Collection: Essie 2010 Winter

I actually swatched this sometime last year, but never got around to posting it.

Essie describes Smokin’ Hot (739) as a “stone-cold fox gray that burns hotter than any flame”. It’s a deep, luscious grey with a strong, smoky mauve undertone. The color goes on a good shade or so darker on the nail.

The consistency has a bit of jelly to it, and I did find that I had issues with bald spots. Take a little extra care with application, though—or perhaps just an extra third coat—and you’ll get a perfectly glossy, opaque color.

I don’t normally get too gaga over greys, but I love this one.

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Essie Nail Polish retails for US$8.50 / CA$9.99–$10.99 and is 0.46 US fl oz / 13.5 mL. The polish is free of toluene, formaldehyde, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP). It is made in the USA.

Essie Cosmetics, founded in 1981, is based in Westfield NJ, USA. In 2010, Essie was acquired by the L’Oréal Group.