Essie Gel Couture Off Duty Style and Blush-Worthy Review & Swatches

I have been lucky enough to try out a few more Essie Gel Couture polishes thanks to my friends over at Nail Polish Canada.

Back in February, I wrote a full review on Essie Gel Couture (read it HERE). If you are not familiar with the Gel Couture line, it’s a manicure system with a range of beautiful polish shades and a special top coat that provides up to 14 days of wear without a UV lamp or base coat. It’s quick to apply since each coat only takes 60 seconds to dry and it’s easy to remove with a regular polish remover.

So far, I have swatched and reviewed Spool Me Over, a pretty peach colour, and Take Me To Thread, the perfect greyish-purple shade. Today, I am excited to share two new shades that are perfect for fall and winter.



The first shade is Off Duty Style*, a deep dusty teal creme. In the bottle, this shade looks a bit intimidating, but I’m happy to report that it is one of the best blues that I have ever tried. It’s not too bright and not too dark. The shade is unique and not like anything I have in my collection. It’s also very wearable for work and can look elegant for a night out as well. On its own, it has a nice glossy finish, but the Gel Couture Top Coat* makes it look extra glassy and chic. If you can believe it, the swatch in the photo above features only one coat of this super-pigmented polish, so it’s great for creating a quick at-home manicure that looks like you spent an hour at the salon. I receive lots of compliments on this shade every time I wear it and highly recommend this beautiful blue for fall and winter.



Next is Blush-Worthy*, a peony pink with gold flakes. This is the first polish from this line that I have tried that doesn’t have the typical creme formula. Instead, this polish is very gel-like and a bit sheer. It’s a perfect complement to the gold flakes since the slightly translucent base allows them to look like they’re floating, giving the polish a snow-globe effect. Once dry, this polish has a sheen, but not an overly glossy finish, so the addition of the top coat provides a shine that enhances the ethereal effect. In the photo above, I’m wearing three coats for full coverage, and the flakes are still very visible. I like how the gold shows up even when my nails are not under direct light. They’re subtle enough for every day but add something special to the polish that sets it apart from all the creamy pink shades out there. It’s a great colour to pick up for the holiday season and to wear year-round when you want some wearable sparkle.

Overall, I’m very impressed with these two additions to the Gel Couture line. They’re unique, seasonally appropriate, and long-wearing. At the moment, Nail Polish Canada has these two shades on sale for under $7, so it’s a great time to pick them up if you’re looking to try the Gel Couture line or expand your collection. They ship to Canada and the USA. To see the full Essie Gel Couture Collection, click HERE or visit http://www.nailpolishcanada.com/categories/essie-gel-couture.html.

Which shade is your favourite?