Do you really need to use both a base coat and a top coat? Can you get away with just one and (if so) which one would you pick?
Depends on what’s going wrong with my nails that week. When my tips start splitting, I use a strengthening base. Plain clear polish never did anything for mine. You can get away with just one. If my nails are fine, I skip the base and do top coat for a quick change. What I do most though is add a fresh layer of top coat every couple days once hand sanitizer starts dulling it. Brings the shine back without redoing everything, which is pretty cool.
If I had to pick one, top coat.
They both do different jobs first of all. Your base coat protects your nail and helps polish stick. Top coat protects the polish and adds shine.
Base coat matters for stopping stains from dark or red shades and giving you a smoother surface. Top coat is what keeps the color from chipping in 2 days.
If I could only own one bottle, I’d get an actual base-and-top 2-in-1 made for both jobs. Base coat is made to grip the natural nail, and top coat cures harder and seals the color.
Top coat underneath can make polish lift. Base coat on top usually leaves the mani soft and dull.
Refreshing the top coat every couple days does bring the shine back, and it’s way easier than redoing the whole thing every time sanitizer dulls it.
Top coat for sure, though skipping base with red polish left my nails stained yellow for weeks, so I’d never drop it entirely.
Same here, I kept buying clear polish thinking it was a base coat and then wondering why my red left my nails looking like I’d been snacking on paprika.
The strengthening base is a different thing. Mine dries slightly tacky which gives the color something to grab.
Top coat if it’s one or the other, dull chipped polish bugs me way more than a little tint.
Staining though… skipped base under a deep burgundy once and my nails looked yellowed for a good week.
I check the label for ‘base and top coat’ before buying. It’s been worth it for travel… finish wasn’t as shiny as a dedicated quick-dry top coat, didn’t last as long either.
Seems like asking one formula to do opposite things… Has anyone found a 2-in-1 that works as well as separate products?
Everything I’ve read says they’re mediocre at both. Base coats need to bond to the nail, top coats need to penetrate and cure the polish layers.
The two-step approach with base and top coat does make a difference… Thin layers of both end up giving you better results than one thick coat of either alone.
Comes down to which annoys you more when you look at your hands, stained nails or dull, chippy polish!
Essie Strong Start has been my base coat for a while now, and it pairs well with every polish I own.
For top coat I use Sally Hansen Insta-Dri (the red bottle). I’ve heard good things about Seche Vite and KBShimmer on Top too.
Full tips changed everything for me. Polish sticks fine, and if the color stains, who cares, the tip takes it, not my actual nail underneath.
I dropped the base coat and nobody’s noticed.
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Quick-dry top coat. It smooths out everything, even a messy three-coat job. I can use my hands in 20 minutes.