Essie Watermelon

Watermelon is part of Essie's core line and is officially described as a "creamy and refreshing juicy red." I say it's not a true red but a medium-dark well-saturated rosy reddish pink. In the bottle there's no doubt that this is a vivid deep pink, but on the nail it goes into chameleon mode. Red, reddish coral, pinkish coral, rose and deep rosy reddish pink all make a vivid appearances depending upon what sort of light you're in. And it is the devil to catch the true nature of this color in a photo. Suffice to say, though, that it is a vibrant summery floral shade that's lively and overt. It has a clean, crisp, feminine grace that makes an impression. Perfect for tips or toes.

Application was dreamy. The consistency is fluid, creamy and dense and a joy to paint with. Pigmentation is outstanding. Watermelon is a one coater. I used two to finesse some of my lines on the first coat, but otherwise it didn't need it and made no difference in the opacity or richness of the color. Cleanup was fairly easy for such an intensely pigmented polish, and I experienced no staining. Watermelon dries in good time to a glossy finish that has a bit of a satiny sheen going on beneath the gloss. It's almost as if this polish had a touch of Essie's trademark secret shimmer in it, but it doesn't. 

Photos show two easy coats of Watermelon with a topcoat of Seche Vite, with bonus flaky skin and incipient hangnails lucky YOU! As I mentioned, this polish was incredibly difficult to photograph. I did my best!

Essie Watermelon

Essie Watermelon

Essie Watermelon

Essie Watermelon

Essie Watermelon

Essie Watermelon

Essie Watermelon

Essie Watermelon

Essie Watermelon

The last picture is probably the most true to what this polish is like in person. My camera likes to photograph deep pinks and corals as hotter than they really are and Watermelon is a cool pink. In some lights, though, you think you see a bit of heat, as if there's a drop or two of orange lurking in the blend, but there really isn't.

If you're wondering about dupes, one that I can say for sure is China Glaze Heli-Yum. Butter London Snog also crosses my mind, it looks very dupey to Watermelon in the bottle.

love,
Liz