Step 1 Prep
Prep cuticles, nail, and skin with Ready. Prep. Go. Advanced Cuticle Remover.
Cactus Jelly
A midtone matcha green jelly nail polish with yellow undertones; wear alone or layer with essie polishes for an energizing nail art look.
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RICH COLOR & SHINE: All essie Original nail polishes offer a salon-quality, billion pigment formula that is vegan, providing saturated color payoff and shine in every coat.
PATENTED CAMEL-STEM BRUSH: Our exclusive, patented camel-stem brush is designed for professional results at home. It provides controlled formula flow for precise application, ensuring a smooth, even finish.
FLAWLESS APPLICATION: Achieve the perfect manicure and pedicure by applying two coats. Apply a think first layer and then a second while tacky for a vivid, streak-free finish.
7-DAY WEAR: Elevate your look with a base and top coat. A base coat strengthens your nails and creates a smooth base, while a top coat locks in color with lasting shine and chip protection. Enjoy up to 7-day wear when paired with our Stay Longer top coat.BEST SELLER: 1 bottle of essie Original nail polish is sold every 5 seconds.*
KEY FEATURES:
This product comes in a glass bottle:
Size: 0.46 ounces
Product Description: 1.140" Width: 1.140" Height: 3.543"
Product Form: Liquid Polish
NAIL TYPE: essie Original polish is ideal for consumers looking for a salon-quality manicure at home with saturated color payoff.*L’Oreal custom product hierarchy calc based on USxAOC NIQ Scantrack for nail color. 52WE 12/ 27/25. © 2026, Nielsen Consumer LLC
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Prep: 1 coat of essie Strong Start base coat to strengthen nails and create a smooth base.
Color: 2 coats of your favorite essie Original nail polish for rich color and shine.
Shine: 1 coat of of essie Stay Longer top coat to lock in color with lasting shine and chip protection.
Care: Finish with On A Roll Apricot Nail & Cuticle Oil to condition cuticles and prevent dryness.
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essie is a vegan brand – contains no animal-derived ingredients
Full ingredient list:
ETHYL ACETATE, BUTYL ACETATE, NITROCELLULOSE, PROPYL ACETATE, ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL, TRIBUTYL CITRATE, TOSYLAMIDE/EPOXY RESIN, ADIPIC ACID/NEOPENTYL GLYCOL/TRIMELLITIC ANHYDRIDE COPOLYMER, STEARALKONIUM HECTORITE, ACRYLATES COPOLYMER, BENZOPHENONE-1, HYDROGENATED ACETOPHENONE/OXYMETHYLENE COPOLYMER, SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE, DIMETHICONE, CALCIUM SODIUM BOROSILICATE, BARIUM SULFATE, CITRIC ACID, SILICA, CALCIUM ALUMINUM BOROSILICATE, OXIDIZED POLYETHYLENE, ACETYL TRIBUTYL CITRATE, COLOPHONIUM / ROSIN, NORBORNANEDIAMINE/RESORCINOL DIGLYCIDYL ETHER CROSSPOLYMER, MAGNESIUM SILICATE, PHTHALIC ANHYDRIDE/GLYCERIN/GLYCIDYL DECANOATE COPOLYMER, TIN OXIDE, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, TRIETHOXYSILYLETHYL POLYDIMETHYLSILOXYETHYL DIMETHICONE, ISOPROPYL TITANIUM TRIISOSTEARATE, ACETONE, ALUMINA, CI 77002 / ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, [+/- MAY CONTAIN CI 77891 / TITANIUM DIOXIDE, CI 19140 / YELLOW 5 LAKE, MICA, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 / IRON OXIDES, CI 15850 / RED 7 LAKE, CI 15850 / RED 6 LAKE, CI 77163 / BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE, CI 15880 / RED 34 LAKE, CI 77510 / FERRIC AMMONIUM FERROCYANIDE, CI 42090 / BLUE 1 LAKE, CI 77000 / ALUMINUM POWDER, CI 77266 / BLACK 2, CI 77007 / ULTRAMARINES, CI 77510 / FERRIC FERROCYANIDE, CI 60725 / VIOLET 2, CI 45410 / RED 28, CI 77400 / BRONZE POWDER, CI 77400 / COPPER POWDER, CI 60730 / EXT. VIOLET 2, CI 45370 / ORANGE 5, CI 45380 / RED 22]
Original Nail Polish Frequently Asked Questions:
- Using a base coat and topcoat with essie’s original enamel nail polish can help improve the wear of your manicure and increase shine. A base coat can prolong the life of your manicure, prevent chipping, and nourish your nails. A top coat can help your manicure dry faster, last longer, or create a shiny or matte texture.
- You can find essie Original enamel nail polish at most drug stores and cosmetic stores. You can also find e-retailers that carry essie enamel nail polish right here on our website.
- Essie and Gel by essie are formulated without the ingredient TPO.* The use of TPO in classic nail polishes has never been permitted, therefore absent from the brand's formulas since inception.
- essie Original enamel nail polish typically lasts up to 7 days with proper application. Using a base coat and sealing your manicure with a top coat helps reduce chipping and keeps your color looking fresh.
Enhance your manicure
Step 2 Prime
Apply 1 coat of base coat to reinforce and harden nails.
Step 3 Paint
Apply 2 coats of essie original nail polish.
Step 4 Seal
Apply 1 coat of top coat for a plump, shiny finish.
Shop the routine
"essie original color is iconic. I love the brush, the hundreds of colors to choose from, and the fact that it was my first favorite." - Rita Remark, essie Global Brand Ambassador
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1 to 8 of 12 reviews .
1 – 8 of 12 reviews
most recent
5 out of 5 stars.
Cuteness for mom and daughter.
7 months ago
Packaging was great very nice color. My wife loved it very smooth looking great even did my daughter’s nails with it and she loved it just as much as mom did.
Originally posted on influenster.com
5 out of 5 stars.
Youthful and dynamic color.
a year ago
Nice colour. Youthful and dynamic color. Good nail adhesion, dries quickly. Color is more beautiful after 3 coats. I will buy it for my self and like a gift for my friends.
Originally posted on influenster.com
5 out of 5 stars.
Very sheer
a year ago
Super pretty spring/summer color! This picture is after 3 coats, you can wear it sheer or build up like I did. The scent doesn’t bother me, just smells regular. The drying town is medium, since I did 3 coats it did take a little longer. I really like Essie’s polishes!
Originally posted on influenster.com
2 out of 5 stars.
Not worth it
a year ago
The color is beautiful but it takes forever to dry. It took at least three applications to show up vibrant. It felt sticky for at least 12 hrs. This brand isn’t my favorite.
Originally posted on influenster.com
response from essie:
a year ago
Consumer Care Center
Hello paciak! We are so happy to hear that you loved the color of our cactus jelly! We just wish you were seeing all the results you should. Even with 4 coats, your color should be dry in minutes! a jelly gloss is different from a classic nail enamel. It’s made to go on in thin, buildable layers to customize your look. Use it alone or with up to 4 coats depending on the look you're going for, or layer over your favorite essie nail enamel for a unique finish!
5 out of 5 stars.
Great nail polish!
a year ago
What a beautiful color! This polish goes on smooth and only takes 2 coats. There is minimal scent to the polish, and this polish dries within 5 minutes.
Originally posted on influenster.com
2 out of 5 stars.
Darker shade of green and shows blemises easily
a year ago
I wanted to love this nail polish, but it just was too difficult for me to apply. It went on weird, showed every blemish and honestly wasn’t even close to the color I thought it would be by the image provided. I immediately took off the polish after applying
Originally posted on influenster.com
response from essie:
a year ago
Consumer Care Center
Hi madelineb90, we wish you could see the results you were hoping for with the nail art studio jelly gloss color 'cactus jelly'. A jelly gloss is different from a classic nail enamel. Its made to go on in thin, buildable layers to customize your look. Use it alone in up to 4 coats depending on the look you're going for, or layer over your favorite essie nail enamel for a unique finish!
4 out of 5 stars.
Great nail polish!!!
a year ago
The Essie nail polish I received came packaged well and all nail polish was intact. Love the simplicity of the bottles and easy to open to apply. The scent wasn’t too fragrant which I liked. The polishes were a little more shear than anticipated, but still beautiful once added more layers. Drying time was pretty on par for most nail polishes. All in all, the polish was great to try and I’m sure I will try some of the shades again soon!
Originally posted on influenster.com
4 out of 5 stars.
Wonderful product; takes time to dry
a year ago
This Essie Jelly gloss nail polish came safely packaged in the mail with multiple layers of bubble wrap. All 3 of the nail polishes in my package were in perfect condition when they arrived at my door step! The cactus jelly color is absolutely beautiful and is a great color for summer! It is green with a blue-ish hue to it. I applied 2 layers of nail polish in the image. It covered great and didn’t need any extra layers.
This was very easy to apply and was easy to correct any mistakes. The brush it comes with is good quality and is easy to control. This nail polish does not feel “thick” like others I have used in the past.
After several days I have not had any chips occur. This is a great quality product. The gloss finish is a nice touch.
The only downside is it took around 15-20 minutes for the nail polish to fully dry. So if you are like me and get antsy, it can be a struggle to wait that long and you risk causing imperfections in the nail polish. However, I was able to add a layer of nail polish to the I perfections I accidentally caused; and it still turned out wonderful!
Originally posted on influenster.com
1 – 8 of 12 reviews
Customer Images and Videos
Filter Reviews
- color
- appearance
- satisfaction
- smell
- for hot weather
- layering
- safety
- sheer
rating
type of nail polish user
great to wear for
age
skin tone
where do you use essie?
locale
9 to 12 of 12 reviews .
9 – 12 of 12 reviews
most recent
5 out of 5 stars.
Beautiful
a year ago
Gorgeous color. Easy to apply to nails. Drys quickly and doesn't feel tacky. Love the color name. The packaging is very nice, not bulky and doesn't take up a lot of space.
Originally posted on influenster.com
5 out of 5 stars.
🎀
a year ago
This nail polish drys fast and is thin!! It’s perfect this polish is amazing. It’s good value for the price it’s also easy to apply. I love the colors they have they are all so pretty!
Originally posted on influenster.com
4 out of 5 stars.
Perfect for spring
a year ago
Applies smoothly, and great formula! Takes a bit to dry, but it’s worth the wait.
Share Cactus Jelly 110 is a pretty milky green shade with one thick coat, and the actual color that shows through bottle with 2 coats.
Originally posted on influenster.com
4 out of 5 stars.
I like the cactus jelly!
a year ago
This looks very much like a gloss (it's from the gelee brilliant) and goes on smooth. Smells like a nail salon in a bottle. All with a Essie-esque packaging.
Originally posted on influenster.com
9 – 12 of 12 reviews