Essie Gel Couture Top Coat Review

Application was smooth and the top coat dried to the touch in only 1 minute. It was already resistant to dents and scratches in under five minutes. In a few hours it was fully set. I'm pretty sure it sped up the overall setting time of the polish beneath it.

When some of the top coat got onto my skin and I wiped it with my finger, the consistency surprised me. It has an almost oil like feel to it and it's very slippery rather than tacky like most top coats and polishes.

I don't know if it is possible, but it sure seemed as though the top coat shrunk as it dried... I noticed the next day that the polish was ever so slightly back from the tips of my nails, about half a milimeter but certainly noticeable up close. I definitely remember painting right to the tips of my nails. I can only assume it also shrunk at the base of my nails and on the sides too. It's not a big issue for me, but it's something to be aware of.

The final result was super shiny, I love how it looks! It lasted nine days without a single chip. On the seventh day of wear my sister asked me if I'd had my nails professionally done, so I would call that a win! It really does give a gel like finish in my opinion. I would recommend this as a long lasting, shiny and chip resistant top coat.

Definitely recommend using a top coat. It makes your nail polish last longer and your nail stronger. It gives your nail and nice shiny/glossy affect. My nails looked as though they were done by a nail salon but happy to say it was just me.

Let me start by saying that I love wearing nail polish and painting my own nails. I’ve tried multiple brands of polish and top coats including gel type polishes so I was super keen to try this Essie one to see how it compares. I’ve only used it for one week but so far I love it. Continue reading below to find out why.

I have used this top coat on top of the Essie gel polish colour I have. This polish has lasted really well. I have worn this polish for a week now and only one nail has started to chip (index finger on one hand). I’ve washed dishes my hand without gloves and I’m constantly typing at work too. There has been no tip wear or chipping or peeling around my cuticle area either.

This top coat is super shiny and adds a high shine to your nails making them look like they’re professionally done. This shine has lasted the whole time as well and has not dulled at all.

The consistency is slightly thicker than a regular top coat. But I’ve found all gel top coats to be on the thicker side. This polish went on smoothly and did not leave any streaks or bubbles.

The brush is really nice to use. The size enables you to apply the polish on your nail with three strokes. I also like to cap my nails when using a top coat. The brush is quite dense which allows you to fan the brush out across your nail when you are applying the polish. The dense brush also means it holds the right amount of polish to deposit on to your nail.

The bottle is a standard glass bottle with a twisted rectangular shape. It’s easy to hold and use. I like that this bottle is also white instead of being clear glass. This means that the polish is not exposed to too much light.

Overall I really like this polish and would definitely recommend this to everyone else.

Just like any other good standard top coat. Makes the colour look super glossy and can be reapplied every few days. It was really easy to apply and dried relatively quickly

First off I LOVED the brush. The tip is slightly rounded helping you get close to the cuticle without going onto it. It spreads well enough to cover nail easily and fast.

One coat of this top coat works amazing. It seals in the colour and gives it a nice sheen.

I left one nail on each hand to free to see if the top coat really helped seal it all in and help prevent chipping and it really did. The nails without started chipping within a few days the others lasted a week and a half. and i am really rough and work in pretty hands on work all day.

I think this is my new go to top coat for all my nail polish!

This top coat is fantastic its a medium consistency its so easy to use and the brush seemed to just curve to my nail shape and which means less brush strokes each application. It does have a strong chemical scent but only lasted as long as the bottle were open and the top coat was drying, then gone. As its a top coat you really only need one coat on each nail. It really does last longer than a regular nail polish, i got around 7 days and with only needing one coat this will last quite a long time. I think that $18.99 is a reasonable price to pay when you can use this with multiple colours from the Essie Couture range. Its in a white Glass bottle that twists up vertically and looks very shiny and sleek. Overall this i a great top coat it dries quickly and leaves your nails so shiny and smooth. Its a good consistency that goes on smoothly and evens out any bumps or knocks that might of happened while painting that you have tired to fix. I found that it lasted well and came off with ease with a acetone nail polish remover and no damage to my natural nails at all. I love this and would recommend this to anyone that loves nail polish but hates that it chips so easily with regular life activities!

I used the Essie Gel Couture Top Coat and Gel Couture polish in buffed and beige together and the effect was very good. I applied two coats of the polish with a little time to set in between followed by one coat of top coat. From start to finish it took about 15 minutes, with another 15 or so to let them dry completely. It was very long lasting, but I wouldn't say 12 days, for me it was more like 7 before I needed to touch up the tips. the overall effect is very nice and smooth, looking very professional with very little time or effort.

I love the speed of drying and the high gloss finish this top coat offers. Did it last 12 days? No, not even close. Would I use it again? Yes, I would. I like the shaped application brush and found the Essie Gel Couture easy to apply & it will go over any type of varnish.

I really liked this top coat! When used with the colour nail polish it made it last longer and made the colour more shiny. I also used it by itself and it made my nails look shiny, feel stronger and healthier. However the only downside is that i felt it didnt last as long as a traditional salon gel manicure but overall i was impressed with this product compared to the normal non gel at home nail polishes.