Revlon ColorStay Gel Envy Review

Wow, the Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy is a goodie! I've tried a few different 'gel' nail polishes in the past and most of them do pretty well but chip after 3-4 days still. Not this baby! My nails lasted a full week at work (involving typing on a keyboard) without a single chip! So impressed. The formula goes on smoothly, dries VERY fast, and looks lovely on my nails. If Revlon were cruelty free this would be the perfect polish!

I purchased two shades (Beginners Luck and Queen of Hearts) from Farmer's as the "chip resistant" characteristic was quite appealing. Beginners Luck is a very pale pink, shimmery tone which is very subtly pretty, whilst Queen of Hearts is a very deep, eyecatching red.

I found application quite difficult and messy due to the unusually shaped, thin brush style - product dripped easily and it was difficult to apply to the confines of the nail in comparison to other brands such as Sally Hansen Miracle Gel. Application was actually more difficult with the Queen of Hearts Shade as it appeared much thinner and runnier than Beginners Luck and was far less opaque.

The gel finish is quite nice on the nail and true to description, however, in terms of longevity, I was quite disappointed as I started to see chips after two days.

Overall, if I was going for a gel finish I'd use Sally Hansen instead as application is far more straightforward with an equally good shade range.

I purchased these polishes with great expectations, finally a polish that will last as well as gels without the hassle of going to the salon and using a lamp. Unfortunately the polishes didn't deliver on that aspect. They last maybe two days before they start to chip and peel on my fingers. Although they can last for months on my toes (but so can most polishes). I love the colours and coverage. I know I can use this polish for a day/night out and not worry about it chipping within minutes but within a day or two it starts to.

These have been out for a while, and I can honestly say this is the only nail colour I now choose to purchase, however, there are a few points to ponder when choosing a new shade. I have noticed not all Revlon's Gel Envy colours are not created the same, there are shades that are really opaque, and not worth it at all, as far as colour payoff is concerned. (To me if I cannot get the desired effect within 2 coats, I don't want to use it anymore.) This is why it pays to test on a piece of sellotape, or on a naked nail. The brush itself is terrible, very uneven, and a steady hand is required to not leave drag marks on the nail when applying the colour, this takes a bit of getting used to, but they can be mastered!! I also find that the more glittery the colour, the harder it is to remove. A good polish remover is a must here! A base coat as well as the finishing top coat, are to me, essential. The base coat will prevent staining of the nail, if the colour is dark, and the top coat gives the most nicest shine, and completes the look. As far as longevity, I find it completely depends on what work your hands are doing, the chip factor doesn't usually creep in till the fourth or fifth day for me. After all this, i really do recommend these gel polishes, the colour payoff can be great when you have chosen the correct shade.

I was expecting these to mimic gel nails, for the price I wanted that as well. It is set up to make you purchase a colour and a gel topper, ok the gel topper can be reused with any other gel colour you purchase within the range but to be honest I would rather spend that money once a fortnight or more getting my nails redone at the salon.

The polish is rather thick and makes for an awkward application especially on my non-dominate hand which shakes when I am trying to do something like paint nails. It bleeds easily into the cuticles because of its thickness and takes a while to dry down enough to apply the gel topper. So I, of course, smudge it whilst waiting as I am clumsy and impatient.

The colour is fully opaque in one coat, thankful as I mentioned it is thick I would expect it to be. The topper applied a little better but noticed that after a couple of uses the top of the bottle got gunky from exposure to the air and needed cleaning.

The overall outcome was far from perfect, but if given more time to sit and steadily paint my nails with maybe some vaseline around my cuticles it isn't a bad attempt to mimic gels, the topper kept the colour in place without chips for 5 days and it remained glossy until I removed it.

As a girl that doesn't like to do their nails often enough, when I first found this product I assumed that it was going to be very sturdy and last for a decent amount of time. I usually found that even after a day or so that my polish would chip and I would have to redo the nail. This became a tedious process and so I would often take the whole lot off and start again. It is possible I may not have been applying it correctly, but being nail polish and not gel polish I assume it is applied just like any other nail polish

I don't usually paint my nails because I either smudge the polish before it dries, or it chips off within a day or two.. So this product is good and bad for me.

I find the polish takes longer to dry than most other polishes and I usually end up painting the first and second coat in the morning and not getting around to the top coat until the evening just to make sure I'm not smudging it.

It does last really well though! I can usually get 5-7 days out of my manicure before it chips, and it's easy to fix up little chips because the formula is quite thick.

I find that because of the thick formula the bottles don't last very long and become quite goopy and hard to apply when you start running low.

I haven't had any problem with the polish being streaky, apply the coats thinly and they look great. The colours are all gorgeous though and the top coat gives an amazing shine.

Even with the bad this is 100% my go-to nail polish because once it's on I don't think to think about it or re-apply for (usually) a week!

I use to get my nails done on a regular basis with gel polish but have since found this hard with 3 young children so I decided to try the Revlon Gel Envy. The range of colours are fantastic and quite good value at around $20 each including the top coat. The colour doesn't last as long as professional gel nails but does last a bit longer than regular polish and it has a great gel-like shine. One coat gives a thick, good coverage but I do still prefer to do 2 before the top coat. What I like most is that I can get a gel-like polish without having to use a uv light which I do question it's safety of continued use so I like using this at home alternative.

I currently have these polishes in the following colours:

* Blue Slate - darkish bluey grey

* Hold Em - dark purple

* Jokers Wild - pinky coral

* All or nothing - creamy white

* Checkmate - nude beige

I have always loved getting gel nails done but haven't enjoyed paying for them so when there was a polish with the wording gel I thought Id give them a try (plus they were on special) .

I find these polishes consistency are easy to apply and the brushes are great to work with. Normally one or two strokes is all that's needed. I find its better to apply less product so it dries quicker and then build up colour with further coats, otherwise it takes awhile to dry. (who likes waiting for polish to dry - not me!)

I normally always apply diamond top coat as recommend and find the colour and shine lasts pretty well. I tend to find the ends of my nails wear more than chip. The actual polish itself lasts ages without going gluggy making for a good quality nail polish. The final result on my finger nails does feel similar to that of gel.

What I like most about these polishes is the colour range on offer, all the tones are really nice and wearable. They are longer wearing than most which is why - if on special - I would purchase again.