OPI Top Coat Review

I am a massive nail polish fan and have a huge collection of OPI. Every time I paint my nails (which is very often!) I use a base and top coat to prolong my polish and protect it from chips and nicks.

The OPI Top Coat was a bit of a disappointment and it is not a product that I would be keen to use again. I have purchased this product several times and each time I have used it, the first few uses are great - the polish goes on smoothly, leaves a nice shiny top coat and makes my polish last for several days. However once the bottle has been opened and used a few times, I have found that the product hardens in the bottle, becomes thick and gluggy and leaves a sticky, gloopy coat on the nail. It is hard to spread and ends up taking ages to dry because the layer is so thick. I thought the first time that I may have had a defective bottle, or perhaps it became too oxidised. But after trying this product another 2 or 3 times, and each time this happening, I have concluded that it just simply does not last the distance, and for $22.99 I would expect a lot more!!

I have since tried other top coats from different brands and have not had the same issue. My recommendation is purchase OPI polishes but stay clear of the OPI Top Coat!

So, i love doing my nails, and we all know how important it is to use a top coat. I mean thats the protective layer that keeps your nails looking amazing for the longest amount of time, so its a pretty important step.

OPI top coat comes in the same bottles as most the opi range. It comes in a glass bottle, which is bottom heavy, with a black handle. Simple design but classy nonetheless.

The brush on this bottle is nice, but nothing special. Its thin, but two-three strokes covers the nail. The brush almost reached down to the bottom of the jar, but not quite (so i don't really get that?)

This nail polish has that strong nail polish smell that all nail polishes have, so it wont get marked down for that. The consistency seems nice. Its not too thin, and not too think, and it is completely clear and translucent, which is exactly what i want it a top coat.

However, this top coat sucks. Like honestly, i have tried to love it. I have even used most the bottle but it just ruins my nails because it takes so long to dry. I have to admit, it does leave a glossy finish on my nails if i have a an hour to let it completely dry, but i don't have that time. If that wasn't enough, by the time i got 1/4 into the bottle, the consistency changed and it has gotten thicker which means it takes even longer to dry.

I am sick of ruining nail polish looks because of this top coat, and will keep it to use on my toes, which no one sees anyway. I won't be repurchasing.

OPI polishes have always been a good polish that behaves on my nails but the addition of this top coat over any polishes I own, I mean any other brands as well, extends the life of that polish on my nails.

This clear top coat comes in a clear glass OPI style bottle, to keep it in its unique style and it means that when you hold this bottle you feel it’s not a cheaply made product. The screw off lid with the brush inserted into it has a textured effect to it that allows a comfortable hold and stable grasp to be able to make clean and even coats on your nail. The only downside I have found is that with time if you are not careful enough to keep the lip of the glass bottle free of any drips it can stick really fast, really quickly and I have in the past damaged a bottle by ripping it open.

Formula wise it is thick enough to get a nice even coat that won’t overrun your nail as you paint, it’s not the fastest to dry but it allows you time to 3 strokes each nail before becoming tacky that it drags. Once it as dried fully it stays put for at least 4-5 days and I use my fingers everyday as I do a lot of analytic/data in putting on a pc so tap, tap, tap for hours. Another thing I like is that the whole top coat sort of remains bonded to itself so it doesn’t so much as chip but peel off in one piece so you are not left with nails with bits here and there catching on things.

I enjoy using this top coat, has the standard OPI brush which is easy to use and covers a decent area with each brush. Nails look glossy and polish lasts longer with less chipping

I used this for a long time and did repurchase it once or twice before I moved onto Seche Vite. This has a nice formula that isn't too thick and doesn't have a strong smell. However, it is slow to dry (compared to Seche Vite) and doesn't wear tremendously well - I found polish was chipping off within a few days. The finish is nice, but I prefer Seche Vite which makes it look glassy. OPI has made a decent product here, but it unfortunately does not measure up to other products on the market.

This is one of my favourite top coats to use. I NEVER wear nail polish without a top coat. Applying this top coat over any nail polish extends the duration of the polish and I find it lasts at least 5 days before chipping. Usually wear this top coat over my Sally Hansen, OPI and only nail polishes as they are the brands that I tend to wear the most. This top coat keeps my nails looking fresh for the full week.

I also love how much shine this top coat adds to my nail polish. The gloss is insane. It adds so much shine that I can see my reflection. It will turn any cheap or dull polish underneath into looking like a high quality salon manicure.

I get compliments from my friends thinking that I got my nails done at a salon or that it's gel polish. Nope, just regular polish which I applied myself! It gives me salon quality nails for less than half the price, bonus! OPI polishes are quite expensive, but in my opinion they are definitely worth it as the bottles are quite big and will last you ages. It is definitely worth taking the extra time to apply a top coat (you do have to set aside time to paint your nails and I do often get impatient especially having to wait for each coat to dry), but the top coat makes your polish last a lot longer.

This polish comes in the typical OPI bottle, a rounded glass v shaped cylinder. I like how the OPI brushes are nice and big as it enables it to pick up a decent amount of polish preventing you from having to dip the brush back in the bottle. The brush is flat which makes it easy to apply the polish in three even strokes (or one for my pinky).

The formula is really nice and smooth to apply, even if the polish underneath is not quite smooth, the top coat always dries as a smooth layer.

This top coat has become a regular I put over any nail polish I wear and I will definitely be repurchasing this when I run out. I would highly recommend investing in this top coat as it makes even the cheapest low quality nail polish look like a salon manicure.

I am a firm believer in the need for a top coat! I always love a good top coat, one that adds lots of gloss and shine to finish off my nails. Owning several OPI nail polishes and loving them, I had high expectations. The packaging is the usual classic shaped bottle and handle. It's easy to grip and no trouble to open and close tightly. While I like the grip of the brush, I wish the brush itself would be tapered and flatter so that it was easier to apply the polish. Nevertheless, I get a good amount of polish. It glides on nice and smoothly and I only need about 2 or 3 strokes to cover my whole nail and I could easily control the brush. The finish is quite glossy, however it doesn't last this glossy for that long, maybe about 3 or 4 days at the most. After that, my polish usually begins to chip or fade away at the tips. This is quite disappointing, as I thought it would be much better! I feel like I could get a cheaper top coat that is either on par or better than this. I will continue to use it, however I am on the lookout for a new top coat!

I love OPI and this isn't an exception. In my polish-loving quest to find the perfect top coat that lasts and lasts and last a bit more, this is one of the really strong contenders.

I love the bottle: simplistic, sleek, clearly states what you can expect from it and exactly what it is.

This top coat dries within 30 seconds even if you feel like you've applied too much (which is always the case, am I right?). I love that it dries so fast, meaning I can be off with pretty nails in a matter of minutes without worrying about smudges.

The finish is shiny, but not too shiny, a crystal clear, no bubbled effect that doesn't lose it's shine in a couple of days.

It lasts about a week on my nails on it's own, or with another polish underneath. It definitely helps keep my other polishes lasting for longer as well.

If you're unsure about the price on this, Farmers has a duo-pack with a base and top coat for $20, so it's actually quite cheap.

I adore this top coat - I've been using it for years, and it is amazing at making cheap nail polish look super expensive! It has an amazing shine factor to it, and it doesn't suffer from chipping or that 'peeling' feeling you can get from other top coats.

The bottle is the typical OPI bottle shape, designed to easily get to the polish (even when you're starting to hit the bottom of the bottle). The brush is a nice size - I can usually get my nail covered in two dips into the polish. If there was a negative to be found with this polish, I do notice that the top gets a bit crusty after a while - but this is a small thing.

I'm a big fan of OPI as a brand, but if I was told I could only buy one OPI product for the rest of my life, this would definitely be the product. It's very effective at sealing the nail polish and keeping it on.