I Tried Celisse’s Nail Polish. My Manicure Lasted Almost Two Weeks.
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I gave up on salon manicures ten years ago. I’m a gel-manicure virgin at 30, and I’d rather deal withpress-on nailsthan fill-in appointments. I give myself a manicure nearly every week, and by virtue of being a quasi–manicurist-pedicurist, I’ve experimented with different nail polishes from the aisles ofpharmaciesand beauty-supply stores alike. You name it and I’ve probably tried it:Essie,OPI,Orly,Sally Hansen,Olive & June,Manucurist,Tenoverten, andJ.Hannah. No matter the brand, it usually takes me 45 minutes minimum for abase coat, two coats of nail polish, and a top coat,and the manicure almost always starts to chip like akintsugiceramicin less than a week. It’s my personal odyssey to find a nail polish that’s both quick-drying and longer-lasting.
New to me (and maybe to you, too, thoughAmy Sedarisis a fan) isCelisse, which launched in October 2025. The name comes from the French phrasec’est lisse,meaning“it’s smooth.” It was founded by former marketing executive Jessica Blumenthal alongside manicurist Holly Falcone, and a lot of the brand’s focus is on natural-looking, “bare” manicures and nail care. Since its launch almost a year ago, it has gained something of a following; I couldn’t help but notice familiar names in the brand’sInstagramcomments, like Alex Mill’sRose Anderson,Susan Alexandra, andSofie Pavitt.
Your first order from Celisse arrives with a 16-page manual of helpful technique tips, including a page dedicated to troubleshooting for peeling, splitting, chipping, etc. The original lineup of polishes was a Quickcoat in the sheer shades Camisole, Vanity, and Babydoll; a top coat named Coat of Arms; and other nail-care tools including cuticle serum and a double-sided buffer and filer. Last week, the company introduced Celisse Red, Bunny, Swan, and a base coat called the Set Up. I tried out the brand’s Full Set initially, which includes the Camisole, Vanity, and Babydoll Quickcoats and Coat of Arms. Just recently, I tried the Celisse Red and the Set Up (Bunny and Swan are next on my to-try list). I wondered what could be beyond the (admittedly nice) packaging.
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The first time I tried Celisse, I applied two coats of Quickcoat in Camisole and one coat of Coat of Arms,per the instructions on page four of the manual. Celisse says they dry in 90 seconds. I don’t know if that’s officially right, but I do know that by the time I finished a coat on my thumb (starting left to right on my left hand), my pinky was already completely dry. I couldn’t believe it. The same thing happened with Babydoll and Vanity Quickcoats. Adding the Set Up to the nail sandwich of Quickcoats and Coat of Arms hardly changed the amount of the time involved in the manicure. (Just be mindful that Coat of Arms can thicken after a while. I imagine I’ll need to use a nail-polish thinner on it in time. Be sure to check for excess top coat on the brush.) At most, a Celisse manicure takes me about 15 minutes, just as long asDazzle Dry’s. It’s now the first nail polish I reach for when I don’t have a lot of time.
I can’t remember the last time my nail polish didn’t chip after a few days of wear, but with Celisse, it takes about a week. Even after massaging in shampoo, opening a tub of pistachio ice cream, removing a “DO NOT REMOVE” sticker on a bathing-suit gusset, and cleaning a toilet with lemon-scented Clorox wipes — all things that make other polishes chip — the Celisse didn’t budge. A Camisole manicure can stay relatively undamaged for just shy of 14 days, while Vanity and Babydoll last generally between nine and 11 days with minor chipping. They didn’t lift at my cuticles terribly, either. If it weren’t for my sheer perfectionist tendencies, I might have kept them on even longer. I’ve been wearing Celisse Red on my feet since last Tuesday, and there are no signs of chipping.
You know how some nail polishes are stubborn to remove? The standard acetone nail-polish remover takes care of Celisse easily; in a few swipes, my nails are left ready for the next manicure. Post-remover, my nails looked good unmanicured, too. Could the mastic gum in the formula — which Celisse says “reduces breakage and supports healthy nail growth” — have something to do with it? I imagine other Celisse nail-care tools helped as well: I’ve been using the Trick in lieu ofEssie’s Apricot Cuticle Oiland dutifully filing between manicures with the Fine Line and buffing with the Double Buff.
Celisse’s Quickcoats, Coat of Arms, and Set Up aren’t cheap at $24 a bottle. I guess that’s the price of a quick at-home manicure with nail polish that remains on longer than average. That said, it’s only a “kiss of color” you’re getting, according to the brand. For example, Vanity is akin to French tips without the tip; Camisole is likeBloch ballet slippers(rather than the taupe you expect). Celisse Red and Bunny are about as much of acolor-color as the brand has: the fruit-punch red of maraschino cherry and the glittery tutu of a fairy, respectively. I appreciate having the equivalent of aReal Housewives of New Yorkcosmetic procedure at my fingertips: It’s tastefully done and quite au naturel–looking.
More nail polishes we recommend
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Our writer Dominique Pariso says Dazzle Dry is “a miracle by at-home manicure standards.”
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Tenoverten’s L.A. is a similar red-orange to the (now-discontinued) Essie Clambake.
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The best-in-show of a non-gel jelly nail-polish hunt.
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According to our columnist Rio Viera-Newton, this is a dupe for Dior’s Nail Glow.
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Catbird’s Leigh Plessner describes it as “silver with some rainbow tendencies.”
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It’s the base coat celebrity nail pro Gina Eppolito buys at the drugstore.
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