Essie Fringe Factor is one of the four new additions to the Luxeffects Collection, and it provides a simple way to add a festive sparkle to an existing manicure.

Since I was already wearing Essie Peak Show, I decided to layer Essie Fringe Factor to add some glitz to an otherwise simple nail look.

I’m a fan of bar glitter, but not all are created equal. Some are scratchy or tend to hang over the free edge of your nails. Then, there are some that lift off the nails over time.

This is one of the better performing bar glitters out there, so if you’re in the mood to add some funk to your next manicure, give this one a go!

Essie Fringe Factor Pictures

Essie Fringe Factor Swatches

All swatches have:

• OPI Nail Envy Nail Strengthener – Maintenance version (Used as a base coat)
• 3 coats of Essie Peak Show (Provided by PR)
• 1 coat of Essie Fringe Factor
• Pretty Serious Aqua Coat Top Coat (Provided by Pretty Serious Cosmetics)

Artificial Light Photos

Natural Light Photos

Claim: TRUSTED

• Silver & rose-gold glitter (Yes)

Key Notes

• Name: Essie Fringe Factor
• Collection: Essie Luxeffects 2015 Collection
• Colours Available in the Collection: Fringe Factor, Tassel Shaker, Fashion Flares & Frilling Me Softly
• Amount: 13.5 mL (0.5 fl. oz.)
• Retail Price: $7.95 CAD
• Disclosure: This was provided as a press sample by PR.
• Where to Buy: Nail Polish Canada, Trade Secrets & select beauty-supply stores

Essie Fringe Factor Review

Colour

Although it posed a challenge for me to accurately capture the beauty of Fringe Factor by Essie on camera, in person, the bar glitter is silver and light rose gold. Together, they combine for an overall look that’s decadent and very appropriate for the holiday season.

Since both colours aren’t in-your-face, they are easy to pair with an existing base shade without clashing. They work very well to liven up a manicure with some sparkle!

Finish

Full of dense glitter, you’d think that the finish would be scratchy or rough, but it’s extremely smooth, even before you slick on a glossy top coat.

It has enough bar glitter that you can layer with a single coat, and the bars are thin and on the short side, so I found that they didn’t hang over the free edge of my nails.

I recommend using this polish to just layer with because if you add multiple coats for more opaque coverage, it will be much harder when it comes time to remove it. (These days, I don’t really wear glitter polish solo anymore. I like the layered look.)

Over time, I didn’t find the glitter to lift up at all, so whether it was the result of the polish itself or the combination of it with my top coat, it’s a winner.

Application & Formula

Suspended in enough clear base polish, the bar glitter is easy to control with the brush. However, I wasn’t able to paint it on like I would with a regular polish. To fill in any blank areas, I found that I had to push around the glitter with the brush. It wasn’t a big deal, and as long as you keep this in mind, you’ll be able to get the even coverage you want.

Fringe Factor by Essie dries rather quickly, which is typical of a lot of glitter polishes. I almost refrained from adding a top coat because the finish was already quite nice. However, I ended up putting on a top coat out of habit.

Pros Easy way to add bling to an existing manicure Silver & rose-gold bar glitter Bar glitter is thin & short, so it doesn’t tend to hang over the free edge of your nails Dries relatively quickly Dense glitter means that you can layer well with just one coat Finish is smooth, not scratchy

Cons Glitter nail polish tends to be more challenging to remove than a creme lacquer

Final Verdict: 7/10

If you don’t have time to do any fancy, time-consuming nail art for the holidays, Fringe Factor by Essie is a good idea to add a festive touch to any manicure in mere seconds.

What’s your favourite glitter nail polish for layering? Have you tried any of the Essie Luxeffects? Do you wear sequins during the holiday season, or do you think they’re tacky?