top coats

Even the quickest manicurist can't speed up polish drying time without help. Their newest deputy? Fast-drying top coats shave minutes off drying time, fortify polish and add high-gloss shine.

Salon clients see how fast they work and how shiny their nails look, then want to use them at home. Our number one pick, Seche Vite. Try this, and you'll never use anything else!

Whether they're air, heat (OPI, Heatcure, $15) or UV-light activated (OPI, Microbond, $18) fast-drying top coats dry in 45 to 60 seconds. A simple 60-watt bulb is sufficient for heat-activated top coats to work their evaporation magic, while air-activated top coats need no help at all.

Quick-drying top coats involve a chemical reaction that creates a bond with the last layer of nail enamel," says Doug Schoon, Creative Nail Design's director of research and development, based in Vista, California.

Unlike a base coat, which adheres to the nail and provides a bond between the natural nail and the polish to help the polish stick, top coats only have to adhere to the polish. This means top coats can can make better use of chemicals such as nitrocellulose and resin, that create strength and shine..

Fast-drying top coats contain a higher proportion of solvents which evaporate quickly when exposed to air, allowing them to dry faster than polish and base coats. Since top coats only accelerate the drying time of the top-most layer of polish, for maximum effectiveness, ensure the first coat of polish is dry before applying the second layer, which is covered by a top coat.