Gel polish brands in New Zealand:Which are most popular?
In September 2026, Gelous was the most searched gel polish brand in New Zealand, accounting for 43.2% of all searches among the seven brands we track. When we checked with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, Gelous and Gelish were mentioned most often, in four of the five answers. Gelish was recommended most often, coming first in one out of four responses that gave a list.
- GelousShare of searches 43.2%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
GelishShare of searches 21.4%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
OPIShare of searches 20.7%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
EssieShare of searches 9%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
Sally HansenShare of searches 3.9%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
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Top gel polish brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Gelous and Gelish were mentioned most often, in four of the five answers. Gelish was recommended most often, coming first in one out of four answers that gave a list. Gelous was second, and OPI was third. Essie, which ranked fourth in searches, was not mentioned at all.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Gelish1st
- Gelous2nd
- OPI3rd
CND Shellac4th
DND5th- Essie–
- Sally Hansen–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Gelous4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Gelish4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- OPI2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- DND2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- CND Shellac2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Essie0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Sally Hansen0 of 5Named in 0 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 in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best gel polish brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best gel polish brand in New Zealand for at home nails?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“gel nail polish nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“home gel manicure”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.
Which gel polish brands do people search for most?
This chart shows how often people search Google for each gel polish brand by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven gel polish brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Gelous, Gelish, OPI, Essie, Sally Hansen. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Gelous | Gelish | OPI | Essie | Sally Hansen | DND | CND Shellac |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 48.5% | 20.8% | 19.2% | 7% | 3.3% | 0.63% | 0.45% |
| Nov 2025 | 51.8% | 18.2% | 17.9% | 7.2% | 3.4% | 0.86% | 0.55% |
| Dec 2025 | 45.3% | 23.4% | 19.8% | 6.9% | 3.2% | 1.2% | 0.27% |
| Jan 2026 | 43% | 23.1% | 20.2% | 8.2% | 3.7% | 1.4% | 0.56% |
| Feb 2026 | 43.5% | 20% | 23.3% | 7.7% | 3.7% | 1.4% | 0.4% |
| Mar 2026 | 42.8% | 19.6% | 23.8% | 8.4% | 3.4% | 1.4% | 0.68% |
| Apr 2026 | 41.3% | 19% | 25.5% | 8.7% | 3.5% | 1.3% | 0.66% |
| May 2026 | 40.1% | 18.4% | 28.3% | 8% | 3.6% | 1.3% | 0.27% |
| Jun 2026 | 45.6% | 17% | 26% | 6.8% | 3.1% | 1.2% | 0.34% |
| Jul 2026 | 40.8% | 18.7% | 26.5% | 9.4% | 3% | 1.3% | 0.37% |
| Aug 2026 | 42.7% | 19.6% | 23.4% | 8.9% | 3.9% | 1.4% | 0.19% |
| Sep 2026 | 43.2% | 21.4% | 20.7% | 9% | 3.9% | 1.4% | 0.29% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 43.2% | 4.4K | 0% | +0.5 points | |
| 2, moved from 3rd to 2nd | 21.4% | 2.2K | +7.9% | +1.8 pointsmoved from 3rd to 2nd | |
| 3, moved from 2nd to 3rd | 20.7% | 2.1K | -12.4% | -2.6 pointsmoved from 2nd to 3rd | |
| 4, held 4th | 9% | 920 | 0% | +0.1 points | |
| 5, held 5th | 3.9% | 400 | 0% | 0 points | |
| 6, held 6th | 1.4% | 140 | 0% | 0 points | |
| 7, held 7th | 0.29% | 30 | +50% | +0.1 points |
1.Gelous
43.2%
Held 1st. 4.4K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.5 points.
2.
Gelish21.4%
Moved from 3rd to 2nd. 2.2K estimated branded searches, +7.9% vs prior month. Share +1.8 points.
3.
OPI20.7%
Moved from 2nd to 3rd. 2.1K estimated branded searches, -12.4% vs prior month. Share -2.6 points.
4.
Essie9%
Held 4th. 920 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
3.9%
Held 5th. 400 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
6.
DND1.4%
Held 6th. 140 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
0.29%
Held 7th. 30 estimated branded searches, +50% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
Which brand is most popular in search among gel polish brands in New Zealand?
7 brands
In September 2026, Gelous was the most searched among gel polish brands in New Zealand, with an estimated 4.4K branded searches, 43.2% of all searches for the seven we track. Gelish is in 2nd place, 21.8 percentage points behind at 21.4%.
| Brand | Share of searches | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gelous | 48.5% → 43.2% | 51.8%Nov 2025 | 40.1%May 2026 | 1st |
| Gelish | 20.8% → 21.4% | 23.4%Dec 2025 | 17%Jun 2026 | 2nd |
| OPI | 19.2% → 20.7% | 28.3%May 2026 | 17.9%Nov 2025 | 3rd |
| Essie | 7% → 9% | 9.4%Jul 2026 | 6.8%Jun 2026 | 4th |
| Sally Hansen | 3.3% → 3.9% | 3.9%Sep 2026 | 3%Jul 2026 | 5th |
| DND | 0.63% → 1.4% | 1.4%Feb 2026 | 0.63%Oct 2025 | 6th |
| CND Shellac | 0.45% → 0.29% | 0.68%Mar 2026 | 0.19%Aug 2026 | 7th |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Gelous’ share of searches among gel polish brands in New Zealand decreased from 48.5% to 43.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Gelish’s share of searches among gel polish brands in New Zealand increased from 20.8% to 21.4%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OPI’s share of searches among gel polish brands in New Zealand increased from 19.2% to 20.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Essie’s share of searches among gel polish brands in New Zealand increased from 7% to 9%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sally Hansen’s share of searches among gel polish brands in New Zealand increased from 3.3% to 3.9%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, DND’s share of searches among gel polish brands in New Zealand increased from 0.63% to 1.4%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Gelous’ share of searches among gel polish brands in New Zealand peaked at 51.8% in November 2025 and was lowest at 40.1% in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Gelish’s share of searches among gel polish brands in New Zealand peaked at 23.4% in December 2025 and was lowest at 17% in June 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OPI’s share of searches among gel polish brands in New Zealand peaked at 28.3% in May 2026 and was lowest at 17.9% in November 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Essie’s share of searches among gel polish brands in New Zealand peaked at 9.4% in July 2026 and was lowest at 6.8% in June 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CND Shellac held steady: its share of searches among gel polish brands in New Zealand moved less than 0.5 percentage points.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand gel polish brands in September 2026?
6 changes
In September 2026, Gelish overtook OPI to rank 2nd among gel polish brands in New Zealand, with 21.4% of the searches.
In September 2026, Gelous gained share of searches among gel polish brands in New Zealand, from 42.7% to 43.2%.
In September 2026, OPI lost share of searches among gel polish brands in New Zealand, from 23.4% to 20.7%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for DND in New Zealand rose 100% over 12 measured months, from 70 to 140 in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Essie in New Zealand rose 17.9% over 12 measured months, from 780 to 920 in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for CND Shellac in New Zealand fell 40% over 12 measured months, from 50 to 30 in September 2026.
Compare popularity between leading brands
- Gelous vs Gelish: compare popularity
- Gelous vs OPI: compare popularity
- Gelous vs Essie: compare popularity
- Gelous vs Sally Hansen: compare popularity
- Gelish vs OPI: compare popularity
- Gelish vs Essie: compare popularity
- Gelish vs Sally Hansen: compare popularity
- OPI vs Essie: compare popularity
- OPI vs Sally Hansen: compare popularity
- Essie vs Sally Hansen: compare popularity
- Compare any of these brands
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