Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Essence's The Gel Nail Polish Swatches and Reviews: Play With My Mint and Va-Va-Voom

*press samples*


Hi guys! Tonight I have a brand I haven't shown on the blog in quite some time! Essence is a German cosmetics company which can be found at your local Ulta. If your Ulta is anything like mine, the Essence end cap is pretty picked over by the time I get the chance to look at it. I was given the chance to try out most of the polishes in their revamped "The Gel Nail Polish line" and I have 2 reviews to share with you tonight. Follow me after the break for more information and photos.






Essence Play With My Mint (2 coats)

Up first is Play With My Mint which is a mint green creme. I think mint green polishes look chic all year 'round (despite the fact that other pastel colors are released during the spring). I think the mint trend started with Essie's Mint Candy Apple, but I'm happy to report that Play With My Mint applies much better. I used 2 smooth coats for the photos above, and I didn't find the formula to be streaky at all (I'm looking at you Mint Candy Apple). 



Essence Va-Va-Voom (2 coats)

Essence calls Va-Va-Voom a "soft matt" color, but I'd call it more of a satin with a rubbery appearance. Va-Va-Voom is an orange-based red creme with a bit of pink. I think I would prefer this with either a shiny or a true matte finish. There's just something about this in-between type of finish that doesn't appeal to me. I also found it took longer to dry than most other matte polishes. I used 2 coats for the swatches above, and the formula was a little thick in a good way.

These retail for only $1.99 at Ulta stores or Ulta.com. They hold 0.27 fl oz of polish which I find fair for the price. Learn more about Essence Cosmetics on their Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter pages.

*These polishes were provided by the company or PR representative. All reviews are based solely on my opinion. For more information, please see my full disclosure at the bottom of the site*

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