Step 1 Prep
Prep cuticles, nail, and skin with Ready. Prep. Go. Advanced Cuticle Remover.
Birthday Girl
An iridescent sheer pink nail polish (glitter).
-
Because every day deserves a little sparkle. Birthday Girl is an iridescent pink polish with a glittery shimmer that turns your fingertips into the life of the party. It's festive without trying too hard having a sheer finish, making it an everyday nail polish shade.
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
-
How to use Birthday Girl, a sheer glittery pink original nail polish:
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. -
essie is a vegan brand – contains no animal-derived ingredients.
Full ingredient list:
ETHYL ACETATE BUTYL ACETATE NITROCELLULOSE TOSYLAMIDE/EPOXY RESIN TRIMETHYL PENTANYL DIISOBUTYRATE ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL TRIBENZOIN STEARALKONIUM HECTORITE ACETYLATED HYDROGENATED CASTOR GLYCERIDE ADIPIC ACID/NEOPENTYL GLYCOL/TRIMELLITIC ANHYDRIDE COPOLYMER SUCROSE ACETATE ISOBUTYRATE STEARALKONIUM BENTONITE SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE BENZOPHENONE-1 SILICA BARIUM SULFATE DIACETONE ALCOHOL CALCIUM ALUMINUM BOROSILICATE STYRENE/ACRYLATES COPOLYMER CITRIC ACID ALUMINUM CALCIUM SODIUM SILICATE ALCOHOL DENAT. CALCIUM SODIUM BOROSILICATE COLOPHONIUM / ROSIN / COLOPHANE ALUMINA DIMETHICONE ISOPHORONE DIAMINE/ISOPHTHALIC ACID/TROMETHAMINE COPOLYMER TIN OXIDE CALCIUM TITANIUM BOROSILICATE DIETHYLHEXYL ADIPATE n-BUTYL ALCOHOL AQUA / WATER / EAU TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE TALC ACETONE ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE [+/- MAY CONTAIN / PEUT CONTENIR CI 77891 / TITANIUM DIOXIDE MICA CI 19140 / YELLOW 5 LAKE CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 / IRON OXIDES CI 77510 / FERRIC AMMONIUM FERROCYANIDE CI 77007 / ULTRAMARINES CI 77000 / ALUMINUM POWDER CI 15850 / RED 7 LAKE CI 15880 / RED 34 LAKE CI 15850 / RED 6 LAKE CI 77266 / BLACK 2 CI 42090 / BLUE 1 LAKE CI 77742 / MANGANESE VIOLET CI 77288 / CHROMIUM OXIDE GREENS CI 77510 / FERRIC FERROCYANIDE CI 45410 / RED 28 CI 73360 / RED 30 LAKE CI 60730 / EXT. VIOLET 2 CI 60725 / VIOLET 2 CI 45380 / RED 22 ]
Birthday Girl Frequently Asked Questions
- This shade provides a high-shine, shimmering glitter finish. The iridescence catches the light from every angle, offering a multidimensional "party-ready" glow while maintaining a delicate, sheer translucency.
- Yes. Like all Essie polishes, Birthday Girl is crafted with a 100% vegan formula (no animal-derived ingredients). Essie is also a cruelty-free brand and does not test on animals.
- Experience a salon-quality manicure that lasts. When used with our Stay Longer top coat, Birthday Girl is validated for up to 7 days of chip-resistant wear. Our Billion Pigment formula ensures the iridescent shimmer remains vivid and streak-free.
- Birthday Girl is formulated for quick and easy application. It is designed to dry rapidly, allowing you to get back to your day (or your party) without the wait.
- We recommend a full system for the best results. A base coat creates a smooth canvas for the glitter, while a top coat is essential to seal in the iridescence, provide a smooth touch, and ensure maximum shine and longevity.
- Apply one thin layer of Essie base coat. Use our patented camel-stem brush to apply two thin coats of Birthday Girl; the brush is specifically designed to ensure controlled flow and even distribution of shimmer across the nail. Finish with an Essie top coat.
- Despite the iridescent glitter, Birthday Girl is designed for stress-free removal. Simply use a standard nail polish remover with a cotton pad to gently wipe away the color and shimmer.
- Birthday Girl is available at most drug stores and cosmetic stores. You can also find e-retailers that carry essie enamel nail polish right here on our website.
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
Similar shades
reviews
Customer Images and Videos
Filter Reviews
rating
type of nail polish user
great to wear for
age
skin tone
where do you use essie?
locale
1 to 8 of 10 reviews .
1 – 8 of 10 reviews
most recent
5 out of 5 stars.
Beautiful shard, very versatile
11 months ago
I bought this shade not realizing it was more of a sheer polish or topper, but I wasn’t disappointed at all that it was! It has build ability which is nice. For any profession that calls for neutral shades or nails I definitely think this would pass and be a fun spin on bare nails.
Q: goes great with this shade
A: So teeny bikini
favorite essie color family?pinks
type of nail polish usernail art lover
great to wear foreveryday
yes, I recommend this product.
helpful?
5 out of 5 stars.
my fave essie polish!
a year ago
i have a collection of essie polishes but birthday girl is easily my favourite. looks like a shimmery pink in the bottle, but comes up more champagne gold on the nails/in certain light (perhaps because i’ve had my bottle a while now?) but i love the shade. per the name, i always end up with this shade on my fingers or toes on my birthday - and for the rest of the year, it’s a shade that makes me feel super cute and feminine! i like the sheer look with two coats, and like to add a third if i want a more solid look. i’ve always worn it alone but i imagine it’d also make an amazing topper with other shades!
favorite essie color family?metallics/glitters
type of nail polish userdedicated/loyalist
great to wear forbirthdays
yes, I recommend this product.
helpful?
5 out of 5 stars.
Birthday Girl #1019
a year ago
I really like the “Birthday Girl” Essie nail polish and have made it my goto nail polish for everyday wear. It lasts much longer than any of the salon or store-bought polishes and my keeps my nails strong for growth.
type of nail polish userregular/average
helpful?
5 out of 5 stars.
Perfect birthday girl color ♡
2 years ago
I prefer my natural nails and gel polish seems to always make mine brittle. I'm not sure if that is normal. I decided to do my nails myself and went to my local drug store to find a nail polish for my birthday. This was 100% unplanned, but they had one birthday girl left and I fell in love with the color. It's a girly pink with a shifting shimmer. It doesn't last as long as gel, but it didn't damage my nails so I will definitely keep purchasing colors.
type of nail polish usernovice/new user
helpful?
4 out of 5 stars.
Fun
3 years ago
I have it shown over essie’s watermelon and sally hansen’s make it snappy! Although it looks pink in the bottle, it looks like a gold shimmer on the nails. Not quite what I expected but fun nonetheless ♡
Q: goes great with this shade
A: Watermelon
favorite essie color family?metallics/glitters
type of nail polish userblogger/fashionista
great to wear forbirthdays
no, I do not recommend this product.
helpful?
5 out of 5 stars.
You won't regret buying this pretty color!!!!
4 years ago
I bought this color for what it's name entails: For my birthday! I turn 19 this January and I wanted the perfect nail color for the occasion. I LOVE pink shades and usually wear them, so this shimmery pink really caught my eye! I used just 2 coats and it was beautiful. I have been wearing it for 7 days and they haven't chipped once. I only wear Essie and I am a nail art fanatic (I paint my nails basically every couple of days because of how much I love it) so I really recommend this!
Q: goes great with this shade
A: quick dry base,gel couture top coat
favorite essie color family?pinks
type of nail polish usernail art lover
great to wear forbirthdays
yes, I recommend this product.
helpful?
5 out of 5 stars.
Pink and Gold Glamour
5 years ago
Very happy to finally find a pink polish with a gold shimmer instead of silver. One or two coats for a subtle natural look, or layer a third for an intense color. Reminds me of the look some are using with magnetized nail polish. A Stunner for sure.
Q: goes great with this shade
A: Clear Top Coat
favorite essie color family?metallics/glitters
type of nail polish userregular/average
great to wear fordate night
yes, I recommend this product.
helpful?
5 out of 5 stars.
Great top coat!
6 years ago
I got this to sparkle up a base color for a fancy wedding I was attending. It was the perfect amount of shimmer and still allowed the base color to shine through. Many people came up and asked what products were on my nails.
I've tried this with a range of base colors and have been pleased with each pairing, no matter what color I've paired it with.
favorite essie color family?purples
type of nail polish userdedicated/loyalist
great to wear foreveryday
yes, I recommend this product.
helpful?
1 – 8 of 10 reviews
Customer Images and Videos
Filter Reviews
- color
- coats
- shimmer
- satisfaction
- birthday
- appearance
- purchase
- natural looking
rating
type of nail polish user
great to wear for
age
skin tone
where do you use essie?
locale
9 to 10 of 10 reviews .
9 – 10 of 10 reviews
most recent
5 out of 5 stars.
Cute and sparkly
6 years ago
I like to wear only 2 coats since it gives a subtle look with glitters
favorite essie color family?nudes
type of nail polish userregular/average
great to wear foreveryday
yes, I recommend this product.
helpful?
5 out of 5 stars.
The Best Birthday Present!!!!
7 years ago
I love this shade! I received it as an early Birthday present today, along with two other shades (as if I need more Essie nail polish!), and am using it on my fingernails to wear out for my Birthday tomorrow! It creates a beautiful shimmering effect, as if I have pearls on the ends of my fingers! All I am going to add is a coat of Essie Gel Setter for some more shine and I'll be all set! I put a lot of time and care into my natural nails and only want to put the finest nail polish on them!
Note: I did have to add a few more coats than usual for a solid color, but one or two coats would make for a fantastic sheer look!
Q: goes great with this shade
A: Essie Gel Setter Top Coat
favorite essie color family?reds
type of nail polish userdedicated/loyalist
great to wear forbirthdays
yes, I recommend this product.
helpful?
9 – 10 of 10 reviews