This or That: Mint Green Nail Polish (Essie Mint Candy Apple vs Wet n' Wild I Need a Refreshmint)

Hey guys! I'm back in action after an exhausting but productive exam series.  Since I am feeling in a very summery mood, I've got two nail polish blog posts for you.  This one will compare two mint green shades and the next post will compare two coral shades, since mint and coral are the colors to have this summer!

I'm comparing Essie's Mint Candy Apple with Wet n' Wild's I Need a Refreshmint.  These are two of the most popular colors in the stores right now, and let me tell you, it was a pain to find both!

Even though Mint Candy Apple is part of the regular line and not a seasonal shade, I must have struck out a good 10-15 times before finally spotting one lone bottle at my Walgreen's.  There are slots for this at Walgreen's, CVS, Wegman's (for you north easterners!), Target, and Walmart.  I'm sure there are others stores as well, but these are the ones I've personally checked.

Wet n' Wild's I Need a Refreshmint is a seasonal shade.  This means it's even trickier to find.  I ended up ordering it from drugstore.com during a 30% off all beauty items sale.  I also used Ebates, which I've posted about before, to get 6% cash back on that haul, which was awesome. Combine all that with the lower price tag on Wet n' Wild polishes compared with Essie polishes, and this one is a real winner if you're pinching your pennies.

COLOR

This
Mint Candy Apple is the quintessential mint green.  If you're looking for true mint green, stop reading here are start looking for this color.

That
I Need a Refreshmint is named as a mint green, but in truth, it's a bit off of mint green.  It has a hint of blue to it and it is not quite as bright as the Mint Candy Apple.  However, this color is still right on trend for spring, and for those who are not keen on wearing super bright colors, this color represents a toned-down version of mint green.

BRUSH

This

The Essie brush is small and flexible.  It is easy to maneuver, but I find that it contributes to some of the streakiness of the shade because you have to go over the nail many times in order to get a consistent coat.

That

The Wet n' Wild brush is huge! It looks a lot like the Sally Hansen Complete Manicure polish brush.  It is wide and wonderful, in my opinion.  I prefer big brushes like this because it takes less strokes to get the nail completely covered.  I think this brush is easier to work with and contributes to more even coverage.

APPLICATION

First coat. Mint Candy Apple is on top, and I Need a Refreshment is below.

This

Mint Candy Apple applies a bit streaky.  I expect this with lighter colors, but I think the small brush really contributes to this because of how many times you have to go over the nail.  I think that even with my fairly small nails, I had to apply a thicker, gloopier coat in order to get even coverage on the first coat.  The second coat covers up this streakiness, though.

That

I prefer Wet n' Wild's application.  The first coat was more even, though still somewhat streaky due to the nature of lighter colors.

FINISHED RESULT

Second coat. Essie on top, Wet n' Wild below

I'm happy with the finished result of both shades.  I think both formulas have shine on their own, though I'd probably top it with a top coat for staying power anyway.  The color came out even with both polishes.

THIS OR THAT?

To be honest, I think there is definitely room for both colors in anyone's collection.  There are similar, but they are just different enough that I can easily justify keeping both.  I can even see how easy it would be to use both in the same manicure.  If you like the ombre look, where the color subtly changes from nail to nail, these would look great right next to each other.  You could use one to do subtle polka dots or another pattern on top of the other.  You could use one as an accent nail.  The possibilities are endless.

But, since the blog post is called This or That, I'll make a selection.  I personally prefer the Essie shade. While I prefer the brush and lower price tag of the Wet n' Wild, the true mint green of Mint Candy Apple is just so perfect for spring and summer and so bright and cheery.  I can already tell that Mint Candy Apple is really going to pop against my mid-late summer tan.  If I had to give one of these colors up right now, I would say bye bye to the Wet n' Wild and hello to true minty goodness.