Blue? Blue.

Finally got to paint my nails after weeks of gnawing my nails off! No, really, the reason why I can't put up a decent NOTW post is because I have short bitten nails that are so not photogenic. I made sure to let my nails grow a little before doing this post hence the shorter than usual nails. But let's talk about what I have on my nails now, shall we?

Here I have essence's new(?) line of polishes, The Gel. I'm not sure if this is their permanent line now but I've noticed that their old line, Colour & Go, isn't sold anymore so I guess this is. The colors in The Gel line are more basic and straightforward*, probably because they're mimicking the gel-like look and feel. I purchased a few polishes in this line and here's one of them: 31: Electiiiiic.

Electriiiiiic is a true blue polish. It's not dark, it's not light; it's your basic blue. I personally call this shade "blue ballpen blue" because it's exactly that color. It doesn't have any shimmers in it so you get to jazz it up when you feel like it. First layer of this polish has a semi-transparent look, like a legit gel polish. The second coat really brings everything out, from the opacity to the evenness of the polish.

Compared to the old line, the formula on The Gel line feels thinner but not necessarily watery. It's like a creme polish that's thinned out a tad bit. I actually found it a dream to work with because it spreads evenly on my nail sans the pooling at the cuticles. I also experienced no streaking at all. Drying time is noticeably faster than the old line (hallelujah!). The first coat dried at around 2-3 mins after application and the second coat around 5, although I make sure to let it dry up to 20 mins just to be sure. So this + a quick dry top coat? Best. Combo. Ever.

Between Colour & Go and The Gel, the latter wins in terms of formula, hands down. I do like that the Colour & Go line offers a variety of finishes though but if we''re talking plain polishes, The Gel line is a winner. Good thing I got several colors because I can't wait to wear them all on my nails. ;)

*Okay so I just visited essence's website and found out that there are new polishes out! And the good news: new finishes too! The have glitter, matte, soft matte, satin, soft metal, Basically, it's like the old line, only with improved formula. Yay!