Finding the perfect top coat is the perpetual struggle that all polishaholics face! There are dozens out there and everyone seems to have their own favourite. We’re all mostly looking for the same things in a good top coat – easy application, a glossy finish and lasting power – but it’s hard to find one that offers all three.
When Katie at
Harlow & Co saw one of my recent
top coat rants, she got in touch to see if I’d be interested in comparing some indie top coats with a few popular mainstream selections. A few are ones that I’ve tried before and others are completely new to me so I was very excited to size them up against each other and hopefully find the perfect top coat along the way.
It was very hard to compare these because they’re all good top coats in one way or another. They all have at least one of the three traits we’re looking for (that’s easy application, glossy finish and lasting power in case you forgot!) but only a few have all three.
I’ve ranked them in order from worst to best so if you’re only interested in reading about the good ones, scroll down a little bit!
INM Out The Door
Given the amazing things I’ve heard people say about this in the past, I was expecting great things but I was sorely disappointed with this top coat. It was not very fast-drying and I found that it leaves very noticeable streaks on my manis. Even a second coat can’t smooth things over. It also chips fairly easily at the tips. The only thing that redeems INM Out The Door is the fact that it doesn’t shrink my mani!
Gloss 3/5
Lasting Power 3/5
Overall 2/5
Although drying time is good on this one, the streaky finish makes it an absolute no-no for me.
Where to buy: Amazon (US), Amazon (UK)
Seche Vite
What can I say about Seche Vite that you haven’t all heard before?! It dries insanely quickly and gives amazing shine but it has its downfalls too. I know from past experience that this top coat gets thick and gloopy before you’ve even used half the bottle and once it gets to that point, it starts to shrink on your nails. By this, I mean that it literally shrinks as it dries and takes the nail polish underneath with it. It pulls away from the tips and cuticles so you have a layer of paint that’s just slightly too small for your nail!
I’ve heard it said that if you ‘wrap your tips’ (paint all the way over the very edge of your nail tip) it doesn’t shrink quite so badly but I’ve never mastered this technique. Having short nails, I always just end up with a lot of top coat stuck to my fingertips so I ain’t got time fo’ dat!
Gloss 5/5
Lasting Power 4/5
Overall 3/5
If I’m paying upwards of £5 for a bottle of top coat, I want to be able to use more than half of it. However, the quick drying time and rock hard finish is this top coat’s saving grace.
Cult Nails Wicked Fast
This top coat really lives up to it’s name. It truly does dry wickedly fast! It’s also very shiny but again, from experience, I know that this gets gloopy when you’re close to the bottom of the bottle. However it’s nowhere near as bas as with this Seche.
Gloss 5/5
Lasting Power 4/5
Overall 5/5
This is a fast drying, glossy top coat but does get very thick towards the bottom of the bottle. Nevertheless, I would highly recommend this top coat because while it lasts it’s amazing!
Rica Glossy Glam
This top coat is really great for covering those thirsty glitters. Two coats and the finish is completely smooth. It’s fast drying and is indeed Glossy but I don’t like the brush as much as I could. It’s a perfectly functional brush and a great all round top coat but I think a wider brush would be a great addition to the already amazing Glossy Glam.
Gloss 5/5
Lasting Power 4/5
Overall 5/5
I don’t have a bad word to say about Rica Glossy Glam. It offers brilliant shine and speedy drying time.
KBShimmer Clearly On Top
This one is a great all rounder but I wish it dried a little quicker. I LOVE the brush in this one which is wide and flat. Combined with the perfect consistency, it makes applying this top coat an absolute dream and it never smudges my nail art.
Gloss 5/5
Lasting Power 4/5
Overall 5/5
With two coats, the shine of this polish was unrivalled. Although it’s not quite as quick to dry as Glossy Glam, the wide brush and lower price tag push it to the top of the list.
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It seems Indies are really winning this race. Perhaps the fact that the creators of these indie polishes are so closely involved with the online nail community gives them an edge because they’re so tapped in to their audience and they know exactly what we want out of a top coat.
It was so tough to choose between Rica and KBShimmer for the top spot but that wide brush really gave KBShimmer the edge and I’m happy with my choice although I do wish it wasn’t so difficult to get hold of these indie top coats here in the UK. Most online stores offer international shipping these days but it can be pricey so you have to buy a lot of bottles at once to make it worth the shipping costs.
Most of the polishes on this list are available from Harlow & Co where international shipping is available.
