Review: Essie Gel Couture Nail Colour

I'm not actually crazy into nail polishes, as I normally get super frustrated with their rubbish formulas and end up removing it to avoid the faff, but I was recently sent some of the new Essie Gel Couture range and I've been hooked ever since! I genuinely cannot fault this formula, and have already been out to buy 2 more to add to my collection. Definite Holy Grail material right here!

Essie Gel Couture Nail Colour / £9.99 each

The Gel Couture range consists of 42 catwalk-inspired shades and one top coat. The idea is that it is a gel-effect formula but without the hassle of any UV lamps or base coats. In fact, it couldn't be simpler - apply 2 coats of your chosen colour, let it dry and then pop the gel top coat on top! I really couldn't believe how simple the process is, and was even more impressed that only 2 coats provided a perfectly opaque, flat colour. Even better, the brush is tapered so it fits the shape of your nails perfectly, meaning you can just brush it on once and you're done!

As for shades, there's everything from baby pink to vampy purple. I was sent two - Rock the Runway, a gorgeous stand-out scarlet red (an absolute classic), and Couture Curator, a pretty peachy coral perfect for toe nails - and also rushed out to buy two more. I picked Pre-Show Jitters, which is practically white but does have the slightest pink hint, and Take Me To Thread, a stunning luxe taupe colour. Each shade applies beautifully without patchiness, and once the top coat is applied, they are  amazingly shiny and could be mistaken for salon nails.

The best thing about this range is that they have some serious lasting power, easily staying on for a week with only one or two touch-ups of the top coat to keep them shiny. Despite my clumsiness (I can normally chip nails within 10 minutes of painting them), I am yet to chip, flake or damage this polish in any way. Seriously, this stuff does not budge at all, until you want to remove it, in which case all you need is your normal nail polish remover and it comes off like a dream. Seriously, I'm struggling to find any negatives about this range. Watch this space for my expanding collection!

Essie Gel Couture Nail Colour is available now! Oh, and all opinions are very much my own.