Essie vs Olive & June:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Essie and Olive & June were level in searches among gel polish brands worldwide, with an estimated 74K branded searches each, at 10.5% of the total each. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about gel polish brands, Olive & June appeared in two of the five answers and Essie in one. Olive & June was mentioned before Essie in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Essie and Olive & June are searched for about as often as each other.
Who does AI mention more?
Olive & June, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Essie in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Olive & June, named ahead of Essie in 2 of 3 answers
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Top gel polish brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Olive & June was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Essie was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Olive & June was listed before Essie in two out of three answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
OPI1st
Gelish2nd
DND3rd
Kiara Sky4th
Olive & June5th
Sally Hansen6th
CND7th
Madam Glam8th
Essie9th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
OPI4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Gelish4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
DND3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Kiara Sky3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Madam Glam3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
CND2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Olive & June2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Sally Hansen2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Essie1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about gel polish brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which gel polish brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best gel polish brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best gel polish brand for a home manicure?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“gel nail polish”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“gel polish brands”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Essie or Olive & June more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Essie and Olive & June by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine gel polish brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Essie, Olive & June. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | CND | OPI | DND | Essie | Olive & June | Gelish | Sally Hansen | Kiara Sky | Madam Glam |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 22.2% | 22.2% | 15.2% | 10% | 12.2% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 2% | 1.3% |
| Nov 2025 | 20.2% | 20.2% | 16.2% | 9.1% | 16.6% | 7.4% | 6.1% | 2.7% | 1.5% |
| Dec 2025 | 21% | 17.2% | 16.3% | 9.4% | 14% | 11.5% | 6.3% | 2.8% | 1.3% |
| Jan 2026 | 21.2% | 21.2% | 16.5% | 9.5% | 11.6% | 9.5% | 6.4% | 2.9% | 1.3% |
| Feb 2026 | 23.3% | 23.3% | 15.3% | 8.5% | 10.4% | 8.5% | 7% | 2.6% | 1.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 21.9% | 21.9% | 14.4% | 9.8% | 12% | 9.8% | 6.6% | 2.4% | 1.1% |
| Apr 2026 | 24.4% | 20% | 16.1% | 8.9% | 10.9% | 8.9% | 7.3% | 2.2% | 1.2% |
| May 2026 | 21.6% | 21.6% | 14.2% | 9.7% | 11.9% | 9.7% | 7.9% | 2.4% | 0.87% |
| Jun 2026 | 22% | 18% | 20.9% | 9.9% | 9.9% | 8.1% | 8.1% | 2.4% | 0.88% |
| Jul 2026 | 20.6% | 20.6% | 19.1% | 13.7% | 7.5% | 9.2% | 6.2% | 2.3% | 0.82% |
| Aug 2026 | 21.4% | 21.4% | 20.4% | 9.6% | 9.6% | 7.9% | 6.4% | 2.4% | 0.86% |
| Sep 2026 | 23.4% | 19.2% | 18.8% | 10.5% | 10.5% | 7% | 7% | 2.6% | 0.94% |
How has the Essie and Olive & June comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands once in the 12 months ending September 2026: Essie took it in July 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Essie’s share of searches among gel polish brands worldwide moved from 10% to 10.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 74K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Olive & June’s share of searches among gel polish brands worldwide moved from 12.2% to 10.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 90.5K to 74K.
How did search popularity change for gel polish brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes

In September 2026, Essie gained share of searches among gel polish brands worldwide, from 9.6% to 10.5%.

In September 2026, Olive & June gained share of searches among gel polish brands worldwide, from 9.6% to 10.5%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Essie’s and Olive & June’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Essie
1 branded search term
- essie
Olive & June
1 branded search term
- olive and june
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