Brandwave

CND Shellac vs Essie:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Essie had more branded searches than CND Shellac among gel polish brands in New Zealand. Essie had about 920 branded searches, while CND Shellac had 30. Essie made up 9% 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 appeared in two of the five answers and Essie in none.

Among gel polish brands in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Essie, about 31 searches for every 1 for CND Shellac

Essie 920 searchesCND Shellac 30 searches

Who does AI mention more?

CND Shellac, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Essie in 0

CND Shellac in 2 of 5Essie in 0 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

CND Shellac, the only one of the two named

CND Shellac first in 2Essie never named

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Top gel polish brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, CND Shellac was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Essie did not appear in any of the five answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Gelish1st
  2. Gelous2nd
  3. OPI3rd
  4. CND Shellac4th
  5. DND5th
  6. Essie–
  7. 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?”

    1. 1Gelish
    2. 2CND Shellac
    3. 3OPI
    4. 4Gelous

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best gel polish brands in New Zealand?”

    1. 1OPI
    2. 2Gelish
    3. 3CND Shellac
    4. 4DND

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best gel polish brand in New Zealand for at home nails?”

    1. 1Gelous
    2. 2Gelish
    3. 3DND

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “gel nail polish nz”

    1. 1Gelous
    2. 2Gelish

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “home gel manicure”

    1. 1Gelous

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 Essie more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for CND Shellac and Essie 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.

CND Shellac and Essie among gel polish brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Essie, CND Shellac. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthGelousGelishOPIEssieSally HansenDNDCND Shellac
Oct 202548.5%20.8%19.2%7%3.3%0.63%0.45%
Nov 202551.8%18.2%17.9%7.2%3.4%0.86%0.55%
Dec 202545.3%23.4%19.8%6.9%3.2%1.2%0.27%
Jan 202643%23.1%20.2%8.2%3.7%1.4%0.56%
Feb 202643.5%20%23.3%7.7%3.7%1.4%0.4%
Mar 202642.8%19.6%23.8%8.4%3.4%1.4%0.68%
Apr 202641.3%19%25.5%8.7%3.5%1.3%0.66%
May 202640.1%18.4%28.3%8%3.6%1.3%0.27%
Jun 202645.6%17%26%6.8%3.1%1.2%0.34%
Jul 202640.8%18.7%26.5%9.4%3%1.3%0.37%
Aug 202642.7%19.6%23.4%8.9%3.9%1.4%0.19%
Sep 202643.2%21.4%20.7%9%3.9%1.4%0.29%

How has the CND Shellac and Essie comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Essie 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, Essie’s share of searches among gel polish brands in New Zealand moved from 7% to 9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 780 to 920.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand gel polish brands in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. Estimated monthly branded searches for Essie in New Zealand rose 17.9% over 12 measured months, from 780 to 920 in September 2026.

  2. 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?

7 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using CND Shellac’s and Essie’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

Essie

6 branded search terms

  • essie
  • essie ballet slippers
  • essie bordeaux
  • essie gel couture
  • essie mademoiselle
  • essie nail gel

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among gel polish brands

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