My girls have very recently really started wanting me to take them to the local nail salons to get a manicure and/or pedicure. Sometimes, I’ll indulge them, and let them feel like big girls… Besides, it can be some great Mommy/Daughter bonding time. The only thing I worry about, is the nail polish that they use.

I’m not sure if you’ve ever heard, but a lot of the nail polishes out there contain some serious chemicals, like, formaldehyde, DBP and Toluene. What are these chemicals? DBP or ‘dibutyl phthalate’ is a plasticizer that makes nail polish flexible. Toluene is a colorless liquid used as a solvent. And Formaldehyde helps harden nails. It’s also a cheap preservative used in shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and children’s bubble bath. How bad are these chemicals for you? To know the toxicity level of these chemical, check out Skin Deep, a popular online safety guide for cosmetics and personal care products. The search results at the Skin Deep database show that DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde all have the high hazard score of 10. The hazard score is a scale of  0 – 10, (10 corresponding to highest concern). All of these ingredients are linked to cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity and allergies (visit this Skin Deep for details).

Ok, so I’ve totally side tracked here. The point I’m getting at is that I’m always looking for safer nail polishes to use, especially on my girls. When Walmart asked me to try out Essie (a 3 free) Nail Polish, I was more than willing to try it out and write about my thoughts.

First of all, I loved the colors they sent me. I usually go for a french manicure on my nails, but hey… It’s good to try new things! We (me and my girls) set up a towel and got all of my nail stuff together. I even gave them a mini mani, and they loved it. They both got to choose their own nail color, and I painted their nails. They loved it.  Of course, doing a manicure on them is so much easier than doing one on myself.. I decided to just try on all of the colors… because I could.

The colors are (l to r) Wicked, Ballet Slippers, Mink Muffs, Fishnet Stockings, and Wicked (again). I don’t think the camera does these colors justice.

It took about two coats to get enough coverage without streaking on my nails, and it looks awesome. After it’s dried, it is still super shiny! My favorite color has to be the Wicked… although, the Fishnet Stockings is a close second. We’ve worn our nail polish for a few days now, and chipping is very minimal, even on my girls.

Essie’s global salon  brand is now available at Walmart for approx $7.75! With over 99 shades to choose from, there’s got to be a color you will love. If you’re looking for salon quality, in a safer and 3 free nail polish, Essie is worth a shot!

I am a participant in the Walmart Moms program.  Join me and my fellow Walmart Moms, and check out what we thought about Essie Nail Polish! I was provided with the polish to review. Walmart has provided me with compensation for my time on this post and video.  Participation in this program is voluntary. As always, all opinions are 100% my own..