Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish and Top Coat Review

Together the polish and top coat looked great. The colour was vibrant and glossy. I loved the way it looked and it was easy to apply. The only downside was that it didn’t last as long as it claimed. It lasted longer than the average nail polish but definitely not longer than a week and chipped within the first couple days

This duo is a match made in heaven, its a medium consistency. Which is the best to apply stays where you put it! Both brushes are the same and are very pleasing to use, they kinda of shape around you nail which makes application much quicker and easier. They both have a strong chemical solvent scent, but its only there while the bottles are open and once they are dry its gone. With the polish i needed two coats to get nice even coverage, and only one coat of the top coat. This lasted really well, i'm a mum and a cleaner so my hands are always in water. I got a good 7 days out of it and i could of had bit longer. At $18.99 each while seems a little pricey together, is quite cheap if you think about how many full nail coats you can get out of these bottles. These bottles and shiny, classy and sleek glass. They have a twist though them vertically and sit together beautifully its the kind of bottle i want to display on my shelf, not hide away in a draw. While i didn't get quite as long as they say, i am hard on my nails. I think they are really great products that have me impressed, they go on beautifully and wear just as well. It came off easily with an acetone polish remover and with no damage to natural nails. I love these products and would recommend them to anyone who loves pretty shiny nails but no time or money for the salon.

First off I LOVED the brush. The tip is slightly rounded helping you get close to the cuticle without going onto it. It spreads well enough to cover nail easily and fast. The colour is amazing and applies pretty opaque with limited product. It is pretty fast drying but i wouldn't say in 30 seconds like it claims, maybe 1 minute or so between coats. I am pretty rough and work with my hands and i did start to notice chipping after one week, which i think is still amazing considering how rough i am. After a week and a half whole sections on nail polish peeled off. The top coat is good. Gives polish a nice shine and seals it all nicely!

I liked this polish and will definitely be purchasing other colours!

The formula of this top-coat is very thin which makes it easy to apply and very forgiving. If you have any mistakes on the polish layer this does a good job at disguising them and leaving a smooth layer. It definitely makes nail polish last longer, and the finish is not too shiny as some top coats can be. It has more of a satin shine.

Great idea, low smell, lovely bright colour!

I like the bottle shape, the consistency and the colour. I used this system on my 9 year old twins nails and it didnt last 2 hours before it came off, I put it on my toes and we are still going strong with no chips. I would use this on my toes but not on my hands, I know kids are harder but did expect it to last longer than a couple of hours, when they were playing with dolls not exactly hard work.

I lile the brushes and the smooth consistency and thought it was lower in smell. The bottle shape was cool and easy to hold.

I really liked these 2 products. They are super easy to apply and just as importantly just as easy to get off with nail polish remover, with the added benefit of being long lasting! I was really hard on my nails this week which wasn't ideal for trialing these nail polishes however i was very surprised that they lasted 10 days before chipping. If you were careful with your nails i could see it lasting a lot longer (:

I was fortunate enough to get to trial these two products...a very formidable combo! I chose "the-it-factor" as my polish colour. Very easy to apply. Went on like a dream. I love the shape of the brush..a nice rounded curve..it seemed to fit the shape of my fingernail beds (the top part) really well so it looked like a real professional job. After applying two coats of the polish, I applied the top coat. That went on easily too. After 10 days of wear, chipping has been minimal (as I've really put this combo to the test, with a bit of gardening, lots of keyboard time etc). I was expecting more of a high shine/gel finish to be honest, but that may have been because of only one coat of the top coat. I am tending more toward vegan products these days however after removal of one nail this morning, the colour hadn't stained my nails and my nail bed looked in reasonable condition. On the whole I would recommend this product. It would make a lovely duette-gift for a galpal, especially coming up to christmas, what with the stunning colour range and the dinky bottle shape.

I am hard on any nail polish so my expectations weren’t high but the Essie Gel Couture duo is noticeably stronger than other nail polishes in my collection. The result of using the colour and top coat together gave a beautifully glossy result that drew many compliments and has lasted with no dulling. I was impressed with the drying speed and easy application of both products. Essie have created the ideal brush shape for fast, easy application. As I said I am hard on my nails-gardening, washing dishes without gloves and as an artist my hands are exposed to paints, clays etc that require scrubbing at times. So although 12 days on my nails is a huge ask, overall it did perform well. After a week I have chipping on the nail tips but the colour has retained it’s integrity & gloss. I trialled ‘Spiked with Style’ because dark colours often streak and any flaws are easily noticed. Would I use it again? Absolutely and am intending to buy some other colours in the range. The brush design, richness of colour, high gloss, fast drying creamy consistency are all winners for me so I don’t care if I get less wear than Essie suggest is possible. Honestly the brush design alone won me over. To apply a dark colour and not require touch ups is a rarity for me. As a busy single mum I appreciate anything that makes my life easier!

Ok so the title.. this polish and top coat duo really is pretty great! The polish is beautiful and opaque, it goes on great with beautiful coverage. The top coat is stunning, super glossy and sets really hard. The only reason I have stated it’s not a miracle is because it didn’t last the 12 days chip free that it claims. On my first application I got three days before slight chipping at the top and then five days until the polish started chipping away at the cuticles. At that point I decided to remove it and try again, with five days left of my trial. I am at day five now and have definitely had better success. I’m just starting to get chipping on the tips now, nothing at the cuticles yet.

So what did I do differently the second time? Firstly I painted at night and was careful to let them entirely dry and then sleep before doing anything strenuous with my hands and secondly at day three I applied another top coat.

Despite the above I really do love the set, five days for me is still pretty great! And the formula of both is beautiful. I absolutely intend to buy more shades of the polish and try the top coat over other brands I already have. I’m pretty brutal on my hands so I was impressed with the result!