This week's question is for my fellow nail polish junkies:
What are your favorite base coats and top coats?
I've got three top coats that I currently alternate between but I've been pretty loyal to one particular base coat for about a year now. That said, I think it's time I tried some new products, so tell me ladies, what do you use? Please share your favorite top coats and base coats with us!
I'm currently using S-he Base coat(an austrian brand) and I'm also trying the Revlon Base Coat.
ReplyDeleteI love Seche Vite when it comes to holographic polishes because it doesn't deem the effect of it- I also love the Reclon Top Coat Fixateur because it dries really fast
China Glaze Strong Anchor Base Coat, Color Club's Milky White Base Coat, and Orly's Bonder = my favorite base coats.
ReplyDeleteChina Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat = my favorite top coat. I do have Seche Vite but I worry about the chemicals in it. I also have Zoya drying drops that I like in addition to the FF TC.
Currently I am using the Beauty Secrets Ridge filler from sally beauty as the base coat. I use the sache vite as the top coast. I also have nail tek II ridge filler which i use as a base coat.
ReplyDeleteI used CND stickey as a base and Seche Vite as a top coat.
ReplyDeleteZoya Anchor is my favorite basecoat. Zoya Armor as a top oat.
ReplyDeleteI'm kinda new to the whole base coat and top coat jazz, so I have very limited experience, but here's what I'm using: The astonishingly cheap LA Colors Base Coat Top Coat & Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip topcoat. The LA Colors, although it claims it can be used as both, I only use as a base coat. It seems way too watery and not shiny enough to be a top. But as a base, it works! There's a clear line on my toenails between clear pink nail and funky orange colored nail that's been badly stained, so you can tell exactly when I started using it. The Sally Hansen, I like it pretty well. Nothing dries quick enough for me, IMO. I'm so accident prone, I ding my nails constantly. But this certainly does cut down on drying time and makes my nails very shiny as well. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm such an el cheapo, I can't stand to spend much on nail stuffs. I think the most expensive polish I own is a Borghese. Sinful Colors is like crack to me because I seem to pick up a couple more every week! LOL.
Okay, I'm tangenting! Sorry. :-P
Orly Bonder is so far the best basecoat I've tried. Dark polishes don't stain through on me. I'm very hard on my manicures. I get at least 7 chip free days with this, when typically I'd get 2.
ReplyDeleteAs for a topcoat, I'm still searching for the HG. My last try, Orly in a Snap was a bust. It dried quick enough, but (for me anyway) it dulled the finish of the polish.
I'm actually using China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat for the time being - I tried Bonder and I think its orange tint stained my nails independently of the polishes I put over it, and I have a bottle of Seche Base but I feel like it's more effort to apply because it's got that pearly finish to it. The China Glaze works as well as Bonder but is colorless.
ReplyDeleteChemicals or no chemicals, I'm a Seche topcoat girl. I tried Out The Door last weekend (emergency purchase! CVS was out of Seche!) and while it dried quickly to a shiny finish, I had chips in 36 hours.
i feel like i've tried every base and topcoat known to man and they all seem good at first but then i go right back to my old standby fav's that i think i tried first!
ReplyDeletemy absolute favorite base is OPI nail envy matte. easy to apply, i love their wide brush and it dries matte with a tinge of off white color so you see where you applied it plus it strengthens your nails! i will use nail tek foundation 2 if i really need a ridge filler, but with thicker polishes it's a fail.
and seche vite is my #1 man when it comes to topcoats. any thing else and i'm either tacky, dinged, chipped, rough, bubbled, or faded in like two minutes. cnd air dry is the only other comparable to it's dry time and out the door is the only other comparable to it's glass like thick finish, but both of those have other problems. so i'm sorry, like ^Beck said, chemicals or no chemicals, i'm a SECHE girl!
(phew that was long haha)
My fave is Mavala (both base and top coat) without a doubt. I love it, especially the base coat- I never used to use any (too much hassle) but since I started it has made taking colours off and making the polish last and look glossy SOO easy. Without Mavala I just wont paint my nails!
ReplyDeleteorly bonder for a base coat, and seche vite for topcoat, any nailcolor wears like iron on that combo!!
ReplyDeleteLadies, you ROCK! Thank you so much for all the fantastic, detailed responses. I'm going to definitely be trying some of your suggestions and I'll post the results here on my blog. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, just in case you're curious, here's what I've been using:
Base coat: Orly Bonder (I haven't purchased or used another base coat for about a year)
Top coats: I alternate between NYC Extra Shiny Top Coat (pretty darn good and it's only $1), Revlon Quick Dry Top Coat (picked it up in a BOGO a while back and since I hadn't used a Revlon top coat in years, I was curious to see if they had improved their formula. It's decent, but not the best I've ever used) and of course Seche Vite.
p.s. another little comment about seche vite, i also love it because i can get it for under $5 at Sally Beauty if you have one of their little discount cards (it's totally worth it, it only costs 5 bucks to start one and then you get a 5 buck coupon in your email so it pays for itself!) so it's cheaper than most other topcoats out there :D
ReplyDeleteCan I tell you what I won't ever buy again? The Orly Top2Bottom as base and top coat. It doesn't help my polish last, and it isn't nearly shiny enough, so it busts from Top2Bottom.
ReplyDelete