Brandwave

Gelish vs Kester Black:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Gelish had more branded searches than Kester Black among nail polish brands in New Zealand. Gelish had about 4,510 branded searches, while Kester Black had 220. Gelish made up 43% of all nail polish brand searches we track, and Kester Black accounted for 2.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about nail polish brands, neither Gelish nor Kester Black appeared in any of the four answers.

Among nail polish brands in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Gelish, about 21 searches for every 1 for Kester Black

Gelish 4.5K searchesKester Black 220 searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both were mentioned in 0 of 4 answers.

Gelish in 0 of 4Kester Black in 0 of 4

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Top nail polish brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, neither Gelish nor Kester Black showed up in any of the four answers.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. OPI1st
  2. Sally Hansen2nd
  3. Essie3rd
  4. Essence4th
  5. Gelish–
  6. Kester Black–
  7. Hanami–
  8. NSI–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • OPI4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Sally Hansen4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Essie3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Essence2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Gelish0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Kester Black0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Hanami0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • NSI0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers

See every answer about nail polish brands

4 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which nail polish brand should I buy in New Zealand?”

    1. 1OPI
    2. 2Sally Hansen
    3. 3Essie
    4. 4Essence

  • Asked ChatGPT

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

    1. 1OPI
    2. 2Essie
    3. 3Sally Hansen

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best nail polish brand in New Zealand for everyday wear?”

    1. 1Essie
    2. 2Sally Hansen
    3. 3OPI

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “best nail polish nz”

    1. 1OPI
    2. 2Sally Hansen
    3. 3Essence

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “gel nail polish nz”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

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 Gelish or Kester Black more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Gelish and Kester Black by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight nail polish brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

Gelish and Kester Black among nail polish brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Gelish, Kester Black. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthGelishOPIEssieEssenceSally HansenKester BlackHanamiNSI
Oct 202545.2%22.2%12.8%9.8%3.9%4.9%1.1%0.1%
Nov 202542.6%21.6%14.9%8.9%4.2%6.6%1.2%0.09%
Dec 202546.8%20.3%12.7%5.3%3.3%10.7%0.73%0.07%
Jan 202646.6%21%14%6.3%3.9%7.1%1%0.08%
Feb 202646.4%25.1%13.2%7.1%3.9%3.4%0.72%0.1%
Mar 202643.1%25.2%13.5%9%3.6%4.9%0.69%0.1%
Apr 202641.8%27.1%16.3%8.8%3.8%1.7%0.39%0.1%
May 202637.7%29.7%16.6%9.1%4.2%2%0.65%0.09%
Jun 202638.9%30%14.6%10.1%3.9%1.7%0.66%0.09%
Jul 202639%26.5%17.3%11.7%3.1%1.6%0.63%0.09%
Aug 202640.4%22.8%17.9%12.5%4%1.7%0.64%0.09%
Sep 202643%21%16%13%4.1%2.1%0.67%0.1%

How has the Gelish and Kester Black comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

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

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Gelish gained share of searches among nail polish brands in New Zealand, from 40.4% to 43%.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Kester Black in New Zealand fell 55.1% over 12 measured months, from 490 to 220 in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

10 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Gelish’s and Kester Black’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.

Gelish

7 branded search terms

  • gelish gel nail colors
  • gelish manicure
  • gelish nail
  • gelish nail colors
  • gelish nail polish
  • gelish nailpolish
  • gelish polish

Kester Black

3 branded search terms

  • kester black
  • kester black nails
  • kesterblack

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among nail polish brands

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