Hi guys! This video has a different format that was kind of difficult to film for me. I learned a lot from making this video, the next one hopefully will be better :)
This is a really nice review! It definitely fits my experience. Gel Couture is my favorite line because I can paint my nails Sunday night and go the whole workweek with them looking flawless. My index and middle fingers always chip first, and they last 6-7 days without me being careful with my hands. I have always ignored the "up to 14 days" claim. Occasionally a single nail might last that long, but not the whole manicure. The regular Essie line last less than 5 days for me before it starts chipping. LOVE that Gel Couture top coat. It usually gives me amazing shine.
I always apply another layer of the Gel Couture topcoat after 6 days and have found that the polish does last for 2 weeks without chipping (for me at least). It is so carefree, absolutely love it.
I never tried the expressie type, but I really prefer the Gel Couture line over the regular one. I really like the thicker, gelly-like texture of the polish, it is easier to work with for me. Also, I really like the curved brush, the regular ones I have still have the old, skinny brushes, I find them difficult to work with, or at least not as easy as with the curved brushes. The Gel Couture Top Coat is hands down the best top coat I used since Seche Vite. I apply a thicker layer, never had problems with shrinking and it dries the whole manicure superfast. I will definitely buy more Essie polishes, hands down the best nail polish brand I used so far with a huge variety of colours. Thanks for your video, it is always so nice and informative! :)
Thanks so much for this kind of video. I have pretty much come to the same conclusions on these lines just from my own experience, but it's so helpful to get your professional opinions and comments. And I can never get enough of watching swatching!!
This is super helpful - thank you! I usually use the original and was always curious w the differences. Although I *hate* the Gel Couture's bottle shape, I really really like the top coat on any nail polish - it is magic!
Really ? I thought it was way easier to get a grip of the nail polish bottle . I'm so clumsy usually spilling the nail polish & with the twist of gel has helped me a lot.
Excellent video! You have answered all the possible questions! I prefer the Gel Couture line because it lasts long enough and it has really good pigmentation.
I rehomed my Gel Couture polishes because the dry time was obscene. I now have several of the Expressie polishes and love them, though I do use the Good to Go topcoat with them. Love this video and would love to see more comparisons of other polishes!
Very good presentation and analysis. I like Expressie for pedicures since it’s so easy to apply and remove. I just purchased from the Sk8 With Destiny collection, a “funky” greenish grey called Just For Kicks, a navy, Left of Shred, and a hot pink, Trick Clique. Looking forward to using them during sandal season. Traditional Essie reminds me of Zoya - good formula and mind blowing range of colors. Gel Couture wears wonderfully for me, so I’ve been acquiring more of it than traditional Essie lately.
I bought my first Essie Expressie. I thought the brush was wonky, and was ticked off about it, I thought it was a defective brush. Thanks for explaining it!
This was a GREAT video. I loved you both comparing polishes from the same brand, different lines. I can’t wait for the OPI one as I’m currently pretty torn between buying the original or infinite shine for most colors. I’ve had similar results to your Essie experiences. Expressie on hands (even with a topcoat) was like 5 days max before I could no longer stand the chipping. I’ve been able to wear GC for a full week and it looks great until I get bored and want a new color.
Hi Fran, regarding the OPI lines, here is my experience: there is not as much of a difference between Infinite Shine and the regular line, like there is with Essie's original vs. Gel Couture. Gel Couture is such good quality, while the Infinite Shine polishes I've tried have not seemed much better than the regular line. All are good, of course, but the price differences are also to be considered.
I stopped using gel polish and gel nails a while ago. I have been getting my nails a bit stronger over time using strengthening treatment and just started to use polish again. I definitely agree that Essie Expressie has more out there and less conventional colours. I have two different ones and about 6/7 different Essie in total. They are lovely polishes. Just done my first one and seeing how it goes. Hoping they last well . Really like your review x
Thank you for the review! I noticed that Gel Coture takes longer - but if each coat is allowed to dry for 5 minutes - by the end you are pretty much done. I will try Essie Expressie! Looks good! Always love regular Essie -
I bought Topless And Barefoot about 10 yrs ago ,very nice color and application . I like the color Find Me An Oasis ,but not a good formula . Ballet Slippers is not that easy to apply ,but sometimes I do it in two days .Maybe one coat on one day and two coats the next day . I can do this if I’m not going anywhere special .I usually don’t wear a topcoat but just purchased Essie’s base and topcoat and it’s so shinny . I’m anxious to see if this topcoat allows my polish to last longer . Thanks for the video . I may try the Express polish 👍♥️
Appreciate the time and effort of this video as essie is my go brand. I want to try dazzle dry or even the cdn vinyllux but I like the wide range of colors with essie
I have on topless & barefoot with clear quick top coat expressie. Yes I do my manicure every Friday. Taking hair nail skin vitamins to keep them growing and strong. For now my base is LA COLORS super strength nail builder which helps with strengthing nails & prevents nail chipping. I will purchase the smooth-e base. Thank you for the review
I'm so ambivalent with Essie polishes, tbh. I've got some Expressie colours and I love all of them, also the glittery colours of the normal Essies (Sweater Weather and Aruba Blue are the best nail polishes I ever had), but I can't apply the normal opaque Essie colours if my day depends on it. To me the "creamy" texture is super goopy and tough, it's like trying to paint my nails with quick-drying school glue. Super frustrating, because I love, love, love the colours. Thank you for the comparison and your professional opinion. 🌻
Wow. What a great review. I have worn nail polish always since I was 16 so I have less oil I. My nails so polish lasts a long time on me. But I would like to see what top costs stay the skinniest on the polishes. I feel my shine fades fast! Love your videos!
Well that didn't work out the way I planned! 😂 I thoroughly enjoy your videos and have learned many new things from them.! Please keep up the great work! All is appreciated❣️😁 Old Dogs/Cats can be taught new tricks❣️😁
Thank you! True neons are problematic to find because neon pigments apparently are not allowed for cosmetic use (that's why you don't see any of the big brands using them)
Love the video 😍 I love how the two of you have such fun being with each other. Can I ask you what your favorite pink polish is out of all the polishes you have.😘
I love the gel couture, I don’t own any original Essie, and I recently bought the Expressie. I don’t like the finish on the Expressie. I will add a top coat next time I use it.
I was just wondering about this, such a helpful video, thank you! I know that everyone loves a wide nail polish brush, but I can't maneuver close to the sides of my nail well with it 😅 Edit: Def interested in the OPI episode too!
This was great to see, as I often feel overwhelmed with all the choices of polish. Explained everything really well. Wondering why some don’t need a base coat?
This is excellent. Yes please do the same with OPI. Would it be possible to add a column stating whether or not you can use quick dry drops with the different polishes. I was surprised to hear you say that you should not use them with OPI Infinite Shine. Maybe that's why it doesn't last for me. Thank you for the great work!
Hi Susanne! So sorry for replying so late! I think it's pretty rare for company to say no quick dry drops etc. Other then Dazzle Dry. That is another brand that says nothing on the nails until the polish is fully dry in 5 min.
I have expressie glitter polishes - they look amazing in bottle but aren’t as nice on nails... they do dry down right away and are beautiful color, but it’s a pitty the glitter aren’t all that visible...
So Orly’s breathable line is probably a lot like the Expressie. No base coat or top coat needed, (supposed to be okay for halal, but that is debatable). ANYHOW, what I was going to say is that I noticed they are now advertising that you can extend wear and shine for the Breathable line by using their clear coat as a top coat for them. Maybe Orly has been watching your videos?
Hi Kimberly! Thank you :) The greyish blue or bluish grey is called Air Dry Here is a video about it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-o4GUy3vKTFo.html
I am used to have my nail polished at night after dinner. Everytime I used Essie Gel Couture, I need to ensure I have sufficient time to dry otherwise I will wake up with sheet mark....
I have used original and gel couture, without base coat and top coat... The gel couture seems to dry faster, with smoother application. While the original never does... I waited an hour last night (original, foreign base coat and top coat) before going to bed and when I woke up my nail color got sheet marks 😭... I think I will try to get the top coat today. Do you think UV lamp will help dry it faster? Or blow dryer?
Hi Krysta! Check out our new video about Chanel rouge Noir and I have 2 Essie compared. Lately I'm noticing that the original Essie dries faster. I'm pleasantly surprised. UV doesn't help polishes to dry unless they (top coat only really contains them) have UV reactive ingredients, but even that I think only makes them last longer not dry faster. Using blow dryer is also not a good idea. Polish might dry uneven or develop bubbles. For best results dry polishes naturally.
I absolutely LOATHE the expressie brush and will never buy one of those polishes again (despite liking the color/formula I got….I’ll go find another brand). Apprecite your comparison!
Please tell me what is the colour of the Gel Couture that you are useing or is that the colour? Really like the colour. Hope I can get it in NZ Wonderful Videos Blessings Sandy😘
Thank you for the review! I was wondering if you could use the Gel Topcoat on Expressie nail polish? Or should this one be used on the gel polish line only? If so, could you recommend a Top and Basecoat for the Expressie line (since I love this nail polish line the most).
I don't have any experience with the expressie line, but I have tried both the regular and gel couture. My favourite is the regular Essie; I tend to use thin coats, and give it 5-10 minutes between each layer (depending on the polish). I try to polish at night, and then do as little as possible 2-4 hours before bed - that lasts the longest for me. I was not a fan of the gel couture; it was too thick, and I found it kind of sticky/rubbery in texture. Probably because it never really dried, I see that now. Opi was my favourite brand before I found Essie. I like Essie for the cremes, although I have a few 'shimmery' favourites at Opi still, as well as their matte top coat. I tried a nude 'Infinite shine', but kind of found the same problems as Essies gel couture, though not as extreme. It did look beautiful for the first days; but after a few days, I found the color started to yellow, kind of like smokers nails. Not my nails; the polish itself. Both are great brands (Essie for their cremes, and opi for their shimmer), but I think the 'original' lines are best so far.
thank you so much for your interesting feedback :) I think drying the polish for as long as possible (within reason of course) makes a big difference. Too bad it's not possible to do this in the salon where people expect to have a manicure done and be out the door in 20 min lol.
Your male friend is awesome to be your hand model for this and we appreciate his opinion as well, expressie is you want fast dry, regular if you want wide arrange of colors to choose from and no cure gels like gel couture is a gimmick in my opinion so no reason to buy it, just brands way to charge you more for polish that’s supposed to shine and last like gels but actually don’t, I’d stick to the original for the most part
Thank you for this review! But I always thought you have to use one layer of a clear basecoat under dark and bright colourpolish or else your nails get an yellowish colour? And that takes a long time to ‘grow out’ of your nails. When I put a dark colour on my nails without a base coat and I remove it good I can always see the ‘shine’ of the colour for several days? Dark green, dark blue or intense red?
Hello Merel! You are right, the dark colors can stain and I forgot to add that info! I would use a base coat with both (even though they don’t need it) or a very sheer light color to prevent staining especially when the nails are damaged. I just showed the polishes like they are advertised
I feel like essie top coats are hit or miss. I like a generous coat of top coat but I find that essie good to go kinda moves as it dries and peels off on the side walls after a day, while gelsetter (from their regular line) is very glossy, dries quper fast and becomes hard, almost like actual gel and is actually one of my favorites (I yet have to try the gel couture one)
Expressie is the best, dries quickly, in 30 minutes 2 coats are completely dry without any top coat, definitely the best nail polish EVER, not only in the Essie range
@@TheSalonLife Good for you, I need 30 minutes to be sure it's dry because I don't want to spoil my manicure when I dress up or do anything else , it happened many times. It lasts around 4-5 days, it would probably last longer if I didn't have to wash my hair haha, so what I basically do is everytime I wash my hair I change nail polish 😅
Just because you may not NEED a base coat, is the best practice to still apply one anyway? Or is it just a waste of time then. That's the part where I am stuck
Hi Emme! Some polishes have bonding ingredients in them (so they call it base coat "built-in" and some of them don't. Some have a good shine on it's own (although rarely) and technically don't need a top coat. These new "no top coat needed" polishes are not that great for shine though to be honest. They look like a polish without a top coat once they dry.
I thought this angled brush of my expressie was a crooked one by mistake! Now I learn that this is on purpose. Too bad! On my short nails, the result looks as if a child had painted them - I just cannot handle this!
