Theons Nail Polish: Not Bad For $1.99

Above & Below: Theons #72 is definitely worth $1.99! It has that 'lit from within' glow, multi-colored fine shimmer, and an almost iridescent finish. Scroll down for a comparison to Essie's Viva La Vespa.

Below: Shown with a coat of Essie's Matte About You.

Below: Bottle comparison with Essie's Viva La Vespa. It's a bit lighter and with more red tones than the Essie...at least in the bottle.

Below: Theon's is shown on the left, while Essie's is on the left. They're very close in color, but you can see that Essie's has a better quality and looks richer.

Below: Theons #11 wasn't as impressive on my nails as it was in the bottle. I should have studied it a bit more, because it does look more foily in the bottle, but I was attracted to the fact that it looked like it may have a black base to it. It really doesn't, although in darker lighting, it does tend to show a darker base.

Theons is a little-known brand that's often found at independent beauty supply stores for around $1.99. They don't have a huge color range, although I did spot a green one while doing some Google research about the brand. They're manufactured by a company called Granvill Cosmetics in Miami, Florida, but there isn't a whole lot of information about them online. The quality of these is actually quite good, much better than what I expected based on the price. They both applied perfectly in 2 coats and dried quickly, although I wasn't crazy about the almost foil or metallic finish of the red one, simply named #11. The purple one however, #72, was very impressive. It has tiny multi-colored micro-glitter, a somewhat iridescent reflection, and reminds me very much of Essie's Viva La Vespa. I spotted these over the summer at a local oriental beauty supply, that also carries Ruby Kisses, Wild and Crazy and old Sinful brand polishes.