Seche Vite Top Coat

I know clear top coat may not seem like the most interesting thing to post about, but trust me, I never realized what a difference a good top coat makes until I found this! Before I either never bothered with a top coat or just used a cheap one (99-cent NYC brand, which was usually a bubbly mess, in case you wondered). If you read any other nail blogs though, then you probably know already that Seche Vite is THE gold standard for top coats-and with good reason, I think. I hardly ever paint my nails without it now!

First off, this makes your polish dry FAST. I just wait a few minutes after my final coat before putting Seche Vite on and then my nails are dry to the touch almost instantly; no more annoying sheet marks from sleeping with not-quite-dry polish on or worrying about dents. If you're impatient like me, this is a major bonus. Plus it's that extra touch to make your manicure look super shiny, create an even and sleek texture on your nails and help prevent chipping.

Now for the drawbacks... At about $9 a bottle, it's not cheap, but you can find it on lots of e-tailers for around five bucks and one bottle will last you a very long time. Also, when you get down to the last quarter or so of the bottle, the remaining top coat becomes annoyingly thick and harder to spread on the nail than usual. But if you're looking for a way to get longer wear out of your polishes or want some added shine, this is, in my opinion, the best top coat out there!