ESSIE GEL COUTURE COLLECTION + NAIL CARE TREATMENT FOR POST GEL NAILS WITH NAILS INC NAILKALE

Essie is the nail polish brand every beauty blogger swears by. I was never a huge fan of their original formula, mainly because I just don't like your usual nail polish. I don't think it lasts well enough and I just don't have the time to paint my nails every other day. I type a lot and take care of the house, so no nail polish has ever lasted more than a day in a perfect condition on me. The ones I loved before were Barry M Sunset Curing Gel Paints (POST) and I still think they are great especially for the price. I wanted to try something else and seeing Essie coming up with their Gel Couture Collection I couldn't just say no. I bought one shade originally plus a top coat and that was less than a month ago. Now my collection has grown to 5 shades that should take me through autumn/winter season nicely.

Before we talk more shades and I give you my review of the collection I'd like to talk to you about my nails and their conditioning treatment I swear by! I have stopped doing gel overlay/shellac in August and my nails have been less than perfect. In fact it took me months to get them to a condition they are in now, thanks to a great nail primer/base coat that is Nails Inc Superfood NailKale Base Coat (RPR £15.00). They were brittle, ridged and thin like paper. I don't help myself with an occasional biting (I'm a nervous biter , sue me!). 

However in September I decided enough is enough and picked up NailKale Base Coat from my drawers. I remember receiving it in one of the beauty boxes but never really used it as I was doing shellac at the time. For the first two weeks I used it alone on the nails. Basically I would paint two coats and topped up with an additional coat every other day, removing it all every 5-6 days and start the process again. I filed my nails every 5-6 days and repeated the treatment. I didn't wear any nail polish on top, just the NailKale. 

Superfood NailKale Base Coat is formulated with superfoods such as kale, aloe vera, lemon, ginseng, pomegranate and grape to deeply nourish, smooth and brighten the nails. The formula is also enriched with vitamins A, C, E, F and H for added nourishment and protection against breakage and splitting. This treatment offers keratin hardening and promises a nail growth without breakage or splitting. 

I noticed the difference after couple of weeks. My paper thin nails became stronger and more flexible. Over time they hardened and started growing faster. They look and feel better nourished than ever. I still keep them short, wanting to give them time to fully recover but the difference is massive. As for a base cast it works just as well as the treatment. I now use one coat, then two coats of Essie Gel Couture shade and top coats. It helps making my nails perfect under the colour and keeps the manicure in place too. I only had a nail break once since I started the treatment and that was totally my own fault, as I tend to fall over all the time LOL. If you're on the look out for a good nail treatment, check out Nails Inc Superfood NailKale Base Coat next. 

Shop Nails Inc NailKale on Beauty Bay now.

I didn't have too big of hope for Essie Gel Couture Collection as just like I mentioned in my intro, I was never the fan of the original formula. I did, however want to try the new range so I purchased one shade to test it out. I have tested all the shades that I own now and they can last up to 6 days on me. I showed you how well they performed live on Insta Stories and Snapchat and it could potentially last more if it wasn't for my constant typing plus getting bored of a shade and wanting to test another. I think the Top Coat works great too, making them dry within 2-3 minutes to full dry. You can touch them after 30 seconds but it doesn't harden fully until 2-3 minutes in. I have had zero chipping with these, so I'm amazed. I think they are a little more pricey than Barry M (RPR £9.99) but worth every penny. I need to try the Top Coat with the normal nail polish formula to see if it'll work to prolong their lasting power. 

I got 5 shades so far and I don't plan on topping up for now, as I got 5 perfect autumn/winter shades one can wish for.

Fairy Tailor is a gorgeous pale beige nude with pink/coral tones. It is more sheer than opaque but it can be built up to half-opaque finish. I imagine it to be a perfect wedding shade, it's so pretty and natural. 

Make The Cut is off white greige. It's has some sheen to the finish but it's fully opaque after two coats. I have it on now and I just love how it looks. Light greige is such a perfect winter shade and I can already tell, it'll be my firm favourite.

Take Me To Thread is a muted purple taupe. Absolutely stunning opaque finish after 2 coats. I adore this shade as I do love to match my lips to my nails and I own a lot of lipsticks to match this particular shade. I love it!

Bubbles Only is the shade of the autumn. If you're not into dark berry shades, this muted dark red should suit you well. As mentioned above, I love matching nail polish to lipstick and it is a perfect match for Jouer Creme Lip Matte Fall Collection in Brique. 

Spiked With Style is the dark berry with brown tones, which looks almost black in certain lighting. It's such a opaque gorgeous shade, I love it. I love wearing a super dark vampy lip for autumn, so this shade on nails should suit most of my autumn lip shades (POST).

I don't think I can choose just one favourite as I love all the shades for their own unique reasons and I know they suit my makeup style this fall very well. Have you tried any of Essie Gel Couture Collection yet? What are your thoughts? 

Thank You For Reading,

Love