Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish and Top Coat Review

I chose the shade Rock the Runway as my shade to trial. It was described as 'a fierce classic red nail colour. Gorgeous. Striking. Untamed.' and oh my god...it really it is! It's a deep but bright red, perfect for summer toes!

The bottles are very cool and just look that little more edgy on the dresser. The brush is very easy to handle and use, you can do the classic, 'middle, side, side' and cover your nail in 3 strokes. It applies really evenly too, its not too thick, but also not runny.

2 coats and the gel top coat took, maybe 10-15 minutes to apply. I don't mind that, I enjoy not rushing my nails.

I'm quite hard on nails - I'm pounding the keyboard for many hours a day, so I usually see the first signs of wear right on the tips. I followed the instructions to reapply the top coat every couple of nights, and noticed they started to look a little worn at the tips by day 8. Not too shabby!

I think this is a great duo for long lasting nail colour that you can achieve at home. I'll definitely be picking up another shade...maybe one of those stunning nudes!

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!

I was really impressed with the Essie Gel Couture nail polish and top coat. Used together they rivaled real gel polish in a way that most regular nail polishes can't. I usually prefer gel polish for it's longevity, but this polish seems to hold up just as well so far, with the added benefit of being able to be removed with just regular nail polish remover! The colour I used was "fairy tailor" a beautiful baby pink sheer polish, one coat worked perfectly as a nude for me (two coats ended up a bit patchy/streaky, but this may be from user error?). The top coat dried quickly and shined well. I'm excited to keep using these polishes as an alternative to gel polish, and I hope to get my hands on a few other shades in the range too.

Two beautiful products! These go hand in hand, so recommend you use both!

I have the Essie shade "Buttoned and Buffed" (beautiful dark nude colour) and the Essie top coat which has a platinum finish!

I have never had my nail polish last more than 3 days without either flaking or chipping off, and 5 days in, my nails are still strong and looking like my day one nails, even after wrangling a busy pre-schooler, lots of dishes and some gardening :)

I do think the top coat increases the longevity of nail polish immensely.

Loved the gel like nails these two products give, it really feels like you have had your nails done at a salon.

Both products are super drying and give a smooth shine like finish, love them and will definitely be purchasing more shades.

Love the beautiful twisted bottles too!

All I can say is wow. Using both these products together definitely makes your nails look like they were done professionally. Both easy to apply and dry really fast. The texture is really thin and glides on your nail so easily without hassle. Highly recommend these products. Think I've found a new favorite nail polish.

Using both the polish & top coat was definitely a better option. The polish did set slightly strangely, with a blotch in one corner than wasn't there when I painted them, but perhaps just a user error. Took quite awhile to dry, but has set well and hasn't chipped after a week of not being cautious of my nails!

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.

Thank you Beauty Review for this very cool trial team product!

The bottles are a twisted version of the standard Essie bottles - a really nice touch for brand recognition but a different product.

I chose the shade Walk the Hemline, because who am I to turn down a Johnny Cash pun. And also a stunning deep mocha nude shade!

Super easy to apply, clean and quick. 2 coats went on smoothly.

The top coat added such shine and clarity to the shade and definitely led to long lasting colour!

Normal nail polish chips within a few days, but this lasted closer to 10 before starting to look ratty.

Highly recommend!

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 is long lasting. As I write there’s still no wearing off and it’s been 5 days. The top coat does a great job of selling the colour and adding shine.