I followed the instructions and applied two coats of the divine pink colour (Model Citizen) and one coat of the top coat ... the first thing I noticed was the smell - such a strong smell of nail polish! But I can overlook the smell for a nail polish and top coat that apply that beautifully and dry that quickly! For the first time in my 42 years I did not dent or ruin a nail within minutes or even hours of application - it was a miracle for me! So happy :) The brush in both bottles are an excellent size and shape and makes application so easy - a really smooth application that was quite enjoyable to be honest. The bottles are an interesting shape - the glass has been twisted. It makes it easy to distinguish both on the shelf at the store and in my nail polish drawer at home. The top coat comes in a white bottle which After three days my nails were still in perfect condition despite what they had been through with typing, gardening, bubble baths with my daughter, playing, washing etc etc. No chips or dents, the only thing I noticed was the colour had lost its shine and the colour looked a little dull so I followed the instructions and applied another layer of top coat and taadaa my nails looked fresh, shiny and like they had just been done. Excellent! I am on day seven and my nails still look better than they would using a normal nail polish and top coat. They are starting to chip away slightly at the very end of the nail but apart from that they are still looking good. I will be applying another layer of top coat today to freshen them up again and I feel I should get another few days out of them looking acceptable... as long as the tips don't chip further because at this stage you have to look very close to notice.
Apart from the strong smell while applying I am really happy with these products overall and they will both definitely be my go to when it comes to nail polish going forward.
Using both the polish & top coat was definitely a better option. The polish did set slightly strangely, with a blotch in one corner than wasn't there when I painted them, but perhaps just a user error. Took quite awhile to dry, but has set well and hasn't chipped after a week of not being cautious of my nails!
Tips: Allow plenty of time to sit and wait for them to dry. be aware of the brush strokes as colour may clump if not spread evenly.