comparision: quick dry topcoats

Back in the day, the only thing that kept me from doing my nails frequently was the amount of time it took them to dry. Who had time to sit and wait for their nails to dry completely for 5 hours?

I didn't. But then I discovered quick drying topcoats. Cult favorites are Seche Vite and Poshe. You put them over wet polish and they are dry to the touch in a couple of minutes, and completely undentable in about an hour.

I've never tried Poshe, but Seche Vite was the first one that I tried.

I LOVED Seche Vite. It made my nail polish so shiny.

Then one day, I found out about Sally Hansen's Mega Shine topcoat on someone's blog. They said it was practically the same as Seche Vite, and my SV was running out and thickening like crazy, so I decided to give it a go.

I merely 'liked' Mega Shine. It seemed practically the same, but I really hate the brush and bottle. The brush is made up of these weird synthetic fibers that sometimes pick up the wet polish color. I absolutely hate the bottle because you can't see how much is left.. I had a bright idea and rubbed the side with pure acetone to remove the bottle coloring. It kind of worked.. the bottle is see through but murky.

Comparing them in regards to drying time, I prefer SV because I think it dries faster. Also, SV forms a thick, glossy coat over the polish (a must for gritty glitters!) while MS does not. I tried MS over China Glaze Atlantis and it felt as if it didn't even have a topcoat over it. Price-wise, Mega Shine costs about $7-8 dollars at drugstores, while Seche Vite cost me $5 at Sally Beauty Supply with a Sally's Card.

Here are pictures of manis with the different topcoats.


with Seche Vite


with Mega Shine

SV is just a touch shinier.
Overall, Seche Vite is my HG topcoat. I won't bother wasting my money on a different one again :)