essie wicked VS licorice

Updated 2025.10.07. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through these links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

essie is an easy-to-rely on nail polish brand that can be very affordable - it’s also one of our reader’s favorite brands.

Of the essies that exist, which are thousands at this point, two colors always come to mind when thinking about halloween nails - licorice and wicked.

These colors are also commonly shared alongside each other as being perfect for fall.

Today you will see images of both to compare and contrast the differences and similarities yourself.

Overall, licorice and wicked are similar in that they are both:

• Two coat opaque cream polishes

• Dark nail polish colors

• essie original formula colors (as opposed to gel couture or expressie)

essie licorice (720), is an essie classic black nail polish.

It is one of their earlier shades and dries shiny on its own, giving it an almost patent leather look without a top coat. It goes on thick when applying, so you do need to give it time to dry, though it levels out nicely.

essie wicked (352) is the perfect dark red nail polish for fall. 

wicked can look almost black, dark red or deep warm brown, all depending on the lighting giving it a mystique.

It’s a chameleon, shade shifting in different lighting situations and for this reason alone, it is a unique color.

Below you’ll find two essie licorice swatches and two essie wicked swatches.

Starting with essie licorice…

essie wicked…

As you can see above, the primary difference between licorice and wicked is that licorice is a pure black cream nail polish, whereas wicked is a dark red, almost brown cream nail polish.

While wicked can look black in certain lighting, licorice is black any way you slice it.

On the first coat (not shown), licorice is grayish black and on the second coat (shown) it sets up to a full black nail polish.

wicked starts the first coat (not shown) as a red, and on the second coat, it sets up to a deep dark red, near-brown nail polish.

Final comparison…

All in all, these are both pretty fall colors.

I like essie licorice because it’s a sharp tuxedo black no matter the lighting. I also like wicked, due to its depth and how different it can look in all various ambient settings of fall.

If you’re looking for a classic, black cream, get essie licorice. If you’re looking for a dynamic dark, blackish red with brown undertones, get essie wicked. Whichever shade you choose, for best results, pair both of them with an essie base coat and an essie top coat.

All swatches shown under LED daylight bulbs. In natural sunlight, essie wicked may appear blacker in hue.

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