DND vs Essie:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Essie had more branded searches than DND among gel polish brands in New Zealand. Essie had about 920 branded searches, while DND had 140. Essie made up 9% of all gel polish brand searches we track, and DND accounted for 1.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about gel polish brands, DND appeared in two of the five answers and Essie in none.
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Top gel polish brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, DND 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.
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 DND or Essie more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for DND 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.
Share of searches by month for Essie, DND. 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 DND and Essie comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Essie was ahead of DND in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- 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.
- 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
How are branded searches counted?
7 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using DND’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.
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