Well, back again for another top coat comparison! This time around I'm pitting more topcoats against the one, the only, the mighty Secheeeee Viiiittee! Ever since my first top coat comparison, it was always meant to be a series of sorts, I just never had the chance to get it done. Until now that is!
In this round, we'll be comparing Essie Good To Go, Poshe, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Clearly Quick with Seche Vite. Little disclaimer, while doing this I could tell that my polishing 'style' has definitely changed since last time. I have learned how to apply polish more evenly with thinner coats I think, so that's something that probably affected the results. Also, to eliminate any other influence that could alter the results, I used the same polish I used for my last comparison, OPI Thanks a Windmillion.
Here's what I did to compare: I applied my basecoat and two coats of polish as normal, and waited ~1 minute while I did cleanup. Then, I applied the top coats, waited 5 minutes, and started making dents in the polish with my own fingernail at 5 minute intervals so 4 dents = 20 min. of drying time.
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To see the rest of the pictures and the results you have to do a click. I'm sorry, I don't make the rules. Give that button a click. He's a good guy. You never know, you might enjoy it.
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As always, Seche Vite wins out, but not by such a wide margin as last time. Poshe and Essie have comparable shine and formula (thick in a good way) and are really only just a fraction behind Seche Vite. Insta-Dri was the slowest in this round and also has a different formula that I don't really love as much. Since I've given these topcoats a more thorough testing than just this comparison, I'll share my thoughts on each one.
SH Insta-Dri Clearly Quick is good for the price (around $4-5 in most drugstores) but it leaves some weird brushstrokes sometimes and it smears nail art like nobody's business, it could be thoroughly dry and it would still eff it up. Also, the big paddle brush will be a deal breaker for some. I just use this one for my pedicures now (especially my big toenail).
Essie Good To Go is much better than I expected it to be, but I've noticed some weird shrinkage around the edges. Maybe I didn't get it as close to the cuticle as I should have or maybe I applied too much and it shrunk. Either way it was there.
Poshe is really the best alternative to Seche Vite in the thickness and glassy shine that most of us love about Seche, without the funky interactions like shrinking polishes that are B3Free. However, and this is a big breaking point for me, I read on twitter that it damaged Jeanette from The Swatchaholic's nails and a co-worker of hers as well. I think Mara of Mara in Polishland also had similar problems. Now, everyone's body chemistry is different and what will make someone else's nails peel, won't affect others in the slightest. In this case, it's just a matter of using it with precaution and keep a close eye on your nails for signs of damage.
Bottom Line: Seche is still the winner but she definitely doesn't stand alone in the fast dry market. She might still be the best and most people's holy grail but, if she doesn't watch her back, someone might fall in love with another less high maintenance top coat. Also, I haven't had these for a long time, so I don't know if they become a gloopy mess like Seche. Upside is, if they do, you can probably use regular polish thinner.
If you haven't seen it, check out my first top coat comparison which had Seche against Revlon's Quick Dry and NYC In a Minute top coat.
What do you guys think? Do you agree with the results or any comments you want to add? What's your holy grail top coat? Any other top coats you'd like to see compared?
Thanks for the comparisons. I think I found my new lovely topcoat, and it is safe for stamping (doesn't mess with it at all). It is called Dazzle Dry, it dries really fast too and most importantly for me it is safe.
ReplyDeleteoh, but it is quite expensive, more so than the seche. :( I think I paid 15 bucks
DeleteI had never heard of this system before! Looked it up and it does seem incredibly fast but, like you said, expensive. Might be worth a try for emergencies and such. Thanks for sharing! :)
DeleteI've tried almost every quick dry there is, save for Wicked Fast and The Shield, and always end up going back to SV (even if my current bottle has been smoking crack behind a 7-11 or something since it's bubbling like nobody's business). I think I'm spoiled by it's fraction of a second faster dry time since I do my nails with a 2 year old around and really need that extra second!
ReplyDeleteHahaha poor crack addicted Seche. Get him some help :P.
DeleteI know what you mean about going back, I always need to have a bottle of Seche handy, just in case I need those extra seconds of quickness. My problem is that I can't find the restore in any stores and I've yet to bite the bullet and order it online.
I eventually will though. Seche is still tops for the tips.
I've had the same issues with damage from the Poshe, too. It took a couple months for my nails to recover after I finally figured out what was causing it. I've actually taken to the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri and haven't had any issues with it. It sometimes amazes me how differently people's body chemistry interacts with nail products!
ReplyDeleteOh no! I wonder what it has that makes nails peel. I think it is amazing about the different body chemistry but also super frustrating since we never know what will affect or work for our own nails. For now, I'm not touching Poshe again since my nails are peely by nature and I've only just gotten them healthy.
Deletegreat post! :) I'm ALWAYS on the hunt for the next miraculous base and top coat. I keep coming back to SV!
ReplyDeleteawesome. i loved seche... and haven't tried much else.. if it's not broke, don't fix it! now you confirmed it ;) thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned applying the top coats in thin layers, I'm assuming to stop shrinkage? I have a love-hate relationship with seche vite because of the shrinkage and I'm exploring other top coats, but rumor has it that I'll still experience what I did with seche vite...
ReplyDeleteYep, sometimes applying too much causes it to shrink. Also, body chemistry and base coats have a lot to do with how a top coat reacts. I know of people who experience shrinkage with almost all top coats and others who never have shrinkage. It's just a matter of finding the right one.
DeleteSeche also tends to act funky with polishes that are B3 Free since Seche is still formulated with Toluene.
You should try Sally Hansen Dries Instantly and also INM Out The Door. Both are awesome quick dry top coats.
ReplyDeletedo a comparison with OPI top coat and color club clear top coat, i use color club the most and it dries really fast for me, id be interesting to see what you got with it!
ReplyDeleteI reaaaaaaally like my Wicket Fast. I got really tired of the seche shrinkage and finally bought Wicked Fast. I'm a lot happier now. :)
ReplyDeleteWas it the Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Clearly Quick in the clear bottle or the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in the red bottle? I was using the clear bottle and it smeared like crazy. Then i realized its just a clear polish and all the blogs i read about it were talking about the red bottle. Ive been using the red bottle with no issues with smearing and it dries quickly :)
ReplyDeleteWOAH! My nails tend to be peely by nature and I've been using Poshe because I didn't want the shrinkage. Are you saying this could be making my problem worse? I haven't noticed any differences yet. My nails are still the same, but I will be watching to see if they get worse. Thanks for that info. Might have to buy some SV next time I get to Sally's. We shall see...
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post!!! I've recently started using Top Coats for the first time (Essie, Good to Go). I'm pretty impressed but was also curious to see what else is out there. I'm glad I came across your website. It's really helped me to make an informed decision. I think I will stick with my G2G. :) Btw, I really love how you do your nails. You have a similar nail bed to mine in terms of shape and size (long!!!) but you manicure your nails beautifully.
ReplyDeleteNothing compares to L'Oreal Jet Set Quick Dry Top Coat. Unfortunately, they stopped making it.
ReplyDeleteI just started using SV and I absolutely love it, but I see "shrinkage" is mentioned in some of the comments. What exactly is shrinkage?
ReplyDeleteShrinkage happens when the SV reacts with the polish or base coat and it pulls away from the edges, so most of the time you end up with a really uneven cuticle line and what looks like tip wear but its just that the polish "shrank".
DeleteHope that helps!