essie hi maintenance VS mademoiselle

Updated 2025.11.30. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through these links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

essie is a mainstream nail polish brand known for its prolific production of sheer pinks. If you’re looking for the perfect sheer pink nail polish for you, essie is the brand you should be exploring. 

They have numerous options for the perfect feminine pink nail look, all with different nuances and they’re always coming out with new shades.

hi maintenance and mademoiselle are both sheer pinks by essie.

And today you’re going to see a comparison between these two shades.

I’ve compared a lot of essie’s sheer pink nail colors and of them all, these are pretty similar but they are not the same.

Let’s start with what they have in common:

They’re both in essie’s classic standard wear lacquer line. They can both provide even coverage in two coats. They’re both in the sheer pink nail polish family.

These are the similarities between these two colors.

Next we’re going to explore their differences.

To start, you’ll see two swatches of essie hi maintenance, followed by two swatches of essie mademoiselle and then a final comparison photo to illustrate the differences between these two sheer pink nail polishes.

All swatches shown in two coats. 

Starting with essie hi maintenance: 

essie hi maintenance is a sheer baby pink with rose undertones.

Now for essie mademoiselle…

essie mademoiselle is a sheer milky pink with soft white undertones.

The final essie hi maintenance vs mademoiselle comparison photo:

The main difference between hi maintenance and mademoiselle is that hi maintenance is pure sweet candy pink, whereas mademoiselle is milky pink.

Other than that, these colors are very similar and they’re both pretty in their own right.

As you can tell by the photos, mademoiselle has been a favorite of mine.

Which one is your favorite essie sheer pink shade?

If you’re looking for more of a pure sheer pink, get essie hi maintenance. If you’re looking for more of a white and pink hybrid, get essie mademoiselle. For best results with either shade, wear them with essie strong start base coat and essie gel setter top coat.

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