• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To MakeupMakeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
    • Advertising & Media
  • Categories
    • Product Reviews
    • Makeup
    • Skincare & Fragrance
    • Style & Fashion
    • Hair
    • Nails
    • Tips & Tutorials
    • Just for Fun
  • Brands
  • Store

It Costs 99 Cents to Colour & Go with Essence Quick Drying Nail Polish

June 23rd, 2011 by Karen 49 Comments

One day, after cleaning my room back when I was in elementary school, I asked my mom for an allowance and tried to justify it as compensation for a job well done. Her reply? “When someone starts paying me for making dinner and washing clothes, then you get an allowance.”

Oh, snap! Score one for Team Mom. 🙂

I still managed to scrape together a few bucks here and there, like the one my grandma gave me for being cute. “You’re so cute!” she said. “Here’s a dollar!”

I strutted around with that dollar in my pocket for days, like I was some kind of third-grade baller.

Yes, those formative years probably have something to do with why I love bargain beauty deals so much. My newest cheap thrill: the 99-cent Essence Colour & Go Nail Polishes.

They’re from the same drugstore line responsible for the kick-arse Stay With Me Longlasting Lipglosses, and they come in a bunch of different colors — 22, in fact — spread out among three finishes in shimmery, creamy and holographic.

The 0.16-oz. bottles are quite a bit smaller than regular nail polish bottles (which are typically 0.5 fluid ounces), but I’m fine with that. Heck, I can’t recall the last time I finished a regular bottle of polish, so the smaller size of these doesn’t bother me at all.


From the left: Wake Up, Mellow Yellow, Irreplaceable and You Belong to Me


From the left: Let’s Get Lost, Where Is The Party, Dress for a Moment


Swatches from the left: Wake Up, Mellow Yellow and You Belong To Me


Swatches from the left: Dress for a Moment, Let’s Get Lost and Mellow Yellow


Irreplaceable

I’ve been playing with seven of the shades, and the ones in the shimmer and holographic finishes are absolutely my faves. They require just two coats to reach full opacity and have a wonderful, smooth formula that really shines.

From my little experience with the creams, the darker ones appear to deliver, but the pastels apply thick, with streaks.

Essence refers to the entire line as fast, thanks to a flat brush and a quick-drying formula that they claim dries in mere seconds. According to my stopwatch, I don’t know about that. On average, layers take between 4-5 minutes to dry, which is actually pretty darn good. It may not live up to the claim…but they’re just 99 cents.

As for wear time, I’m seeing chips around the fourth day. I might be bugged a bit if these were $20 apiece, or maybe even $10, but for a price like this, I can let it go.

I think Essence has another winner on their hands (and ours), particularly for ladies who like to change their polish weekly, or more often than that.

PRICE: $0.99 each
AVAILABILITY: Available now at Ulta stores and also online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

If you need me, I’ll be at Lulu’s

HOLY WOW! I have to give it up to MBB reader Ana (thank you, Ana!) for introducing me to Lulus.com in the comments yesterday. I. AM. HOOKED!

It’s an online store with some really cute juniors stuff like clothes, accessories and shoes. Earlier today I asked the gals on Twitter what their customer service experiences have been like and got some great, positive feedback, too.

I decided to take the plunge and order this Marigold Strapless Dress.

The site has a wide selection of clothes with prices comparable to Macy’s and Nordstrom, and they also have a Super Sale section stocked with $15 items.

I’ve been going through a phase where I’ve been doing a lot of my clothes shopping online, not only because it’s quicker than going to the stores, but also because some of the websites make it so easy to find things on sale.

Do you ever buy clothing online, or do you stick mostly to stores?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

It Costs 99 Cents to Colour & Go with Essence Quick Drying Nail Polish / Originally published June 23rd, 2011

There are 49 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Nails, Product Reviews Keywords: essence

Previous Post: MAC Semi Precious Collection: Cremesheen Glass and Lipstick Swatches and Pictures
Next Post: The Bobbi Brown Tortoise Shell Collection Just Can’t Wait for Fall

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. polarbelle says

    June 23rd, 2011 at 9:50 pm

    ooooo, i want that where is the party….BAD!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 24th, 2011 at 9:19 am

      You gotta get your hands on it! Only 99 cents!

      Reply
  2. Emily says

    June 23rd, 2011 at 10:03 pm

    I love those little polishes! Too bad they are always out at my local Ulta. They have some really cool stuff on their website.

    littlebytesofbeauty.com
    Emily recently posted … Thrifty Thursdays

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 24th, 2011 at 9:19 am

      Hopefully you’ll be able to get your hands on a few bottles soon. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Jessi says

    June 23rd, 2011 at 10:20 pm

    Being both a nail polish and Essence fanatic you would think I would have the whole line of these polishes but I actually don’t have any! I’m not sure why. I need to remedy that situation!
    Jessi recently posted … Recent Purchases and An Upcoming Giveaway

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 24th, 2011 at 9:20 am

      You do! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Heidi says

    June 23rd, 2011 at 11:01 pm

    Oh, I’ve gotta go hunt for Irreplacable!

    I do some shopping online for clothing, usually for anything that’s knit, so I don’t have to worry as much about fit, unless it’s a website for a company I am already familiar with and know their sizing.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 24th, 2011 at 9:21 am

      I have that on my nails right now. 🙂

      Reply
  5. gio says

    June 23rd, 2011 at 11:03 pm

    Let’s get lost and where is the party are gorgeous!
    gio recently posted … QOTW- Do you try to get other people interested in makeup and skincare

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 24th, 2011 at 9:21 am

      Love those shades!

      Reply
  6. Britany B. says

    June 23rd, 2011 at 11:19 pm

    *Hugs Karen….just cause*

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 24th, 2011 at 9:22 am

      Hugs right back at ‘cha, Britany!

      Reply
  7. Eden-Avalon says

    June 23rd, 2011 at 11:21 pm

    Dress for a moment has to be my favorite shade from Essence. I’m so glad I dropped by ulta and was suggested this line, it’s a new favorite!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 24th, 2011 at 9:18 am

      They’ve got a lot of cute things! Have you tried their lipglosses yet? So great and affordable.

      Reply
  8. nidhi says

    June 24th, 2011 at 12:36 am

    Essence is a german brand.I like the price and quality of these

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 24th, 2011 at 9:18 am

      Yup, me too!

      Reply
  9. Ana says

    June 24th, 2011 at 1:19 am

    Where is The Party is actually a really good dupe for OPI’s Not Like The Movies (Katy Perry collection)… but less gray, a bit darker and more focus on the purple/green duochrome.

    I picked up that orange shade and a bright purple the other day. Yay for cheap indulgences to cheer you up when you’re not feeling so hot! 🙂

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 24th, 2011 at 9:18 am

      Good to know, Ana! Thanks for the heads up.

      Isn’t the orange shade fun? I can’t wait to wear it on my toes.

      Reply
  10. Marina says

    June 24th, 2011 at 3:22 am

    I actually really like these, have quite a few different colours.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 24th, 2011 at 9:16 am

      Hi Marina,

      Which colors are your faves?

      Reply
  11. Chris25 says

    June 24th, 2011 at 4:37 am

    There’s not a single Ulta in NYC! Can you believe it? It’s dreadful, absolutely dreadful…
    If I get a chance I may check these out on the website. I do like mini polishes. I wish OPI made more of them.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 24th, 2011 at 9:16 am

      Hi Chris,

      Do you live near a HEB or a Fred Meyer? They also sell the line in those places too.

      Reply
  12. Nina says

    June 24th, 2011 at 6:14 am

    i think ive ordered from lulu’s! 🙂

    those nailpolishes are cute — the yellow and the orange ones are my fave!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 24th, 2011 at 9:15 am

      Oh, definitely hook that orange up, girl! It’s one of the best shades I’ve tried from the batch.

      Reply
      • Nina says

        June 24th, 2011 at 9:57 am

        isnt it the perfect summer nailpolish? lovely!

        Reply
  13. Lulle says

    June 24th, 2011 at 6:14 am

    Love the deep purple shimmer! And the dress is amazing!
    Lulle recently posted … Aquamarine de Mavala – mes ongles en menthe au lait

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 24th, 2011 at 9:15 am

      I love the purple too. Should be super cute on toes.

      Reply
  14. Amber says

    June 24th, 2011 at 6:33 am

    I would definitely rock that pale yellow for 99 cents! Gotta find this brand in Houston.

    I love that dress! I am going to resist visiting that website…for at least an hour or two, anyway. 🙂
    Amber recently posted … Count the legs in this post

    Reply
    • Nina says

      June 24th, 2011 at 8:25 am

      they are at HEB! 🙂

      Reply
      • Karen says

        June 24th, 2011 at 9:09 am

        One of these days if I ever make it out to Texas we all should get together for drinks. We could talk cats and makeup!

        Reply
        • Nina says

          June 24th, 2011 at 9:57 am

          yay! pls come on over!

          Reply
    • Karen says

      June 24th, 2011 at 9:15 am

      Not to be your pusher, but they’ve got a great sale going on right now!

      Reply
  15. Taffy says

    June 24th, 2011 at 6:36 am

    Irreplaceable & Where Is The Party look great! Whoa is me that Ulta doesn’t ship to Toronto.
    Taffy recently posted … Jessicas Stark Naked Plus Additional Nudity

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 24th, 2011 at 9:15 am

      Aww, bummer. 🙁 Essence just got to the US so hopefully they’ll be making it up to Canada soon!

      Reply
  16. Kim says

    June 24th, 2011 at 8:15 am

    I’m not a big fan of creme polishes – they all seem to be a bit too thick for me. Where’s the Party has a really nice looking finish, and 99 cents is a total bargain!

    Your new dress is super-cute, too. I do almost all my shopping online. Partly because we live in the sticks and partly because I don’t really like the shopping experience (browsing, trying things on, etc). 🙂

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 24th, 2011 at 9:14 am

      I like that one… should be cute on toes or when you’re in the mood for a quick funky nail polish.

      Yeah, I think I’m turning more and more into an online shopper. It’s easy, fun and I can do it in my sweats/jammies. 😀

      Whatcha got planned for the weekend?

      Reply
      • Kim says

        June 24th, 2011 at 12:27 pm

        I totally agree (on the polish AND the online shopping). Everything comes right to your door! 🙂

        June is a super-busy month at work and home. The boys and I have haircuts after work tonight, then the Hubs and I are headed out for dinner with some out-of-town friends. Tomorrow, we’re off to 6 Flags with about 8 other families and their gaggles of young children. We all love rides, so it should be a good time!

        How about you guys? Anything shaking? How is the reading going?

        Reply
  17. Christine Iversen says

    June 24th, 2011 at 8:50 am

    Those nail polishes look amazing, haven’t tried these before 🙂

    Love Christine ♥

    Reply
  18. Rosemary says

    June 24th, 2011 at 9:18 am

    I absolutely love Essence polishes. Other makeup not so great, mascaras are decent. I actually have 3 of the colors featured and they are really opaque.

    Reply
  19. Marjolein says

    June 24th, 2011 at 9:58 am

    Oh wow I just found your website and I absolutely love it! I live in the Netherlands and we’ve had Essence in the shops here for a very long time, it’s a nice brand! Do you have Catrice too?

    Reply
  20. JaNelle says

    June 24th, 2011 at 11:45 am

    Im excited to head into Ulta and check these out along with the lip glosses you reviewed. For that price I’ll give them a whirl!

    Reply
  21. Trisha says

    June 24th, 2011 at 12:04 pm

    That yellow dress is awesome!!

    Also, I would totally try these nail polishes. $.99 is a steal.

    Reply
  22. Anh says

    June 24th, 2011 at 1:55 pm

    Ooh, I am definitely going to hunt down these polishes. I love Lulu’s!

    Reply
  23. Nicky Bromow says

    June 24th, 2011 at 3:29 pm

    I simply hate shopping, except for beauty products, so when it comes to clothing, there are two 14+ sizes stores in Montreal that I can go to so I shop online first to spot the clothes I’d like and then go to the store to try it on. Takes less time in store

    Reply
  24. Instant Karma says

    June 24th, 2011 at 3:56 pm

    Lulu’s does have some really cute stuff! These polishes look very pretty, but I am way too lazy about painting my nails to buy something that chips that quickly.

    My MAC order arrived today! I’m thinking I’ll put EvRev over some red lipstick next time I go out (although, that may not be until a few days from now because my voice is totally gone — I croak when I try to talk). I have yet to use Pro Longwear, but I swatched it on my hand and I think the color I ordered will work :).

    Reply
  25. Bridget says

    June 24th, 2011 at 9:14 pm

    I just picked up a ton of colors of these 99 cent-ers from Ulta. Put together a very cute graduation giftbag and included them. Of course I HAD to keep several for myself. 😉 I’m actually pretty impressed so far with the wear!

    Reply
  26. Vnssa906 says

    June 25th, 2011 at 4:53 pm

    Gasp! I definitely have to go hunt these down. Mellow yellow seems awesome, as I’ve been looking for a yellow that’s mellow
    Ha!

    Reply
  27. Soo says

    June 25th, 2011 at 7:59 pm

    Where is the Party looks like such a fun color. can’t beat that dollar price. and I’m totally going to go check out Lulu’s now!

    Reply
  28. Dhini says

    June 26th, 2011 at 1:58 pm

    Lovely zomer color and the price..yes love it
    Dhini recently posted … 2011 P365 : Week 25

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

About Makeup and Beauty Blog

Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog
Hi there! I’m Karen, your friendly neighborhood beauty addict, and I’m a Bay Area girl who hoards brown eyeshadow and covets coral lipstick. Every morning, I wake up and say, “I’m going to do something other than a smoky eye today.” Then…I end up doing a smoky eye anyway (most days). When I’m not putting on makeup, taking pictures of makeup or writing about makeup, which I’ve been doing daily since 2007 (!), you’ll find me hanging out with my hubby (“El Hub”), my four-year-old daughter (Connor Claire) and my torbie girl cat (Pretty Girl Rosie, a.k.a. PGR).

SHOP THE STORE


Long Live Lipstick Tee 💄



Blush Is My Crush Tee



Mascara & Kitties Tee



Thank You For Being a Friend Tee



You Hair Me Tee


Recent Posts

duri nail polishes

Saturday Surfing, Jan. 16, 2021

cat lovers pad

5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

cerave healing ointment

It’s a CeraVe Jamboree! CeraVe Healing Ointment Soothes Dry, Cracked Skin

yay for berets

9 Reasons to Love Berets

urban decay stay naked threesome top

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Urban Decay Stay Naked Threesome in Naked

Social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Featured Posts

Lady Unicorn

Weird Things I Like to Do

brows fill out beforehand

Before You Pluck or Wax Your Brows, You Must Do This

current bare skin status

What’s One Thing That Drastically Changed Your Skin for the Better?

red brown smokey eyes tutorial top pic 2

A Glamorously Grungy Makeup Tutorial: Smoky Reddish Brown Eyes and Vampy Matte Lips [MODERATE SKILL LEVEL]

Copyright © 2020 Makeup and Beauty Blog. Get in touch.