I’m not the kind of girl who does her nails at a salon because I’m way too cheap for that and I like to keep my nails relatively short, so I don’t see the point in having my nails done. I usually paint my own nails once or twice a week, depending on how the nail polish holds up. Lately, two of my favorite nail polishes are from essence, a brand I’ve reviewed several times on my blog.

Don’t get fooled by the name, these are NOT actual gel nail polishes, they simply claim to be long-lasting similar to gel nails. essence nail polishes come in 8 ml bottles and they usually have a retail price of 1,5 – 2 euros. I have two colors that are more on the lighter side, but they have the same texture (not too thin and not too thick) and the applicator is on the wider side, so it’s not suitable for those who have very small or narrow nails. For me, it works because I do my nails quicker since it doesn’t take much time to apply the nail polish.

essence gel nail polish in 115 rockablue

I think this was part of their many limited edition collections because it has some cute drawings on the bottle and on the cap. It’s a nice lilac color, that I think is perfect for spring or summer. Or you know, whenever you feel like it. It can be streaky if I apply just one coat so I do two coats. I always apply nail polishes on top of a base coat to protect my nails and then I also apply a clear top coat to make the nail polish last longer. Even so, after 3-4 days, the nail polish chips so I have to redo my nails. I have to mention that I work daily on the laptop, I wash dishes by hand and I also wash my delicate clothes by hand, so it’s not like the manicure doesn’t go through daily chores.

essence shine last & go! nail polish in 05 sweet as candy

This one is similar to the other essence nail polish because I also have to apply 2 coats and it doesn’t last more than 3-4 days. The color was somewhat of a disappointment. I expected a delicate pink from what it looks like in the bottle, but it’s like a nude almost white color. I can’t say that I’m a fan, but it works because it looks like I have a French manicure even if it wasn’t my intention. This nail polish, just like the one mentioned above dries very fast, which I think it’s a bonus.

So, to sum it up, essence nail polishes from what I’ve tried so far are very affordable, they dry quick and they stay on the nails for a decent amount (considering that I work with my hands). On the other hand, they can be streaky (or at least the lighter colors) and they applicators are maybe just a little too wide.

Overall, I do think they’re nice and fun to play with as long as you don’t expect to do your nails and have the nail polish last for a week or even more.