Essie • Allure • Polishes

Where To Buy?

Liliaceae2 on 4/18/2013 8:30:00 AM more reviews by Liliaceae2

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair, Cool   Hair: Red, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

Unlike most of people here on this website, I don't like crazy colors for my toe nails. I think feet should just look as clean and delicate as possible. That's why I normally wear sheer white-ish colors on my toes, and very rarely some medium-dark classic red. And Essie's "Allure" has now become my HG nail polish for toes! It's very glossy and sheer enough to look delicate, white enough to look clean and also quite self-levelling, which is why I think it was worth it' price, even if it's quite expensive here.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

galsunday on 4/3/2013 9:52:00 PM more reviews by galsunday

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Its very opaque on me but I like it... I also mix this with OPI Make Me Blush.. its oh sooo pretty, polished and classy...Allure is neutral with hints of pink... I got this after Kate M`s wedding but never bothered using it until now and it`s still as good as new ...it didnt dry up... yay!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* angekronaus on 10/8/2012 4:36:00 PM more reviews by angekronaus

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Medium   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I was looking for a whiter, more opaque finish & unfortunately the Essie swatches in store are a bit misleading in terms of the opaqueness. I do however like the cour as it does have a hint of warmth as opposed to pink. I think it's more sophisticated than a pink hue. This is my 2nd Essie ever & I was really hesitant due to the huge disappointment of the 1st purchase (haute as hello also reviewed here). I like the gloss finish of this colour!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

smanha on 6/18/2012 4:42:00 PM more reviews by smanha

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I'm a neutral nail polish person. The less dramatic, the better. And when I was in the market for a white polish, I went straight to Essie.
This polish is rather sheer. Not like Essie's Mademoiselle, though. Less sheer than that. 2 coats is perfect, but 3 isn't pushing it either.
The color is not a stark white at all. It is a creamy off-white. It gives my nails a very nice shine! It's not super noticeable-- it's more of a "your nails, but better" look. Very chic and professional and cute and ah! Love!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

lovinvanilla on 4/1/2012 4:44:00 AM more reviews by lovinvanilla

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This is a sheer white polish, which is exactly what I was looking for. I actually went out to buy Marshmallow, then I saw this and wondered what the difference was. I ended up choosing Allure over Marshmallow because it looked slightly warmer in the bottle and I am happy with my choice.


Two coats gives medium coverage, which was what I wanted. If you are looking for an opaque polish, go for Blanc instead. This looks fabulous under glitter polishes and really makes them pop. I used this under Essence Night in Vegas and Lippman Boom Boom Pow and I just couldn't stop staring at my nails. So gorgeous!


Application was smooth and even from the first coat. Allure has a jelly consistency. I really love the rounded Essie brush, it makes for very exact application. I currently own three Essie polishes and I am very happy with the consistency and finish of the formula, not goopy or streaky as others have mentioned. I would definitely buy Allure again, but I think I'll try Marshmallow first, just to see how the two compare.


EDIT: I have now managed to swatch Marshmallow at the store and I'm glad I got Allure in the end. Marshmallow is a lot more white and opaque than Allure, which has just the slightest ecru undertones.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Love4Tulips on 2/2/2012 9:38:00 PM more reviews by Love4Tulips

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I love Essie polishes! I usually go for deeper colors, but I needed to add a sheer/white color to my collection. I've purchased cheapie cream/ sheer colors to experiment with, and they all looked terrible on me. When I heard that Kate Middleton chose Essie Allure, I thought "what the heck...i'm an Essie Fan" so I bought a bottle. WOW....this color is amazing! It is my go-to polish when I want to look sophisticated.... or if I need to look sophisticated in a hurry and cannot apply multiple coats. One quality layer of Allure looks amazing and adds a professional-looking touch with minimal effort. I have also done up to 3 coats of this on my nails, and it looks amazing. I can wear it very sheer with 1 coat, or with a slightly more opaque look with 3 coats. This is an Awesome choice!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* hooplehead on 1/7/2012 8:42:00 PM more reviews by hooplehead

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Bought to wear under Lippmann's Stairway to Heaven, and it is a disappointment. The bottle color is lovely, but it takes way too many coats to get there. I usually wear this over Oui Madame when I want the color with a bit of opacity to it. I don't care if Kate Middleton wore it. If I'm going to the trouble of doing a manicure, I want to actually see a difference. Would not repurchase, the color payoff is just too slight.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

chaosgreeneyed on 11/11/2011 12:16:00 PM more reviews by chaosgreeneyed

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I'm very pale and this is my musthave nude. Shiny, very sheer and natural - and lasts for 5 days with absolutely no chips. But if you want color, you'll have to put on at least 3 coats.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* mtack on 9/4/2011 10:58:00 AM more reviews by mtack

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Perfect nude that goes very well with my light olive complexion. Usually for nudes I go either with Like Linen or Limosine, both from Essie. However, read that this was a classy nude so I tried. Love it! In the bottle looks plain white, but on my nails it shows a hint of pink. Try it.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Ayashii on 7/26/2011 4:22:00 PM more reviews by Ayashii

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Okay, I have to admit I bought this because of the royal wedding. Embarrassing? A little. HOWEVER, this colour is simply gorgeous on my nails! I saw this at the store and I had a lot of trouble deciding to buy a nude nail polish for $10. I have a few other Essie polishes and I adore them, so I went for it. I could not stop staring at my nails after I put this on. I'm a nail biter so I don't like drawing attention to my short nails. This made them look fantastic! I also went a full week without any chips. That has never happened before. 3 weeks later, the colour is still on my toes. (PS this makes you look great in sandals)

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

cheetah091 on 7/7/2011 10:18:00 PM more reviews by cheetah091

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I love this nail polish and I'm wearing it right now! It's a nude color and takes a few coats to be noticeable, but looks so nice on my hands especially with a slight tan. It makes my nails look so much better than when they are naked, even though I have been a nail biter and they aren't in the best shape.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

taylorspears on 6/16/2011 7:08:00 PM more reviews by taylorspears

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

If you don't want alot of color but don't want to go polishless this is for you. Very clean and sophisticated. Plus Kate Middleton wore this on her wedding day :)

8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

harmony7 on 6/16/2011 5:29:00 PM more reviews by harmony7

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Dark, Warm   Hair: Black, Relaxed, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

This was one of the first shades I bought from Essie. I like the sheer cream color and it adds a slight milkiness to my nails yet looks completely natural. Good for work and when I want a sheer look, but not pink.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Tina68 on 5/2/2011 12:01:00 PM more reviews by Tina68

Age: 36-43   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

My nails have been going through a bad patch for a few months now. Peeling and breaking and very brittle. Doesn't matter what I do, my nails don't improve. For this reason I stopped wearing dark polishes since they draw too much attention to my nails. And since I don't want to go polish free, I'm opting for a "your-nails-but-better" shade of polish. Allure would be that polish. Since it's very sheer, Allure just makes my nails and nail beds look healthy. It really is the perfect colour for polish that isn't there. The formula is slighty watery, but it was easy to work with and it went on evenly and smoothly. No streaking. It's easy and low-maintenance. Topped with Seche Vite I can go a week without having to change since tipwear or chips are only noticeable to me.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

al218 on 1/12/2011 7:13:00 PM more reviews by al218

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Hurray!! I am a recovering nail biter and the skin is a bit red around my nails. Anything too pink doesn't work, and anything too white doesn't work either. The manicurist recommended this and it is my new color. Clean and smart.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* ekym on 1/6/2010 11:59:00 AM more reviews by ekym

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

This color is a soft nude, not overly beige or pink, not too chalky or too warm. Like all Essie polishes, the formula is ice and thin, going on smoothly, drying quickly and lasting a long time (a week without noticeable chips or cracks). While the look of it was nice (I like that is was a crème formula, no shimmer or iridescence), I think I prefer pale pink (Essie’s Mademoiselle shade) over this. The pink gives a fresher, more sheer look that I just like better. I don’t know if nude polishes are right for me. But if you really love the look of nude over pink, try this.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* candyrivera on 11/13/2009 12:59:00 AM more reviews by candyrivera

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Medium, Neutral   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Other    

I really love this color. It's a natural sheer white that gives your nails a nice clean look. You can use this as and all over nail color or just for the tips, both are very nice. There's no streaking with this polish and lasts a good amount of time without chipping. I had it on for a week without a top coat and and no chipping. I'm so glad I found a nice neutral white that looks good and isn't to fake or streaky looking. I do need 2 to sometimes 3 coats when I put this on but that's pretty normal with sheer/natural colors.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* escebola on 9/14/2009 12:20:00 PM more reviews by escebola

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

It might be my skin tone, but this color doesn't really show up on me unless I pack on 3+ coats, in which case it's a really pale nude color (almost white). However, it does unify your natural nail tone and imparts the most beautiful glass-like shine: 2 coats give you that perfect polished look, a little bit more put together than just using plain top coat; very work appropriate.

It would also be a great color to use for a french manicure.

I give it 3 lippies because the color is a bit booooring and I don't reach for it that often (I prefer other polishes) but I'd def. repurchase if I ran out!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

dkgarber on 5/27/2009 11:57:00 AM more reviews by dkgarber

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I am glad I gave his color a try (based on reviews here) because my first Essie was Spaghetti Strap which is HORRIBLE-thick, gooey and streaky.

Allure, however is WONDERFUL. Very sheer, absolulte flawless finish and is a nice ivory w/only a tad pink to it. I always wear pale pinks and wanted a more neutral shade. Its not a dull tan, but a nice, bright hue. It goes with the natural color of my nails perfectly.

Very natural looking. Love it!

6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* niclyf on 4/28/2009 9:40:00 PM more reviews by niclyf

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Essie Allure is absolulely beautiful, simple .. the perfect "nude" on my MMM skintone! While it's very sheer, this polish just makes my nails look perfect! 2-3 coats of Allure, and my nails looks elegant, sophsticated and just "fresh". It's a soft pale white/ivory that doesn't streak at all, and just looks so perfect! HUGE rave from me!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No