Essie Aruba Blue is the kind of blue that I feel anyone can pull off because it’s a jewel tone.
This decadent colour seems to have that lit-from-within feel because the middle of your nails are lighter than the edges.
I imagine that if there was a robot designed by The Smurfs, it would be exactly this colour. Or maybe it could be the colour of blueberries eaten by cyborgs in the year 6000. It’s also the colour I picture an enchanted pool in fairy tales should look like.
What does Essie Aruba Blue remind you of? Smurf tears? A blue moon? The galaxy? A frosty winter’s night? (Haha, I could go on and on and on…)
Essie Auba Blue Pictures
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Natural Light
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Natural Light
Essie Aruba Blue Ingredients
Essie Aruba Blue Swatches
All swatches have:
- Seche Clear Crystal Clear Base Coat
- 2 coats of Essie Aruba Blue
- Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat
Flash Photos
Natural Light Photos
Claim: TRUSTED
√ Frosty sapphire blue
Key Notes
- Name: Essie Aruba Blue
- Amount: 15 mL (0.5 fl. oz.) – but some Essie bottles that are the same size say 13.5 mL (0.46 fl. oz.)
- What I Paid: Nothing! (This was provided by Natali Products. Retails for $8 USD.)
- Where to Buy: Natali Products (if you’re an industry professional), Trade Secrets, Beauty.com, Nailsupplies, Head2Toe Beauty, Trans Design, NailPolishCanada & Victoria Nail Supply (if you’re an industry professional)
Essie Aruba Blue Review
Colour
Aruba Blue by Essie is a saturated blue that’s strong like a muscleman attracting attention from the ladies. 😉 It knows that it’s got the goods, and it isn’t shy about showing off. This isn’t your scrawny, anemic blue, that’s fo’ sho’! 😉
And, boy oh boy, does it ever get attention wherever it goes. Not only did a co-worker ask me what colour it was, but one of my friends and even a stranger asked me, too!
It seems to be the type of colour that catches the eye of people of all ages and both genders, which I think is very interesting.
I consider this to be a vivid jewel-tone blue. In fact, Essie even describes it as ‘sapphire’, which I think nails it right on the head.
Finish
The finish is a bit metallic with shimmer, so you can call it a frost like Essie does. And it shows a little bit of brushstrokes (nothing major…and only really noticeable if you look for it), which is one of the tell-tale signs of a frost finish. (Other people who look at your nails from afar won’t be able to see the brushstrokes. And, if they look at your nails that close, well, I don’t know what to tell you. Haha! They must reallllllly like you! :P)
Application & Formula
The formula was on the thin side, so pay extra care when applying this, or you could easily get some on your cuticles. (As you can see in my above swatches, I tried to apply this in a lazy fashion, and the result was a messy manicure.)
It went on smoothly, and as far as pigmentation goes, I found that I only needed 2 coats to fully cover the nail line.
Since the finish naturally tends to show a bit of brushstrokes, try to take your time and paint with straight strokes for the best results. (Or, you could paint it like me and still enjoy the manicure. 🙂 We’re human, and your nails don’t have to be perfect! The most important thing is that the nail polish makes you happy.)
Pros
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Cons
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Final Verdict: 9/10
Aruba Blue by Essie is the kind of blue that I love to wear because it has a bold personality. (Some people like subtle nail colour, but the stronger a colour is tends to make my heart beat faster.)
And you’re in luck! This shade is very easy to get hold of, so if you want it, finding it won’t be a headache!
Do you have a preferred nail-polish finish? Do you remember what the first blue nail polish you ever wore was?
Mine was one by NYC, back in the 1990s. It was in the old cylindrical bottle with the long white handle. That shimmery navy blue was a colour I wore so often that I almost finished the entire bottle in a couple of years! And I used to layer it under a silver-glitter polish a lot because it reminded me of a night sky.
I also remember the second blue nail polish I wore. It was really a white polish that I added blue food colouring to and turned it into a murky pastel blue.
P.S. Whenever I think of “Aruba”, I always think of the song Kokomo by The Beach Boys. That’s one of my favourite songs to play in the summer.
Absolutely beautiful shade!
Viktorija recently posted: Hi and China Glaze He’s Going In Circles
Hey Viktorija!
This is a great colour to wear when you’re unsure of what to wear, but want something that’ll definitely look strong. 🙂
This looks stunning on you Mary!! I love the shimmer in it.
MariJo recently posted: Scented Luxuries – Oceanography
Hey MariJo!
Aww…thanks! 😀 This is the kind of colour that would look stunning even on a doorknob. Hehe!
LOL!!
MariJo recently posted: Pink Three Ways
It reminds me of Sapphires
Hey Mimi!
Yeah, does it? 🙂 Has a gem-tone to it for sure!
Oh my goodness…how much do I love this color? This looks great on you!
Lady J recently posted: Preview: China Glaze Grape Pop + FingerPaints Movie In The Park
Hey Lady J!
Glad you’re a fan of this colour, too! 🙂 It’s one of those shades that works well on so many skin tones. Gotta love universally-flattering shades.
I don’t have this one but I think I need it. it’s so pretty.
Cynthia recently posted: Awesome Giveaway Alert!
Hey Cynthia!
You could even do some galaxy nail art with this as the base. I think it would look killer!
I keep restraining myself from buying this because I have a few similar blues, but this is one of those gorgeous colors that just calls out to me! It looks great on you, as well 🙂
another Cristina recently posted: More magnetics! Orly, Sally Hansen and Deborah Lippmann magnetic polishes
Hey another Cristina!
I’m sure you’d love it, too. 🙂 Dramatic yet easy to sport.
I keep picking this up every time I see it then telling myself I have a gajillion others that looks quite like it so I end up putting it back in the display. I’d love to know how it compares to similar blues!
The first blue polish I wore? I think it was Midnight Affair by Revlon. Then I moved on to Zoya Ibiza and never looked back. 😉
PS. Guess who now owns Frostbite? Hahaha! 😀
Carmela recently posted: Hammie visits Joanne at Northern Nails with (More) Beach-y Nail Art
Hey Carmela!
Ahhh yes! Midnight Affair! 🙂 I never tried it, but I remember that Fiona (former blogging buddy) wore it. Thought that she rocked it, even if it didn’t knock her socks off.
YAYYYYYY! Glad you got Frostbite – you’re going to love it so much because it’s very vivid. It’ll remind you of car paint. (At least it did to me.)
Well, it *was* a disappointment. Illamasqua Phallic is a better version of the same idea. You just couldn’t see the shimmer in Midnight Affair and it looked too close to black in most lights.
It actually matches our car! Hahahahahaha! 😀
Carmela recently posted: Nail Art Wednesday: Gold Swirls on Purple
That’s hilarious! And did you and your husband pick out the colour of your car together? If so, maybe you can paint his nails since…hahaa…he likes the colour that much.
I really, really like this coulour. Your site always makes me want to buy more nailpolish. It’s too dangerous.
Perhaps a birthday present for myself from myself? Haha…
Hey Charlotte!
Hahahaha, I feel both flattered and guilty! 😉
You could make it an un-birthday present. Hehehehhe….*Continues to be a bad influence* *Pushes horns back into head*
I do agree with the review, but I have one comment. I don’t know why but on me the polish keeps making little bubbles. I usually end up with bubbles on 9 out of 10 fingers and it annoys the hell out of me when everyting else is so lovely with this polish.
sotengelen recently posted: Du har det litt kjipt? Denne hjelper.
Hey sotengelen!
Hmm…that can be very frustrating. Have you tried applying thinner coats? Sometimes if you use medium-thick coats, polishes have a greater tendency to bubble. And sometimes polishes don’t play well with certain base and top coats. I hope that you can get the fussy polish to work for you.
This is one of my favorite colors from essie! Its such a beautiful shiny blue
Brittany recently posted: In Search Of The Perfect Blue Polish
Hey Brittany!
It’s very bold. Great choice – glad you appreciate it, too!