The Best Top Coat Nail Polish User’s Guide

Having a perfect manicure can add a touch of sophistication and glamour to your look, but getting it right is all about nailing the details. A great top coat nail polish can make the difference between a manicure that looks great the day you do it and one that stays looking fresh for weeks. In this buying guide, we’ve jotted down all the essential information needed to pick the right top coat nail polish.

Choosing the Right Top Coat Nail Polish

Finish

Most top coats make your nails shiny, but some give them a more reflective, high-gloss look. If your nails lose their shine after a few days of manicure, you can always add a touch-up coat to get them back to life. Then there’s a matte polish, which has a flat gloss to it. Matte top coats can be used over standard glossy polishes to dull the sheen and create a velvety, shine-free look.

Drying Time

Many top coats are made to dry fast. If a product dries within a few minutes, it will usually say so on the label. Otherwise, you can expect most clear coats to be dry to the touch in about 10 minutes and fully hardened in about 30 minutes. So the more coats you apply, the longer it takes to dry. If you’re in a hurry, choose a fast-drying option that won’t need UV or LED light to cure.

Consistency

A top coat nail polish that is too thick is hard to spread on nails, and one that is too thin never stays in place. So you should choose one with a glue-like texture that goes on easily and doesn’t leave smudges.

Sheerness

The purpose of a top coat is to give your manicure or pedicure a shiny, matte, or puffed look. It shouldn’t take away from the lacquer in any way. Make sure to get a clear, sheer top coat so that the main color or design on your nails can show through.

Lacquer or Gel

Normal nail polish dries like paint does: it dries on its own. Gel nail polish, on the other hand, can only dry and harden under a special UV or LED lamp. Some top coat nail polishes come with these lamps, but you can also purchase them from a beauty store and they don’t cost much.

When working with gel, you want to make sure it doesn’t have a high heat spike, which is what makes you feel like you’re burning when you’re under LED lights. Always get a gel top coat that doesn’t wear off and stays shiny for weeks, and go for formulas that don’t wipe off because they give the perfect shine.

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