Essence is one of those brands at the drugstore that you miiiiiight just walk past as the display can look a little cheap and its kind of stuck on the end of an aisle without really having a proper section. Well...stop walking!

I have tried quite a products in the Essence range and it all started last summer when i had to put a budget into play and the brand really started to up their game.

So this review..the gel polish. Buy it. I bought one colour (Play with my mint) after seeing a fave You Tuber of mine wearing it and wearing it (and wearing it again!) I will tell you right now..i dont have the best of luck with nail polish. I paint my nails and then i sneeze an hour later and i feel as if the stuff chips! Not the essence one. The brush is super nice; fat without being chubby and awkward for my small nail beds and the formula is creamy without being all thick and gloopy.

After my initial purchase i bought two more..Jeans On and Island Hopping. Again both excellent formulas, an amazing price and a great result. Essence is now my go to polish brand, if they have the colour i want. Their colour selection isn't huge (in stores at least - havent checked online) but i am hoping they expand it and i do see them adding new colours every season.

So check out that Essence display you may have just walked past before and grab one of their polishes. For the minimal price, its not the end of the world if it doesn't work out for you. But..i would be surprised if you didn't love it!

I love nail polish and at the price for this GEL polish you can purchase A LOT! I mean most nail polishes don't last me more than a day or two at most before they chip. This nail polish is fairly decent at staying put for approx. 5 days. The colour goes on really well, they is a fairly decent colour selection and works well when you need to do your nails and get out the door.

Pour une fraction du prix, il est possible d'avoir une manucure comme en salon. Les vernis sont très durables. Une bonne gamme de couleur est offerte. Il est préférable de toujours appliquer deux couches pour avoir un beau fini. Pour les couleurs qui sont plus pâles, je recommande d'appliquer trois couches pour s'assurer de l'opacité du vernis. Il est important de mettre la couche de base et la couche de finition. Une manucure dure entre 10 et 14 jours.

I was really impressed when I tried the essence gel nail polishes. The quality is really good, all the colours are really pretty and the nail polish lasted on me for about 7 days.

I'm a huge fan of these polishes! I find that most of the colours only require a single coat and they stay chip free for a few days. They look like UV gels but remove with good old nail polish remover. For $2.99 they're a real steal!

Well now, I bought this clear Gel top coat and it was under 3 dollars. I put it on and then added polish and then used a top coat as well and my mani lasted for 7 days without a chip and I have my hands in cleaners all day at work. Can't be beat in my opinion!

I have a review on Gel Nail Polishes by Essence. Essence Cosmetics as you know is a value beauty brand, with a wide collection of high-quality products at amazingly low prices. The Gel Nail Polish collection is like a re-launch of their previous nail polishes, which provide gel quality nails without a UV-lamp. The collection consists of 16 new colors, plus the base and top coat.

Their gel nail polishes are priced at $2.99. Essence’s nail polish brushes are different from other brushes. They are like flat paddle brushes, which allows for a streak free nail polish application. I had the opportunity to try out all 16 shades and base + top coat. I grouped the shades for easier colour reference. The Gel polishes do not have distinct names but are classified by a number.

All of their colours dry extremely fast which I love, as I wouldn’t use it often, if it had longer drying times. The base coat dries by the time you have finished applying a coat to both hands and they are ready for the gel colour. The top coat is applied over top.

The appearance and texture are very polished. The polish only started to wear between the 5th/6th day but I found it to last even longer if I took the time to apply the top coat a little past the edges of my nail (similar to how they apply the top coat when getting acrylic nails).

The top coat really does give it a gel shine, without the lengthy removal process. It wipes away with regular nail polish remover. The top and base coat are $4.49 each and they really do extend the durability of the nail polish.

You can browse their products at www.essence-cosmetics.com. If you’re in Canada, you can pick up their selection of products from Shoppers Drug Mart. Do give their products a try if you haven’t already! :)