Product Reviews Rated 4.21 out of 5 stars
966 Reviews
Most Helpful Positive Review Amazing Amazing product. I do highly recommend Essie Gel Couture. Every 2 weeks I visit my salon. I was going for years to the same place till the owner decided to sell it & moved away. Ever since, it's been a nightmare. Polish peeling the very same day, crooked nails, lumpy nails ~ you name it!! I literally tried every salon near me & not only gave them a second chance but a third & a forth & I said ENOUGH!! Something has to give. Not only was it a waste of money but time as well. Soooo I walk into Ulta & straight to the nail polishes I go. I have always loved Essie & OPI. I saw the new Essie Gel Couture collection & said to myself "ok let's try"!! I'm beyond impressed. I cooked/cleaned/ went in the pool. A full week so far & no chips at all. Amazing product. My nails are short (just a preference for now. I got tired of long nails) I've been telling everyone about this new polish. So easy to use. 2 coats of color. I let them dry for a few minutes before each coat. Then 1 coat of the clear top coat. It really does dry in less than 15 minutes into a beautiful professional salon quality manicure. It's super shiny & just beautiful. Make sure you buy the clear top coat that accompanies this line. Nails are left shiny & strong. I bought many other color since. I want to try them all. I did a little color swatch & they are all creamy & beautful. Some have a little sparkle or frost~ really pretty. They are really easy to remove too. A few swipes of remover & it's off. No messy removal like at the salon & no damaging scraping. Try it ladies. I hope you find that you have the same results as me. Here's to beautful nails!!!
Most Helpful Critical Review No big deal It's no different than "regular" polish. You can get the same 3-day wear with a different brand for a good top coat. There is no brilliant shine. There is no gel-effect. The thick brush they have is the same type of brush that you see on Sally Hanson's brushes.
Reviewed by 966 customers Exceeded My Expectations !! 5
Paula from Atlanta
One of my GFs was raving about gel nails. I gave the Essie system a try and it has exceeded my expectations for ease of application, color and durability!
Ruined my Nails 1
Jupiter from NC
So I don't leave a lot of reviews. And certainly not haphazardly. But these damaged my nails sooooo bad. My nails go really thin and peeled after wearing them for TWO WEEKS! I spent the next 3 months applying treatments to my nails to get them back to normal. Threw all of it in the trash.
Waste of money! 1
Abby from Massachusetts
Took 4 thin coats to become opaque
Even after curing between each coat the stuff never dried.
Added a top coat cured that still tacky
Day 2 I can actually touch one mail to another and leave an indent.
NEVER had this issue with other gel polishes.
Not totally cured "dried" in a wave pattern.
definitely a staple 5
missonni from new york
vibrant color on both natural and press on nails
Great polish! 5
SherryR from Belleville, IL
The shade Sheer Fantasy is a beautiful, sheer, light pink. A manicure lasts at least 14 days with no chipping as long as you use the Gel topcoat. Great shades.
Only on sale 3
Chris from Buffalo ny
Sally Hansen stays on longer & a lot cheaper
Yep 5
BelleLA from Los Angeles, CA
During these stay-at-home times, I've missed my professional manicures. That said, I've tried three brands of at home, gel-like products. Essie Gel Couture has been my favorite. It's easy for me to apply, looks smooth and shiny, and lasts longer than I expected. The next day after application I add one more top coat, which helps it last even longer. I've built up quite a color collection 9 months into these times - they help to brighten things up a little.
Regular nail polish 3
Rssbecka from Los Angeles, CA
This is the "Princess Charming". This is like a long lasting nail polish. I gave it 3 stars bc it doesn't not last the amount of time it promised but then again none of them ever do. It does last longer than your regular nail polish. This time it lasted around 4 days. By the middle of the 4th day it was chipped. I apply two coats and the suggested top coat. I wait 30 mins even tho it say it dries in 5 because I don't want to scratch my freshly done nails. Great for these COVID days where salons are closed. I found that the lighter colors last longer than reds.
lasts well 5
jess from pa
This is my favorite line from Essie they last so well on the nails. Minimal chipping after a week of wear
This product was simply ok 2
Mandy from VA
I ordered this product thinking it would be more of a white sparkle. It's not! It's more of a funky gray. Not my favorite, disappointed.
Love this product! 5
HeatherH from Charlotte
I love this! It looks like I had a gel manicure. It doesn't last as long but it's super easy to apply and takes very little time. I went and bought two more colors already and plan on getting more. It's very economical and looks great!
For the price, I'm not impressed. 3
Katie from Fraziers Bottom, WV
There's nothing special at all about this Gel Couture system. I have long, natural nails and I love red nails. I like that this doesn't require a base coat and the red I got is a pretty color. It seems to dry reasonably fast but my nails are still covered in imperfections. And while easy to apply, I admit I like the brush, it is not fully opaque (or even close on several of my nails), after two coats and I did not have time for a third coat to dry. Onto the gel-like top coat that isn't gel like at all it acts the same way as a regular top coat and even though my polish was dry it dragged off some of my color the same way it did over regular Essie polish requiring me to clean the brush. The only thing Gel about this system is the price tag.
First time buying Essie brand and it's great! 4
Beachgal from Portland Or
I really like the Essie brand with the gel system. I've always used OPI gel but I really love the color which is a bright red for the holidays. Not too dark and not pinky just a pretty red. And it's been two weeks and my nails still looks fresh!
Use it all the time 5
Sj from Ny
I use no base coat or topcoat finding less coats are better. Lasts about 5 days. Goes on smooth do not use a light it's not needed
Love it! 5
dmking29 from Monee, IL
I was very pleased with this gel formula. It stayed on for a little over a week with no chipping. My daughter even said it looked like I got a manicure!
Great for at home last longer than normal polish 5
Shelly from North Carolina
A great polish, I switched to doing my own nails during Covid and this was recommended and definitely works. Its a bit harder than normal polish allowing longer lasting polish, also has a great shine. Comes off with normal polish remover ironically easier than normal polish.
Long-lasting! 4
Andy from CA
Stays strong for about a week without chipping using a base coat, 2 layers of the gel polish, and a clear top coat
Nice but not long 3
Gigi from Florida
This goes on nice and with only one coat but it is not long lasting salon quality
Long wear? 3
Loni from Arizona
I did a lot of research before purchasing essie Gel Couture and found mostly glowing reviews (I'm looking at you tati). USE WITH GEL COUTURE CLEAR TOP COAT, DO NOT CURE WITH LAMP, NO BASE COAT NEEDED, NEW ROUNDED BRUSH MAKES PAINTING EASY, REMOVES LIKE REGULAR POLISH, WILL NOT STAIN NAILS I painted two coats of color and a coat of clear. I had tip wear (chips at edges) within 24 hours. To be fair, I wash may hands a lot at work and wear gloves for 8 hours, plus I wear my nails really short and find capping them (painting clear coat along edges to seal manicure) too messy so I skip that step. I love traditional gel that is cured with a lamp but hate the removal, and since this looks and feels like gel I don't mind repainting after a couple days. Plus, I used Model Clicks (very deep burgundy) and it did not stain my nails! Overall' didn't love it and didn't hate it.
Went on beautifully! 5
Nina from SC
I wanted a grey nail color for fall, something lighter than the deep charcoal I sometimes wear. I wish I got a grey that was a little bit darker, but it's pretty. It applied really nicely and 2 coats were sufficient. I love Essie Couture polish and this one was no different!
Great polish 5
Suzrob from Louisville, KY
Great polish. Stays on my nails over a week
Holy Grail Product 5
Sarah from TN
I've never used a nail polish this good. It really does last a LOT longer than any other. So glad I found this!
horrible 1
Heather from NY
This chips on me almost immediately each time I use it, even with a base/top coat. Such a waste of money.
great for toes, not so great for fingers 2
Riley from Montana
The colors are gorgeous. They'll last forever on the toes, but my fingers peel within a day or two. Pretty much whenever I shower, and it doesn't matter if I wait 2 hours or 24 hours after painting. Same result... peeling from the sides. I guess at least it all peels off in one solid chunk for easy removal? I don't think the price is worth it, seeing as literally every other nail polish lasts forever on the toes. Honestly, if you get anything from this line, just get the top coat!
New favorite polish! 5
Victoria from Parker, Colorado
I didn't think that this would actually look like a gel manicure and I was surprised! I'm not good at painting my own nails, it always looks like a toddler took a marker to her nails. This is the first time I've actually really been happy with my work!! I used a base coat, two coats of "Caviar Bar" gel couture, and the gel couture top coat. I really love how glossy the final result turned out! I've seen some reviews that it's streaky; a couple nails initially did have lines when I applied the first coat but after round two plus the top you can see how it looks just like gel!