Seche Vive Gel Effect Top Coat

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Seche Vive Gel Top Coat is by far one of my new favorite things.  I love getting gel manicures.  I’m hard on my nails, with all the typing I do, so they’re perfect for me.  Regular manicures usually chip within a day, maybe two if I’m lucky.

However, gel manicures are really hard on my nails.  I found that after a few times of going and getting the nails soaked off, when the new polish was applied and my fingers were put under the UV light, I would feel a very uncomfortable burning sensation.  Not terrible, but definitely not good.

So I decided to forego any more gel manis and do my own nails with regular polish. Getting your nails done is expensive, and with the way I go through regular manicures there’s no point. Plus, I like doing my own nails; it allows me time to catch up on my Netflix or OnDemand queue and take some time for myself!

Fast forward a bit, and gel manicure home kits start appearing all over the place.  But they still use the UV light device and I couldn’t bring myself to face that weird stinging pain again (seriously, it’s almost indescribable.  Almost like nerve pain?  I don’t know.).

Finally, the nail polish companies started putting out these gel top coats that don’t require UV light.  Score! I could barely contain my excitement.  Not only do they not require the light, but you can use these gel top coats over regular polish.  Double score!

Seche Vive Gel Effect Top Coat Pin

First Impressions

So I actually stumbled on this particular product by mistake.  I was at Ross (which is like Marshall’s or TJ Maxx, for those not out west) and I decided to pop in to Sally Beauty Supply next door.  At the time, I was using the new Essie Gel Top Coat (also a good product), and I needed a new bottle.  When I couldn’t find any Essie products, I asked the salesgirl for a suggestion, and she showed me the Seche Vive Gel Top Coat.  The bottle is pretty, and the best part was the price – about half of what I was paying for Essie.

Experience

When I settled down to try the Seche Vive Top Coat, I was pleasantly surprised at the consistency.  While a lot of the new gel top coats have a thick consistency, Seche Vive’s is more akin to regular top coats.  The company suggests putting on a “heavy coat over dry nail polish,” so I really globbed (is that a word?) it on.  It dried almost immediately, which is just a blessing for anyone who has ever experienced giving themselves a four hour manicure while waiting for polish to harden.

Seche Vive has a nice, glossy finish, just like a regular gel manicure.  While my mani with this top coat does not last as long as a salon gel mani, it definitely lasts much longer than a manicure with a regular top coat.

Cost and Where to Buy

The price of the Seche Vive Gel Top Coat is, I think, one of the best things about this product.  I think I got it for around $4 at Sally Beauty Supply.  Beauty Plus Salon currently has it for $2.99 (!), and Amazon has it for $5.81.  Compared to some of the other good gel top coats out there, Seche Vive definitely has one of the best prices.

Summing Up

I would give the Seche Vive Gel Top Coat a 9 out of 10.  I have definitely added it into my regular rotation of beauty products.  Because it doesn’t last quite as long as a regular gel manicure, I can’t give it a 10 out of 10.  But it’s damn close.

Want me to try another top coat?  Message me here!

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