Having your fresh manicure chip on you after just a couple of days of wear is extremely frustrating and can leave you with a sense of self-consciousness that'll have you hiding your hands away needlessly. However, not all is lost! A tough and reliable top coat nail varnish or hardener could be just the answer to this dilemma!
To keep your talons looking terrific, we’ve pulled together our favourite regular and gel top coats from Boots, John Lewis, and Amazon from drugstore and pro brands like Essie, OPI, Seche Vite and Nails Inc. Trust us, with one of these, you'll be waving goodbye to chipped nail polish for good! We have also partnered with Makeup Artist Marie Dancer to review and fact-check the article so that we can share with you the most reliable information.
Quick List - Top Top Coat Nail Polishes
As a professional make-up artist of ten years, Marie's job has taken her all over the UK working at top events, on TV shows and making up beautiful brides. For all her clients she loves emphasising their natural beauty by creating a flawless base that still looks like skin.
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As a professional makeup artist of ten years, Marie's job has taken her all over the UK, working at top events, TV shows and making up beautiful brides. For all of her clients, she loves emphasising their natural beauty by creating a flawless base that still looks like skin.
Find out more about Marie and what her favourite makeup products are through her Instagram! She even shares some industry tips on makeup application too. And if you're interested in getting your makeup done by Marie, you can contact her via her email found at the top of her page.
Whenever you think of a fresh manicure, you immediately think of the mirror shine of a gloss top coat, and this is a perfect choice if that’s what you’re looking to achieve. However, there are different finishes available that you might also like to explore! The traditional high shine, gloss or 'gel' top coat has a new rival on the market - the matte finish.
A modern matte look isn’t for everyone, but it does provide an edgy alternative to the usual girly gloss. Some brands even offer a middle ground to the two, a satin or ‘eggshell’ formula that adds a subtle shine for a natural look. You can even mix and match the two for a creative and fun style, so there is an option for everyone!
Waiting for your top coat to dry fully can seemingly take forever, and there is nothing more annoying than waiting all that time for it to then smudge or wrinkle at the last second.
To avoid this, you should opt for a fast-drying formula that can be touch-dry in as little as a couple of minutes. This could save you lots of time and frustration than waiting for other, longer curing polishes to dry.
Top off your at-home treatment with one of these 10 best manicure sets!
A chip usually causes you to redo your nails, as it can make you feel untidy and just not made up properly. The longer you can prevent chipping through everyday tasks such as washing up, cleaning and using your nails to open things like cans, the longer your manicure will last.
Some top coats include ingredients such as acrylic or nylon that help the polish become harder and more resistant to chips. If you have an especially manual job or routine and need a tougher polish than all the rest, make sure you choose a chip-resistant formula to keep your nails looking pristine for longer.
Chips can also occur from the nail varnish lifting due to applying layers too thick or not using the correct base coat. Check to see if the brand of your nail varnish has a matching base and top coat, as these formulas are guaranteed to work together.
There are a few nail polishes available that are marketed to be used as both a top coat and a base coat in one bottle. While this seems like a good idea – who needs two bottles when you can have one? – in this instance, this isn’t necessarily the case.
Top coats and base coats work in totally different ways, with one meant to be worn directly on the nail and the other on top of the polish. Base coats are generally thicker to add strength and make the colour take better, whereas top coats are thinner and aim to give added protection and durability.
The cost saving of having a 2-in-1 polish is quite attractive, but generally speaking, it is better to use two separate products as each will be more adept at the job it has been formulated to do.
Check out our list of the best base coat nail polishes so you can have the best of both worlds!
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sally Hansen Instra-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat | ![]() | The Total Top Coat Package | |
2 | Seche Vite Professional Top Coat | ![]() | Penetrates Through the Polish to Lock in the Colour | |
3 | OPI Matte Top Coat | ![]() | Transform Your Nail Colour to a Silky Matte | |
4 | Essie Matte About You Nail Polish Top Coat | ![]() | For a Touchably Soft and Luxurious Matte Finish | |
5 | OPI RapiDry Top Coat | ![]() | A High Gloss Shine That Prevents Smears, Smudges, and Streaks | |
6 | Barry M Matte Nail Paint Top Coat | ![]() | Create Fashion-Forward Matte Nails on a Budget | |
7 | Rimmel London Super Gel Top Coat Nail Polish | ![]() | Specially Shaped Brush for Speedy and Even Application | |
8 | Nails Inc Lacquer Lock Top Coat | ![]() | Uses Natural UV Rays to Cure | |
9 | Mavala Top Coat Gel Finish Nail Polish | ![]() | The Effect of a Gel Polish With None of the Damage | |
10 | Essie Speed Setter Quick Dry Top Coat | ![]() | Ultra Fast Drying With a Gel-Like Finish |
Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri Anti Chip Top Coat dries any nail colour and gives you long-lasting shine and chip resistance. Even if you have wet nails, the acrylic polymer complex dries your polish in 30 seconds, leaving them tough and ready to face whatever challenges you throw at them.
We'd expect nothing less than a fantastic product from a trusted nail care brand, and we're definitely not disappointed with this polish. It cures itself so quickly and thoroughly - this truly is the total package for making your manicure last and last!
A cult beauty product in its own right, Seche Vite's Dry Fast top coat is acknowledged as one of the world’s finest top coats. It is formulated to penetrate through polish to the nail itself and is guaranteed not to yellow while leaving nails stronger and more resistant to chipping and peeling.
The formula is super easy to apply and dries quickly to leave a gloss finish and a silky feel. It truly locks in your nail colour and prevents peeling, and can even be applied on still-wet polish without any adverse effects. A really great product!
This matte top coat is perfect for anyone wanting to achieve a smooth matte manicure. From well-known nail care brand OPI, you simply apply it on top of your chosen shade, and your polish will magically transform into a beautiful matte shade.
We've marked this down slightly owing to the high price tag, as if you're budget-conscious, there are other, cheaper matte top coats. But if the higher price tag isn't an issue and you want something from the pros, then this is an amazing polish that dries quickly and lasts a few days.
Essie's Matte About You top coat transforms nails to give a touchably soft, subtle matte, velvet finish. It evenly glides over the top of any nail polish for a soft, rich finish, leaving you with a luxurious and elegant manicure.
The matte effect on this top coat doesn't seem to last more than 3 days, so you may find you need to reapply to keep the finish soft and velvety. Aside from this, Essie's top coat is one of the best matte top coats we've found in its price bracket and is excellent value for money.
OPI's RapiDry Top Coat dries to a tough, long-lasting, high-gloss shine in minutes, preventing smears, smudges and streaks. Its non-yellowing formula is ideal for use over coloured polishes or as a clear coat over natural nails, making it perfect for those who want the winning shine without the long waiting time.
Despite OPI's claims, this top coat could be a lot tougher, as many have found it started to peel within a couple of days. However, we love how quickly it dries and how easy it is to apply with the thick brush.
This matte top coat from popular beauty brand Barry M will mattify any nail colour for an on-trend statement manicure with added protection and wear. It is an affordable vegan and cruelty-free option, plus it dries super fast, so your nails will be ready in a flash!
This isn't the most durable top coat, but if you change up your nails fairly often, you probably won't notice. The brush is also a nice wide shape meaning that you need fewer strokes to get good coverage. What a bargain!
Rimmel's Super Gel Top Coat comes with a fan-shaped application brush, so it's super easy to apply and only takes one stroke to achieve full, even coverage. Once fully dried, it promises to protect your colour for up to 14 days, leaving you with chip-free and flawless nails.
If you're in a hurry, this is not the top coat for you, as it takes quite a long time to fully dry and harden when compared with other available products. But if you like to take your time over your manicure, then this offers a great finish as well as fantastic value for money.
Just as your gel manicure is cured by UV light, Nails Inc have developed this revolutionary top coat that uses natural UV rays to cure and lock in your colour for extended wear for up to 14 days. This leaves you with super shiny nails that look fresh from the nail bar.
We found that while this gives good protection for around 3 - 5 days, the claim of 14 days chip-free may be a bit optimistic, especially if you're a busy person! But otherwise, this feels great to apply, and it goes on very easily plus the shine really is dazzling.
Our second gel finish top coat in this listing, Mavala's top coat, doesn't need a UV lamp to give you that extra-volume domed effect of a gel manicure. It is long-lasting with increased chip resistance, and it provides an extra glossy finish without damaging your natural nails.
While this does give a fantastically glossy finish to your nail colour, the domed gel effect may be somewhat exaggerated for some. But on the plus side, it offers really strong protection for your polish and does feel slightly thicker than most top coats.
Essie aims to inspire a love for the manicure experience and is the go-to nail polish brand for beauty professionals worldwide. Their ultra fast-drying top coat promises to be touch dry in under a minute and creates a super shiny gel-like finish.
While this top coat dries fast, it could be a bit more hard-wearing, so it may not be suitable if you are especially tough on your hands. But if you're looking for a quick-drying top coat that doesn't need to be, such as for nights out, then this is a great option!
A top coat nail varnish is the final layer of polish applied in the manicure process. This top coat acts as a seal to protect the colour underneath. When a top coat is applied correctly to the polish, it makes it last longer, keeps the colour brighter and, more importantly, helps prevent chips.
You can add a top coat polish to your at-home manicure to help your nails stay looking fantastic for longer and to help achieve that glossy mirror shine you get in the nail salon. Some top coats can also help strengthen your nails over time, so look out for claims of nail health to reap the extra benefits of your top coat!
Damaged nails? Read our article on the best treatments for damaged nails!
Written and researched by Catherine Torrance
No. 1: Sally Hansen|Instra-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat
No. 2: Seche Vite|Professional Top Coat
No. 3: OPI|Matte Top Coat
No. 4: Essie|Matte About You Nail Polish Top Coat
No. 5: OPI|RapiDry Top Coat
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