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!

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!