Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish

I recently was gifted a few of these colours from my friend and I am in love! I am not gentle on my fingernails at all and this polish lasted longer than an actual gel polish that needs to be set with a lamp- I am so impressed! Unlike gel polish you don’t have to worry about the cost of buying a lamp and the inconvenient removal process- it applies and removes like a normal nail polish, but has some magic powers to make it stay on for much longer. The brush is easy to use, and the colours that I’ve tried so far are fully opaque and apply evenly with two coats. I can’t wait to try even more shades in the range now.

These polishes are by FAR my favourite to use! The shape of the brush makes application a total breeze and the colour range is fabulous. I LOVE the glossy finish as well especially when I’m time poor and often don’t have time for a top coat. There’s nothing I dislike about this polish

I have 2 of these polishes and by far are the best nail polishes I own. All nail polishes, chip within 24hrs of application without fail. But these, oh my! I can get a full 7 day mani without chipping!! Life changing!! I wish they would release more colours here in Australia!!

I have several shades of the Essie Gel Couture nail polish, ranging from brights to nude and a dark, vampy shade. It comes in a gorgeous bottle that is twisted at the belly of the bottle to make it look, at least to me, like an architectural haute couture dress, an allusion perhaps to the brands gel 'couture' range name. Its a two-step process, firstly you apply your coloured nail polish, let it dry thoroughly and then apply the corresponding clear gel top coat, which gives the nail polish longevity and a glossy, gel shine finish. The applicator brush is flat and wide, with tapered bristles to hug the nail bed for an easy, mess-proof application - especially for someone prone to clumsiness like moi. The creme colours are highly pigmented, and I only need about 2 coats to get the desired colour. Its of a thin consistency, applying streak-free and drying to a glossy high-shine finish without any bubbling. However, to give longevity, applying the corresponding clear gel top coat is a must. The clear top coat dries to a high-shine finish that looks like you've got your nails professionally done at the salon. I'm especially loving the fact that the nail polish & top coat smooths out nail ridges so I don't have to apply a nail ridge filler.  The nail polish looks fresh and glossy till about the 5th day when I start to see a bit of chipping at the tips. Being a bit of a germaphobe I wash my hands constantly throughout the day and I'm sure this contributes to the nail polish wearing off faster than whats advertised. The polish lasts on my feet a bit longer, and I see chipping on about day 7. Overall, I'm happy with the longevity of the nail polish because other brands usually start chipping on day 3.  The price of the Essie Gel Couture nail polish can give you sticker shock. However, when you compare it to the price of getting a gel manicure done professionally at the salon, $16 isn't so bad. You get an entire bottle of nail polish which you can get multiple applications out of for less than half the price of a single professionally done gel manicure. And then, there's the debate regarding the safety of the UV light lamp for curing gel nail polish at the salon. The concern is that it can cause photo-damage to exposed skin and lead to cancer. With the Essie Gel Couture, you can DIY in the convenience of you home, not have to breathe in the fumey nail salon smell or worry about catching a nail infection just in case the manicuring tools were not sterilized properly.

I have my own theory about what makes a good nail polish..... A nail polish is good if you have more than one shade from the same brand and the same range. And according to this rule Essie Gel Couture nail polish is simply great. I was looking for a nail polish that would last more than a day on my terrible nails - they are just in a very bad condition and any given nail polish would chip if not the same day then the next day for sure. I got intrigued by the new Essie release and opted for ROCK THE RUNWAY which is a classic red ( and of course I used it with the corresponding Essie Gel Couture Top Coat). I love the bottle with a twist, looks effective and different from what I know. The brush as always with Essie is a hit, wide and stiff enough to apply the polish like a dream - that is evenly and neatly. The formula is amazing, very pigmented and one layer is enough to give opacity but I like to go with two layers anyway. The polish will not allow any bubbles to appear. When used together with Essie Gel Couture Top Coat we get the most beautiful shine ever. The finish is pretty identical to the gel polish finish but we achieve the same effect much quicker and moreover we can change the colour any time we want without having to wait ages till the gel dissolves etc. The longevity with the Top Coast on is impressive, on my bad nails it lasts up to 7 days chip free. I do believe that Essie Gel Couture duo can last up to 12 days as promised if you have got nails in a pretty good shape ( not splitting in two as I do). The range of colours might not be overwhelming ( yet) but we do get some bold shades as well as some more subtle pastel colours. The second shade I chose is MODEL CLICKS which is a deep eggplant colour. I am going to get some pastels now for summer. Definitely a product worth trying if you want a gel like finish but you'd rather skip the "fun" of applying and removing a gel polish.

I was incredibly lucky and so grateful to win a set of Essie nail polishes from a previous Beauty Crew competition. I couldn't wait to try them and also share with my gorgeous daughter -in-law. We oooohed and ahhhhhhed over the bottles they are a great twist shape and look impressive with the bonus of being easy to hold or tuck between my knees etc while doing toe nails. The colours are just perfect they look like precious jewels, there is a colour for every age and occasion. The IT Factor has won my heart though, a stand out colour for Spring and Summer just so pretty.  The polish has great solid coverage which is helped by the decent flat wide brush a must when your a wanting streak free coverage. The polish has the usual strong polish scent but it dissipates quickly and I don't mind it. The results after three coats was perfection, I looked like I had been to a salon and my nails looked ready for anything. The wear has been outstanding,  I am a typist and a mum so I highly recommend Essie Gel couture.

I am sooo impressed with these polishes. I have a few shades, some of the lighter pastel shades can go a little streaky and are harder to apply, however the other shades apply like a dream. They reach opacity with one coat, however I like to apply 2 plus the top coat to get a nice even finish. The best part for me is the longevity!! I have been getting about 5 days with no chips with these polishes, which is what I get with a professional UV set gel manicure. So that is an amazing feat!

The Atelier Collection is just gorgeous!  Beautiful colours with good pigment density and minimal smell.  The brush is wide and covers well in two swipes, while the bottle is pretty enough to keep out on the dresser.  Price point is reasonable and quality is exactly what I'd expect from Essie.

I have tried so many red polishes to suit and that would stay on the longest and look good.. I have found it ..This Amazing Shellac not only looks the part ..but drys super fast ..and is super shiny ..I also use the hair dryer to dry it quicker when in a hurry and it doesn't make it run it just looks Perfect..

I tried the 'Rock the Runway' and I absolutely LOVE the vibrancy and the colour.  It was very easy to apply and it dried really quickly. I applied two coats along with the Essie Gel Couture Top Coat and it lasted about 8 days before any chipping. Will definitely be purchasing this again.

I have become a lover of my shellac applications (never been a nail polish person prior due to chips etc.) but I do love the Essie brand. Trialled these products and, I must say, I am super impressed with staying power, chip-resistance and colour pay off. The top coat makes this a stellar duo too. I really feel like, with quality this good, you would go to the effort of home nail painting a hell of a lot more, but have to do it less frequently! Win-win!

this product delivers really great results, the colours are amazing and the pigment is great. I used to pay for gel nailpolishes to be applied but this nailpolish is so easy to use you can do it yourself and save a lot of money. The brush delivers just the right amount of colour and after two coats my nails looked professionally done. This polish gives a lovely smooth shine and gorgeous colour, the gel lasts and when used with the gel top coat lasted for ages and did not chip, the product dries really quick and is lovely and shiny. A great polish I would buy again

This nail polish is my first introduction to Gel nail polishes and I purchased Pinned Up which is a light pinkish beige rose colour. In terms of application I found that this had a thin but opaque formula and only required about two coats to cover the entire nail with no streaking. This lasted 12 days on my fingers with minimal to know chipping except on a fingernail I accidentally slammed a drawer shut on.  I don't really wear a lot of nail polish but I think I will purchase another bottle from this brand if I ever want another colour.

Fitly - that colour, wow.  I tried the colour in the picture and I have had so many compliments on it.  I loved that it applied well, I did two coats and the finish was perfect.  No ridges or bumps.  Used with the top coat it has lasted a week.  I rarely wear bright colour polish because it chips after a day but this has lasted a full work week. It doesn't feel thick like other gel type polishes.  Will certainly try some of the other colours!

Love this new gel nail polish by Essie! I still use the old Essie polish from time to time, but hands down the new gel colours are so much better. In order to get a shiny and longer manicure also use the clear gel top coat. Would definitely repurchase this again.

The formula was nice and evenly opaque after 2 coats, and dries fairly quickly (less than 5 mins). I find I get about a week of chip-free colour when used along with the Essie Gel Couture Top Coat, and recommend it to anyone who wants the gel manicure look for less.

The finish of this polish was super shiny and smart , it looked like I had just gone and got a manicure from the shops. The gel like formula again was quick drying and it didn't go all patchy and peel like other gel formulas. You still need to apply the two coats even though it is Gel like. Cant wait to go out and get the other colours in this range.

Love it! Great vibrant colour and long lasting.  It's quite a thin formula so very easy to apply, I'm normally terrible at doing my nails but this made me feel like a pro, and dries quickly which is amazing! Essie have nailed it ;) Will definitely be purchasing this again.

I loved this polish! It glides on so easily with the perfectly shaped brush and dries quickly so you can easily apply a second coat for a more opaque colour. I tried the Rock the Runway red and only needed 2 thin coats for a the perfect finish. The finish is a great amount of gloss and it seems to last a lot longer than other nail polishes. Rather than chipping off it sort of peels off (which personally is better than having chipped looking nails). Overall loved this polish because it looks like a professional job that I could do in 5 mins!

This product doesnt have a strong smell unlike other nail polishes i have, the bottles look absolutely amazing very catching to the eye, they feel amazing on i feel its better then any ive used so far. Essie makes my nails feel amazing and strong, my nails are quite weak so having something like this feels great on them. Essie goes on great easy to apply and stays in place even when doing the dishes, no chips, no rubbing off. I wish i had found this nail polish earlier its been great ive had it on now for 10 days and it still looks like the day i applyed it follow the instructions they are there to help you. Id definitely buy this again and id recommend it to anyone i know, have a wedding coming up so im going to use it for that and see how we go. Pros of this product easy to apply, stays on, looks amazing.