Essie • Wicked • Polishes

Where To Buy?

bebemona on 2/25/2013 12:47:00 AM more reviews by bebemona

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Doesn't stay on longer than a day.

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Mntgrl on 2/24/2013 8:18:00 PM more reviews by Mntgrl

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I am so loving this color, it does look like a very dark red in the bottle, but on the nails it looks almost like a black cherry. Definitely looks darker on the nails than in the bottle....I'm pretty much Zoya girl and love the color Raven the most beautiful black ever....but I'm really loving this. Revised:
I have to say this stuff chips so bad...within a few days. I'm staying with my zoya love the brand.

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twestla on 2/22/2013 9:57:00 PM more reviews by twestla

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I am typing this as my nails dry! I normally prefer OPI or China Glaze to most Essie polishes. I have passed by this colour numerous times, thinking it was the standard "Vampy" colour. Then I lost my "Lincoln Park after Dark" and decided to pick this up today. It is GORGEOUS! Elegant, edgy, sexy and so GLOSSY! I feel like I just got a Shellac Manicure. It looks so professional. I think 2 coats would work on most, but I am not the best at application, so it took 3 coats for me. I was considering leaving it at 2 coats. I dont blame the formula, I blame the user. Those of you that are pros, would get glamourous results with 2 coats. Don't pass it by ladies, it's a classic.

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swatters on 1/23/2013 12:18:00 PM more reviews by swatters

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Olive   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I love this color. I describe it as deep eggplant!
Very close to OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark. I can't decide which one I like better. They're both beautiful!

The formula is a little thin, but I like to make several thin coats, so it works for me. Essie polishes always dry to such a shiny, smooth surface... they're my favorite.

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*TOP REVIEWER* aprilpinkbeauty on 1/14/2013 4:28:00 PM more reviews by aprilpinkbeauty

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

I got this as a present from a co worker. You can really never have enough dark vampy nail polishes and I wear them all year around as a mani and pedi. This is a very redish black that wears almost as a black on your nails (whereas in the bottle you can see the red tone). I kind of reminds me of "Lincoln Park After Dark" by OPI but more of a red instead of a purple...that also wears pretty black on the nails. I find the formula of this to be a little on the running side so you have to carefully work with it. The brush on Essie polishes are not my favorite - they are small and skinny (compared to OPI). After a base coat, 2 coats of Wicked, and a top coat this still chipped after 3 days. It isn't a bad nail polish but not my favorite. Its a very classic and looks great as a pedicure and manicure but if I want to wear something in the purple/red black family I'd probably choose "Lincoln Park After Dark" because the wear time is longer. I wouldn't repurchase this but will still wear it every now and then.

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Emily0816 on 1/9/2013 5:50:00 PM more reviews by Emily0816

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

I'm torn. I like the color and it looks great on pale skin. It doesn't bring out any ruddiness like pink or bright red polishes. I live in NYC and think it looks modern and sophisticated. My boyfriend, however, asked me why I was wearing black nail polish when I asked if he liked the color. I currently work remotely as an attorney, but probably wouldn't wear this to the office or in an important social setting (e.g. cocktail party) because of that misperception. I look at it and see a deep, lovely brownish red, but if other people are seeing black... Well, do you want to be the girl wearing black nail polish, as a woman in your 30s? In short, I would wear this to make myself happier when I look at my nails, but I don't think it makes me more attractive to anyone else (and it's a downright turn-off for my boyfriend). I may just wear it on my toes. :-(

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natnat200 on 1/6/2013 8:03:00 PM more reviews by natnat200

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Dark, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Kinky, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I'd been looking for a very deep red almost black shade of nail polish for a long time and I've found it with Wicked by Essie! It's an awesome color if you're looking for something dark and in season with winter. I used to be big on black nail polish in my teens and this it's very reminiscent of that dramatic, dark but sultry look :D

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carafaerian on 1/6/2013 6:27:00 PM more reviews by carafaerian

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I first caught a glimpse of this product when i had a manicure. In the bottle (or the lighting in the salon) made it look almost black? DON'T LET THAT THROW YOU OFF. This Essie polish is literally the best color i've had from their collection. It isn't as runny as my other colors, and the color payoff is amazing with even just one coat. The color is absolutely gorgeous, with one coat, it's a lighter burgundy. With two coats (which is honestly the most you'll need) it's a darker red wine color. You don't even need a top coat. The polish by itself is so shiny after it dried. I highly recommend this to anyone who's looking for a beautiful fall/winter color, and maybe you could even make this work for spring!

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*TOP REVIEWER* franzvonstuck on 1/2/2013 1:46:00 PM more reviews by franzvonstuck

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

Wicked was supposed to be my substitute for Chanel´s rouge noire or vamp. Chanel never performed well on my nails, so I switched to this colour.
Bad idea!
While the colour is very beautiful, a deep red with brown undertones, that appears almost black on my nails, the application is nothing short of a nightmare for me.
This colour streaks as hell when you apply the first layer, so you have to apply a second layer. The colour gets opaque at the second layer but still, the colour is not easy to apply and I´m not really a nail pro.
Such a shame, because it´s really close to Chanel´s rouge noire and such a classy edgy colour.
I own other colours from Essie, so I know that there are colours in the range, you better stay away from and other colours, that you can apply easily and streak-free.
If you´re patient and really good at applying nail polish, you probably don´t mind the messy application and just enjoy the pretty colour.
Now for me, that is a dealbreaker, because I just can´t get this colour evenly on my nails.
Wouldn´t buy this again.

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scribe9 on 11/19/2012 5:24:00 PM more reviews by scribe9

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Tan   Hair: Brown, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I have found my go to dark red vampy nail polish. I have to admit, I am goth/alternative, so I own an array of dark nail polish, but this by far looks the best against my brown skin. I've been trying to find this color for a long time. I have OPI's Midnight in Moscow, which has a more brown tone than red and not as dark as I would like. I also have this random nail polish by Confetti called Masquerade Ball, which is a little bit more red. But Essie's Wicked is by far my most favorite nail polish in my nail polish collection. I work and go to school, so my hands are pretty active. I applied the nail polish while watching a two hour movie, then did some homework. It has stayed on really well. I only needed two coats to get the color I wanted then I put on a top coat for a little shine. I've had it on for about 3 days and haven't needed to re-apply nor has the nail polish chipped at all. I will definitely repurchase! The only thing is the brush doesn't apply the polish very well, but the color makes up for it.

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MsHepburn on 10/21/2012 11:36:00 AM more reviews by MsHepburn

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This is my replacement for Chanel's Rouge Noir. It's a better consistency and stays on better, not to mention it's about half the price. This colour was very 'in' a few years ago, I can remember almost the entire female half of my law class wore it, but it's still a classic.

This is for girls who love that almost black type of polish. It's pretty hard to detect any red in this, but it sure looks dramatic. My boyfriend said it looks like dried blood... don't know if I should take that as a compliment, but at the moment I'm liking it.

If you love the idea of blood red nails but don't want to go too black / goth, you might want to try Bordeaux. It's Wicked's friendlier, less scary sister: just as classy, but less OTT. Bordeaux still looks like red, albeit a very very dark, deep red, whereas Wicked is almost totally black with a hint of purple or burgundy in it.

The finish is not very glossy like it is with Bordeaux so if you want this to be shiny, use a shiny topcoat. I definitely wouldn't wear this every week but now that the days are getting shorter and my clothes are getting darker I feel it's appropriate every now and then. Even though it's a pretty out there colour I'm brave enough to wear this to work, whereas bright reds like Aperitif I usually save for the weekend. I guess it's because this makes me feel supremely sophisticated rather than young and fun. I do think clothes and make-up need to be pretty simple with this, because it has a high probability of making me look like Morticia Adams if I'm not careful.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Joseybird on 10/5/2012 1:29:00 PM more reviews by Joseybird

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Wicked is an Essie classic for a reason. It's a beautiful blackened burgendy with brown undertones...like a marriage of dark chocolate and blood, in that it resembles and evokes both.

Wicked is a jelly, meaning that it may be patchy if you only apply two coats. Three coats is ideal, in my experience.

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tmmotton on 9/10/2012 9:30:00 PM more reviews by tmmotton

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Yesterday, I got a mani and pedi with this color and already today 3 people have asked me about it!! My nail tech used 3 coats and it looks absolutely beautiful on my medium brown skin tone!! I got it at TJMaxx for $3.99!! You'll love this especially if you like the darker colors!

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*TOP REVIEWER* BrigitteBardot on 9/10/2012 7:52:00 PM more reviews by BrigitteBardot

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Very pretty color, but I prefer something slightly less dark. It is still my current fave darker polish.

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heyjoni on 7/28/2012 7:41:00 PM more reviews by heyjoni

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

I've usually associated Essie with pastel polishes; pale pinks and the like are prominent in their collection. Needless to say, Wicked came as a surprise. It's easily one of the best vampy colors I've come across, sure to be a go-to when I'm in the mood for a dark color that isn't black. Wicked is an incredibly deep, delicious, sexy burgundy red. It's great for a night out, or especially fall and winter ... though I'd go vampy any time of the year! Looks fabulous in two thickly applied coats and a shiny top coat.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Lomelindi on 4/30/2012 3:28:00 PM more reviews by Lomelindi

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Black    

I own predominately pink, red, and purple polishes, but this is the one color that makes me take a risk. It's basically a burgandy red that is as close as you can get to a black without ACTUALLY being black. The consistency is very liquidly (like most Essie colors), but the dark pigmentation means that you really only need 2 layers before you get full opacity. I never actually wear this polish more than 2-3 days at a time (I have to be in a very bold mood to wear it), but it seems to have great staying power and looks very even when applied.


To use some super specific examples, I believe this is the color that the White Queen wore in Tim Burton's 'Alice in Wonderland' and that Uhura wore in the 2009 Star Trek movie. Both characters had very dark, almost-black nails but you can still see smidge of red along the edges. Overall, I think it's a very modern, chic color, but it takes a bit of courage to wear since it's very in-your-face and noticeable. I definitely don't recommend wearing this to work!

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gwootton on 3/17/2012 12:42:00 PM more reviews by gwootton

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

Lovely dark deep colour, dries quickly, definitely needs 3 coats but is worth it. I would buy it again.

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Floradanica on 3/9/2012 7:16:00 PM more reviews by Floradanica

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Blue    

Love the color.... just the right touch of naughty, while still being elegant!

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dbfivegirl on 2/25/2012 6:36:00 PM more reviews by dbfivegirl

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

This is only the second Essie polish that I've tried. The first was Mademoiselle which amazed me because for a pale pink it gave such amazing coverage and was so easy to apply to a consistent standard. Bar one being a Nutrametics polish, I've never found a pale pink that went on so well with no patches or bare spots. Anyway, on the strength of that first Essie experience I hopped online and ordered another 15 Essie polishes from the US. Here in Australia Essie polishes retail for around AUS$20 which is about US$22 at the moment. Buying online from the US, even though postage costs ended up being well more than the entire haul, it worked out at about AUS$9 per bottle. So huge saving. Anyway, Wicked is the first polish of that haul that I've tried and I'm absolutely loving it. It's only been on for one day so far but is showing no sign of tip wear. It took three coats in the end but that could be more about my ineptitude with application than the product itself. Someone more practised at applying polish could weill do it in two coats. But the formula is lovely, not too thick or thin, making it easy for a beginner polish addict like me to use. I applied reasonably thick coats each time but it dries down perfectly. Love the colour. It dried to a mirror gloss finish, assisted by a shiny top coat. I think Essie is my new love and I'm looking forward to trying the other 14 polishes.

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REES120 on 12/11/2011 8:47:00 PM more reviews by REES120

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I've been using WICKED since the 90's i think it came out..its the best color.

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