--- title: "Essence vs OPI: Which is searched more in New Zealand?" description: "Is Essence or OPI more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Nail polish brands set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/essence-makeup-vs-opi" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Essence vs OPI: Which is searched more in New Zealand? Is Essence or OPI more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Nail polish brands set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: Essence and OPI - **Competitive set**: Nail polish brands - **Market**: New Zealand - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **Essence Share of Search**: 13% - **OPI Share of Search**: 21% ## Is Essence or OPI more popular in search? - In September 2026, OPI had more branded searches than Essence among nail polish brands in New Zealand. OPI had about 2,200 branded searches, while Essence had 1,360. OPI made up 21% of all nail polish brand searches we track, and Essence accounted for 13%. - OPI was ahead of Essence in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Essence’s share of searches among nail polish brands in New Zealand moved from 9.8% to 13%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 980 to 1.4K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OPI’s share of searches among nail polish brands in New Zealand moved from 22.2% to 21%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 2.2K. ## Top nail polish brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, OPI appeared in all four answers. Essence was mentioned in two out of four: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in the Google AI Overview. OPI was listed before Essence in every answer. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | OPI | 1st | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 | | Sally Hansen | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 | | Essie | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 3 of 4 | | Essence | 4th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 2 of 4 | | Gelish | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 | | Kester Black | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 | | Hanami | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 | | NSI | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 | ## Every AI answer about nail polish brands - Asked ChatGPT "Which nail polish brand should I buy in New Zealand?": 1. OPI, 2. Sally Hansen, 3. Essie, 4. Essence - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best nail polish brands in New Zealand?": 1. OPI, 2. Essie, 3. Sally Hansen - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best nail polish brand in New Zealand for everyday wear?": 1. Essie, 2. Sally Hansen, 3. OPI - Searched Google, AI Overview "best nail polish nz": 1. OPI, 2. Sally Hansen, 3. Essence Not named in any answer: Gelish, Kester Black, Hanami and NSI. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 21, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for New Zealand nail polish brands in September 2026? - In September 2026, OPI lost share of searches among nail polish brands in New Zealand, from 22.8% to 21%. - Essence’s share of searches among nail polish brands in New Zealand has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 10.1% to 13% in September 2026. ## Month by month | Month | Essence estimated searches | Essence Share of Search | Essence rank | OPI estimated searches | OPI Share of Search | OPI rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 980 | 9.8% | 4 | 2.2K | 22.2% | 2 | | Nov 2025 | 980 | 8.9% | 4 | 2.4K | 21.6% | 2 | | Dec 2025 | 800 | 5.3% | 5 | 3K | 20.3% | 2 | | Jan 2026 | 800 | 6.3% | 5 | 2.6K | 21% | 2 | | Feb 2026 | 690 | 7.1% | 4 | 2.4K | 25.1% | 2 | | Mar 2026 | 910 | 9% | 4 | 2.5K | 25.2% | 2 | | Apr 2026 | 910 | 8.8% | 4 | 2.8K | 27.1% | 2 | | May 2026 | 980 | 9.1% | 4 | 3.2K | 29.7% | 2 | | Jun 2026 | 1.1K | 10.1% | 4 | 3.2K | 30% | 2 | | Jul 2026 | 1.3K | 11.7% | 4 | 3K | 26.5% | 2 | | Aug 2026 | 1.4K | 12.5% | 4 | 2.5K | 22.8% | 2 | | Sep 2026 | 1.4K | 13% | 4 | 2.2K | 21% | 2 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Essence’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. - **Essence**: Measured on the search terms “essence makeup”, “essence makeup makeup” and “essence mascara”, summed into one figure. - **OPI**: Measured on the search terms “opi”, “opi nail envy”, “opi nail gel”, “opi nail lacquer”, “opi nail paint”, “opi nails” and “opi rapidry”, summed into one figure. - [Essence profile](/demand/nz/brands/essence-makeup) - [OPI profile](/demand/nz/brands/opi) - [All nail polish brands in New Zealand](/demand/nz/categories/nz-nail-polish-brands): The set both shares are measured inside, 8 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Essence or OPI more popular in search? In September 2026, OPI had more branded searches than Essence among nail polish brands in New Zealand. OPI had about 2,200 branded searches, while Essence had 1,360. OPI made up 21% of all nail polish brand searches we track, and Essence accounted for 13%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Essence vs OPI: Which is searched more in New Zealand?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/essence-makeup-vs-opi This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/essence-makeup-vs-opi. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.