Why I’m Obsessed with Essie Gel Couture (And Why You Will Be Too)
Alannah is the Retail Marketing Coordinator at Adore Beauty with a passion for all things beauty. When she's not playing around with the latest makeup trends or trying to perfect her skincare routine for her prone-to-breakouts skin, you can find her dancing, doing Pilates or enjoying a good book or latest Netflix series.
Key Takeaways
- Essie Gel Couture offers up to 15 days of long-lasting wear without the need for a UV lamp, making it ideal for at-home manicures.
- No base coat is required for a flawless finish, simplifying the application process and enhancing accessibility.
- Top coats are crucial for extending wear time, and I found the Essie Gel Couture top coats provided a smooth, mess-free experience.
- The 'Good As New nail perfector significantly improved the strength and appearance of my nails, proving to be a valuable addition to my routine.
- Overall, I highly recommend the Essie Gel Couture range for anyone seeking a salon-quality manicure at home, especially during the festive season.
In Partnership With Essie.
Let’s be real: there’s something magical about freshly painted nails that just makes you feel put together.
Whether it’s a pop of colour to tie an outfit together or just that extra boost of confidence, a mani is a game-changer.
Now, full transparency - I’m a little obsessed with my nails.
I love the look of painted nails but I’ve actually only had a professional mani once and I didn’t really love the process.
While the colour and design was super cute, the cost and post-removal nail trauma weren’t for me.
I have been blessed with long nails beds and really try to keep my nails healthy so I decided DIY gel manicure at home was the way to go - especially with the big stash of polishes I have at home.
But there’s one thing that always gets me - spending all that time perfecting my mani for it to chip in a couple of days time.
So when I heard about the Essie Gel Couture Range, I was all in!
A salon-quality polish that can last up to 15 days - no UV lamp or painstaking removals needed.
Yes please!
What is essie Nail Gel Couture?
Essie nail polishes are iconic but the Essie Gel Couture range is basically the holy grail of long-wearing at-home manicures.
What is the difference between Essie and Essie gel couture? The Essie gel couture is a longwear polish. It gives 'gel-like wear' without the UV lamp!
Fun facts:
- Long-lasting wear: Up to 15 days of gel-like wear (with reapplication of a top coat on day 7).
- Flex.e gel technology bonds and moves with nails to minimise chipping.
- Infamous swirl stem brush design allows for controlled, even application.
- No base coat needed for a flawless, glossy finish.
- The Essie gel nail polish is available in a variety of shades.
- For the perfect Essie gel manicure, the polish can be paired with both a glossy or matte top coat designed to resist chipping and fading.
- Is Essie gel couture hard to remove? Nope! It can be removed with acetone just like regular nailpolish.
Essie Nail Gel Couture Reviews.
Shade: Sheer Fantasy.
Looking for the perfect neutral nail polish shade?
This gorgeous soft, sheer pink gives of effortlessly chic vibes and is the perfect everyday polish - it’s your nails, but better. It made them look really natural and healthy, and I could see this being the perfect base for a French mani.
As the polish is quite sheer I applied 3-4 layers to build up the colour but you can keep layering if you want more intensity.
It’s so easy to apply as the polish is creamy and easily glides over the nail.
Here’s a fun twist: My mum’s already eyeing it off and planning to steal it from me, so it’s clearly a winner!
Shade: Perfect Posture.
I LOVED this colour and I think this might be my new favourite Essie gel nail polish!
This powdery blue shade brings a soft, playful touch to your summer look and I received so many compliments while wearing it. I was even asked many times where I had my nails done (massive win)!
I took this picture on day four and look how good it still looks!
The first coat was a little streaky but after a second coat it evened out and looked flawless.
I personally preferred the glossy top coat with this colour as the matte made my nails look a bit chalky but the gloss gave it that high-shine, polished look that looked gorgeous in the sunlight.
Shade: Spiked With Style.
I’m obsessed with this burgundy colour right now as it’s trendy, rich and perfect for the cooler months or a night out. It compliments my skin tone nicely and the darker hue meant the difference between the glossy vs matte top coats really stood out. I’m usually a glossy gal but I found the matte really elevated the look, giving it that high-fashion style that I’ve only ever seen achieved at a salon.
Rock the Runway
And even though I didn't get to try it this time, I'll also be adding shade 'Rock the Runway' to my cart as we head into the festive season. Just as the name suggests this is a classic red shade for a bold statement look. If you love a red that pops, this is it.
essie Gloss (or Matte) Top Coat.
I have a confession, I’ve been that person who has been skipping out on the top coat.
I just never found one that actually worked - some didn’t stop the chipping, and others were too thick and sticky, and I ended up smudging my nails in the process.
But after trying Essie’s Gel Couture top coats I am officially converted.
Fun facts:
- Available in glossy and matte top coats.
- Extends wear time for up to 15 days.
- How to use gel couture Essie top coats? For use with any gel couture colour.
- Locks in colour, resists fading and prevents chipping.
- Quick-drying and easy to apply.
My Essie Gel Couture Top Coat Review:
Now I get why top coats are so important. With the right one, it really goes the extra mile in helping achieve a salon-worthy mani.
I also couldn’t believe how smoothly and easily it applied over the colour polish - no smudging, no mess.
The glossy top coat gives a high-shine, gel-like plumping finish that kept my nails chip-free for an entire week, with the colour just as vibrant as the first day I painted them. Sheer Fantasy looks especially stunning with this glossy finish.
I had never used a matte top coat before and loved the velvety, chic vibe that’s perfect for darker and bolder shades such as Spiked With Style.
Safe to say I won’t be skipping this step again and they are officially staples in my nail kit.
What is the Essie good as new - nail perfector?
We can't finish this at-home Essie gel manicure article without telling about the Essie nail perfector!
Fun facts:
- A nail treatment that instantly evens out colour and texture of nails.
- Improves the look of the nail surface over time.
- Contains ceramides to nourish and strengthen nails.
- Features a sheer, semi-matte pink finish.
My Essie good as new - nail perfector review:
As someone who’s all about keeping my natural nails in top shape, I was really excited to try this.
You only need to apply 1-2 coats on clean, dry nails and after only three days I am already noticing a difference in the strength of my nails and fading in some of the discolouration and bruising at the tips of my nails.
I wish I had this after my first salon manicure and would definitely recommend this for regular polish wears in between manicures to keep their nails looking fresh, strong and healthy.
Final Thoughts...
I am loving the Essie Gel Couture range and have already jumped on the Adore Beauty website to see what other shades we stock because I want to try them all!
I am super impressed that the polish lasted a week without chipping and that it provided a gorgeous glossy and salon-quality finish at such a reasonable price.
As we head into the festive season, I seriously recommend giving this range a go and saving those dollars for the Christmas shopping while still getting that pro-level mani at home.
Trust me, once you try it, you won’t look back.
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