Top Coats

A nail top coat is a manicure product essential for protecting the coating from damage and wear, ensuring the durability and resilience of the manicure. A top coat, providing additional strength, preserves the nail design and can serve a decorative role if the nail top coat has some effect. Thanks to the variety of top coats available, you can create different effects - from matte or shimmer to gradient finishes. In terms of texture, nail top coats can be thick or liquid. Thick top coats for gel polish are excellent for holding various decorative elements, glitter, rhinestones, and crystals. More liquid top coats are suitable for a smooth coverage. Modern manufacturers recommend choosing non-tacky nail top coats to eliminate the unnecessary step of removing the tacky layer and speed up the manicure process without compromising quality.

A single layer of gel polish is not enough to ensure your manicure remains firmly on your nails. For a successful and quality manicure, nail care items such as a nail base coat and nail top coat are needed. Let’s consider what to keep in mind when choosing a nail top coat. Avoid overly liquid top coats for gel polish - they will spread and seep under the cuticle and onto the skin. Nail service professionals recommend choosing the same brand as your nail base coat, but it's not mandatory - you can use different brands in combination if you wish. Pay attention to the expiration date and storage conditions, or you risk getting a damaged top coat. Remember, the right choice of top coat for gel polish affects the appearance of your manicure, so approach the purchase responsibly.

Your manicure will look neater and stay presentable longer if done using the correct technique: Do not shake the nail top coat before applying to avoid bubble formation; Apply the top coat evenly with a brush, holding it parallel to the nail surface; Pay attention to the tips of the nails, they should be thoroughly covered; Cure the top coat in a UV or LED lamp, adhering to the specified curing time, as it may vary among different manufacturers.

Nail top coats are categorized based on the following parameters: tackiness, consistency, finish, and effects.

• Nail Top Coat with Sticky Layer: After curing the top coat in the lamp, a tacky dispersion layer remains on the nail surface, which must be removed using a lint-free wipe and cleanser. After removing the sticky layer, the surface becomes shiny and smooth. It is believed that the tacky layer makes the coating more flexible, thus giving the nails additional resistance to mechanical impacts. This type of coating is suitable for any nail plate.
• Nail Top Coat without Sticky Layer: The second and, as of today, the most popular type of top coat among manicurists. After curing in the lamp, the top coat leaves no tackiness on the nail surface and possesses a strong glossy or matte effect, depending on the type of top coat chosen. Top coats for gel polish without a tacky layer usually have a more liquid consistency, but the shine remains just as durable. It allows you to start nail design creation immediately after drying and is suitable for applying pigments.
• Nail Top Coat with Glossy Finish: The gloss is very transparent, and the coating becomes smooth and shiny. This nail top coat with a glossy finish does not change the color or shade of the coating.
• Nail Top Coat with Matte Finish: Matte finish gives the nail surface a matte appearance and slightly mutes the shade of the coating. To the touch, the matte coating may have a velvety, velvet, or leather effect. Matte nail top coat can have a tacky layer or be non-tacky. Top Coat for Design Coverage: The consistency is thick, dense, usually with a tacky layer. Such a top coat can cover large crystals, rhinestones, glitter, and stickers. The design will be well secured on the nail surface and will not disappear throughout the manicure.
• Nail Top Coats with Effects: These are top coats with added pigment or other decorative elements, for example, milky-white top coat, pink top coat, glitter gel polish top coat, top coat with multicolored or black-and-white particles, and others. Such top coats allow adding an additional accent to the natural coating.
• Nail Top Coat without UV Filter: Does not change the color of black and dark shades, as it does not contain a UV filter, which gives the color a cold violet hue.
• Nail Top Coat with UV Filter: Contains a UV filter that prevents yellowing and fading of white, light, and neon shades.

A modern and stylish manicure helps to enhance the overall image. This trendy coating creates endless possibilities for experimentation and additional reinforcement of the surface. Matte top coating has a viscous consistency. The presence or absence of a tacky layer after curing depends on the type of matte top coat and the manufacturer you choose. The presence of a tacky layer is indicated in the product description. The durability of the matte coating increases if applied over a regular glossy top coat. This way, we prevent yellowing of white polish and avoid streaks on black polish. The matte nail top coat cures under both UV and LED lamps. For a perfectly smooth manicure and even, saturated color, follow these rules: The nail plate must be thoroughly prepared, and the coating evenly distributed and polished, as the matte coating highlights all imperfections; Thoroughly cure all layers of the coating, including the matte top, as matte coating takes longer to dry than glossy; The coating must be evenly distributed and applied as thinly as possible; Wait a few seconds before curing to allow the layer to level out. There are many different types of matte manicures with gel polish, allowing each artist to unleash their imagination and creativity. You can cover one or two nails or just part of a nail, and a matte French manicure with a glossy tip or vice versa looks great. Matte color in photos or real life gives the manicure an elegant and sophisticated look. Crystals and shiny stones, spider gel, and gel paints look different on a matte surface, creating various designs and combining top coats.