Now here's something that's all the craze these days. Another "just like gel without the mess" top coat. I must have passed this Essie gel setter duo 10+ times at Target before I finally took the plunge and decided to try it out. I'll be honest, I've never had gel nails, so when I purchased this, I wasn't necessarily trying to replicate a gel manicure or replace an existing gel top coat. And I definitely didn't expect to have a chip free manicure for 7+ days (that concept just seems so unattainable to me for an at home manicure). No, I purchased it after months of frustration with my former go-to top coat, Seche Vite. The fact that it came with bikini so teeny made it that much easier to whip out the wallet and splurge. At $14.99 for the set, it's cheaper than buying each one separately, which was enough of a reason for me to pull the trigger.
To use, just apply two coats of any Essie polish and let it dry for about two minutes. The fact that you can use any Essie polish is a huge perk! There's no need to go out and buy special base coats or polishes in order to use this top coat, which my wallet certainly appreciated! Once dry, apply a single layer of gel setter and within about a minute, you've got a mani that's dry to the touch.
To use, just apply two coats of any Essie polish and let it dry for about two minutes. The fact that you can use any Essie polish is a huge perk! There's no need to go out and buy special base coats or polishes in order to use this top coat, which my wallet certainly appreciated! Once dry, apply a single layer of gel setter and within about a minute, you've got a mani that's dry to the touch.
Essie describes gel setter as providing gel-like color and shine, with no lamp needed and easy clean up. It boasts the cushy, rock-hard shine of a gel in a foolproof formula. All great stuff, but there are even more reasons why this top coat passes my test.
- No More Shrinkage This was my #1 complaint with Seche Vite. I was getting tired of having the polish pull away from the tips of my nails and almost immediately ruining the look of my fresh mani. With gel setter, I haven't experienced any shrinkage, which keeps my mani looking fresh longer.
- No Funky Smell We all know that some top coats can down right stank. I didn't have any odor issues with gel setter, which is a breath of fresh air. Yes, pun intended.
- Minimal Chipping I'm not sure if I'm just hard on my nails or what, but I can rarely get a mani to last more than a day or two before the chipping starts to drive me crazy. With gel setter, however, I've noticed that my manis last much longer. Scroll down below to see pictures of what my nails looked like on day four!
- Easy Application The formula is a nice consistency - not too thick and not too thin. It is easy to spread across the nail, and levels itself well.
- Quick Drying Time It dried much more quickly than I expected and was very comparable to Seche Vite in that regard. I was truly impressed! The drying time was one of the things I liked about Seche Vite, and was a major reason why I was afraid to switch. It took about a half hour to fully cure, however, so just be cautious. I got a small dent in my thumb because I was too anxious and started to do laundry within 15 minutes of top coating. Because sticking your hand in a pile of clothes makes perfect sense after you've just applied layers of wet paint to your fingernails. Genius!
Below is my mani on day four. Yes, there is chipping, but I wanted to include these photos so that you can see how gel setter wore for me. I think I'm pretty realistic when it comes to polish wear, and I consider this pretty darn good! I'm happy that the chipping was so minimal for me after four days. I have yet to find something that truly lasts a week or more with no chipping at all.
Overall, I'm extremely happy with Essie gel setter. I've decided to start using it as my go-to top coat because it gives my nails a glossy, long lasting finish. If you're currently a gel wearer looking for a cheaper alternative, or a non gel wearer that just wants a longer lasting finish, give Essie gel setter a try. I'm interested to see how long you can get your mani to last!
Have you tried this top coat? What did you think?