CND Shellac vs DND:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, DND had more branded searches than CND Shellac among gel polish brands in New Zealand. DND had about 140 branded searches, while CND Shellac had 30. DND made up 1.4% of all gel polish brand searches we track, and CND Shellac accounted for 0.29%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about gel polish brands, CND Shellac and DND each appeared in two of the five answers. CND Shellac was mentioned before DND in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
DND, about 5 searches for every 1 for CND Shellac
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 2 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
CND Shellac, named ahead of DND in 2 of 3 answers
Follow CND Shellac vs DND and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top gel polish brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, CND Shellac and DND were each mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. CND Shellac was listed before DND 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.
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.
Is CND Shellac or DND more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for CND Shellac and DND 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 DND, CND Shellac. 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% |
How has the CND Shellac and DND comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- DND was ahead of CND Shellac in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CND Shellac’s share of searches among gel polish brands in New Zealand moved from 0.45% to 0.29%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 50 to 30.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, DND’s share of searches among gel polish brands in New Zealand moved from 0.63% to 1.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 70 to 140.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand gel polish brands in September 2026?
2 changes
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 CND Shellac in New Zealand fell 40% over 12 measured months, from 50 to 30 in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using CND Shellac’s and DND’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.
CND Shellac
1 branded search term
- cnd shellac
DND
1 branded search term
- dnd gel polish
Other head-to-heads among gel polish brands
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.