality nail lacquer color lasts up to 14 days. Also, the curve-hugging brush offers full coverage and a flawless finish. This gel-finish polish is easy to remove and does not require a UV lamp to dry.

Color: 05 spiked with style | Product Dimensions: 1.66 x 3.28 x 2.94 inches | Weight: 2.08 Ounces.

6.Best For Pigmented Nail:Essie Nail Polish – Treat Love & Color Nail Polish

4.7
Treat Love & Color Nail Polish Image: Essie

Treat Love & Color is a clinically tested vegan base coat that gives you stronger nails in a week. This exquisite full-coverage mauve nail polish with a shimmery finish reduces peeling by 60% and breakage by 35%. It instantly imparts a perfect bright pigmented nail because of its breathable care formula infused with collagen & camellia extract. As per reviews, it works great for cool-toned skin.

7.Best For Summer:Essie Nail Polish – Bustling Bazaar

4.4

The shade Bustling Bazaar is a dusty cyan blue nail polish with a creamy finish. It is one of the six nail colors that were released in Essie’s limited edition Summer collection of 2024. This color is very bright and fun, making it perfect for summer. It adds a pop of color to your daily basic outfits. The salon-quality formula of this glossy nail polish provides flawless coverage and long-lasting wear.

Product Dimensions: 2.7 x 1.14 x 2.7 inches | Weight: 0.46 Ounces.

8. Best For French Manicures: Essie Nail Polish 0337 Waltz

4.1
Essie Nail Polish 0337 Waltz Image: Essie

This exquisite translucent white Essie nail paint is perfect for French manicures. This long-wear formula gives your nails an attractive winter color. The white polish dries quickly, leaves no streaks, and has a velvety smooth, chip-resistant texture. It has a vegan formula and contains no animal-derived ingredients. The shade ‘waltz’ will suit fair to medium skin tones the most.

Color: White

Pros

  • Offers a classic look
  • Lightweight
  • Top-notch quality
  • Smooth application
  • Long-lasting
  • Vegan
  • Cruelty-free

Cons

  • The white shade has a slightly pale tint

My Personal Experience

"I love my French manicure and this sheer white shade lives up to my expectations. It strikes a fine balance — not too translucent, yet not overly opaque. It also delivers a polished look with ease and dries quickly too."


9.Best Metallic Finish:Essie Nail Lacquer – Sweater Weather

4.6
essie nail polish, fall trend 2019, shimmer finish, sweater weather, 0.46 fl. oz. Image: Essie

Essie Nail Lacquer in the shade Sweater Weather is an intense mossy green nail polish. The gold shimmer in it adds an autumn twist to your look. This metallic nail polish offers flawless coverage. It comes with an easy-to-glide brush for quick and even application.

Color: Sweater Weather | Product Dimensions: 1.14 x 1.14 x 2.7 inches | Weight: 1.6 Ounces.


10.Best Flawless Coverage:Essie Nail Polish – License To Thrill

4.5

License to thrill is a beautiful deep cobalt blue vegan red undertone nail polish with a creme finish. This offers flawless coverage and a shiny look to your nails. It has a salon-quality brush applicator that is ideal for all nail shapes and sizes. It is highly durable because of its chip-resistant formula. Reviewers online mentioned that this gorgeous nail color will flatter almost all skin tones. Furthermore, it has an 8-free formula.


protip_icon Trivia
Essie Weingarten created this sheer pink shade exclusively for Mademoiselle magazine. She also revealed that it was her husband’s favorite color.

11.Best Creme Finish:Essie Nail Polish – Cute As A Button

4.5

Cute As A Button is a pretty peach-pink shade with a creme finish. This coral nail color adds an air of innocence to your look instantly. It offers streak-free coverage along with a chip-resistant formula. It requires two coats to reach full opacity. This is a great dailywear nail polish for those chilly fall months.

Color: Cute As A Button | Product Dimensions: 1.15 x 1.05 x 2.6 inches | Weight: 1.9 Ounces.

12.Best Long Lasting:Essie Nail Polish – Mint Candy Apple

4.4
essie Nail Polish Glossy Shine Finish mint candy apple 0.46 fl oz GREENS mint candy apple Image: Essie
Now 31% Off

Essie Nail Polish in the shade Mint Candy Apple reminds you of ice cream. It is the perfect nail color for any season, but especially spring. This mint green nail polish offers a glossy shine and provides flawless coverage. The chip-resistant formula of this nail color delivers long-lasting wear and is formulated without DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde. It is suitable for all skin tones.

Color: 30 mint candy apple | Product Dimensions: 1.14 x 1.14 x 2.7 inches | Weight: 1.59 Ounces

Why We Think It's Worth Buying

The extensive 6,347 rave reviews on Amazon prove why we are vouching for this product.

13.Best For Light & Dark Skin:Essie Nail Polish – Winning Streak

4.6
essie Nail Polish, Glossy Shine Finish, Coat Couture, 0.46 fl. oz. Image: Essie

Winning Streak is a dark purple shade with a grayish undertone. It lasts up to 3-7 days without chipping. It dries quickly and comes with a fine brush for a precise manicure. It has a rich color payoff that offers a glossy shine finish. It does not require a UV lamp to dry. It is great for daily use during the winter. This dark nail polish requires two coats to build coverage and is perfect for both light and dark skin tones.

Color: Winning Streak | Product Dimensions: 1.14 x 1.14 x 2.7 inches | Weight: 1.82 Ounces.

14.Best Glossy Finish:Essie Nail Polish – Peach Daiquiri

4.5

Peach Daiquiri is a bright summer coral shade with a pink undertone. This refreshing nail color offers full coverage. It has a wide brush for quick, smooth, and easy application. This classic long-wear formula offers a glossy finish and is resistant to chipping. As per reviews, it looks amazing on all skin tones- both fair or deeper skin tones and is the perfect shade for a summer glow.

Color: Peach Daiquiri | Product Dimensions: 1.15 x 1 x 2.6 inches | Weight: 0.01 Ounces.

15.Best For All Outfits:Essie Remix Matte Finish Nail Polish – Ballet Sneakers

4.5

Essie Nail Polish in the shade Ballet Sneakers is a full-coverage pink nail polish with a matte finish. This baby pink shade with blue undertones is suitable for all outfits and occasions. It is a salon-quality formula that has a rich color payoff. It offers flawless coverage and outstanding durability. It comes with an easy-glide brush for quick and even application.

Color: Ballet Sneakers | Product Dimensions: 1.14 x 1.14 x 2.7 inches | Weight: 1.59 Ounces.
*The prices provided in this article are based on the latest available information. However, they may vary due to changes in pricing by the seller and/or promotional offers.

Infographic: Why Should You Choose Essie Nail Colors?

Choosing Essie nail colors allows you to achieve the ideal balance of quality, variety, and style. What distinguishes Essie is its vast and ever-changing palette, which effortlessly captures both timeless classics and contemporary trends. The brand has a comprehensive range to meet your needs, whether you’re a nail artist or a fan of at-home manicures. Check out the infographic below for some reasons why Essie nail colors are worth purchasing.

Why Should You Choose Essie Nail Colors? (infographic)

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Get the high-quality PDF version of this infographic.

Download Infographic in PDF version

The Bottom Line

Essie is the best nail polish brand that is known for its quality. This brand offers expertly crafted vibrant as well as pastel colors that look fab on your nails and complement any skin tone. Essie Nail Polish – Ballet Slippers is a great choice as its timeless pale pink shade exudes elegance and sophistication, while Essie Nail Lacquer- Marshmallow provides a chic white hue that is perfect for minimalistic looks or as a base for nail art. On the other hand, for a fun and vibrant touch, Essie Nail Polish- Cute As A Button’s coral-pink shade is great. These polishes match any outfit so they deserve a place in your beauty aisle. They do not require UV light to cure and can dry quickly. They provide full coverage and are chip-resistant; hence, they provide long-lasting wear. Make sure to apply a top coat after applying these polishes to make them last longer. However, some nail polishes may require a double coat based on the intensity of the color. Check out the product reviews to grab a few metallic or glitter nail polishes based on your preference, to match your outfits on various occasions and create beautiful nail art.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Essie so popular?

Essie is a popular nail polish brand because they have all kinds of light and dark shades that you can choose as per your preference. They are also affordable, long-lasting, chip-resistant, and available in great colors.

What colors of Essie nail polish are the most popular?

Ultra light pink, black, classic pink and a dewy shade of blue are the most popular Essie nail polish colors.

Does Essie follow the “8-free” formula?

Yes, Essie follows the “8-free” formula. It is free of formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, xylene, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, dibutylphthalate, triphenyl phosphate, and animal-derived ingredients.

Does Essie polish expire?

Yes, Essie nail polishes mostly expire after two years.

Should I shake my Essie nail polish prior to application?

Yes, shaking your Essie nail polish will keep the formula and consistency of the polish intact.

Why Trust StyleCraze?

The author, Baishali Bhattacharya, is a certified expert in various makeup techniques. Her passion and unending love for makeup propel her to try the various Essie nail polishes out there for her readers. Being a giant in the cosmetic industry, Essie is a brand that one must have in their collection. This carefully hand-picked list of the top Essie nail polishes offers a multitude of shades that are long-lasting and amazing.



Recommended Articles


Was this article helpful?
thumbsupthumbsdown
The following two tabs change content below.

Latest Articles