"I want people to forget about the 'R' word,” she said the other day, referring to forecasts of a recession, "and to smile when they see all these bright, fun colors." She was speaking about her new Neon collection, which, as with all her nail polishes, and like more and more polishes these days, comes with eye-catching names. Ms. Weingarten's names center on a particular theme. The Neon collection, for example, includes Short Shorts, a "shockingly flamingo pink," and Bermuda Shorts, a "high-voltage violet."

Such nail polish colors were not always the norm. Ms. Weingarten launched Essie after noting, during a stint in the late '60s and early '70s as an assistant buyer at Henri Bendel, that all the best polish colors went to department stores. "In those days, salons only had pearly white, platinum, red, mauve and some boring pink," Ms. Weingarten explained with a chuckle.

Essie broadened the selection to include everything from inky blacks to pale pinks, and Ms. Weingarten often gave them names inspired by her travels. For example, Cafe Forgot, a milky brown, is named for the Parisian cafe where Ms. Weingarten once took a spill, and Aruba Blue was born during a Caribbean vacation.

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"Every week I get complaints," she said. Prune Face went off the market in response to incensed customers in California, and After Sex was rechristened After Six in more conservative markets.