Manicure Monday: Essie Expressie in Desk Mani

Disclaimer: The product mentioned in this post is bought with my money. I am not affiliated with the company nor getting paid to advertise the product. This post is written with my honest opinion.

This month, June 2020, I made a purchase from ULTA.

Here's what I got. For this post, I will review the product on the right from Essie.

Product Review: Essie Expressie in #140 Desk Mani

Where to purchase: ULTA and online at essie.com
Price: $9 for 0.33 fl oz/ 10 mL

Made in USA

Description from the website:
* expressie, by essie, is our quick dry on-the-fly nail polish
* one-step color and shine formula dries in about a minute so you can grab, apply and dry on the fly
* our first ever angled brush for easy self-application with both hands, including your non-dominant hand
* expressie is an 8-free, vegan formula, formulated without the following ingredients: toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, dibutyl phthalate, xylene, triphenyl phosphate and no animal-derived ingredients
* express yourself with a range of unconventional fast drying nail polish colors
Ingredients:
butul 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 cl 77891 / titanium dioxide, cl 77491, cl 77492 / iron oxides, mica, cl 77266 / black 2, cl 77742 / manganese violet, cl 19140 / yellow 5 lake, cl 15850 / red 6 lake, cl 15880 / red 34 lake, cl 77510 / ferric ammonium ferrocyanide, cl 12085 / red 36, cl 73360 / red 30, cl 15850 / red 7 lake
Thoughts: When I first heard about this product, the reviews were real good. For this reason, I wanted to try it.

Here's a closer look at the color. The website describes it as "peachy beige." I don't know if I totally agree but it is pretty close.

Here's a closer look at the brush. Compared to OPI, the width is slightly wider. The length, on the other hand, it slightly shorter.

I applied OPI Nail Envy in Original, two coats of Essie in Desk Mani, and topped all the nails with Essie Good To Go Top Coat.

Now for my overall opinion... First of all, I love the brush. It's wide enough to do three strokes and move onto the next nail. Not only that, the curve tip makes it easy to paint around the cuticles and sides. I wasn't expecting that especially since I got a bad batch. If you look at the picture of the brush, it's slanted. Even though it's slanted, it did not affect the painting. Secondly, I like the packaging. It's definitely different from the normal line. It's thinner and longer. With that said, it's well-made and sturdy. It's made out of thick glass. The top is also sturdy. I can feel a tight seal when I open and close. I cannot see it open or break unless you are rough with the packaging. For this reason, it's travel-friendly. It's easy to throw in your purse, bag, and even your pocket. It's also easy to hold with one hand. Third, the consistency is creamy and on the medium. It's not too thick that it's hard to apply. It's also not thin that it runs while painting. It's a good consistency and you can take your time with painting. It will not get thick with usage. With that said, it's easy to use. It goes on smoothly, and there are no streaking and bubbles. Fourth,  the color is pretty. It's a warm coral color. I think it will be great for fall and winter season. Pigmentation-wise it's up there. Two coats were good enough for my skin tone. Lastly, I'm pretty impressed. I saw shrinkage on the fifth day. It's so slight that it doesn't even look like it. I only noticed for review purposes. There's no chipping whatsoever. I don't know if it's because I applied top coat versus no top coat. Since it's a fast drying nail polish, you don't need a base and top coat. You only need the nail polish. Having weak nails, I had to apply the nail strengthener. I applied the nail polish after the strengthener dried. I waited couple minutes and the polish did not completely dry. For that reason, I applied top coat so it would dry faster. The next time I need to try without the strengthener and top coat to see the difference. For what it is, I highly recommend!

Pros:
* Wide brush with a curve tip.
* Well-made and sturdy packaging.
* Sturdy top; can feel a tight seal when you open and close.
* Travel-friendly.
* Easy to hold with one hand.
* Creamy and medium consistency.
* Does not get thick with usage.
* Easy to use.
* Goes on smoothly.
* No streaking.
* No bubbles.
* Great for fall and winter season.
* Pigmented.
* Slight shrinkage on the fifth day.
* No chipping whatsoever.

Cons:
* Slanted brush.

Would repurchase: Yes.
Rating:  5/5 Tobey's Paws


Other Essie polishes reviewed/swatch:

Blanc
Chills & Thrills
Chinchilly
Comfy In Cashmere
First Timer

Gel Couture
Turn 'N' Pose

Nail Treatment
Good To Go Top Coat

Disclaimer: The product mentioned in this post is bought with my money. I am not affiliated with the company nor getting paid to advertise the product. This post is written with my honest opinion.