We Tried Essie's Spring 2024 Nail Polish Collection & Found Our New Favorite Lacquer Formula
The winter blues can feel never-ending, but the good news is that spring is just around the corner. And what better way to ring it in than with a little self-expression? With the changing of seasons comes lots of cheerful spring manicure inspo, from gleaming chartreuse greens to playful pinks and purples. If you're in search of a new shade to celebrate greener days, look no further than Essie. The American brand that's been keeping our manis très magnifique since 1981 has nail art enthusiasts covered with a lively new spring collection called Power Moves. The recently launched Expressie lineup features six vegan, quick-drying shades in modern spring hues that retail for $10 each.
Longtime fans of Essie are sure to adore Expressie thanks to its rainbow of options available and ultra-fast dry time. We at Glam tested each polish from Power Moves in hopes of creating the perfect springtime mani, and it was difficult for us to pick a favorite from the brightly colored bunch. Whether you prefer soft neutrals like the cocoa-colored Never Skip a Beat or vivid brights like the lilac-toned Choreo Queen, there's tons of nailspiration to be found in Essie's latest release. So, don't wait for a rainy day — let's jump right into our roundup of these fabulous spring shades.
Without a doubt, the main event was Main Character Moment
Perhaps the springiest shade of them all, Main Character Moment is a bright & poppy chartreuse that will undoubtedly get you plenty of attention. We're partial to acid green, so it's no wonder why this electrifying polish immediately caught our attention. Even if you're not drawn to a color like this right away, we urge you to give it a try — it's the exact yellowy-green nail color that astrologer Susan Miller exclusively predicted to Glam would be trendy in 2024.
It's worth noting that Main Character Moment is one of the least opaque colors in the Power Moves range. If you like the jelly nail look, you can stick to one coat. However, we thought it looked its best with at least two or three layers of polish. And no matter how much of it you apply, this Expressie shade dries outrageously fast. It's also very easy to clean up if you make a mistake, as its formula has an elastic quality that gently peels away from the cuticle area. Above all, we consider Main Character Moment a must for those who can't get enough green in their nail polish collection.
Take a Breakdance served up sandy elegance
First up on our list is Take a Breakdance. We're not sure exactly what this style of dance has to do with spring, but we'll gladly take a break — er, breakdance — with this alluring shade any time. Once we uncapped the fun, café au lait-colored polish from Essie's Power Moves collection, we couldn't wait to see what it would look like on our nails. The brand describes the color as a "sandy neutral," and we're inclined to agree with this description. However, we found that it dried to a slightly cooler hue when we tested it on natural nails.
Take a Breakdance greatly impressed us with its overall performance. The polish sets super quickly on both artificial and natural nails, and its brush is wide and flexible enough to cover nails in a snap. We were stunned by how efficiently the lacquer coated each nail with one stroke, barely requiring any effort on our part. That said, Take a Breakdance proved slightly trickier to apply to false nails due to its speedy drying time. Last but not least, we loved how easy it was to remove — the entire process took just under a minute, securing Expressie's place as one of our favorite formulas around.
Power Moves is a stunning spring orchid
The centerpiece of Essie's collection is the aptly named Power Moves, a punchy, bluish pink that teeters into magenta territory. We loved this brilliant shade as soon as we laid eyes on it, and it looked even more appealing out of the bottle. In typical Expressie fashion, Power Moves dried to rock-solid perfection in just under two minutes. This is an impressive feat for any polish, let alone one with such a glossy finish.
If you're looking for a sweet spring color with a hint of an edge, Power Moves is just the shade for you. While it isn't our usual go-to, the striking orchid hue quickly grew on us. What's more, it's an absolute dream to paint with. The richly colored polish has a similar formula to other Expressie lacquers, making it easy to apply (and remove) in a flash. It doesn't matter if you sport Power Moves on its own or incorporate it into nail art — this peppy pink is bound to lift your spirits.
Never Skip a Beat's shroom-like hue swept us off our feet
Essie's Never Skip a Beat turned out to be one of our favorites from the Power Moves collection thanks to its flattering light brown hue. From the first coat, we fell head over heels for this milk chocolate-colored creme. Not only is it downright stunning but it also applies softly and evenly to both artificial and natural nails. Never Skip a Beat's formula is also self-leveling, so it's ideal for everyone from novice nail artists to seasoned experts.
Like other Expressie polishes, Never Skip a Beat has an exceptional amount of shine. With that said, you don't need to use a top coat with this shade, though you certainly can add it if you prefer a mirror-like glaze. Just don't be afraid to play with this timeless taupe — we enjoyed the quiet luxury look of Never Skip a Beat's mushroom brown alone, but we can totally see it working with a bright accent nail or a colorful French tip.
Choreo Queen is the amethyst of our dreams
The essential Essie color for any TikTok dance enthusiast, Choreo Queen is a pretty grape gloss with a creamy consistency. We weren't initially drawn to this princely purple polish, but it definitely won us over in the end. It's always a good sign when you catch yourself staring at your own manicure, and we found it hard to look away from Choreo Queen. We expected a statement-making shade after scanning its bottle's contents, but this soft, mid-toned violet is decidedly demure.
Plenty of us have had bad experiences in the past with purple nail polishes, from smudged cuticles to sticky, plum-colored stains on our palms. That said, we were thrilled to see that Choreo Queen lived up to the Expressie name. It was a pleasure to paint with, and its forgiving formula dried to a lovely, lustrous finish in the blink of an eye. As much as we enjoyed it on its own, we'd love to try this charming shade in conjunction with other brights from the collection, like Main Character or Power Moves.
Feel the Hype's navy blue had us in our feels
We don't normally associate navy with springtime nail art, but Essie's Feel the Hype opened our minds. As we painted on this inky blue shade, we realized it reminded us of stormy spring weather and overcast nights. Just a touch dramatic, it pays homage to a darker side of spring that's often overlooked. Picture blueberry-scented candles, rain tapping at your window, a jacket hanging up to dry — and there you have the vibe of Feel the Hype.
One coat doesn't do this sumptuous shade much justice, as it's surprisingly sheer at first. We found that three coats gave us the best coverage, though your mileage may vary. Its formula is smooth and user-friendly, removing just as effortlessly as other polishes in the collection. This dark, moody manicure color looks divine as-is, but we think it would look even better with a few accent gems or rhinestones to evoke a starry sky.
Ultimately, every shade in Essie's spring 2024 collection blew us away, so we'd say that you can't get wrong no matter which shade you go with.