Next Gen of Nail Polish? Great Gel Finish Without the Lamp

If I was to create a Venn diagram using my love of beauty products as one set and the various elements of the Serenity Prayer in the others, I know what the results would be. Yes, the application of nail polish to a standard higher than that of a five year old hyped up on eight espressos would appear in the intersection with the line about granting me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.

My name is Andrea and I cannot apply nail polish. I'm left handed, a southpaw, a ciotóg (of course deriving from the Irish for clumsy, ciotach). And this means that I can apply nail polish to my right paw relatively well but when it comes to having to actually use my right hand, well, I may as well apply polish on one of those jiggly machines that promise to melt all your fat away.

And so I'd given up and resigned myself to shelling out on shellac at the salon. I love the shiny, glossy finish and I was happy with my clumsy lot.

But then budget brand favourite essence came along and launched 46 colours in their gel finish polish. The range is pretty impressive; you can stick with the usual pink, red, black and blue or you can opt for candy colours and pastel shades. And if you are into your nail art, you can choose form matt, satin, jelly, oil-slick or sparkle finishes. 

They set to a glossy, plump gel finish without the need for a lamp and they pass the 'ciotach' test. Two coats slicked on the nail gives an even, shiny finish and I was really surprised at how good the quality is for €1.79 per bottle. 

I hastily applied two coats to the nail wheel below and you can see the pigment is good and the finish definitely has a shine. I did this in about five seconds flat so if you took some time, the results would look far more expensive than their tiny price tag.

My favourite is 'Dare it Nude' on the left of the wheel and I think I'll sporting this on my fingers for the summer.

And if you want to intensify the shine and protect the nail colour, they also have a top coat and base coat (€3.09 each) that are well worth the investment.

This is one of those products that surprised me. Now, it's not like I've discovered the Third Secret of Fatima but I did nod sagely and stroke my chinny chin chin and promise to give my talons a break from the lamp. And to do some more Venn diagrams because it turns out I actually quite enjoy 'em.

Have you tried these latest polishes from essence? Are you a fan of the salon or do you always do your own manicures? And what would you like me to tackle in my next Venn mission?