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What do you use to help your nail polish last longer?

What do you use to help your nail polish last longer? Let’s talk base coats, top coats, quick drying coats… you name it!

I typically use Zoya’s Color Lock System — which includes their base, top coat, and quick-drying drops.

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Maluloves Avatar

I just started getting into nail design and right now Im using Beauty Secrets (from Sally’s Beauty Supply) for base and top coat . I like it, it does its job! 🙂 I do plan to invest in Zoya Color Lock system soon!

Anna Avatar

I used Sally Hansen insta dry, is very good, but i bought it in the us and here in italy i can’ t find it…so now i find the seche vite top coat…let’s try it!

DarkxAbyssmalxSoul Avatar

I use China Glaze adhesive base coat & Seche Vite top coat. After learning abt Seche Vite,i’ll never use anything else. My nail polish would chip the same day I painted it, now it would last 2 weeks if I didnt want to change the color after one!

Alison Avatar

the only thing that has ever worked for me is painting my nails immediately after buffing and polishing them with a nail cube.
i’ve tried many base/top coats and they all seem to make my polish flake more than usual, so i just do this trick and it stays on for 4/5 days or so

Rengirl Avatar

I do a “sticky sandwich” with CND Stickey or Orly Bonder and my manicure never chips (even though I do a lot of work with my hands). Two coats of Orly Won’t Chip keeps it shiny and makes it last even longer. I can get my manicures last for a whole week this way – with just a tiny bit of tip wear

What I DON’T do is use any quick dry products (Seche Vite, quick drying drops, etc). Those tend to make my manicures chip easily.

Regina Avatar

Since I’ve been using Nailtek’s foundation and quick dry top coat, my nail color lasts an entire week. I remove it only because of the gap showing at the nail bed and not because of chipped edges.

applepark Avatar

I used to use Zoya all the time, but I don’t think their formula works well with some polishes. I have been really liking Gelous base coat (from Sally’s Beauty Supply) and Seche Vite top coat gives me a glass finish. Poshe is great too.

Sarah A. Avatar

I really like the hydrating base coat from the Sephora line of nail care (not the OPI for Sephora stuff), and the Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat, but the Seche Vite doesn’t work well at all with some of my sparklier Zoya colors, so I’m probably going to have to invest in their color lock system one of these days…

Linda Avatar

Base coats are definitly something worth investing in for me, I used to use a cheap all in one base and top coat and I found even though my polished lasted a long time as soon as i had a bath or shower they would start to bubble and peel off, then i started using leighton denny’s under cover base coat and the bubbling problem disapeared. Oh and re applying top coat every two days will help any polish from chiping at the edges.

Esperanza Avatar

Seche Vite top coat. The one that dries super fast. I been using it for years and I am not usually faithful to any product so this means this product is a HG to me.

Rainbow Avatar

Wiping my nails down with rubbing alcohol before painting them to get rid of any oils or residues and trying to only do one coat each of base/color/top helps my manis stay put.

AnneMHK Avatar

I would love to try the Zoya system, but hate to pay S & H. I love that I can apply Seche Vite on wet polish, but it does not give long wear, protection against chips or tip wear at all for me, so I am searching for a different top coat.
Also, since my fingernails are very short, I haven’t figured out a way to wrap my tips except with top coat. Has anyone else with short nails found any solutions for this problem?

Rainbow Avatar

You might try Poshe super fast drying top coat instead of Seche. Seche Vite contains Toluene and therefore doesn’t work well with a lot of B3F polishes! But Poshe is also B3F so it interacts well with almost all polishes. As for wrapping your tips, I’ve got short nails usually and i just run it across the tip, i usually get polish on my finger but that can be wiped off with a Q-tip!

Marie Avatar

Creative Nail Stickey Base Coat
Seche Vite Top Coat

This is my surest way to keep the colors on my nails. The colors won’t chip or fall off for more than two weeks! I love it!

Courtney Hipp Avatar

Just started using a base coat of OPI Ridge Filler and two top coats of Orly Sec ‘N Dry, and so far it is really holding up well. My nails take a lot of abuse – plus, I have trouble being “still” until my nails dry – so even going a full day or two without a major scape is a big deal!

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