Brandwave

CND Shellac vs OPI:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, OPI had more branded searches than CND Shellac among gel polish brands in New Zealand. OPI had about 2,110 branded searches, while CND Shellac had 30. OPI made up 20.7% 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 OPI each appeared in two of the five answers. CND Shellac and OPI were each mentioned first in one of the two answers that named either.

Among gel polish brands in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

OPI, about 70 searches for every 1 for CND Shellac

OPI 2.1K searchesCND Shellac 30 searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both were mentioned in 2 of 5 answers.

CND Shellac in 2 of 5OPI in 2 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Each is named first in 1 of 2 answers.

CND Shellac first in 1OPI first in 1

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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 and OPI 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 and OPI were each listed first in one of the two answers that named either.

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 OPI more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for CND Shellac and OPI 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 OPI among gel polish brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for OPI, 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 OPI comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • OPI 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, OPI’s share of searches among gel polish brands in New Zealand moved from 19.2% to 20.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 2.1K.

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

3 changes

  1. In September 2026, Gelish overtook OPI to rank 2nd among gel polish brands in New Zealand, with 21.4% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, OPI lost share of searches among gel polish brands in New Zealand, from 23.4% to 20.7%.

  3. 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 OPI’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

OPI

6 branded search terms

  • opi
  • opi nail envy
  • opi nail gel
  • opi nail lacquer
  • opi nail paint
  • opi rapidry

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among gel polish brands

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