Essie Chills & Thrills, I'm Addicted, Vices Versa Nail Lacquers Reviews, Photos, Swatches
Essie Too Taboo Collection
Today, I’m reviewing three shades from Essie’s Too Taboo collection, which features six shades of neon. All three I tried dry down to a semi-matte/satin finish–it doesn’t have a really flat, chalky matte finish, but it isn’t shiny or glossy. It reminds me a bit of pleather or vinyl in its dry down, and if you prefer a glossier finish, just add your favorite top coat. These wore without chipping for seven days, but there was slightly more tip wear than average for me. The formula was thin, slightly watery, and two of the shades were harder to work with.
Essie Chills & Thrills Nail Lacquer ($8.50 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “supercharged blue violet.” It’s a muted, bluish-purple with a semi-matte finish. It was mostly opaque after two coats. The formula was slightly watery, so the first coat was streaky, but the second coat covered better and hid the streakiness. Dior Sailor (LE, $24.00) is brighter, bluer. Cult Nails Wack Slacks (P, $12.00) is darker. MAC Breezy Blue (LE, $16.00) is bluer, darker. MAC Blue Gaze (LE, $16.00) is bluer, darker. Illamasqua Cameo (P, $17.00) is lighter, bluer. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
Essie I’m Addicted Nail Lacquer ($8.50 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “neon aquamarine blue.” It’s a brightened, light-medium blue with a satin finish. It was semi-opaque after two coats, but it would really need a third for opaque color. The consistency was thin and watery, so the application was streaky. Zoya Rocky (P, $9.00) is lighter, warmer. Essie In the Cab-ana (P, $8.00) is warmer, more aqua. Rescue Beauty Lounge Faraway (LE, $20.00) is more shimmery, darker. Zoya Phoebe (P, $9.00) is darker, more matte. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
Essie Vices Versa Nail Lacquer ($8.50 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “juicy neon lime.” It’s a brightened, light-medium chartreuse with warm, yellow undertones and a satin finish. This one was semi-sheer after two coats, and even three coats was only semi-opaque (see my middle finger), and the application was very difficult. It was very thin and watery, and as a result, it streaked and never leveled. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Deven Green (P, $10.00) is brighter, cooler-toned. China Glaze I’m With the Lifeguard (LE, $7.50) is cooler-toned, shimmery. China Glaze Def Defying (LE, $7.50) is yellower. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
Chills & Thrills
PPermanent. $8.00.
I'm Addicted
PPermanent. $8.00.
Vices Versa
PPermanent. $8.00.
See more photos & swatches!
Essie Chills & Thrills Nail Lacquer
Essie Chills & Thrills Nail Lacquer
Essie Chills & Thrills Nail Lacquer
Essie Chills & Thrills Nail Lacquer
Essie Chills & Thrills Nail Lacquer
Essie Chills & Thrills Nail Lacquer
Essie Chills & Thrills Nail Lacquer
Essie I’m Addicted Nail Lacquer
Essie I’m Addicted Nail Lacquer
Essie I’m Addicted Nail Lacquer
Essie I’m Addicted Nail Lacquer
Essie I’m Addicted Nail Lacquer
Essie I’m Addicted Nail Lacquer
Essie I’m Addicted Nail Lacquer
Essie Vices Versa Nail Lacquer
Essie Vices Versa Nail Lacquer
Essie Vices Versa Nail Lacquer
Essie Vices Versa Nail Lacquer
Essie Vices Versa Nail Lacquer
Essie Vices Versa Nail Lacquer
Essie Vices Versa Nail Lacquer
These are such fun colors for summer; it’s a shame that two of these don’t apply as well! I can be impatient when it comes to nail polish application — streakiness and not leveling are big pet peeves of mine, so I will be skipping these!
I’d probably look for regular creams vs. neons, as neons are usually fussy!
Im addicted is such a perfect sky blue! lovely!!
It is a gorgeous shade of blue!
I’m Addicted is so pretty. I really like it.
It is a nice color!
Vices Versa reminds me of 2 pink Essie polishes I got, only better! I gave up after 4 coats…and still saw streaks!!!
4 coats! Aye! The streaking is SO bad on that one, though.
I’ll take one of each please!
The colors are really vibrant – I wish they performed better!
Essie has great colors, but I wish they would redesign their brush. I avoid their polishes because I find it makes even the best performing colors tend to streak.
It will be interesting if they widen the brush in the next year, as it seems like almost everyone is doing that now!
I’d recommend CoverGirl’s Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss in Vio-last 300 as a pretty good dupe for Chills & Thrills! It’s a bit brighter and slightly darker, but definitely stays firmly in that hard to find blue-violet category without going too blue.
Thank you so much for the rec, Ivy!
Chills and Thrills has my vote, but I would def wear with a shiny top coat.
The satin finish is interesting, but I think true matte would be better, if only because satin looks like the shine has just worn down to me.
agree completely. After I pushed the ‘post comment’ button, I was thinking the same thing: I would go either super matte or shiny. This finish looks like ‘tired’ nail polish.
It’s like wearing freeze pops on your nails, so vibrant and cute!
LOL!
Chills and Frills looks almost periwinkle in the photo. I wonder if this could be a replacement after the whole Sally Hansen Pacific Blue debacle lol. 🙂
Maybe with a top coat!
I really quite like the finish! Though I can see that it would possibly look a bit dull in the light.
There’s a part of me that’s like, “ooh, interesting,” and then the other part is, “this looks dull!”
Your reviews are always so great! I have Essie’s “In the cabana” which I love. Will have to try the chills and thrills one!
Thank you, Lannie!
These are such pretty shades Christine. I’m addicted is absolute gorgeous.
The shades are really summery!
I’m glad that Chills and Thrills turned out the best (it’s blue-purple, of course it’s the one that matters to me, LOL!) – really disappointed in that green though! I mean, it’s not a colour I would really wear, but it would be a really interesting one if it applied better!
I couldn’t believe how poorly Vices Versa applied!
I thought I wouldn’t like any of these. Satin finishes on nails isn’t something I generally like. I found myself falling for Chills & Thrills. I really, really like it. I would proabably wear it with a shiny overcoat, but the finish, at least on the photos looked quite nice, so that means I could wear it as two polishes. Just telling myself that means half the cost for it. Right! Right?
Haha! Well, you definitely can get two looks out of it 😉
It’s a shame they don’t apply better!
I agree!
Do you know if Chills and Thrills is a permanent colour? I think I’ve seen it in the regular Walmart Essie display.
As far as I know, it is permanent.
I’m Addicted makes me want to go to the beach. The color is so cute and beachy lol. Vices Versa is a pretty color but it looks really sheer and streaky
They are very summery shades!
Great summer shades! I think I’m Addicted would be perfect for my toes by the poolside. I wouldn’t have picked it initially, but seeing it on your nails makes it look much better. I like Chills and Thrills as well, although I like a darker shade of blue. I’m not much of a lime green fan, but Vices Versa definitely looks like a fun shade. I hate to invest in colors that I wouldn’t wear more than once or twice, but I can see getting more wear out of I’m Addicted than the others. Thanks for the reviews!
My pleasure, Johnna!