Kim Kardashian Wore Essie Nail Polish on the Red Carpet—Here's the $13 Shade

It's not often you hear "Kardashian" and "drugstore" uttered in the same breath. The only recent occurrence we can think of is when Kendall Jenner wore a full face of drugstore beauty products to the Met Gala, but technically speaking, she's a Jenner, not a Kardashian. Regardless, the point is that we don't hear a lot about the famous family's budget-friendly beauty faves (if they have any).
That's why it was so refreshing to learn that Kim Kardashian counted on the iconic drugstore nail polish brand Essie for her latest manicure. Last night, she attended the Baby2Baby Gala in Los Angeles with long, square-tipped nails that were painted a stunning milky-nude color. Keep scrolling to see the exact $13 shade that her nail artist, Brittney Boyce, used to create it.
Here it is, the exact sheer, nude-pink shade that Boyce used to create Kardashian's red carpet manicure. She applied two coats before going over it with a long-wearing topcoat. "We wanted to go with a perfect milky/sheer neutral shade that would complement the length and shape of Kim's nails," Boyce said.
This was the topcoat Boyce used to seal Kardashian's nails. It's a gel-effect topcoat, which means it provides long-wear, chip-resistant shine without the need for any special equipment like a UV lamp to cure it.
The final step was to apply cuticle oil for moisture. This one uses apricot kernel and jojoba oil to make nails and cuticles feel soft and hydrated in a single swipe.
More Essie Nail Polishes We Love
This soft brown is perfect for fall and winter.
This formula dries in about a minute, making it perfect for anyone who tends to smudge their still-wet nails.
Another iconic shade from the brand, this light pink is foolproof (and similar to Kardashian's vibe).
This taupe color is subtle and sophisticated.
We're really into brown nail colors right now.

Kaitlyn McLintock is a Beauty Editor at Who What Wear. She has 10 years of experience in the editorial industry, having previously written for other industry-leading publications, like Byrdie, InStyle, The Zoe Report, Bustle, and others. She covers all things beauty and wellness-related, but she has a special passion for creating skincare content (whether that's writing about an innovative in-office treatment, researching the benefits of a certain ingredient, or testing the latest and greatest at-home skin device). Having lived in Los Angeles, California, and Austin, Texas, she has since relocated back to her home state, Michigan. When she's not writing, researching, or testing beauty products, she's working through an ever-growing book collection or swimming in the Great Lakes.
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