essie Red Nail Polish

essie expressie seize the minute swatch

Updated 2025.10.06. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through these links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Looking for the best essie red nail polish? Below are swatches of classic essie reds, like forever yummy and more.

Red nail polish is a classic and it is so diverse. 

There seems to be a red nail color for any season, occasion or mood and since every brand has a signature red, often a suite of them, there are a lot to choose from.

essie is no exception to this and they offer a wide variety of red shades to choose from, some still in production and others that went out of print years ago.

Some of the red nail polishes essie still makes are shown below, along with two “vintage” or discontinued shades. 

We include out of production colors in our line-up because we have them. It’s good to remember at times that there are nice things that did come out of the past and some of these things are still floating around.

Also, just because essie stopped making it doesn’t mean we have to stop wearing it or loving it - long live nail polish!

Below are some swatches of the best essie red nail colors we’ve come across yet -

essie geranium swatch

essie geranium

This creamy coral red is an icon of summer and an ideal shade for warmer skin tones. It’s bright, cheerful and uplifting.

essie gel couture rock the runway swatch

essie gel couture rock the runway

A long wearing fiery red, this shade does not need a base coat. It has a superior formula that makes it easy to apply and last on the nail.

essie watermelon swatch

essie watermelon

watermelon is a juicy, creamy red with pink undertones.

essie expressie seize the minute swatch

essie expressie seize the minute

From the expressie quick dry line, seize the minute #190 is a warm classic cherry red, opaque in two coats, shown above, with a base coat. You don’t need to use a top coat with this, but it will improve the wear time if you do.

essie forever yummy swatch

essie forever yummy

forever yummy #488 is currently one of essie’ best sellers, it’s a cool classic red with blue undertones that applies smoothly and it is opaque in two coats.

essie gel couture bubbles only swatch

essie gel couture bubbles only

My personal favorite burgundy nail polish. It’s long wearing, needs no base coat and has a perfect creamy formula.

essie red nail colors

Which one is your favorite?

Add any of these shades to your collection by following the links above!

For best results, pair the standard lacquer with a base and top coat. I like the essie strong start base coat and essie gel setter top coat. With essie gel couture, you only need the essie gel couture top coat, no base coat is required.

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