I headed into Wilko's the other day for some plant pots and plant feed and walked out with these new essence polishes as well (as you do). It appears Essence stopped their "Shine Last & Go" range (a quick dry "gel-look" formula) a year ago to this "gel nail colour" formula with a few new shades. Do not be fooled though, it's the exact same formula just with a re-brand.
I saw these 5 and together they look like a pinterest room palette; perfect spring/summer shades for monstera/leafy looks.
05 Sugar Blush (formerly 05 Sweet as Candy) // Sheer Pink Nude Creme
Coats: 2
First up is a nice sheer polish. It does have some streaks which isn't ideal for a sheer but they're not all that noticeable. I think this would work well as a rose quartz polish. For a sheer it is quite pigmented and after 2 coats, you'll have a nice off-white/pink hue to your nails. I liked this paired with Barry M's plumpy top coat for proper gel-looking nails.
04 Bubble Trouble (formerly 04 Millennial Pink) // Light Peony Pink Creme
Coats: 2
Next we have this pastel pink creme. Another streaky formula that doesn't quite self-level leaving an un-even finish, even after 2 coats.
40 Isn't She Minty?! // Light Pistachio Green Creme
Coats: 2
One of my favourites in the bunch; this goes super well with bubble trouble! The formula on this one was ever-so-slightly better but still gloopy and difficult to manipulate. I also noticed some cracking as it dried. If you love this colour than I'd recommend Wild Mint by Barry M. It's slightly lighter but has the amazing Gelly Hi-Shine formula.
19 Don't Leaf Me // Dark Teal Creme
Coats: 1
This one recommends a base coat on the bottle; I imagine due to horrific staining as it's a beautiful teal shade. This is an exact dupe for both Essie Stripes & Sails and OPI Teal Me More, Teal Me More. With both of those shades retailing at £7 or more, this is an extremely affordable alternative; even if the formula is terrible.
42 Swirl Pool // Sky Blue Creme
Coats: 2
I really like this shade; it will definitely cause staining though so double up on the base coat. This was the easiest to apply. It still had streaks but there was no cracking and minimal dragging.
// Overall Thoughts
The formula just isn't great as it drags and can be difficult to apply smoothly. For £1.80 each I can't really complain too much though. I'm still not a fan of the giant brush; it can cause too much polish to get on the nail resulting in a "thick" look. It's also an awkward shape with too many bristles at the edges causing polish to flood the cuticle area.
I don't think I would use these as base colours (apart from Sugar Blush) but as nail art and stamping polishes. They aren't opaque enough to be proper stamping shades but they do well enough and hold their shape when picked up.
It's really annoying because the entire range has some beautiful colours but I think I'd rather shell out a couple more pounds and buy Barry M...unless there is a sale on.
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