I haven’t bought any nail polish from Essie in a long time. Though they have terrific variety, I like so many of their shades, and their twisted bottles are so attractive, the formula breaks even as it sits on the shelf at CVS. I don’t want nail polish that looks like it’s old even before I get it home.
When I went into CVS to pick up a prescription, I took a quick spin around the empty store since I hadn’t been there in about a month. I had a $1 Extrabuck that I wanted to spend before it expired as well as a 32% off coupon. There really wasn’t anything that I was looking for at the drugstore except for a Milani liquid blush (I think it’s liquid) that I wanted to try, but Milani lost their display at my local CVS. I glanced at the huge Essie display, and I noticed a different shaped bottle on the display, tall-ish and thinner. A new or new-to-me Expressie, a quick dry polish. And good news, none of the bottles showed broken formulas!
I chose my standard neutral shade, a pink-mauve that seems to have a little silvery shimmer in the bottle, but it doesn’t really read as true shimmer on my nails. It looks like a cream. I wonder if the shimmery particles are what gives it the shine. The shade I chose is called Trend & Snap, #30.
I like the brush: it’s wide-ish with the bristles rounded along the bottom.
The shape of the brush makes application easy and quick with either hand. (I’m afraid that since my eye surgery that made me far-sighted, my application skills are even worse. Oh well.)
The formula is relatively thin. The first coat is somewhat sheer, but the second coat brings it to full opacity. They aren’t kidding about quick dry. I think the polish dried in about a minute. Yes, a minute. I applied the polish, and when I checked it, it was absolutely dry. Since I like to do my nails before I go to bed, quick dry is a real boon.
I applied Expressie on top of Morgan Taylor REACT Base Coat, and I added Glisten & Glow Top Coat to finish it off, just because that’s what I usually do. However, I have since learned that neither base coat nor top coat are necessary. Next time, I’ll try it as the one-step it is meant to be. Nevertheless, I applied Expressie with base and top coats 5 days ago, and so far, so good: no chips! I haven’t been doing a lot of digging in the garden, so that helps, but I am still impressed.
Expressie comes in 40 shades. The bottle holds 0.33 oz. and it is priced around $9 depending on where you shop. It’s available at CVS, Walgreens, Target, Ulta, and Amazon. I definitely plan to pick up some more shades.
Ingredients: BUTYL ACETATE, ETHYL ACETATE, NITROCELLULOSE, ADIPIC ACID/NEOPENTYL GLYCOL/TRIMELLITIC ANHYDRIDE COPOLYMER, ACETYL TRIBUTYL CITRATE, ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL, STEARALKONIUM BENTONITE, STYRENE/ACRYLATES COPOLYMER, ACRYLATES COPOLYMER, SILICA, DIACETONE ALCOHOL, OCTOCRYLENE, n-BUTYL ALCOHOL, HEXANAL, SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE, LITHOTHAMNIUM CALCARUM EXTRACT / LITHOTHAMNION CALCAREUM EXTRACT, CALCIUM SODIUM BOROSILICATE, PHOSPHORIC ACID, DIMETHICONE, MANNITOL, COLOPHONIUM / ROSIN / COLOPHANE, TRIMETHYLSILOXYSILICATE, DIATOMACEOUS EARTH, BARIUM SULFATE, TIN OXIDE, ZINC SULFATE, MAY CONTAIN / PEUT CONTENIR CI 77891 / TITANIUM DIOXIDE, CI 77491, CI 77492 / IRON OXIDES, MICA, CI 77266 / BLACK 2, CI 77742 / MANGANESE VIOLET, CI 19140 / YELLOW 5 LAKE, CI 15850 / RED 6 LAKE, CI 15880 / RED 34 LAKE, CI 77510 / FERRIC AMMONIUM FERROCYANIDE, CI 12085 / RED 36, CI 73360 / RED 30, CI 15850 / RED 7 LAKE
I love that shade on you, Allison!
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I like Expressie for a “I need a quick mani stat!” And picked some up when they first launched! I like the colors they have it in!
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I like quick-dry nail polish because I am very impatient, lol. I am the opposite, I bought several nail polishes while on lockdown. I like this neutral shade.
If I do my nails myself I need quick dry since I ruin my nails instantly. My manicurist is now sold on Essie’s gel polish and uses that topcoat me all the time.
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Is it just me or the brush titled a little sideways (not the stick the brush is attached to but the brush itself)? I ask because I sat here for a good five minutes tilting my head different ways to figure it out LOL. I really really REALLY want to try this formula but would you believe in multiple drugstores and Targets near me in California I can’t find this formula at all. I can find the original Essie formula in the short square bottles and the formula in the twisty bottle but not this one. I thought when I moved from the boonies in South Carolina to the city in California I would no longer have this problem >.<
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You are so smart, Cassie. I think that the brush head is supposed to move somewhat to accommodate which hand you’re working on – there was something on the display about that. I forgot all about it because it’s so subtle, but it does move slightly. I need to amend my post! I hope you can eventually find the Expressie formula because it is definitely worth trying. I am on day 6, and no chips.
I love a fast drying polish. I have no patience to sit there and wait. I usually mess up my nails during that waiting period! haha. I’ll have to see if these are around my area
I’m on day 6 and still no chips, Claudia. I was so impressed with how fast Expressie dried. I’m going to pickup another shade when I go to CVS next time.
That looks like a good shade for you!
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