In saying that, there are many different kinds and brands of top coats available in the market today, so we've outlined a buying guide, reviewed by fashion stylist Trish Denise Ramos, to help you see what you should be looking out for. We've also compiled a list of the top 10 best nail polish top coats to help you narrow down your options.
Quick List - Top Nail Polish Top Coats
CND
Long Wear and Fast Dry Top Coat with Vitamin E, Keratin, and Jojoba Oil
Trish is a fashion stylist for different celebrities, tv shows, and advertisements. She has been in the industry since 2011 and has been sharing her love for fashion through styling and content creation. She loves upcycling different pieces and creating different looks with them. When she likes something, she buys them in all colors available if possible and styles them in different ways.
Our recommendation articles are carefully researched and crafted by the mybest Philippines team of writers and editors. To stay true to our company’s mission and vision to help users’ selection process easier, we also collaborate with experts from various fields to ensure that our content stays factual and useful.
The expert oversees the Buying Guide only, and does not determine the products and services featured.
Table of Contents
A top coat's primary function is to prevent nail polish chipping. Aside from this, it also helps your nail polish look smoother - if you're doing a home manicure and you accidentally smudge or mess-up your nail polish, a top coat can fix that up for you quickly.
With textured or colored top coats, it can also elevate your look by adding an extra layer of design. An example of this is a matte top coat, that mattifies your nail polish instead of making it shine like the usual top coats in the market.
There are a lot of available top coats in the market now which can amp up your nail look. Whether it's glossy, matte, metallic, magnetic, glitter, holographic, quick-drying, lightweight, or gel, you can be sure that your top coat can give your nails the added protection it needs.
Most nail polish top coats give your manicure an extra shine and make them last much longer. This makes them a necessary item for anyone who does their own nails. In saying that, there are different kinds of top coats, so before choosing one, it's important to know what you should be looking for.
Two common types of top coats are those that are fast drying and those that offer more intense shine for your nails. They each aim to address different nail needs that you might have so read on below to know their difference and to know which is best for you.
Quick drying top coats are great because they give your nails the protection they need fast. These are usually available at your go-to nail salons to cater to on-the-go clients.
Instead of buying more colors or repeating your nail polish combinations time and time again, it's possible to create different looks with a textured top coat. In saying this, textured top coats come in many different forms.
Popular examples include matte top coats, glitter top coats, and even top coats that are able to add a holographic sheen to your nails. With the many possibilities now available, it is now easy more than ever to add some spice and style to your home manicures.
Textured top coats are a game changer! They can create different looks for your nails, even if you only use one nail polish color. Don't be afraid to request a textured nail polish top coat next time on your next nail salon visit, and you might just be surprised how it can change your nail game.
There are a lot of nail polish top coats with nail care benefits available in the market now. Make sure to find a top coat that is good for your nails and won't cause damage to it. Whenever I want to give my nails a break, I usually just put on a vitamin E-infused nail polish top coat on my nails for added protection.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | Details | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Size | Type | Texture | Nourishing Ingredients | |||||
1 | OPI Matte Top Coat | ![]() | Provides a Trendy and Protective Matte Finish for Any Nail Polish | 15ml | Matte | Matte, Velvet | unknown | |
2 | Essie Good To Go Top Coat | ![]() | Protection and Shine in One Fast-Dry Top Coat | 13ml | Fast Drying | Shiny | unknown | |
3 | Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat | ![]() | Makes Nails Plump and Shiny Within Minutes | 14ml | Fast Drying | Shiny, Gel-Like | unknown | |
4 | CND Vinylux Long Wear Top Coat | ![]() | Long Wear and Fast Dry Top Coat with Vitamin E, Keratin, and Jojoba Oil | 15ml | Fast Drying | Shiny | Vitamin E, Keratin, Jojoba Oil | |
5 | Orly Glosser High Shine Top Coat | ![]() | Achieve Nails With Mirror-Like Shine With This Sucrose-Rich and Vegan Glosser | 18ml | Shiny | Shiny | Sucrose | |
6 | Sally Hansen Miracle Gel™ Matte Top Coat | ![]() | Get Gel-Like and Long Wear Nails In Just Two Steps | 15ml | Gel Hybrid Polish | Matte | unknown | |
7 | Caronia Fast-Dry Top Coat | ![]() | Instant Glossy Nails at an Affordable Price | 15ml | Fast Drying | Shiny | unknown | |
8 | Tenten Matte Top Coat | ![]() | Quickly Mattifies Even the Shiniest Nail Polish | 12ml | Fast Drying | Matte | unknown | |
9 | Girlstuff Miracle Top Coat | ![]() | Achieve Quick and Solid Shine with Anti-Chip Protection | 11ml | Fast Drying | Shiny | unknown | |
10 | Barry M Wet Set Quick Dry Top Coat | ![]() | Super Quick-Dry, Vegan, and Cruelty-Free Top Coat | 10ml | Fast Drying | Shiny | unknown |
Size | 15ml |
---|---|
Type | Matte |
Texture | Matte, Velvet |
Nourishing Ingredients | unknown |
Size | 13ml |
---|---|
Type | Fast Drying |
Texture | Shiny |
Nourishing Ingredients | unknown |
Size | 14ml |
---|---|
Type | Fast Drying |
Texture | Shiny, Gel-Like |
Nourishing Ingredients | unknown |
Reapplying the top coat can be a hassle, especially when you have to do it every other day because your product won't last long. Fortunately, you can trade it for this long-lasting and fast-drying formula from CND! It's designed to dry in less than nine minutes and leave a shine that lasts for as long as seven days.
It also has nourishing ingredients, like vitamin E, keratin, and jojoba oil, incorporated into the formula to strengthen nails and improve hydration and absorption of nutrients. Thus, it's no wonder many users are satisfied with this top coat!
Size | 15ml |
---|---|
Type | Fast Drying |
Texture | Shiny |
Nourishing Ingredients | Vitamin E, Keratin, Jojoba Oil |
Size | 18ml |
---|---|
Type | Shiny |
Texture | Shiny |
Nourishing Ingredients | Sucrose |
Size | 15ml |
---|---|
Type | Gel Hybrid Polish |
Texture | Matte |
Nourishing Ingredients | unknown |
Speed and convenience don't have to come with a hefty price tag - at least, the Caronia Fast Dry Top Coat does not! It can make your nails come out glossy and protected from smudging and smearing. Moreover, it dries within 3 minutes only - much faster than other fast-dry top coats. And the best thing is you can get it for less than 100 pesos!
This locally-produced top coat is also FDA-approved, so you're sure it's safe for use. It's perfect for those who like doing their own manicure. The only issue users have with it is that the quality is inconsistent, and the product dries too fast, so you must work quickly.
Size | 15ml |
---|---|
Type | Fast Drying |
Texture | Shiny |
Nourishing Ingredients | unknown |
If you realize that your shiny nail polish doesn't match the look you're going for, you don't have to remove and re-do your nails. The solution to your problem is as simple as this Tenten Matte Top Coat. It's created to mattify glossy colors, giving your nails some edge that matches your outfit and the event.
Moreover, you'll love that this top coat is formulated to be free from five of the most common harmful ingredients in nail polish: toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, dibutyl phthalate, and camphor. Plus, many users confirmed that it does dry fast!
Size | 12ml |
---|---|
Type | Fast Drying |
Texture | Matte |
Nourishing Ingredients | unknown |
Size | 11ml |
---|---|
Type | Fast Drying |
Texture | Shiny |
Nourishing Ingredients | unknown |
Size | 10ml |
---|---|
Type | Fast Drying |
Texture | Shiny |
Nourishing Ingredients | unknown |
Below are some of the most asked questions online answered by Fashion Stylist Trish Denise Ramos.
Waiting for at least 2 minutes should be good enough before you apply your nail polish top coat.
For many, looking good is a big factor in feeling good. Feeling like you look your best is a big confidence booster, especially for those who are working or studying. That being said, check out our articles below for the best products to help you look good and feel good at the same time.
Re-editor: Dionn Marie Pacot
Our buying guide was carefully researched and crafted by the mybest team of writers and editors in collaboration with the expert featured in this article. We used the buying guide as a basis for choosing and ranking the product recommendations, and we looked at reviews and ratings from different E-commerce sites like Lazada, Shopee, and more.
No. 1: OPI|Matte Top Coat
No. 2: Essie|Good To Go Top Coat
No. 3: Seche Vite|Fast Dry Top Coat
No. 4: CND|Vinylux Long Wear Top Coat
No. 5: Orly|Glosser High Shine Top Coat
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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