I used to always be a dark nail polish girl - reds, dark pinks, stormy purples, and mauvy greys.  However, I've recently began loving nudes and sheer pinks.  Simple, yet elegant, giving the "my nails but better" appearance.  They do take a big more work to get down, as you often have to do more than one layer, but they also last much longer as small chips and worn edges aren't as visible.

This week I've been sporting "Hi Maintenance" by Essie.  This is a neutral toned, sheer peachy pink.  It is slightly more sheer and slightly more pink than OPI's "Bubble Bath", but still very similar.

Three coats of Hi Maintenance by Essie, no top coat

The first coat goes on basically transparent and does not look very appealing.  The second coat deepens the colour and gives a very natural look to the nails.  The third coat really brings the polish to the next level.  Once dried, the polish makes your nails look like those fake nails you see in the drugstore, but much prettier.  The nail line is still very much visible, however that is what I feel give this a "MNBB" appearance.  The finish is very glossy which I love.

If you prefer opaque nude nails, this isn't the polish for you, however if you, like me, do like to see the visible nail line in certain polishes, I would recommend this polish.


I do like the formula, despite it being a sheer polish, I found the consistency to be very good - not too thick and not too thin.  I don't find it to be streaky and it dried at an average speed.  I've been wearing it for about a week now and I only see one teeny tiny chip on the side of my thumb nail.


Overall Score:
Colour - 4/5
Formula - 4/5
Packaging - 3/5 (not the biggest fan of Essie brushes, it's a bit too thin for me)
Price - 3.5/5 ($9.99 CAD, but Essie polishes are often on sale where I'm from)

You can purchase Essie's Hi Maintenance nail polish HERE