Sally Hansen Base Coat + Top Coat Reviews

Every time I search Google for reviews on Sally Hansen top coats and base coats I always find individual blog posts about a product when what I really want is a giant list of reviews about Sally Hansen. So I'm here to provide you that if you are also longing for that type of post. All images of the bottles have been taken from the Sally Hansen website. So all photo credit does go to them, I'm just here to provide my review on the products. So let's dig in since I do have a few to review.

The first one I have to talk about is the infamous Sally Hansen Insta-Dri. In the beginning I actually really did enjoy this top coat. It dried my nail polish fairly quickly and provided a super glossy finish. However, this gooped up on me like no other. My Seche Vite doesn't even goop up as fast as this did. I was only able to use a little less than half a bottle before I gave up on it. It's inexpensive and you can find it for less than 5 bucks at most places but to be honest, it's not worth it. Was really disappointed with this top coat.

The next one I have to talk about is the Diamond Flash top coat. I got this top coat fairly recently but have gained quite the opinion on it. It does dry your polish quickly and provide a good shine but boy does it have it's down falls. It has a tiny brush, it bubbles, and it chips quickly. The brush on this top coat is terrible. It's so tiny and is very difficult to work with. You have to go over your nail 4-5 times to have a complete coverage of the top coat. The bubbles are what really kill me though. Even if you don't see any bubbles in the top coat before applying it, it still somehow manages to bubble on the nail. It's incredibly annoying and completely ruins a manicure. I will continue to use this on metallic polishes I only want to wear for a day but otherwise it's completely useless.

Next is the Diamond Shine top coat/base coat. As a top coat, I don't like this product. It doesn't really dry your polish that quick and doesn't provide enough shine for my liking. As a base coat however, I like this product a lot more. It's thin enough to not mess with the application of polish but still thick enough to protect your nails. It's nothing extremely special but I do enjoy this as a base coat.

Lastly we have Hard As Nails Hard As Wraps base coat. It claims to have acrylic strength protection and I have to agree with that claim. It makes polishes go on so much smoother and prevents polishes that stain from staining your nails. However, I still have mixed feelings on this product. While it does prevent staining and make polish go on smoother I almost feel like it doesn't really work for my finger nails. When I wear it on my fingers it chips more if I wear it than if I didn't have a base coat on. It doesn't seem to chip on my toes though but that's most likely because I'm not as hard on my toes. It also is incredibly difficult to remove. If you use normal polish remover it will take a lot longer to remove. So I would recommend using acetone to remove it if you don't want to spend forever trying to remove it.

I know they are all kinda vague reviews so if you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments and I will answer them all. What's your favorite Sally Hansen top coat/base coat? I'm in the market for a new one of each so I'm up for recommendations.

Sally Beauty Top Coat Reviews

When I first started painting my nails, I always told myself a top coat was useless. Once I broke down and bought one for the quick drying properties I quickly learned that you do indeed need a top coat. A top coat not only protects your polish from chipping or smudging but it also cuts down on the drying time significantly (depending on the type of top coat you use). So today I will be talking about 5 top coats that claim to be fast drying, long lasting, a shine increasing. I purchased these all from Sally's Beauty Supply and have used the images from their website. All image credit goes to Sally's Beauty Supply website which is linked here. I will also be linking to the top coat if you are interested in purchasing it. Since I have so many to get through, lets get started!

First up is China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat. One of my favorite nail polish brands is China Glaze however, I'm not a fan of their top coat. I was looking forward to using this and had high expectations due to their wonderful nail polish. This top coat isn't terrible but I don't find it to dry that quickly, add that much shine, or extend the wear of my polish. It's an average top coat and isn't really anything all that special.

Next we have ProLinc Diamond Dry Air Dry Top Coat. I actually received this top coat free a while back when Sally's was having a promotion where you would get a free top coat when you bought a China Glaze nail polish. I was super pumped to try it since I was freshly on the hunt for good top coats. I really tried to like this top coat but I just couldn't. It didn't dry that quickly at all. While it did dry quicker than if there wasn't a top coat, it still took a long time. The biggest reason why I didn't like this top coat though was that it crinkled. Every time I would use it it would crinkle and look like crinkled up aluminum foil. It looked terrible and after 5-7 uses or so I gave up and tossed it.

Up next we have INM Out The Door Fast Drying Top Coat. I like and dislike this top coat all at once. It does dry you polish rather quickly but it doesn't extend the wear of your polish. When I use this polish I notice chipping within 1-2 days after applying. I only use this polish when I know that I will want to change my polish again rather soon otherwise, I won't use it.

Next we have Orly In A Snap Nail Dryer. I honestly just picked this up because it was one of the very first top coats that I had found. It's much like the China Glaze Fast Foward that I mentioned above. It's an average top coat that doesn't really have that amazing of drying time, additional shine, or additional nail polish wear. I wouldn't recommend this top coat unless average is what you are going for.

Lastly we have Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat. This top coat and I have had a very long love hate relationship. I first got this top coat when there was a deal at Sally's when you bought a China Glaze polish you would receive a free Seche Vite. It's honestly one of the best top coats I have tried. However, it does have it's downfalls. 1) It's made with chemicals that can cause birth defects. When I think about this, it really creeps me out and makes me not want to use it. 2) It gets goopy after using it about half way through. It can be really frustrating trying to use this top coat towards the half way mark. I may need to try the Seche Vite restore. Those are the only two complaints I have about this top coat. The quick drying time, high gloss finish, and extended nail polish wear does outweigh the negatives though. I would definitely give this top coat a shot if you haven't already.

So what top coats are your favorite? I'm always up for trying a new top coat and would love to hear recommendations.