The complete guide to the most popular Essie nail polish colors from Lady Like to Ballet Slippers and Forever Yummy – best selling Essie shades for all skin tones!
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Following the huge Essie Nail Polish Swatch Fest post I published yesterday, I thought I’d keep going with my current, sticky obsession for Essie by telling you about its best selling colors.
It’s no secret, at this point, that Essie is one of my favorite drugstore nail polish brands, along with Nails Inc, Barry M, Douglas Collection, Maybelline, and, well…
Maybe a few more.
Since its launch in 1981, with iconic colors like Blanc, Essie offers an unbeatable formula, with anything from spring to fall nail polishes, playful names like ‘Wicked’, ‘Dance Til Dawn‘ or ‘Offbeat Chic’, and new collections several times a year.
Today, Essie boasts a lineup of 1,000 shades, in collection like Essie Original, Expressie, or the famous Gel Couture collection with its extra glossy finish.
12 Most Popular Essie Nail Polish Colors For All Skin Tones
Since I currently own something like 50 or 60 Essie nail polishes, and have worn them, tried them, and tested them for s long that I thought the time had come to tell you about the brand’s most popular colors.
Essie is indeed an icon in nail polish, and if their products are more affordable in the USA and online than in Europe and the UK, it’s still an international brand with smooth application, vibrant colors and chip-resistant formulas.
Whether you have fair skin, medium, olive, Asian or dark skin, these are all the most popular Essie nail polish colors – since I know them through and through, I will also tell you, in this guide, exactly why I think each is so iconic.
Popular Essie Nail Polish Colors: Ballet Slippers
an eternal manicurist and fashion stylist favorite, this classic pale pink nail polish is graced with a subtle, sheer finish.
Ballet Slippers is said to have been part of the first Essie core collection released in 1981 along with Blanc and other classic and nude nail polishes – this gorgeous pale pink is perfect to wear on the daily.
What makes Ballet Slippers interesting is that it’s one of the sheer Essie nail polishes; one coat or two, and you’re good to go.
A perfect color to use as a base for nail art designs and French manis, and great for nude nails when you’re going big on the eyes and lips (burgundy eyeliner with this one – top-notch!).
Read: 5 Pretty Drugstore Reddish Brown Nail Polish Colors
Popular Essie Nail Polish Colors: Blanc
brush on the perfect french manicure tip with ease. full coverage, pure snowy white nail polish creates an elegant, smooth line every time.
White nail polish is not the easiest to apply and it’s high-maintenance, but I love it – with Essie Blanc, three coats and you’re good to go.
I’ve used the Blanc nail polish a lot for nail art designs lately, using contrasting colors like Aruba Blue, Demure Vix, Bordeaux or Watermelon to create striking designs… And I love it!
It’s not only perfect for winter, but a great summer nail color when you’re tan, and mixes well with soft tones as well, like the soft gold Buy Me a Cameo or the baby blue Bikini So Teeny.
Read: 5 Gorgeous Light and Mint Green Nail Polishes
Popular Essie Nail Polish Colors: Forever Yummy
eternally gorgeous, positively delicious tango red nail polish is always ready for action. appetites will run wild in this hot red lacquer.
I may have mentioned quite a few of the red Essie nail polishes here in the past, with Too Too Hot and Russian Roulette being two of my first, but Forever Yummy definitely is a favorite of mine.
Neither too warm nor too cold-toned, Forever Yummy is the perfect red for elegant occasions and that femme fatale feel – great on its own, or mixed with darker colors for the fall and winter, like I did with my Vampy Gradient nail design some time ago.
Match the eyes with red eyeliner, top with some matte red eyeshadow and go warm nude on the lips (MAC Hug Me for instance or Cafe Mocha), or go for a classic black wing and a red lip – the possibilities are endless!
Read: 6 Drugstore Duochrome Blue Nail Polish Swatches
Popular Essie Nail Polish Colors: Off Tropic
conversations may wander, but never the eyes. this lush grove green nail polish keeps the focus right where it belongs: on you.
If you’re ever after gorgeous fall nail colors, Off Tropic, which was part of the first Essie polishes I got, is a gorgeous forest green that’s opaque in two to three coats, and simply stunning with white and gold in the winter season.
If you’re looking for other green nail polishes, maybe warmer, or lighter, check out the swatches I’ve already posted, which also include some Douglas Collection and Barry M polishes you might fall in love with.
Read: 4 Beautiful Hema Nail Polish Colors (Swatches)
Popular Essie Nail Polish Colors: Licorice
eternally cool. effortlessly chic. this beguiling jet black nail polish gives rockstar attitude with sophisticated style.
Now, with Licorice, it’s quite easy to understand why it’s one of the most popular Essie nail polish colors: black nail polish is always a vibe, in my opinion.
However, when you have such a dark color, it sometimes requires more than two or three coats; that’s not the case with the Licorice nail polish, which fully coats the nail in just two coats: stunning!
If you don’t want to follow through with the vampy vibe on the eyes/lips, go for a pink eyeliner or eyeshadow, or a striking blue eyeliner – they’re some of my favorites to wear on the daily no matter what nail polish I have on!
Read: 6 Beautiful Duochrome Pink Nail Polish Swatches
Popular Essie Nail Polish Colors: Mademoiselle
say bonjour to the most classic, grown-up pink. award-winning and eternally trendy, this sheer nail polish is beloved by all.
Mademoiselle and Ballet Slippers might often be compared and mistaken for one another, but if you’re looking for something a tad more baby pink than white-ish pink, Mademoiselle is, indeed the ‘grown-up pink’ you might be looking for.
There are plenty of other sheer pink nail polishes in the Essie collection, with Sugar Daddy, Vanity Fairest or Limo-Scene being other popular picks, but Mademoiselle has something quite special to it.
It’s a great color to use for French manicures, but also great with just two or three coats to make the color show up more and have a clean look on the daily.
Read: 10 Drugstore Purple Nail Polish Colors Perfect for Fall
Popular Essie Nail Polish Colors: Bikini So Teeny
daring meets darling in pretty yet provocative cornflower blue. this sparkling nail polish bares it all with a wink and a smile and no strings attached.
If you’re ever looking for really special spring Essie nail polishes, Bikini So Teeny, also a great color for summer nails, is a current favorite of mine; it’s indeed so cool-toned that it matches winter days to perfection as well.
This pale periwinkle blue polish is lighter than colors like You Do Blue or In Pursuit of Craftiness, perfect for warm skin tones to cool and neutral skin, and at its prettiest on tan skin tones.
Gorgeous with some bright matte yellow eyeshadow or a wash of similar light blue eyeshadow on the eyes and clear lipgloss on the lips!
Read: Glitter Pink Nails: Essie Birthday Girl Nail Polish Swatches
Popular Essie Nail Polish Colors: Watermelon
flirty & chic. make a fashion hit in deliciously refreshing juicy red nail polish. this beautiful, sweet, ripe color is always in season.
If Essie describes Watermelon as a juicy red, I was pretty surprised when I first swatched it and found it’s actually a bright raspberry nail polish – I don’t mind, raspberry and berry colors are some of my favorites in makeup!
Two coats with the Watermelon nail polish, and you’re good to go: it’s pigmented, easy to wear during warm days, and suits pretty much any skin tone – what’s not to love?
Paired with Blanc and bright coral polishes like Cute as a Button or Peach Daiquiri, it makes for a great staple for summer nail designs.
Read: Sheer Nails: Essie Allure Nail Polish Swatches
Popular Essie Nail Polish Colors: Marshmallow
sugary, soft and sweet. this color is totally irresistible. for french manicures, cloudy sheer white nail polish is confection perfection
If you like the Blanc nail polish but would like something a bit less white, Marshmallow is another one of the best selling Essie nail polish colors, and since it’s a bit more muted, a tad warmer-toned, it’s great for more nude French manis.
There’s not much difference between Blanc and Marshmallow, though.
Less than between Marshmallow and Ballet Slippers for instance, but enough that you can justify getting both for slightly variating manis.
Read: Plum Nails: Essie Ferris of Them All Nail Polish Swatches
Popular Essie Nail Polish Colors: Sugar Daddy
spoil yourself rotten with a sweet pink. this sheer nail polish is everything you’ve always wanted in a french mani.
One of the prettiest pink Essie nail polishes, Sugar Daddy is a soft pink that just looks so overly clean yet playful that I fell in love with its as soon as I received it in the mail a few months ago.
Along with Vanity Fairest, Sugar Daddy is a favorite of mine – it’s a sheer polish too, but where Vanity Fairest offers the slightest of sparkles in its formula, Sugar Daddy is completely lacquered.
Read: Comparison: Essie Playing Koi vs Row With the Flow Swatches
Popular Essie Nail Polish Colors: Angora Cardi
brush on this lush, deep dusty rose nail polish and you’ll never want to take it off. it’s one stylish sweater for every fashion season.
As soon as fall and winter come round and we feel like wearing deep teal, forest green and mauve nail polishes, it’s the time to sport Angora Cardi, a gorgeous deep dusty rose.
Oscillating between purple, brown and red with a slightly desaturated color, Angora Cardi is one of the most popular Essie nail polish colors all year round alongside shades like Clothing Optional, Lady Like, and Eternal Optimist.
Should you wish to find a more nude nail polish than Angora Cardi, Lady Like is a great pick, lighter with similar mauve undertones, and Clothing Optional will be perfect for those who would like a lighter mauve brown nail polish.
Or, if you’d like something a tad more purple, check out Island Hopping; Angora Cardi is often compared to it, and if they’re both great for fall and winter, they’re quite different.
Read: Comparison: Essie Lady Like vs Eternal Optimist Swatches
Popular Essie Nail Polish Colors: Lady Like
etiquette, posture, protocol. did we miss anything? oh, yes, this elegant soft mauve nail polish. this dainty color makes for a proper mani.
The last ultra-popular Essie color I have for you is Lady Like; I can’t even remember how many times I’ve mentioned this color in the past – it’s one of my go-to’s when I’m feeling lazy and want something low-maintenance.
Lady Like is great for every day wear whether you have fair skin or dark skin, and just enough of a desaturated mauve that even pale skin can wear it easily.
Wear it on its own or mix it with similar cool-toned shades for nail art designs; Blanc, Ballet Slippers, Licorice, Angora Cardi… There’s so much to create with it!
Read: 9 Gorgeous Revlon Ultra HD Snap Nail Polish Swatches
12 Most Popular Essie Nail Polish Colors For All Skin Tones
When it comes to nail polish, Essie truly is a brand for all, and if the 12 shades I’ve shown you today are indeed some of the best selling Essie nail polishes, there are well over 1,000 colors to play around with.
It’s more than just nail polish: it’s a statement of style and individuality, like the newly released, bold shades of the Punk at Heart collection, and timeless beauty, with elegant colors like Forever Yummy and Ballet Slippers.
All that’s left to do is pick your favorites and start creating!
Until next time!
Other Nails Inc Nail Polish
- 11 Best Nails Inc Nail Polish Colors (Swatches)
- Nails Inc Stars and Heart Nail Topper Swatches and Review
- Pink Duochrome Nails: Nails Inc Dream Dust Swatches
- Duochrome Nails: Nails Inc That Euphoria Life Swatches
Other Barry M Nail Polish
- 5 Nude Barry M Nail Polishes to Have in Your Stash
- 5 Blue Barry M Nail Polishes To Have in Your Stash
- Nude Nails: Barry M Sheer Strength Nail Polish Swatches
- Duochrome Nails: Barry M Glazed Sheer Nail Paint Swatches
- Sheer Pink Nails: Barry M Sheer Bliss Nail Polish Swatches
- White Nails: Barry M Cotton Nail Polish Swatches
- Mint Green Nails: Barry M Eucalyptus Nail Polish Swatches
- Teal Blue Nails: Barry M Berry Pie Nail Polish Swatches
- Electric Blue Nails: Barry M Blue Guava Nail Polish Swatches
Other Douglas Nail Polish
- Duochrome Nails: Douglas Collection Sea Witch Nail Polish Swatches
- Duochrome Nails: Douglas Collection Pink Triteia Nail Polish Swatches
- Duochrome Nails: Douglas Gleaming Plum Nail Polish Swatches
- Duochrome Nails: Douglas Collection Paranoid Blue Nail Polish Swatches
- Purple Nails: Douglas Singular Mocassin Nail Polish Swatches
- Berry Nails: Douglas Collection Power of Fushia Nail Polish Swatches
Other Kiko Nail Polish
- 8 Gorgeous Kiko Power Pro Nail Lacquer Swatches
- Duochrome Nails: Kiko Power Pro Nail Lacquer 20 Mermaid Pink Swatches
- Brown Nails: Kiko Power Pro Nail Lacquer 26 Reddish Mauve Swatches
- Metallic Nails: Kiko Power Pro Nail Lacquer 29 Silver Green Swatches
- Brown Nails: Kiko Power Pro Nail Lacquer 234 Toffee Charm Swatches
- Pink Nails: Kiko Power Pro Nail Lacquer 237 Glimmering Petal Pink Swatches
- Soft Purple Nails: Kiko Power Pro Nail Lacquer 238 Lilac Whisper Swatches
- Green Nails: Kiko Power Pro Nail Lacquer 239 Minty Frost Swatches
- Pastel Blue Nails: Kiko Power Pro Nail Lacquer 240 Kiss the Sky Swatches
Other Nail Designs
- Black Nails: Matte Florals ft Essence and Nails Inc
- Fall Nails: Split Purple Nails ft OPI Miami Beet
- Fall Nails: Gold & Matte Red Nails ft Essie A-List
- Fall Nails: Warm Skittle Mani ft Essie and Nails Inc
- Fall Nails: Berry and Brick French Mani With OPI Miami Beet
- Fall Nails: Muted Bubbles Ft. Essence Left Me on Red
- Beach Summer Nail Art: Essie Aruba Blue, Blanc + You Do Blue
Other Eye Makeup
- Duochrome Eyeliner: All Kaleidos Epiphany Glow Eyeliner Swatches
- 4 Beautiful Hema Perfect Eyeliner Swatches and Review
- 8 Drugstore Green Eyeliners That Are Waterproof and Long Lasting
- MAC Pigment Swatches: Melon, Golden Olive, Pink Pearl, Blue Brown
Other Makeup
- 7 Best Essence Makeup Products To Have in Your Stash
- 7 Lipgloss Shades For Dark Lips from Fenty to Juvia’s Place
- Drugstore Lipstick: Maybelline Superstay Vinyl Ink Swatches & Review
- Duochrome Lipgloss: Glisten Cosmetics Chroma Gloss Swatches
- Drugstore Makeup: Kiko Milano Smart Fusion Lip Liner Swatches
- Drugstore Gems: 13 Barry M Lip Liner Swatches (Inc. MAC Dupes)
- Fall Makeup: 7 Drugstore Lipgloss Combos For Fair to Dark Skin
- 7 Gorgeous Pink and Coral Summer Lipstick Shades
- 7 Beautiful Summer Lipgloss Shades For All Skin Tones
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Other MAC Makeup
- 14 Popular MAC Lip Liner Swatches + Possible Lipstick Combos
- 23 Gorgeous MAC MACximal Lipsticks For All Skin Tones
- 7 MAC Burgundy Lipsticks Perfect For Fall and Winter
- 9 Beautiful Fall MAC Lipsticks from Nude to Mauve
- 4 Beautiful MAC Lustreglass Lipstick Swatches
- 6 Popular MAC Powder Kiss Lipstick Swatches
- 4 Must-Have Matte MAC Lipstick Shades for a Statement Look
- Mauve Lips: MAC Twig Twist Swatch, Lip Combos, Comparison
- Mauve Lips: MAC Mehr Swatch, Lip Combos, Comparison
- Nude Lips: MAC Honeylove Swatch, Lip Combos, Comparison
- Nude Lips: MAC Viva Planet Swatch, Lip Combos, Comparison
- Nude Lips: MAC Velvet Teddy Swatch, Lip Combos, Comparison
- Nude Lips: MAC Thanks It’s MAC Swatch, Lip Combos, Comparison
Other Sol de Janeiro
- 8 Sol de Janeiro Body Mist Scents Ranked
- The Best Sol de Janeiro Products, From Body Mists to Skincare
- Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Kiss Lip Butter Review
- Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 71: Body Mist and Lip Butter Review
- Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 59: Body Mist and Delicia Drench Body Butter
- Fall Scents: Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 76 Body Mist Review
- Summer Scents: Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 48 Body Mist Review
- Summer Scents: Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 40 Body Mist Review