Essie • Sole Mate • Polishes

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*TOP REVIEWER* fpih on 3/13/2013 2:46:00 AM more reviews by fpih

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

Deep Reds and Burgundies are my favorite nail colors for fall/winter every year so I own a fair collection. I love the plum undertones that Sole Mate has and make it distinct to the other deep reds I own. I also like the fact that it lasts for 3-4 days at least (with topcoat) with no chipping on the ends like China Glaze does.

What I don't like at all is how streaky it is and how small the brush is, making it difficult to apply evenly. The first coat is transparent and blotchy. The second coat almost gets the job done, but not completely. It probably needs 3 coats to make it perfect, but with 3 coats the color is so dark, it's seems close to black when indoors and that's not what I'm looking for. However, I usually apply a 3rd coat by the fourth-fifth day when it starts to fade/chip a little so that I can keep it a couple days more, but I honestly don't like it at that stage and if I'm not too bored, I prefer to take it off and paint my nails anew. And since it's so streaky, it takes a lot of time and attention to detail to paint them in the first place if you want to do a good, clean job. In fact, it's such a bother, that I rarely use it two times in a row.


All in all, a very nice color but made cumbersome to use by its streaky nature. If only the brush was like OPI's, it'd gain 2 more stars from me. As it is, I won't repurchase when it's finished. Oh, and 1 year after I got it, it still needs no thinning; I guess that's a plus.

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candied on 2/13/2013 11:41:00 AM more reviews by candied

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Gorgeous deep, dark, blackened plum-burgundy color. Sole Mate applies beautifully -- it's horribly streaky with the first coat, but as a review says below, it magically evens out with the second coat to a gorgeous, even, opaque coat of color. I've had issues with streaky Essies in the past (even with 3 coats!), and Sole Mate is not one of them. Applies beautifully, and with Orly Bonder BC and SH Hard as Nails TC, it lasts me a work week before I start to get significant chipping.

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*TOP REVIEWER* AllAboutMe83 on 12/2/2012 12:01:00 AM more reviews by AllAboutMe83

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight   Eyes: Green    

Sole Mate is a deep plummy/eggplant like color, I purchased it basically knowing I will never wear it, it was purchased just to add to my nail polish collection and if a friend comes over and likes it she sure can borrow it.........lol
Sole Mate is a nice color but it's not my cup of tea.
I prefer Swing Velvet which is really flattering on my fair/cool skintone, and the color is a beautiful shiny berry/plum that applies like a charm.

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Jollywa on 11/12/2012 1:28:00 AM more reviews by Jollywa

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I love the color. But it is a bear to apply. Like most Essie polish, 1st coat goes on streaky. I waited 5 minutes, then applies the 2nd coat and it went blotchy, so blotchy that I was not sure that even a 3rd coat would salvage it. Also, I nicked a cuticle and trying to correct it only led to 'bleeding' of the color further into the cuticle. It was horrible.

I have not seen any comments about the bleeding aspect. And I sure don't understand the comments that say it was opaque in 1 coat. It was not opaque for me, even after 2 coats.

I removed the entire paint job and settled for "Don't Sweater It" instead.
If anyone has any tips on how to get a nice paint job with this polish, I sure would appreciate it. Also, how to handle the bleeding.

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jesgot57 on 11/8/2012 12:51:00 AM more reviews by jesgot57

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

Overall, I like the nail polish. Not a color I would rush out and re-purchase if I lost it or ran out, but I do find myself using it every once in awhile.

The application is annoying for me. I love the color the polish gives off on the frst coat, but I find it is too streaky to leave with just one coat. And after the second coat, the color becomes the dark color you see in the bottle.

To me and on my skin tone, the color looks to be a deep maroon/brown color. I will only be using this color in the fall.

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*TOP REVIEWER* cheeky on 9/16/2012 5:29:00 PM more reviews by cheeky

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

another great essie polish, you only need one coat of this and it's opaque. it's not exactly my taste (too dark) but it's a gorgeous color. I'll probably give it to my sister, because it's not for me, but this looks beautiful on, it's maroon with a hint of purple.

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ace2o4 on 8/11/2012 3:57:00 PM more reviews by ace2o4

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I love Essie, don't get me wrong, and I REALLY wanted to love this color, but it's very deceiving. I have a decent Essie collection and I'm always looking to add new colors to it. I always check makeupalley to see what others think before I buy. Soul mate had great reviews and the color looks great in the bottle, but I was deeply disappointed with the application and the wear.

I don't like jelly polishes as they take too many coats to apply and you can almost always still see the natural white line at the tip of my nails. Soul mate looked mostly opaque in the bottle so I was hoping it would be a 2-coater at the very most. It took me 3 coats to reach opacity (I don't understand all these reviews that say one coat was opaque!!). Yes, it's a dark color, but dark does NOT equal opaque. Even with 3 coats I could still see some faint streaks, but I was not about to apply a 4th (I knew it would chip and peel like crazy).

Overall, a great color in the bottle, but even 3 coats left me wanting more. I still love Essie and will continue to use their products, but this reminds me that bottles are deceiving. I'll just have to try a similar color that gives me the coverage I desire.

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MelissaMH on 7/9/2012 6:44:00 AM more reviews by MelissaMH

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

Remarkable. Sole Mate is exactly as essie describes it: a creamy, rich, deep dark plum. One coat is deep and opaque, but two coats give that vampish, deep plum color I was looking for. In the type of work I do I really can't wear it on my hands, but I wear it on my toes a lot. Berry Hard is my favorite essie color, but Sole Mate is a very close runner-up. If you're an essie fan and you don't own this color, well, you should!

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thepickledegg on 1/20/2012 10:38:00 PM more reviews by thepickledegg

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I am obsessed with dark purple nail polish (as purple is my favorite colour). This is my favorite one. It is a unique colour. As Essie can be hard to find I have tried to find substitutes but unfortunately no other company seems to make this rich dark reddy-purple. I have gone through multiple bottles of it. I find the formula a tiny bit sticky, but I am used to it. However, putting it in the freezer for a minute or two makes a world of difference. As with all Essie nail polish, the first coat goes on streaky but the second coat smooths everything over perfectly. The nail polish is extremely shiny and opaque with 2 coats. Wear time is very good. With top and base coat, I can wear it for about 3 days without any signs of wear. Usually my polish starts to fade and chip after a day and a half as I use my hands a lot. Also, I find Wal-Mart carries Essie nail polish significantly cheaper than at other drugstores I have visited.

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kutoto on 12/30/2011 5:35:00 PM more reviews by kutoto

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

I have 30+ more bottles of nail polish from various brands; department store and drug store brands. This is the first nail polish I write a review on. Sole Mate is the ONLY nail polish that whenever I am out with it I get compliments all day: At the cashiers, in the elevator (when I press the elevator buttons people notice my nail polish LOL) I can only say THIS IS CRAZY. Even my boyfriend who does not care notices this color and he said it's nice too! Just go buy this!!

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mzebra on 12/9/2011 4:01:00 PM more reviews by mzebra

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

This polish is really starting to grow on me. After my first coat of application I was convinced that me and Sole Mate were going to be arch enemies. It was so streaky for a dark color. But low and behold, everything changed with the 2nd coat. The polish was opaque. I also have Masquerade Belle in my stash which looks pretty similar bottlewise. But from what I've seen Sole Mate is much more plummy and far less of a beast to work with then Masquerade. I layered Shine of the Times with this. I am obsessed with the way that this looks. It's quite possible that this eye-catching combo is my best looking manicure yet.

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*TOP REVIEWER* stls on 11/30/2011 3:12:00 PM more reviews by stls

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I love the color, it's blackened burgundy with a hint of purple, reminds me of black cherries someway. It's dark but not gothic and I like the glossy finish too. Downfalls: the first (and sometimes even the second) coat is always too streaky. It also chips very quickly unfortunately...

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russetandvermilion on 8/21/2011 6:19:00 PM more reviews by russetandvermilion

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Hazel    

A gorgeous vamp color..i love Chanel vamp but this is darker. This goes on and doesn't chip. I love it on my toes as well. I would say this is a true dark plummy brown shade. I love Essie polish!

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*TOP REVIEWER* dolce_1127 on 11/7/2009 5:28:00 PM more reviews by dolce_1127

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair, Warm   Hair: Black, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

A very amazing combination for burgundy and purple. I don't know how they do it! But this is a redish plumy polish with one coat, and dark red in door dark purple out door polish with 2 coats. This is really amazing I can't rave enough about the colour, perfect for fall! I like Essie nail polishes more than OPI because they chip WAY less, I can put 2 coats on and it will last me more than 3 days, but keep in mind I play the piano everyday so my nail chips usually within 5 hours after I put on polish. OPI will survive 1 day without chipping, and Essie will go on for more than 3 days. I find them more hardening than OPI. I am sure if I don't play the piano, Essie will last me way over a week. I don't like Essie's brush, it is very thin, while it is easier for me to get into the corner, it gives a streaky application. BUT luckily the second coat will sort things out and give the perfect finish.

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*TOP REVIEWER* VVV on 11/3/2009 10:18:00 PM more reviews by VVV

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Essie's Sole Mate is one of my favorite vampy shades. It is an extremely dark, blackened purple with plum & violet undertones, the color of an eggplant in warm sun. Sole Mate has a glossy cream finish that glistens with the rich tones of this shade. I do two coats of this color and it's perfectly opaque. This is one of my go-to polishes when I want a sexy look. I love the contrast of this deep dark color against my fair skin and also how perfectly the purple shade works with my neutral undertones. Definite repurchase & highly recommend! ♥

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justelle on 10/8/2009 6:49:00 PM more reviews by justelle

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Other    

First coat went on a little streaky, but after 2nd looks gorgeous on my toes. Great fall color. Deep, deep purple/burgundy.

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*TOP REVIEWER* LNSklnjr on 2/12/2009 7:42:00 PM more reviews by LNSklnjr

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I just got this as my free item from Ulta. I picked the color quickly, so I was excited to see all the good reviews it had here. I just painted my nails with it and YUCK! I must have gotten a bad batch, this is so gooey - like, end-of-the-bottle gooey. I am going to try to get that thinning product to fix it. I dont understand what happened, this is like 7th or so Essie polish (all very dark, vampy colors) I have purchased and this has never happened. I had to apply it so quickly because it was so streaky, it looks like a 5th grader did my nails. The color is very pretty, so I cannot be upset with the shade and I would repurchase Essie as it is one of my favs. I am going to call this one a fluke...If anyone has any suggestions, they are welcome

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Kavila1 on 10/14/2008 11:22:00 PM more reviews by Kavila1

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this color! An ultra dark shade of purple is great ALL year around. My best girlfriend who usually dislikes dark colors bought it for herself once she saw it on me. It's so classic, I'll never get sick if it.

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*TOP REVIEWER* circe1202 on 9/26/2008 4:18:00 PM more reviews by circe1202

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

Until recently, I was always a "Ballet Slippers" kind of girl, going for the classic, sophisticated pale shade on short squared nails, both for hands and feet. One day, I decided to "take the plunge" and go for for a dark shade, looking for the "vampy yet sophisticated" look. Sole Mate is just perfect, and has gotten me out of my pale nail rut! It's a chic burgundy shade, but instead of the wine undertones in many similar shades, Sole Mate has this fantastic purple undertone. It looks fantastic with anything you would wear-- like a dark neutral, IMO. I like it year-round, but it definitely makes a fabulous fall/winter shade! It only takes two coats to get the color in the bottle, which is great. I have very pale, neutral toned skin (lighter than NC/W 15), and I like the contrast between myself and the polish, though it doesn't look goth or anything. The wear is pretty good (about 3-4 days) until a chip typically appears (YMMV). I take my own bottle with me now to the nail salon, that's how much I love it! Give this a try! Will definitely repurchase.

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karolcia on 8/23/2008 2:44:00 PM more reviews by karolcia

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

very pretty dark purple! looks awsome on short nails.... spring and winter color. thumbs up!!

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