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＊Products shown are gifted with no strings attached. All opinions are my own.＊
This is probably going to be my last summer swatch this year. Back in June, I was honored to have received some new colors from Essie’s Gel Couture line. This is the first time I’ve tried gel by Essie, so I’d like to share my thoughts and swatches with you. Before I show you the swatches, I thought I should give a brief introduction of the Gel Couture line.
The Gel Couture line, aka Gel by Essie, is a long-lasting formula nail polish created by Essie. It is formulated to provide high shine, and can last for 15 days when reapplying another top coat on day 7. I seldom wear the same mani for more than a week, so I can’t speak for its longevity. Let me know in the comments if you want a wear test. The brand says that you don’t need a base coat for Gel Coutures; the colors are formulated to bond to your nail plates without a base coat. But personally I’d still wear one to prevent staining. For those of you who are new to nail polish, Gel by Essie polishes are not gels! Gel polishes require LED/UV light to “cure” and dry, but the Gel by Essie polishes are simply regular nail polishes that will air dry. Personally I find it a little confusing when brands name their polishes “gel” when they’re not really gels, but here we are! A great way to tell if the polish you have is actually gel is that, gel has to be kept from direct sunlight, so the bottle will always be fully opaque. So if you can see the actual polish from the outside, then it is not gel. Now that we’ve cleared things up, let’s look at the swatches!
Rev It Up
First up, Rev It Up is a sunny yellow vegan nail polish with soft red undertones. Shown in 3 coats. It is a little bit patchy even after the 3rd coat. But that was expected; soft yellow cremes are notoriously hard to make opaque. I would recommend not pressing down too hard with the brush, but simply “float” the polish on. I still love the color though! Yellow will forever be my favorite color.
Rev It Up｜US$13.00｜15ml
Fuel Your Life
Fuel Your Life is a blush orchid pink vegan nail polish with cool blue undertones. Shown in 2 coats. This is such a bright shade! I love this more than I thought I would. Perfect for summer!
Fuel Your Life｜US$13.00｜15ml
Dopamine Rush
Dopamine Rush is another one of my favorite. It’s a vivid and creamy teal green vegan nail polish with yellow undertones. Shown in 2 coats. The color is very summer-y, and the formula is creamy.
Dopamine Rush｜US$13.00｜15ml
New Highs
New Highs is an ultramarine blue vegan nail polish with magenta undertones. Shown in 2 coats. The shine is real with this one! It’s so smooth and shiny even without top coat.
New Highs｜US$13.00｜15ml
You Can-dy It
You Can-dy It is a bright rosy pink vegan nail polish with blue undertones. Shown in 2 coats. Comparing to Fuel Your Life, this one is on the warmer end of the spectrum.
You Can-dy It｜US$13.00｜15ml
Strut With It
Strut With It is a midtone violet vegan nail polish with pink undertones. Shown in 2 coats. This is a cute color, but I feel that the cool undertone doesn’t suit my yellow skin tone very well. I probably wouldn’t wear this as a full mani, but would gladly use it in nail arts.
Strut With It｜US$13.00｜15ml
Gel Couture Top Coat
Lastly, I thought I’ll throw in my first impression review of the Gel Couture top coat. I’m very impressed by how fast it dries. It dries to touch as soon as I finished one hand. I can see myself using it a lot when I’m looking for a last minute touch-up before heading out the door. Another thing I love about it is that it does not smudge at all, which is great news for someone like me that loves doing nail arts. It is also very shiny and has that plumping “gel” effect that I love. However, it does shrink, as most of the quick dry top coats do. You’ll have to really seal the edge of the polish to prevent shrinking. It also doesn’t harden the polish underneath very well. So even though it dries to touch very fast, you’ll still have to be careful with your freshly done mani to not dent it. With all that said, I like it! I might repurchase after finishing this bottle.
Gel Couture Top Coat｜US$13.00｜15ml
These new colors are already available; you can find it anywhere you get your Essie polishes. If you like shopping on Amazon, consider shopping through my affiliate link here. I’ll earn a small commission with every order that will help me keep doing more swatches and reviews for you. Your support means a great deal to me! Here’s a little nail art I made using colors from this collection. Enjoy!
Hope you find my swatches here helpful! If you want to see more swatches like this in the future, feel free to subscribe to my blog or follow me on Facebook Jemima’s Nails. You can also follow me on Insta @jemima.nails for more nail art contents. To support my writing even further, consider buying me a coffee by clicking the button below! I appreciate that you’re here. See you next time!
About Essie｜Official Website｜Amazon (affiliated)
Essie is a leading nail polish brand from the US, established in 1981, and has since been one of the most popular mainstream nail polish brand across the world. Essie nail polishes are 8-free, vegan, and cruelty free. Their polish line includes regular Essie polishes, Gel by Essie (Gel Couture, long-lasting formula), and Expressie (fast-drying formula).
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